‘You are what you eat’ is a well-known saying when it comes to eating habits. Most men I know want to eat healthily but they do not want this to be at the cost of enjoying their food. The media is awash with stories about low-fat diets, rapid weight-loss diets, high-carbohydrate diets, low-carbohydrate diets and GI diets (see page 15). The potential information available to us about healthy eating has never been better.
However, at the same time, the consequences of poor eating habits, in the form of obesity and diabetes, are all around us. In the Western world we are in the middle of an epidemic of diabetes and other obesity-related conditions. The basis for preventing these conditions is to have good eating habits. To do that we need to know and understand a little bit about the different food types so that we can make informed food choices for better health. In general terms, a diet rich in natural foods, including lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains and fibre, with an emphasis on fish (particularly oily fish), and minimising your intake of animal fat, including red meats, is known to be beneficial. But what about the specifics?
What Is Food?
Food is the source of everything we need to build, maintain and repair our bodies throughout life. Food can provide all the energy, building blocks and nutrition that our bodies need for good health maintenance. Cells in our bodies are continuously repairing and replacing themselves. For example, blood is renewed naturally every ninety days. We need food to give us energy. Everything we do, even sleeping, requires energy, and the source of all our energy is food. Food consists of seven different types of nutrients that our bodies need to function optimally. These are carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre, water, vitamins and minerals.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide the main fuel that the body uses for energy. This is called glucose (blood sugar). Carbohydrates are broken down in the stomach into glucose, which then enters the bloodstream. This causes the hormone insulin to be released from the pancreas gland, which enables glucose to be brought into the cells of the body, such as the cells in the muscles, where the sugar can then be used as energy. Carbohydrates are mainly found in fruit and vegetables, pulses and grains. There are two types of carbohydrates: simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates break down quickly after being eaten and enter the bloodstream fast, causing the blood sugar level to rise. Examples of simple carbohydrates include white bread, biscuits and cakes, pure sugar, croissants and fizzy drinks.
Men who eat large amounts of simple carbohydrates can suffer when their blood sugar level goes up and down all day long: the yo-yo effect. Sugar-rich drinks or food causes the blood sugar level to rise very quickly, leading to large amounts of insulin being produced in order to lower the blood sugar and bring some of it into the cells to be used. The excess sugar is turned into fat and can also harm your cholesterol levels. The sudden release of insulin then causes the blood sugar level to drop very quickly. The result is that, an hour or two after eating, your blood sugar level can drop down low, causing feelings of tiredness or weakness and cravings for more sugar-rich carbohydrates, which can start the cycle all over again. The simple way to avoid this and all the problems associated with too many sugar-rich carbohydrates is to eat fewer of them.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are much better for us because they are broken down more slowly, thereby causing the blood sugar level to rise more slowly. They tend to keep our blood glucose at a constant level, which helps to optimise our energy levels, decreasing the tendency for carbohydrate cravings and food pangs, and reducing the level of fat deposition. Complex carbohydrates also tend to be quite filling, so they have an added advantage of decreasing any tendency to over-eat. Examples of complex carbohydrates include wholegrain breads and pasta, brown rice and high-fibre cereals such as All-Bran.
The Glycaemic Index (GI)
The glycaemic index is a method of measuring how quickly foods are broken down into sugar. It is easy to understand: glucose itself is given a score of 100 and all other carbohydrates are scored from 1 to 100. Therefore foods with the lowest glycaemic index are complex carbohydrates, which are broken down more slowly, i.e. they don’t raise the blood sugar level quickly. By contrast, simple carbohydrates raise the blood sugar quickly and therefore have a high glycaemic index. Research suggests that diets with the highest glycaemic index are associated with an increased risk of diabetes and also lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels (see Chapter 6 for more details on cholesterol). For better health we should concentrate on eating foods with a low GI index. This means the best types of carbohydrates to eat would be oatmeal, wholegrain breads, bran, beans (including kidney beans, soybeans, baked beans and chickpeas), wholegrain pastas and fruit, particularly berries.
