Stay-healthy advice for men Go home: You may not be able to get out of working overtime once in a while, but don’t make it a habit. Working too many long hours is associated with a greater risk of anxiety and depression, which can harm health. Stay connected: Having a good network of friends and family is associated with greater longevity, and loneliness is associated with a greater risk of heart disease. Do Facebook friends count? We like to think so. Go fish: Fish is a great source of protein and is loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Have some fun in the sun: Just 15-20 minutes of sunlight exposure each day can supply your daily need for vitamin D. Getting a sufficient amount of vitamin D may ward off diabetes, heart attacks, heart failure, high blood pressure, heart disease, and maybe even the common cold. But don’t overdo it — too much sun exposure can increase your risk of skin cancer. Turn off the tube: It’s pretty easy to stay in front of the TV, but it may be harder on your body than you think. People who watch a lot of TV in their 20s and 30s have more heart risk factors in their 40s than those who don’t. What’s more, exercise won’t necessarily erase the extra risk. Watch your blood sugar: Prediabetes — a condition in which blood sugar is elevated but not quite high enough to be classified as diabetes — is nearly as toxic to the body as diabetes itself. Regular exercise and a high-fibre, healthy-carb diet can keep blood sugar in the safe range. Consider a PSA test: If you’re a candidate, think about getting a prostate specific antigen test. Although it’s not perfect (prostate cancer isn’t the only reason PSA levels can rise), this blood test can catch prostate cancer early. Keep in mind that some prostate tumors grow so slowly that they may never be life-threatening; your doctor may recommend watchful waiting rather than immediate treatment. High-fibre foods Fibre is an important part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. There are many foods that are naturally high in fibre. You probably know about beans, lentils and nuts. You’ve also heard people mention that fruits and vegetables are generally high-fibre foods. But which ones are really beneficial? Here’s a list of surprisingly high-fibre foods that are hardly mentioned. Avocado: is actually a high-fibre fruit, but people normally use it as a vegetable. Two tablespoons of fresh avocado has about two grams of fibre in it. An entire avocado has 10 grams. Broccoli: Cooked broccoli has about five grams of fibre in it. Fresh broccoli contains even more than that. Broccoli is also famous for having nutrients and properties that help prevent cancer. Chocolate: Dark chocolate has many health benefits, including being high in potassium and iron. Cocoa powder, mostly used for baking, is also a good source of health benefits. Cocoa powder has over 33 grams of fibre per 100 grams – that’s over 100 per cent of your recommended daily intake. Dark chocolate can have up to 17 grams of fibre per 100 grams, which is half of your daily intake. Only cocoa powder and dark chocolate have enough nutrients to be consumed. White chocolate and milk chocolate are mostly sugar, and are bad for you. They should be consumed sparingly, since they have no health benefits whatsoever. Peas: Peas are versatile, cheap and good for you. A cup of peas contains a little over 16 grams of fibre before you cook them. Even if you cook them, they still have nine grams of protein in them per serving. Pears: Pears have more fibre content in them when they are unpeeled. The skin contains all of the fibre and nutrients. One medium pear with the skin intact has about five grams of fibre in it.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 08:24:29 +0000
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