Men's nutritional health

Are you a man?  Do you have a man in your life you'd like to take better care of?  There are a lot of women's magazines that tell women how to look after themselves, and it has always been perceived that women are more interested in looking after themselves than men.  Obviously this just isn't true... anymore...  But if you think you, as a man, need to improve your nutrition, then read on.  If you think your husband, boyfriend, partner needs to improve his nutrition then... read on.

Also it isn't just your waistline that could be improved.  Better nutrition can help with fertility, heart and prostate health, depression and even erectile dysfunction.

So what exactly should men be eating and why?

Red peppers are extremely high in vitamin C.  Just one portion (that's 1/2 a red pepper) provides over 200% of the recommended daily intake.  Vitamin C is especially important for men who are trying to have a baby with their partners, as it prevents sperm cells from clumping together, a common problem in infertility.

Tomatoes and other red vegetables, are a rich source of lycopene which is a powerful antioxidant which helps to reduce the damage caused by free radicals which can cause disease.  So include as many red foods such as tomatoes, peppers, red grapefruit and watermelon as possible in your diet.

Both lycopene and vitamin C have been associated with good prostate health.

Nuts, especially Brazil nuts, are extremely nutritious and are full of heart healthy fats and vitamins E and B and Magnesium.

The type of fats found in Brazil nuts are monounsaturated, which have been found to improve blood cholesterol levels and therefore, reduce  the risk of heart disease.

Magnesium is very important to health, and often severely lacking our diets.  Magnesium helps to maintain a regular heartbeat and when combined with B vitamins, it helps convert food into energy.

Another mineral found in Brazil nuts is Selenium which is especially beneficial to men.  Selenium is involved  in making the protein found in sperm and men with  low sperm counts have been found to have low blood levels of this mineral.

Selenium is also used for keeping the immune system healthy, and in the formation of enzymes that help protect the body from free radical damage.

However, nuts - in any form - should be eaten raw for maximum benefits.

Red kidney beans and other legumes, are a great source of high quality fiber which is essential in the diet for optimal health.

A good amount of fiber is essential for maintaining good digestion and has been shown to reduce the
risk of heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol.

Fiber also makes you feel fuller for longer which can be helpful if you are trying to control your weight.

Depression is surprisingly high among men in the UK.  With 1 in 8 men experiencing a mental health issue at some point in their lives.  Whereas diet isn't actually going to cause depression, being depressed can affect your food choices and this may contribute to low mood swings.

Some people comfort eat when depressed and others skip meals.  Whether you are comfort eating or skipping meals your blood sugar levels will be unbalanced and possible nutrient deficiencies can lead to low mood, making the problem even worse.

High fiber foods such as oats, lean proteins and healthy fats all help stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent mood swings.

High fiber diets have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Eggs have been black listed as a cholesterol problem for decades, a bad rap which is totally unwarranted, as eggs have little impact on cholesterol levels.

Eggs are very high in pure protein but they are also packed with almost all the essential vitamins and minerals needed for great health.

Their high protein content means they leave you feeling fuller for longer, and people who eat eggs for breakfast tend to eat less over the rest of the day.

Two boiled eggs also supply a good source of selenium and zinc which are particularly beneficial to men.  So, don't be afraid to open the door to eggs and you certainly don't need to limit your weekly intake.

Fish, especially oily fish; wild salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout and sardines are packed full with Omega 3 fatty acids.  These are essential for health and must be obtained from diet.

Omega 3 fatty acids are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and low levels may impact on fertility.

Fatty acids produce compounds called prostaglandins that help reduce inflammation in the body.  Inflammation can damage healthy cells and weaken the immune system which is thought to be a contributing factor for many diseases including cancer.

One of the earliest warning signs of heart disease is erectile dysfunction.  A man with erectile dysfunction in his 40s has a 50-fold greater risk of having a heart attack over the next 10 years.