Protein
Protein is the body’s main building material and is found in foods like meat, eggs, fish, pulses, beans and soy. After eating protein the body breaks down large protein molecules into tiny amino acids and then builds them up again into the protein in the body that is found in hair, teeth, bones, muscles and so on.
A balanced diet will generally give you all the protein you need. You need protein in the body to make your muscles, repair any damage in the body and generally keep the whole system ticking over. Protein is especially important during periods of growth. It helps give power to our muscles and strength to our bones, helps our immune system fight infection, and helps to build us up and keep us strong. Dietary deficiency of protein can cause muscle wasting but this is extremely rare in the Western world, as we only need small amounts of protein in our diets to fulfil our bodies’ requirements. In fact, the average 70-kilogram man needs less than 60 grams of protein daily.
Protein is made up of twenty building blocks, known as amino acids. Eleven of these are made in the body, but we need to get the other nine from our diet. If you eat a wide variety of vegetable sources of protein, including beans, rice and various vegetables, then it is possible to get enough of these amino acids. However, if you do not eat a wide enough variety you may become deficient in some of these amino acids. Animal sources of protein, on the other hand, contain all of the amino acids necessary for health. However, the problem with animal sources of protein is that they often contain a lot of fat and cholesterol. Too much animal protein in our diets, i.e. too many burgers and steaks, means too much saturated fat, too much cholesterol and not enough calories from complex carbohydrates and fibre. This can increase your risk for many conditions, including heart disease, colon cancer and diabetes. You should eat protein in moderation and choose low-fat protein sources. Your protein intake should be no more than 10 to 25 per cent of your calorie intake.
The best sources of protein are fish, pulses, egg whites and skinless poultry. It is recommended that you reduce your red meat intake to once or twice a week. Avoid fatty meat or processed meat. So, if you like a good steak, go for the leaner and better cuts, and remember to enjoy it as well. Skim or low-fat milk is a better choice than whole milk. Legumes such as peas, beans and lentils are also good sources of protein and contain less fat than meat and no cholesterol. Soy protein is another useful meat substitute that has many health benefits.
What Is Fat?
Fat is burned as energy and forms a store for future energy needs. It is an important source of fuel: it contains 9 calories per gram, whereas both protein and carbohydrates only contain 4 calories per gram. It is stored in fat reservoirs as a form of fuel. This was ideal in times of famine, but in the Western world today excess fat stores result in unhealthy weight gain and obesity. Fat also helps to insulate the body against heat loss and helps to protect vital organs such as the kidneys. However, the reality is that many of us have too much fat in our diet and consequently store too much of it.
We all need some fat for our bodies to function normally, for our immune systems and hormones, but the problem is that many Irish men eat too much fat, which is quickly converted into blubber and a spare tyre. As well as eating too much fat, many of us eat the wrong type of fat. A high-saturated-fat diet, especially trans-fats (see page 19), creates a build-up of cholesterol and fatty plaques in the blood vessels, which cause narrowing and eventual blockages of the blood vessels, leading to heart attacks and stroke (see Chapters 5 and 6). Reducing your saturated and trans-fat intake is the most important dietary measure you can take to reduce your risk of heart disease. There are several different types of fat, which I call the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good Fats
Polyunsaturated Fats
These are known as ‘essential fatty acids’ because they are essential for normal growth and development. The body cannot make either of these essential fatty acids, omega-3 or omega-6.
Omega-3 helps with learning, memory and heart function. Dietary sources of omega-3 include oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, herring and salmon. A healthy diet should contain four times more omega-3 than omega-6.
Omega-6 helps growth, reproduction, coagulation of the blood, healthy skin and the immune system. Good sources of omega-6 include vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn and soy oils, as well as spreads made from these oils, and also meat, nuts and seeds.
Monounsaturated Fats
These are also known as omega-9 and are found in meat, nuts, seeds and olive oil. Dietary sources include meat and meat products, cereals, potato snacks and non-dairy spreads. They are thought to benefit health by suppressing LDL (bad) cholesterol and promoting HDL (good) cholesterol. They are liquid at room temperature.
