The Best Foods for Your 40s and Beyond
published in http://www.menshealth.com
Baldness, wrinkles, and back hair are the least of your worries; your body may be a walking time bomb. That’s because approximately 30 percent of men in their 40s have asymptomatic prostate cancer, according to research from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. That is, the cancer is there but nearly undetectable. It’s a terrifying prospect, but a reality in your 40s, which might be labeled “the decade of disease.”
The reason: Until age 44, accidents are the most likely cause of death in men. But once you reach 45, heart disease becomes your number-one threat, killing 36,000 fortysomething men every year.
And scientists at the University of California at Irvine discovered that men over 40 were up to twice as likely to develop melanomas than were women of the same age.
There’s also an elevated risk of nonfatal diseases, such as macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness. And don’t forget about obesity: Even if you managed to sidestep it in your 30s, keeping your waistline in check doesn’t become easier with age.
The solution? A preemptive attack on your body’s natural enemies. Your weapons: a knife and fork.
A Fat Expense Account
Eating on the company is a fast way to inflate your gut.
The fix: Adopt a point system. Assign these values to menu items: 2 points for a salad; 3 points for an appetizer; 2 points for an entrée; 4 points for a dessert; and 2 points for an alcoholic beverage. Order whatever you want, but limit yourself to a total of 6 points. To follow this system, choose from a category only once.
Cancer-Prone Skin
Mutating moles are scary, but food can help: National Cancer Institute researchers determined that people with the highest intakes of carotenoids—pigments that occur naturally in plants—were as much as six times less likely to develop skin cancer than those with the lowest intakes. “Beta-carotene is an internal sun protector,” says Regina Goralczyk, Ph.D. That’s because the vitamin plants itself in your skin, where its imperceptible orange and yellow pigments help deflect sunlight.
The fix: As a preventive, eat two sweet potatoes every week. This will provide you with the same amount of weekly beta-carotene as in men who demonstrated the lowest skin-cancer risk. Other top sources are carrots and cantaloupe.
Shrinking Muscles
The average guy loses 6 pounds of muscle by the time he’s 50. But, in addition to lifting weights, you can protect your hard-earned muscles by feeding them a steady supply of high-quality protein.
The fix: Tuna. Ounce for ounce, it’s one of the best sources of protein—and contains zero saturated fat. To grill your way to a better body, follow this muscle-building recipe from Men’s Health cover model Gregg Avedon.
Brush a 6-ounce tuna steak with olive oil, lightly season it with freshly ground pepper, and place it on a preheated grill. Grill until medium-rare to medium, for 7 to 10 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water in a bowl, and microwave the ingredients for 30 seconds. When the tuna is ready to eat, drizzle a small amount of the warm sauce on top. For a perfect complement, pair the tuna with ½ cup of wild rice.
You’re a Workaholic
Don’t let long days at your desk undermine your healthy eating habits.
The fix: Order an inexpensive mini-fridge and have it shipped directly to your office. Stock it with food you won’t be ashamed to carry into a meeting: pints of milk; individual packets of string cheese; a few ounces of turkey; and a couple of in-case-of-emergency microwave meals, such as Healthy Choice, Smart Ones, and South Beach brands.
Elevated Risk of Prostate Cancer
Sex probably won’t kill you, but your sex gland can. Fortunately, Harvard researchers found that men with the highest levels of selenium had a 48 percent lower incidence of advanced prostate cancer than those with the lowest intakes.
The fix: Eat three Brazil nuts every day. That’ll provide you with 200 mcg of selenium, the exact amount you need to keep your prostate-cancer risk at rock-bottom levels. Mushrooms help, too: A half cup of the cooked fungispecifically, brown and Portobello—contains more than 35 mcg, or nearly 20 percent of the amount you need daily.
Worsening Vision
You were first warned about going blind as a teen; this time, the threat is real. Thankfully, the National Institutes of Health found that people who consume the most lutein—a carotenoid found in plant foods—are 43 percent less likely to develop macular degeneration. Lutein helps filter blue light, preventing it from damaging retinal tissues.
The fix: Eat two servings of greens each day. Consider one serving to be ½ cup of cooked spinach, broccoli, or brussels sprouts.
Narrowing Arteries
High cholesterol is a killer.
The fix: Grab a handful of grapes every day. Antioxidants in the skin of red grapes have been linked to lowering LDL cholesterol and preventing clogged arteries. A glass of red wine is also beneficial. In a recent Spanish study, scientists found that red wine reduced markers of arterial inflammation by 21 percent. Alcohol also thins your blood, just as a daily aspirin does.
© 2010 Rodale Inc. | MensHealth.com
