Healthy Eating For Middle Aged Men

Middle age men are making an effort to improve their lifestyles. They are exercising more than the previous generation and they are making an effort to practice good nutrition. This article will discuss the best foods for the baby boomer generation.

Women in middle age experience menopause, which is the abrupt cessation of the decrease in estrogen production by their ovaries. Men have their own more subtle changes as they age called andropause. With andropause come slowly decreasing testosterone levels, lower metabolism, an enlarged prostate, and an increased risk for cardiovascular problems and other diseases. These changes can affect your sex life, mood, ability to sleep, concentration, and prostate health.
Eating the right foods can help increase your energy level, lower your cholesterol and blood pressure and even improve your sex life. Eating a variety of healthful foods will strengthen your immunity and help you age better. Eating plenty of fiber is also important to keep your digestive track running regularly and decrease the risk of colon cancer.
Nuts

Nuts are some of the best foods for men over 50 for many reasons. Nuts are good for your heart health, but they also pack other benefits in a tiny space. Almonds can improve your sleep and mood. Brazil nuts are helpful for proper prostate functioning. Walnuts have anti-inflammatory properties that are good for muscles. Pistachio nuts can help lower cholesterol, protect your heart, and improve erectile function.
Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, broccoli sprouts, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, bok choy, cabbage, radishes, and others are some of the best foods for men over 50. They help prevent bladder cancer and other types of cancer (especially when eaten raw) and they are high in fiber. Don’t believe us? Here are 10 reasons to eat broccoli and some studies on how eating vegetables can reduce prostate cancer progression.
Berries

Aging men should try to eat one cup of berries per day. All berries are good for you, but blueberries and acai berries are highest in antioxidants and are especially good for the health of your brain. Feeling forgetful? Pop some berries. Berries are high in vitamin C and fiber. Berries and other foods like apples and tea are rich in flavonoids called anthrocyanins. A study from Harvard found anthrocyanins to be especially beneficial to men in preventing Parkinson’s. Men, but not women, who ate the most of this flavonoid were 40% less likely to develop Parkinson’s than men who ate the least about.
Red and Orange Fruits and Vegetables

Red and orange fruits and vegetable are so good for you. They are high in beta-carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A, which can help your immune system fight cancer and other diseases. Red and orange bell peppers, pomegranates, tomatoes, beets, carrots, sweet peppers, and chili peppers all top the list for the best foods for men over 50. Chili peppers can help improve your metabolism, work as blood thinners, and even increase your mood by releasing endorphins. Sweet potatoes have been shown to prevent diabetes and many other diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, cancer, heart attack, and stroke. They even help with skin health and wrinkles. Beets and other vegetables high in nitrates may improve sexual health, and carrots are good for your skin and for fighting cancer and inflammation. You can’t beat lycopene health benefits for men. Lycopene from tomatoes and watermelon help to help boost sexual health while promoting a normal prostate size and fighting against prostate cancer.
Beans and Lentils

Filled with fiber and protein, beans and lentils make a great meat substitute. Like berries, black beans contain anthrocyanins, which are especially good for brain health. People who eat beans at least three times a week experienced a 33% reduced risk of colon polyps (which often lead to colon cancer).
Green Leafy Vegetables

Dark green vegetables are good for your brain health and sexual health. Spinach is high in lutein and can even increase blood flow to the penis, helping with erectile function. Green leafy vegetables are high in folate and potassium, plus they are a great nondairy source for calcium, which is good for your bones. A study reported that that men who ate greater amounts of leafy green vegetables had a 34% reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer.
Whole Grains

Whole grains are high in fiber and protein too. Oatmeal is one of the best cholesterol lowering foods because oatmeal is high in fiber. The fiber found in whole grains such as oatmeal, barley, brown rice, and wheat calms inflamed tissues and keep the colon and heart healthy. Consider adding quinoa, which is technically a grain-like seed that is a source of complete protein, to your diet of whole grains.
Foods Rich in Omega 3

Some of the best foods for men over 50 are foods high in omega-3 fatty acids for heart, prostate, and brain health. This includes certain fatty fish like wild salmon, tuna, and sardines, and non-fish foods like flaxseed and walnuts. Flaxseed is a high-fiber mood lifter and it improves heart health. Sprinkle flaxseed on yogurt, salad, or oatmeal. When shopping for fish, buy only wild salmon. There are other benefits to eating these fish as well. Tuna is high in niacin for your heart and selenium. It preserves elastin for tighter skin. Some foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids and also contain the mineral zinc are oysters and Alaskan king crab legs. Zinc plays a role in prostate health and sexual health.
Green Tea

Drinking several cups of green tea per day helps prevent cancers such as prostate cancer, plus it provides cardiovascular benefits by improving blood flow and it helps lower cholesterol. In addition, green tea is good for your brain.
Heart-Healthy Oils

The best foods for men over 50 include heart-healthy oils such as olive oil, seeds, nuts, and avocado. Avocados are high in monounsaturated fat and have the ability to help lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation for cells and joints. Heart-healthy oils also are good for prostate health. Some studies on heart healthy food for prostate cancer demonstrated that these foods slowed progression of cancer and increased survival.
Healthy Spices for Men over 50

There are spices for your food that are also available in supplement form. Curcumin, which is derived from turmeric, is good for fighting tumors and it has anti-inflammatory properties that are beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis, prostatitis, and other inflammatory conditions. Cinnamon has many health benefits for aging men as well, including regulating blood sugar lowering cholesterol, helping relieve arthritis pain, and boosting cognitive function and memory. Garlic is another flavoring for food that is one of the best foods for men over 50 because it can lower risk for benign enlargement of the prostate gland.

