Men’s health is a topic that is often pushed under the rug. There is a common mentality amongst many men in health of ‘she’ll be right’ or macho man attitude to health. This attitude can prevent some men from reaching out and seeking support and knowledge to support their optimal health in all aspects. This includes not only disease prevention but to support lifestyle choices for overall health. This involves the physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and social wellbeing.
A good analogy or comparison could be to treat your body like you do your car. You would not miss a regular car service as you know the importance of these services to maintain the optimal performance of your car. The same can be said about your body and health. Having regular check-in with health professionals can keep your body and mind fine-tuned to help you to live your life at its fullest.
The first step towards moving forward is to look at the small, achievable steps you can take to start making positive changes in your life. There is no need to take a fad diet or a hard and fast approach. The small tweaks which you can maintain are the ones which matter the most. This could be focusing on adding more fruit and vegetables to your meals. Focusing on adding to your diet rather than restricting or taking away can be a strategy which can promote long term adherence and as a result long term benefit.
Focusing on the role of your diet, it can help to focus more on mindfulness on your choices. Rather than saying foods are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ focusing less on the gung-ho approach try to approach food with a softer mindset.
Some key nutrients which are important for men include fibre. Fibre helps promote a healthy heart, promote a healthy gut microbiome, and reduce your risk of certain cancers like colorectal cancer. Foods which are a good source of fibre include wholegrains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits.
Zinc is another important nutrient for men. Zinc is a mineral found in foods like seafood, meat, nuts, and seeds. This helps optimise sexual function and optimise your immune system function. Calcium is another mineral many men are falling short on. Aiming to meet your calcium needs through foods like calcium set tofu, milk and milk products, fortified food products, tempeh, almonds.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fat is an essential fat needed for optimal brain function, heart function, joint health. Good sources are from oily fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, oysters, barramundi as well as seeds like chia seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and soybeans.
There is no need to cut all fat from your diet for health. Adding healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, extra virgin olive oil into the diet to support healthy cholesterol levels and heart health.
Adding more plant variety into your diet for gut health. A healthy gut microbiome supports almost every part of your body. Also, by replacing a meat meal with plant-based protein this may help to reduce the amount of red meat in your diet to a recommended level for health. The World Cancer Research Fund and The Heart Foundation recommend limiting red meat to 350-500g a week.
Mental health is an important topic which needs to be more openly discussed to reduce stigma. Some of the data is quite staggering, according to Beyond Blue men make up an average 7 of the 9 suicides each day in Australia. The number of men who die from suicide is nearly double the national road toll. These statistics are staggering, and actions need to be taken to change these statistics.
What you eat can make an impact on your mental health. Nutrients like omega-3 fat and foods like vegetables and fruits have been linked to improvements in mood. A whole dietary approach which can have a positive impact on your mental health is the Mediterranean Diet.
A healthy gut microbiota also promotes a healthy mind. There is a direct link from your gut to your brain called the brain gut axis. When your gut microbiome is healthy your brain also functions better.
There are no ‘bad’ foods, only sometimes foods and foods which are best to be eaten as a regular part of your diet. A sometimes drink which can have a culture among men to be overconsumed is alcohol. Alcohol is something which can still be enjoyed in life but aiming for no more than ten standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one occasion. A good strategy could be to make yourself the designated driver, or alternative one alcoholic drink for one non-alcoholic drink.
Take home message: Health is not purely the absence of disease. Take action to optimise your health both mental and physical to help to live your best life.
