MEN’S NUTRITION AND HEALTH

Collaboration with St-Méthode Bakery

We’ll soon be celebrating Father’s Day—the perfect time to remember how important it is to take care of men’s health. As men get older, the risk of several illnesses—including cardiovascular disease and such cancers as colon and prostate cancer—increases. Let’s have a look at some ways men can take better care of their health…

1. Reduce your waistline

Men tend to store more fat in the abdomen. Abdominal fat can be problematic for health. A significant accumulation of abdominal fat increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Health Canada recommends that men keep their waistline under 102 cm to reduce these risks. Men are therefore well-advised to keep to a healthy weight… and adopting healthy lifestyle habits can help—notably engaging in regular physical activity, eating high-fibre foods, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress.

2. Eat more fibre

High fibre consumption can help reduce the risks of heart disease. Whole grain foods (e.g. quinoa, brown rice, whole grain bread, etc.), legumes (e.g. split peas, red beans, green lentils, etc.), and fruits and vegetables are all good dietary sources of fibre. Health Canada recommends that men eat 38 g of fibre per day. The Sesame Oat Loaf in St-Méthode’s Campagnolo range is a good source of fibre (4 g per 2-slice serving)… and men especially seem to enjoy it!

3. Limit your consumption of red and processed meat

Meat is an important source of such nutrients as protein, iron, and vitamin B12. However, excessive consumption of meat can be harmful to your health. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified red meat as potentially carcinogenic and processed meat as carcinogenic. In France, the Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) recommends eating less than 500 grams of red meat per week and less than 150 grams of processed meat per week. BBQ season is already in full swing… and men just love it! Why not grill up some alternatives, like poultry or fish? Remember that charred meat is especially carcinogenic.

4. Drink less alcohol 

For decades now, the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified alcohol as one of the carcinogenic products with the greatest risks for health. Alcohol consumption is associated with at least 7 types of cancer, including oral, liver, and intestinal cancers. In the body, alcohol breaks down into various sub-products, including acetaldehyde, which can damage cells and cause cancer. The more alcohol is consumed, the more the risks of developing cancer increase. Moderation, therefore, really is always in good taste!

5. Eat tomatoes

Tomatoes are very high in lycopene, an antioxidant pigment in the carotenoid family. Studies show that lycopene consumption can reduce the risk of prostate cancer—the most common type of cancer in Canadian men (1 out of 8 men). To maximize lycopene absorption, it is preferable to eat cooked tomatoes—in sauces, soups, pasta, etc.

Summing up : 

- Slimming down your waistline by adopting healthy lifestyle habits helps reduce the risks of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and blood pressure.

- Increasing your consumption of fibre can help you stay at a healthy weight and reduce the risk of heart disease.

- Limiting your consumption of red and processed meats can lessen the risk of developing colon cancer.

- Drinking less alcohol can reduce the risk of developing certain cancers, such as mouth or liver cancer.

- Eating tomatoes—high in lycopene—can reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

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