Bottom Line:
After age 50, it is imperative to your health to develop a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular exercise and paying attention to your nutrition. You will feel better, think better, and fight disease better if you give your body the nutrients and tools it needs to work its best.
This article was inspired by an article on Best Foods For Men Over Age 50.

– See more at: http://www.prostate.net/2013/nutrition/best-foods-for-men-over-50/#sthash.HTb3i2SK.dpuf

It’s never too early to quit smoking

Everyone knows that smoking is deleterious to your health. If you are looking for a reason to quite, read the rest of this blog.

Lifelong smokers die an average of 10 years younger than nonsmokers. The good news is that smokers who manage to quite by age 35 can add that decade back onto their life expectancy. Even kicking the habit before age 60 can add 6 more years of life.

Bottom Line: Don’t start smoking, but if you already have, the benefits of quitting are enormous.

Seniors Don’t Have To Be Sexy To Have Sex

Studies have shown that 70 percent of men and 35 percent of women continue to be sexually active over the age of 70. Sexual interest continues throughout life and seniors today need to know that they can still be intimate during their golden years.

Here are the truths behind the myths regarding seniority and sex.

Misconception: Lack of interest in being intimate.

Reality: Sexual interest continues throughout life. Society tends to have an ageist concept of intimacy, feeling sex among seniors is inappropriate or unnatural. There are enough men for women who are interested and many social outlets for seniors to meet others with whom they can become intimate. These include various organizations or clubs, church groups, dance functions, etc.

Misconception: Inability to perform.

Reality: Complications from aging, such as having to take more medications with side effects and chronic illness, may interfere with sexual function, but they do not eliminate it.

Misconception: Sexual dysfunction cannot be treated.

Reality: Erectile dysfunction is not always an inevitable consequence of aging, but it can often be a result of medications or anxiety. A person’s overall health may also be a concern, so be sure to discuss any issues you are having with your doctor. Medication to alleviate this condition is an option but only with doctor approval.

Misconception: Common illness or disabilities warrants stopping any sexual activity.

Reality: Intimacy is possible for those who may have some medical issues. Those with bone and joint limitations; limited cardiac and pulmonary reserve; and cognitive disorders can have sex, it just may take some patience and creativity. Common concerns include:

Heart disease: risk is low for another heart attack to occur while being intimate; in fact, an active sex life may decrease the risk of a future heart attack.

Diabetes: one of the few diseases that can cause impotence. Once diabetes is diagnosed and controlled, however, potency in most cases may be restored.

Stroke: rarely damages physical aspects of sexual function, and it is unlikely that sexual exertion will cause another stroke. Using different positions or medical devices that assist body functions can help make up for any weakness or paralysis that may have occurred.

Arthritis: can produce pain that limits sexual activity. Surgery and drugs can relieve these problems, but in some cases the medicines used can decrease sexual desire. Exercise, rest, warm baths, and changes in position and timing of sexual activity (such as avoiding evening and early-morning hours of pain) can be helpful.

Prostatectomy: rarely affects potency. Except for a lack of seminal fluid, sexual capacity and enjoyment after a prostatectomy should return to the pre-surgery level.

Misconception: Seniors cannot contract STDs.

Reality: Anyone who is not practicing safe sex is exposed to the risk of contracting a STD. According to Today’s Research on Aging, adults age 50 and older accounted for 10 percent of new HIV infections in the United States in 2006. In 2007, 34 percent of adults age 50 and older were living with AIDS. Find the safest method that works best for you.

** Remember, sexual activity is normal, healthy behavior. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions regarding sexual activity. There are many ways to be intimate without engaging in sexual intercourse. Intimacy can also be achieved through touching, holding hands, long walks, dancing and other forms of shared experiences. Communication between partners is most important.

Not Having Sex Can Be Hazardous To Your Health and Your Heart-I’m Not Kidding

Sex and exercise are highly recommended if you want to be healthy.  Not having sex or being a couch potato can be fatal.  Researches at Tufts Medical Center in Boston reviewed the medical records of patients with sudden cardiac death.  They found that those who engaged in unaccustomed strenuous activity, i.e., sex, more than doubled the risk of a fatal heart attack!  The study noted that every additional instance of physical activity, i.e., sex again, reduced the risk of a fatal heart attack by nearly 50%.

Bottom Line: If you aren’t having regular sex, you need to embrace this wonderful healthy activity “very gradually and very carefully.  So if mama has a headache, tell her to get with the program because and that Dr. Baum said it is good for your health and your heart.

 

Get By With A Little Help From Your Friends

It is true that having a social network of friends, family, and colleagues is good for your health.  Several studies have confirmed that those with poor social connections had on average 50% higher odds of death in the study’s follow-up period (an average of 7.5 years) than people with more robust social ties. The boost in longevity is greater than differences in the risk of death associated with many other well-known lifestyle factors, including lack of exercise and obesity.  So if you decide not to exercise and want to continue to eat and drink and be merry, then you need to balance these lifestyles behaviors by developing and maintaining social relationships.  You’ll live longer and so will your friends!

For more information on this study go to:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2006938,00.html?xid=rss-topstories#ixzz0uzEt83hZ