July is just around the corner but that does not mean we forget about all the men in our lives. June is Mens Health Month, which seems fitting with Father Days. So what is the biggest gift we can provide to all the fathers and other men in our lives….it is the gift of health.
Here are some quick tips to make sure our men are living a healthy lifestyle that lasts a lifetime.
Brain
Start with folic acid. Scientist are showing that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and low levels of vitamin folate may increase the risk of leveling Alzheimer’s disease. To increase folic acid, consume fortified cereals, pastas, dark leafy greens, and citrus fruits.
Heart and Blood
Keep your heart ticking by cooking for your heart. By cooking at home it help you control what goes into your food. Keep the salt and high fat foods as bay while consuming more heart healthy oils like canola, olive or soybean oil as a cooking agent.
Lungs
We all know that smoking dramatically raises the risk for disease and health complications. However, no matter your age, quitting smoking can help increase your longevity. Since quitting smoking is hard and leaves many craving for food, choose nutrient-dense foods like whole grains and legumes to curb craving.
Kidneys
Kidneys is our “detox diet” at work as they filter the food that we eat determining what is waste is what is nutrients. The kidneys also play essentials roles to our health by helping to provide a balance of salt and water in our body to help us regulate our blood pressure. This does not mean, increase your salt consumption but rather, keep your water consumption at a high. In fact, adults can lose 10 or more cups of water a day.
Pancreas
The pancreas is an organ that deserves much more appreciation than it tends to get. The pancreas produces horses like insulin that helps us utilize the sugar/carbohydrates we consume as energy. In addition, the pancreas aids in digestion by releasing enzyme that break down our food. To help keep your pancreas healthy consume smaller portions of food that are high in fats such as sausage, bacon, and more while loading up on healthy fruits and vegetables.
Body Mass Index
Body mass index is measurement of height versus weight. However, this measurement does not take into consideration muscle mass and so needs to be taken with a grain of salt. However, having a higher body mass index >25 tends to waiver on unhealthy behaviors. Men and women who have a larger waist circumference are at a greater risk of disease such as heart disease, diabetes, and more. So get the measuring tape out and make sure the men in your life have a waist circumference lower than 40 inches around to keep the risk of diseases at bay.
Resources:
www.eatright.org