The Bad Fats
Saturated Fats
These fats increase the risk of heart attack and are know as ‘artery cloggers’ because they are easily converted by the liver into LDL cholesterol. They are also implicated in many cancers, including colon and prostate cancer. Several vegetable oils, including palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil, are also high in saturated fats and should be avoided. The main dietary sources are full-fat dairy foods, meat and meat products, pastries, biscuits and cakes. Other examples include butter, lard and dripping. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature.
The Ugly Fats
Trans-Fats
Trans-fats, which are also known as hydrogenated fats, have traditionally been found in margarine, vegetable shortening and fried foods. Trans-fats are now banned from many foods and their inclusion in a food must be clearly marked. They are reputedly even worse than saturated fats in terms of promoting heart disease. The World Health Organization warns that no more than 1 per cent of daily energy intake should come from trans-fats. A useful rule of thumb is that 5 grams a day of a trans-fat can raise the risk of heart attack by 25 per cent. You can get more than twice that amount, and in the worst cases more than four times, in a single visit to a fast-food outlet. If you think a diet high in saturated fat is bad for you, and believe me it is, then trans-fats are absolutely deadly. The best way to avoid trans-fats is to read the food labels – avoid hydrogenated fats, trans-fats and partially hydrogenated fats. Even foods labelled ‘reduced fat’ may contain trans-fats. The best way to reduce saturated fats and trans-fats when cooking is to minimise the amount of solid fats you add to food.
See the table below for a guide to fats.
Fibre
Fibre is an essential part of a healthy diet. It does not have exact nutritional value as it cannot be digested. It is the roughage in vegetables, grains, fruit and pulses. Fibre helps clear out the bowel, thereby keeping you regular, and also gives you a feeling of fullness, which is an essential part of weight control.
There are two types of fibre. Firstly, there is insoluble fibre, which provides the roughage in our diet, bulking up our stools and helping to keep our bowel motions regular. This prevents constipation and also helps to prevent piles and other conditions of the digestive tract, such as diverticular disease.
Secondly, there is soluble fibre, which is also good at helping to decrease LDL cholesterol levels, while at the same time making us feel full more quickly and slowing the emptying of our stomachs, thus helping to prevent overeating.
Whilst most fibre-rich foods are rich in both insoluble and soluble fibre, there are some food stuffs that are particularly high in soluble fibre. These would include oatmeal (porridge made from oats), fruit such as apricots, prunes, oranges and apples, broccoli, barley, oats, lentils and various types of beans, including soybeans, black beans and kidney beans. While fibre is good for your gut and digestive tract, a diet rich in fibre also helps to decrease the risk of heart disease.
Roughage – The Great Fibre Provider
It is recommended that we eat 30 grams of fibre each day. You can get this by eating a wide variety of wholegrains, fruit and vegetables. Some common fibre-rich foods and their fibre content are listed below.
Keys to Getting Enough Fibre
High-fibre snacks:
Water
Water is an essential part of all the processes that go on throughout the body. Our bodies need plenty of water to keep every system ticking over. We need to drink plenty of fluids on a daily basis to stay healthy and the best fluid of all is water. Generally it is recommended to drink about six to eight glasses per day. The key is to stay well hydrated. The best guide to hydration status is the colour of your urine, which should be clear. Thirst, on the other hand, is a poor indicator of hydration – you can be a litre or more behind in your fluids before thirst starts to kick in.
Tea – Are You Having a Cuppa?
Drinking tea appears to be good for your health. This is because tea contains substances called polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that help to keep cells in the body healthy and protect against the ravaging effects of oxygen-free radicals, which are associated with cancer and heart disease. Tea also contains caffeine. However, the caffeine in tea appears to be absorbed into your system much more slowly than caffeine from coffee, which means that brain activity is stimulated for a much longer time. Tea contains a number of vitamins and minerals. There is some evidence that drinking black tea reduces your risk of heart disease and has a generally positive effect on health. Green tea appears to be even better for you as it contains more of the protective polyphenols than black tea. Green tea is thought to have many health benefits, including helping to prevent heart disease and cancer. Because green tea is drunk without milk or sugar and is naturally free of calories and salt, it is an excellent choice as part of a calorie-controlled diet. It is also excellent for relieving stress.
