T.J. Samson | Destination Health | April 2018

April 2018 5 f you’re a man reading this story, take a moment to pon- der this question: How much attention do you pay to your health? Be honest. Do you get enough exercise? (Riding the lawn mower isn’t exercise.) Do you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables? (No, french fries don’t count.) Have you seen a primary care physician recently? (Do you even have one?) Don’t feel chagrined if most of your answers were less than positive. Many men fall short when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. Still, that’s not a good reason to put off making changes in your life that can help lower your risk of some serious diseases. What follows are tips that can put you on the right track to better health. They’re based on some of the leading causes of death in men in the U.S., and they may help you live a longer life. EAT FEWER FATTY FOODS Too many high-fat foods in your diet raise the risk for heart disease, the No. 1 killer of American men. The main villain in fatty foods is saturated fat, which is bad for your heart. Saturated fat is found in things like red meat, butter and full-fat dairy products. You don’t have to give up juicy steaks or ice cream with the kids. Just eat foods high in saturated fat less often. Also cut down on fried foods and baked goods. They contain trans fats, which raise your cholesterol and clog your arteries. Instead, eat more plant-based foods and fish. Fill up on: Fruits and vegetables. Among other things, fruits and veggies contain potassium, which has been shown to help lower blood pressure. High blood pres- sure increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Some simple tricks to up your intake of produce: Try topping your pizza with vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms or green peppers instead of meat. Or add some fruit to your morning bowl of cereal. Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna (fresh and canned), and herring. They provide omega-3 fatty acids, which help pre- vent sudden death from heart attacks. Skip breaded or fried fish, however. Both cooking methods quickly take fish from healthy to unhealthy. Go for fish that is baked, broiled, grilled or boiled. Walnuts and almonds. Walnuts are a good source of omega-3s, and both almonds and walnuts contain unsaturated fats, which raise HDL— the good cholesterol—and promote heart health. Toss the nuts on cereal and salads. Use walnut oil in salad dressings or to sauté vegetables. Ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil. Flaxseed is another great source of omega-3s. Drizzle the oil over whole grains like quinoa. Stir ground flaxseed into cereal and yogurt. SPEND LESS TIME SITTING Sitting for long stretches of time increases the risk of car- diovascular disease and diabetes and of dying prematurely. Between sitting, driving and staring at screens—including computers and TVs—Americans spend six to eight hours a day being sedentary. Strive for at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous ex- ercise every day. Sound like a tough task? Work on adding in activity whenever you can: ●  ● Walk on your breaks at work. ●  ● Use a smartphone app that encourages more movement. ●  ● Park at the back of the parking lot when you go to the store. Better yet: Walk to the store if you can. ●  ● Skip the elevator and take the stairs whenever possible. ●  ● Plan an active vacation hiking or backpacking. ●  ● Walk the golf course instead of using a cart. ●  ● Rake leaves or mow the lawn with a push mower. ●  ● Stand up when you talk on the phone. ●  ● Do pushups or situps during commercials or halftime. CRUSH ALL TOBACCO Smoking can lead to lung and other cancers, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. It also raises the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke and is linked to cataracts and pneumonia. Smokeless tobacco isn’t harmless either—it puts you at risk for mouth and other cancers. If you smoke—whether it’s cigarettes, cigars or a pipe—plan to quit and decide how you’ll do it. Nico- tine replacement therapies—such as gums, patches, nasal sprays, inhal- ers and lozenges—can help reduce withdrawal symptoms. Or talk to your doctor about a prescrip- tion medication, such as bupropion or varenicline. Counseling and other support therapies can help too. Once you make the decision to go tobacco-free: ●  ● List why you want to quit and read it often. ●  ● Ask family and friends for support. ●  ● Avoid triggers, such as people, places and activi- ties, that make you want to smoke. ●  ● Plan distractions for when cravings hit. ●  ● Get encouraging text messages from smokefree.gov or the QuitGuide app. ●  ● Call a quit line, such as 1-800-QUIT-NOW . DECIDE ON A DOCTOR A primary care physician (PCP) can screen you for diseases and uncover health problems early, when they may be easier to treat and cure. Many serious health risks, like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, don’t have symptoms, which means you may not know you have them unless you get tested. Ask family and friends to recommend a PCP, or check the list of providers through your insurance company. Then pick up the phone and make an appointment. STAY SAFE Habits like buckling up, wearing a helmet and using sunscreen can help save your life. Here’s what to do: Always wear a seat belt. Men wear them less often than women, which can be a deadly mistake. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 50 percent of men who were in fatal crashes weren’t wearing a seat belt. Put on a helmet when riding a motorcycle or bike. You’re 27 times more likely to die from a motorcycle accident than an accident in another vehicle, reports the NHTSA. An important way to protect yourself: Wear a helmet that meets U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) safety standards. Certified helmets will have a DOT symbol. Also always wear a bicycle helmet to lower your risk of a head injury. Slather on the sunscreen. Men over 50 have a higher risk of de- veloping the skin cancer melanoma compared to women, but a survey by the American Academy of Dermatology found that men don’t know as much about preventing and detecting skin cancer. Protect yourself—even on cloudy days—by wearing a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your ears, neck, feet and the top of your head. Reapply every two hours. Additional sources: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; American Academy of Family Physicians; American Heart Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institutes of Health I HOW WHY HOW WHY HOW WHY HOW WHY HOW WHY