All too often, men don't think about what we're eating. Our diets tend to be driven by convenience and accessibility. We order pizza, grab a burger, snack on chips and cookies because it's easy and it tastes good. Most of the time, we don't really think about the consequences. But the truth is, what you choose to eat is one of the most important health decisions you make.
It seems strange to think about eating as a choice, but it is. Choosing to live well is choosing to eat well. Studies have found that eating a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet can help you avoid four of the top ten leading causes of premature death among men: heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. A healthy diet can help you look better and feel younger. But with all the books, magazines and infomercials out there selling the latest diet trend, how do you know what really is a well-balanced, healthy way to eat?
One of the most reliable sources of food and nutrition information is the United States Department of Agriculture's food pyramid. The latest food pyramid recommends a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meats and beans. Unlike government-endorsed food guides of the past, the new food pyramid is a customized eating plan. How much food we need and in what proportions is determined by a number of factors, including our sex, age, height, weight and activity level. Visit mypyramid.gov for a personalized eating plan based on these criteria, which spells out exactly what foods you should eat to stay healthy.
Another good resource is a report published by the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans is compiled by a group of scientific experts who study and analyze the latest findings related to diet and nutrition. You can download a copy of the most recent guidelines by clicking here.
However, if you're crunched for time, or just have a short attention span, click on the links below for a brief overview of important nutrition information every man should know.
Fats
It used to be that any fat was considered bad. Today we know that there are good fats that provide us with important nutrients and that help protect our overall health. However, even though we've been given the green light to eat fat again, it's important to do so in moderation. Total fat intake for most men should not exceed 20-35 percent of your overall calories, and most of these should be from good fats.
The good kind: Unsaturated Fat
A healthy diet should include some calories from unsaturated fat. Mostly plant-derived, unsaturated fat is divided into two kinds: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Sources of polyunsaturated fat include corn; soybeans; safflower, sunflower and sesame seeds; a variety of nuts; and the oils from these foods. While polyunsaturated fat has been thought to help reduce cholesterol levels, new research suggests that it may lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.[1]Therefore, the main portion of your fat intake should come from monounsaturated fats. Sources of monounsaturated fat are olive, canola and peanut oils and avocados. These fats have been found to lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol without affecting HDL cholesterol levels.
The kind to avoid: Saturated Fat and Trans Fat
Saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in the bloodstream and in the membranes of every cell of your body. Your body uses cholesterol to make certain hormones, bile acids (used in digestion), vitamin D and other important substances-so you need a certain amount of cholesterol for your body to function properly. However, your body makes all the cholesterol it needs, so any cholesterol you get from food is unnecessary and potentially harmful to your health, especially to your heart. That's because LDL cholesterol can build up in the walls of your arteries, causing them to become thicker, harder and less efficient at carrying blood throughout your body. This condition is called atherosclerosis and is one of the major risk factors for heart attack. To prevent high blood cholesterol, you should significantly reduce or eliminate the amount of saturated fat in your diet.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting your saturated fat intake to 7-10 percent or less of your total calories each day. For most men, that's between 160 and 230 calories. Saturated fat is found mostly in food from animals. This includes beef, beef fat, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry fat, butter, cream, milk, cheese and other whole-milk dairy products. A few plant-derived foods contain saturated fats, including cocoa butter, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel (tropical) oil.
As with saturated fat, consuming too much trans fat can be dangerous for your heart. Trans fat occurs naturally in some animal products like beef, pork, lamb, butter and milk; however, it is more widely known for its role in processed foods. Because many manufacturers want their food products to have a long shelf life, they often hydrogenate some of the food's polyunsaturated oils, which is to say they alter the chemical makeup of the oil by adding hydrogen to it. Aside from a longer shelf life, the effect of hydrogenation is that what was originally an unsaturated fat now acts in the body like a saturated fat: it raises total cholesterol and LDL while lowering HDL.
Most food labels now have to include the amount of trans fat in a product, but because of the way standards are set, foods with "negligible" amounts of trans fat can get away with claiming to have no trans fat at all. This would probably be okay if we were to limit the amount of processed foods we eat and actually stick to the recommended serving size. Because this is rarely the case for many people, we end up eating a lot of hidden trans fat. To seek out hidden trans fat, look for the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" in ingredient lists. Monitoring your trans fat intake becomes harder if you eat a lot of fast food. As of now, there are no trans fat standards for the fast food industry. Eat fast food as infrequently as possible, since it is often high in both saturated fat and trans fat.
Protein
Protein is an important part of the male diet. We need protein to keep our tissues, muscles and organs healthy. Consuming adequate amounts of protein is necessary to supply our bodies with essential amino acids-important nutrients that the body can't produce on its own that are necessary for growth and the breakdown of food.
Protein comes from both animal and plant sources. Animal sources include fish, beef, pork, poultry, eggs and dairy products. Animal proteins are called complete proteins because they provide all or nearly all of the essential amino acids. Plant sources of protein include nuts, beans, lentils and some grains. Most plant sources are considered incomplete protein because they don't provide every essential amino acid.
The amount of protein you need depends on a number of factors, including your height, weight and activity level. Visit mypyramid.gov to find out how many servings of lean protein you should eat each day.
Most American men have no problem consuming enough protein. In fact, most of us eat more protein than we really need, and much of it comes from sources of saturated fat like red meat and full-fat dairy products. To avoid the health problems associated with high cholesterol, it's important to choose lean sources of protein: poultry without the skin, fish, and low-fat or no-fat dairy products. Beans are a great source of protein in that they are low in fat and high in fiber. A half-cup of black beans, for example, has 1 gram of unsaturated fat, 7 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber. Diets high in fiber may reduce your cancer risk, especially colon cancer.
Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap lately. Low-carb and no-carb diets claim to help you lose weight fast, but it's hard to sustain this kind of rapid weight loss and keep it off. Plus, most low-carb diets consist of more foods that are high in saturated fat, which is hard on your heart. If you are thinking about going on a low-carb or no-carb diet, be sure to talk with your physician first.
Carbohydrates
The primary function of carbohydrates is to provide energy for the body, especially the brain and nervous system. Your liver breaks down carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar), which your body uses for energy. To maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet, it's not about eliminating carbohydrates entirely, but eating the right kinds of carbohydrates in quantities that are right for your body. (Note: If you're an athlete, you may need more carbohydrates in your diet than what is recommended for most men. Talk with your doctor to find out.)
Carbohydrates include sugars, starches and fiber. Milk, fruit, bread, beans, vegetables, candy, soda-these are all considered carbohydrates. As you can imagine from reading this list, some carbs are better for you than others.
Carbohydrates can be either simple or complex. Simple carbs are more quickly digested and converted into glucose for energy. Examples of naturally occurring simple carbohydrates include fruit, milk and dairy products, and some vegetables. These simple carbs are good sources of energy in that they also provide important vitamins and minerals as well as some fiber. Simple carbohydrates also occur in the form of processed or refined foods-think candy, table sugar, soda and the white versions of bread, rice and pasta. These carbs have a lot of calories but not a lot of nutrients, which is why you're better off limiting your simple carbohydrates to natural, unprocessed foods like fruit, vegetables and low-fat milk.
Complex carbohydrates are the starchy foods: whole grain breads and cereals, legumes (beans and peas) and starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn. Complex carbs are the most nutrient-dense form of carbohydrates-they provide calories that are slow to digest, which means prolonged energy, as well as important vitamins, minerals and fiber (which helps you feel full longer). Eating foods rich in fiber may help reduce your cancer risk, especially colon cancer. Current dietary guidelines recommend that we eat 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories. For the average man, that's 30-45 grams of fiber each day.
Vitamins & Minerals
When you read the word "vitamins," is the first thing that comes to mind a bottle of pills? (Or maybe the multi-color chewables your mom gave you as a kid?) While taking vitamin supplements is a good "insurance policy," it should still be secondary to getting the majority of the vitamins and minerals you need from a healthy diet-that is, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean protein and whole grains.
Vitamins and minerals are essential for healthy living. If you're deficient in even one, your body won't function as it should. Vitamins are organic substances (meaning they come from living organisms) that the body uses for metabolism, growth and development, immunity, reproduction and the regulation of cells. There are 13 known vitamins. Vitamin C and the eight B vitamins are water-soluble, which means they dissolve easily in water. With water-soluble vitamins, the body uses what it needs and excretes the excess; therefore, water-soluble vitamins must be replenished regularly. Vitamins A, E, K and D are fat-soluble vitamins. To be most effective, fat-soluble vitamins should be consumed with a meal that contains some (preferably unsaturated) fat.
Some vitamins are also referred to as antioxidants. These are vitamins that neutralize harmful molecules in the body called free radicals. Free radicals can damage cells and are thought to lead to some serious illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants include vitamins C, E, beta-carotene (a substance that becomes vitamin A once inside the body) and selenium.
Minerals are inorganic substances that play an important role in many of the body's functions, including blood clotting, regulation of blood pressure and heart rate, and maintenance of the thyroid gland, body temperature and brain function. There are 15 essential minerals.
The best way to make sure you're getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables-at least five a day, if not more. Vary the color of the vegetables you eat as well, since vegetables of different colors have different essential nutrients.
Water
Say you're a 170-pound guy-this would mean that nearly 115 pounds of your weight is made up of water. That's two-thirds of your body weight. It's no surprise then that water is so important to a healthy diet. In fact, water is the most critical nutrient in your body. Every cell and organ in your body needs water to function. It serves as a lubricant surrounding your joints. It regulates your body temperature. It helps in digestion and keeps food moving through your intestinal tract. Water helps your body do just about everything.
That's why it's important to replenish the water your body loses naturally every day. You lose about two cups of water each day just exhaling, about ten cups through normal excretion and perspiration, and one to two quarts per hour during aerobic exercise like running or biking.
The best source of water is...water. Sparkling, out of the tap, with lemon-however you like to take it, drink water every day. Most health sources will recommend that you drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Some of this can come from other beverages like tea or coffee, but anything with caffeine in it will be less effective at keeping you hydrated. (Caffeinated beverages act as a diuretic, causing the body to excrete water.) Liquid foods like soup or fruit juices also provide the body with water, but these sources also come with calories and sugars.
A great way to cut calories to maintain a healthy weight is to substitute water for other calorie-laden beverages, like soda or sweet tea. If you like the carbonation in soda, consider mixing seltzer water with fruit juice. And if you're a big fan of sweet tea, opt for decaffeinated tea and sweeten it with a little honey instead of sugar. (Unlike table sugar, honey has a small amount of vitamins and minerals.) If you're out in the sun or exercising, you should increase your water intake-about two cups of water for every pound you lose through perspiration.
[1]Inlander, Charles B. Men's Health and Wellness Encyclopedia. New York: Macmillan, 1998.
