Looking after your man health

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Taking care of your health really isn't rocket science. Here's a few simple things for men to think about that can make a huge difference to your quality and quantity of life:

Move your body

Around four in ten men don't do enough physical activity each day for good health. Physical activity doesn't have to be very hard to be effective, but vigorous activity offers some additional benefits. If you are not physically active, try gradually increasing the amount of physical activity that you do every day.

Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity every day for good health. This can be accumulated in blocks of 10 minutes. Sixty minutes of activity, including some vigorous intensity exercise, is more likely to reduce your cancer risk.

Healthy habits will also help to prevent other conditions including cardiovascular, diabetes and respiratory illness.

Stay in shape

Alarmingly more than 2 out of every 3 men aged 25-64 years are overweight or obese.

If you are overweight the first step is to stop gaining weight. Then try for steady weight loss. Be more physically active and eat according to your energy needs. Aim for a body mass index (BMI) in the healthy weight range between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2.

Another useful measure is waist circumference. Men should aim for a waist circumference of less than 100cm.

Eat for health

More than 80 percent don't eat enough vegetables for good health and more than half don't eat enough fruit. A healthy diet; rich in fruit, vegetables, breads, cereals; lean meat and dairy foods can reduce your cancer risk.

Men should aim to eat at least 2 serves of fresh fruit and 5 serves of vegetables every day for good health.

Alcohol

For men, it is recommended that, on average, no more than 2 drinks of alcohol per day be consumed. Drinking no more than 4 standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion. It is also important to have at least 1-2 alcohol free days per week.

Smoking

Smoking is a major risk factor for the three diseases that cause most deaths in Australia. These include heart disease, stroke and cancer. Quitting smoking is one of the most basic ways of reducing your risk of ill health.

Dealing with the C word

(Prostate, Testicular, Lung, Bowel & Skin Cancer)

Even though less than half of the Australian population are men, more men than women are diagnosed with cancer each year. In Australia alone, over 50,000 men are diagnosed with cancer each year, and over 20,000 die as a result.

Basic ways to cut your cancer and cardiovascular risk:

• Check for unusual changes and have regular, appropriate screening tests and check ups
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Limit alcoholic drinks
• Eat a healthy diet
• Be physically active
• Be SunSmart
• Quit smoking
• Eat plenty of fibre
• Eat less saturated fats

Heart Health

Cardiovascular disease may become apparent in the 31-50 year age group and whilst modern medicine has extended life expectancy, prevention through healthy lifestyle would improve quality of life in the later years. Heart disease results from a combination of risk factors. It is important that men are aware of these factors and work to reduce them.

Salt

High salt diets can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart failure, osteoporosis and stomach cancers. Overweight individuals may be more sensitive to the effect of salt on their blood pressure so it is especially important for them to reduce the salt in their diet.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed male cancer in many western countries. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) estimated that in 2010 almost 20,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer.

They estimated that more than 3,300 men died as a direct result of prostate cancer. The number of recorded cases has increased significantly in recent years, and this is partly due to the increased use of the PSA blood test resulting in more cases being detected. It is also partly because men are living longer.

Early detection of prostate cancer when it is smaller gives a far better chance for more effective treatment and cure!