If you can't face uping your fish intake, then it would be a good idea to invest in a good quality supplement.  Krill oil is a better option as it is water soluble and therefore better absorbed by the body.

I left the best for last...

Steak!  Yes you can have your steak and eat it too.  Steak is high in protein which is great, and it is also a great source of zinc.  Zinc plays a huge role in the immune system, cell growth and would healing.  Zinc is also essential for the male reproductive system as it is used to make male sex hormones and is found within sperm cells in high concentrations making this mineral an essential part of male fertility.  It has also been associated with good prostate health and it may help to reduce the development of an enlarged prostate.

Zinc and iron (also found in red meat) are essential for healthy hair too.

Red meat is healthy in moderation, so you might like to explore other sources such as; green vegetables, seeds, nuts, mushrooms, shell fish and pulses.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

How cuddly is your man?

We all know the two main body shapes; apple (rounded in the middle) and pear (more shapely round the hips).  Men seem to be more prone to the apple shape or beer belly, which can often leave them looking "pregnant".  However, with the "Dad Bod" seemingly in fashion, just how healthy is your man?

Pear shaped, as in extra weight around the thighs (more habitual in women) is subcutaneous fat, situated just beneath the skin, this fat is harmless as it stays exactly where it is and is very hard, but not impossible, to lose through dieting.

The apple shape however, is visceral fat which accumulates around the internal organs behind the abdominal wall.  This is why these round beer bellies tend to be hard and you can't pinch them.  This type of fat is a lot easier to  lose but is far more dangerous to health - in fact, it can kill you and here's how:

1.  Heart.
Visceral fat is linked to high levels of bad colesterol and high blood pressure, both of which are contributors to heart disease.

2.  Immune System.
Visceral fat produces a chemical called interleukin-6 which is active in inflammation.  Inflammation does serious damage to the body, it worsens the symptoms of diseases such as COPD (Chronic

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) among others and could also raise your risk of developing these diseases.

3.  Diabetes.
Belly fat has been linked to insulin resistance syndrome, this is where the body becomes less sensitive to insulin and this type of fat produces more of it.  This means that people with visceral fat are more likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes.

4.  Dementia.
A Japanese study found that an adverse waist-to-hip ratio where the waist was a lot larger than the hips, was linked to a higher risk of developing dementia due to a highly negative effect on the hippocampus - the memory center in the brain.

5.  Cancer.
Research has recently revealed that men who put on  2st 7lb (17 kg) from adolescence to retirement, and were subsequently classed as overweight, had a 50% higher risk of developing bowel, kidney, oesophagal and pancreatic cancer.

6.  Depression.
A 2014 study of more than 3,300 men and women with an average age of 51, found that higher levels of visceral was linked to higher risk of depression.  This is believed to happen due to an increase in the production of the stress hormone cortisol.

7.  Lungs.
A study from California has also shown a link between high levels of visceral fat and asthma.  Apple shaped overweight people were more likely to develop asthma, this is due to the inflammatory effects of abdominal fat on the the respiratory system.

8.  Snoring.
Weight has often been associated with snoring.  This is due to the abdominal fat restricting the movement  of the diaphragm and lung expansion.

So if your partner is on the cuddly side, you might like to reassess it from a health point of view.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Look after your man

This one is particularly close to my heart.  My father has struggled for years with his weight and, as a consequence, his health.  He is obese, has type 2 diabetes, early stage heart disease and is on a huge amount of medication.

I think that what upsets me the most is his apparent lack of wanting to help himself.  His wife does everything she can to keep him on a healthy diet, but he views going out to a restaurant as an excuse to not eat healthily - problem is, he eats out a lot.

Thing is, men tend to look after themselves a lot less than women.  Stress is a big problem and men tend to deal with this a lot harder than women.  My own husband will reach for the ice cream when stressed, for others it's a packet of biscuits or chocolate, or a few pints down the pub with his friends.

