Men need to pay attention to their own set of nutritional demands. Many problems caused in part by nutrition are common to both men and women, such as cardiac disease, obesity, and diabetes. In general, absolute nutritional requirements in men are greater than in women, simply because men as a population are larger and have more muscle mass than women.
Top Men Health Focuses:
1.Calories- men are typically taller, have more muscle mass and weigh more than women, so they typically require more calories. Visit www.myplate.gov to figure your individualized calorie needs.
2.Protein- men’s protein needs may be proportionally greater, especially if a man is physically active.
3.Nutrient Dense Diet- Quality nutrients are important to maintain men’s immune function and overall health, as well as preventing bone loss, eyesight loss, and muscle loss
4.Calcium- Calcium is as important for men as it is for women. Osteoporosis tends to be looked at as a “woman’s disease,” but men can be susceptible to osteoporosis too.
Basic eating principles for a proper diet
1.Eat a wide variety of foods: plenty of colorful vegetables, legumes/beans, fruit, grain(cereal) foods – mostly whole grain and high fiber varieties, lean meats and poultry ,fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, milk, yogurt,, cheese or their alternatives, mostly reduced fat.
2.Drink plenty of water.
3.Limit foods high in saturated fat, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, processed meats, fried foods, sausage, and bacon. Replace high fat foods containing mostly saturated fat with foods containing mostly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Swap butter, cream, cooking margarine, coconut and palm oil with unsaturated fats from oils, spreads, nut butters and pastes, and avocado.
4.Limit foods and drinks containing added salt, and don’t add salt to foods in cooking or at the table.
5.Limit foods and drinks containing added sugars, such as sugar-sweetened soft drinks, fruit drinks, vitamin waters, energy and sports drinks.
6.Limit alcohol. (Drink no more than two standard drinks a day, on average, and no more than four standard drinks on any single occasion.)