Jeremy Clarkson hit the papers this week for his unsightly pot belly while filming his new TV show. Thing is, that kind of fat around the middle is far more dangerous to your health than being obese all over.

Subcutaneous fat around the thighs that is more prone to women is a "healthy" fat.  It doesn't move, it just stays there and is difficult to shift.  However, belly fat sits behind the abdominal wall and is free to move around the body and it's this kind of fat that can clog arteries and cause heart attacks and strokes.

42% of men die before the age of 75, compared to 26% of women, men are also 60% more likely to develop cancers that affect both sexes, and 70% are por likely to die from them.

So what can you do to help your man, with or without him realizing?

If your husband or boyfriend is overweight and has an allergy to all things healthy and even refuses to admit he has a problem:

"My blood sugar levels are stable and within their normal parameters", my father stated on Saturday...

"And so they should be," I answered, "You're on medication for that, if they weren't within range while medicated then I'd be driving you to the doctor's not back to your hotel!" I almost screamed desperately.

Men are extremely competitive, so try exercising together.  Exercise is important for everyone, whether you are overweight or not, so it will be good for you too.  If your partner is very overweight then you might like to start with something simple like walking and gradually build up in distance and speed.  Adopt a dog, having a reason to go for a walk will actually make him get off the sofa.  If he likes going to the gym then buy him some new funky workout gear, it might motivate him to show it off! Also, recent British study of 3,500 couples working to reduce their risk of heart disease found that the men that worked out more and saw higher rates of improvement in their health, worked out with a partner.

Quit sugar and refined carbs.  Let's face it, the majority of us love a biscuit with out tea, or a dessert after a nice meal, but the fact is that there is so much hidden sugar in foods nowadays that most of us don't even realize how much we are consuming.  Change white bread to wholegrain and eat as little as possible.  For example, only have toast for breakfast twice a week - maximum.  The other days have fruit, not juice, or a protein breakfast.  Omelettes are great in the mornings.  Don't forget avocados either, these are a great source of healthy fats and fiber, so pack those in to your diet.  Put less sugar in cakes, if you bake, and use a smaller teaspoon to add sugar to drinks if you can't get him to switch to stevia.

Don't have bread and/ or potatoes with every meal.  I don't even have bread in the house.  Nowadays there are loads of healthier options that you can substitute.  Cauliflower is really in fashion at the moment, you can use it to make pizza bases, rice and other side dishes.  It's even great roasted with garlic and olive oil!  Love mashed potatoes, you can sub them for mashed butter beans, for example.

Eating more fruit and vegetables is really important for health and not just for your waistline.

Take and unflattering photograph of him and stick it on the fridge door.  A friend of mine had a small pig "toy" that oinked when the fridge door was opened and the light came on!  Hey, you never know, it might work as a deterrent.

Big often isn't better.  Big plates, big glasses lead to bigger portions.  Use smaller plates and when it's just the two of you, smaller wine glasses too.  Using a smaller wine glass means consuming 125ml instead of the 250ml bigger ones.  This will cut your partner's alcohol intake by  half and the calories too.  A small glass contains 106 calories while a larger one is closer to 252.

Supplement with Omega 3.  Omega-3 fats are found in oily fish such as salmon and also in walnuts.  They have great anti-inflammatory properties which have been shown to lower type 2 diabetes risk by 33%.  You can also take them as a supplement - krill oil is best as it is water soluble so much easier to assimilate by the body.

It also seems that shorter holidays are better for you than a two week break.  Studies have shown that a two week holiday can compound stress levels.  It seems that preparing for a long break and then trying to catch up afterwards can be just as stressful as not having a holiday.  It would appear that one long weekend break every 6-8 weeks, and evenly spaced one-week holidays throughout the year are healthier.

Above all, don't mention the word DIET.  Men believe that women go on diets and that dieting is unmanly.  Make it a lifestyle change for better health and there are loads of ways to improve both your diets by being adventurous in the kitchen, it doesn't all have to be grilled fish and salad.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com