The jury is out on coffee in terms of health effects. Certainly, in moderation coffee is unlikely to be harmful. However, the caffeine in coffee is a stimulant and, while many of us may need a cup or two to get going in the morning, excess caffeine can cause your system to speed up, sometimes aggravating stress symptoms or causing palpitations. Just like alcohol, the story with coffee may be another case of ‘less is more’.
What About Vitamins?
Vitamins are small molecules that play a key role in your overall physical and mental well-being. There are two types of vitamins. Firstly, there are the water-soluble vitamins, which are not stored in the body and are flushed out in the urine each day. Therefore, it is important to get enough of the water-soluble vitamins on a daily basis to prevent possible deficiency occurring. These include Vitamin C and eight different types of B vitamins. Secondly, there are the fat-soluble vitamins, which include Vitamins A, D, E and K. These vitamins can be stored in fat cells in the body for future use so it is not essential to get the exact amount each and every day to prevent deficiency occurring.
We know ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. Should we all be taking a multivitamin? I believe the answer is yes for most Irish men. There is no doubt that a diet full of fresh fruit and vegetables, and high in fibre, wholegrains and oily fish, will give people most of the vitamins they require. However, many Irish men, for one reason or another, do not get their recommended intake of fruit and vegetables. Therefore I think a good general multivitamin can be invaluable. The following vitamins are particularly relevant in the context of men’s health:
Minerals
Minerals are substances (inorganic ions) that are involved in a whole range of bodily functions and are essential for good health. There are about eighteen different minerals, found widely in food. Only tiny amounts of many of these minerals are needed for good health. Indeed, some are needed in such tiny amounts that it is nearly impossible to be deficient in them if you eat a balanced diet.
A mineral we need a lot of is calcium because it is so important for our bone structure, as our bones have a high calcium content. Dietary sources of calcium include dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese, as well as brown bread, broccoli and oily fish like sardines. Most other minerals such as iron, fluoride and manganese are only needed in very tiny quantities. Zinc is a mineral of particular importance for men’s reproductive health as it is needed for male fertility and the proper manufacture of sperm. It also helps the immune system and with promoting the healing of wounds. Zinc is found in seafood, turkey, wholegrains, oatmeal, eggs, yeast, nuts and beans.
The Food Pyramid
The food pyramid gives a good idea of how our daily food intake should be balanced. Understanding the food pyramid can help you keep your diet varied and interesting, while at the same time remaining healthy.
Wholegrains
These foods are a good source of fibre and complex carbohydrates. Wholegrains are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, which are beneficial for maintaining a healthy blood pressure level and heart health. These include selenium, zinc, magnesium, iron, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine and Vitamin E.
As an example, brown rice has the same fat, protein and calories as white rice but also has additional fibre, calcium, iron, zinc and folic acid as well as Vitamins B1, B2 and B6. It can help normalise blood sugar and is thought to be particularly good for the bowel, perhaps helping to lower the risk of bowel cancer. It can also lower blood cholesterol levels.
Ground flaxseed is an excellent way to add wholegrain to your diet. These small brown seeds can be crushed or ground in a food processor or coffee maker and added to food, e.g. a teaspoonful in hot cereal or yogurt. Flax seeds are high in fibre and also in omega-3.
Simple ways to increase the amount of wholegrains in your diet are shown below.
The key with fruit and vegetables is to eat them often, ideally with every meal. Keeping fresh fruit in a bowl in the kitchen or freshly chopped carrots or broccoli in the fridge makes a healthy snack readily available. The only fruit and vegetables to avoid would be vegetables in creamy sauces, fried vegetables in batter and canned fruit with heavy sweet syrup. Otherwise, for fruit and veg the sky’s the limit.
What Are Superfoods?
These are foods such as fruit and vegetables that are very high in antioxidants. Examples include berries, especially blueberries, and broccoli. The high level of antioxidants in these foods helps protect the body against the damage that oxygen-free radicals can do to our bodies. This can help reduce the risk of many conditions, including cancers and heart disease, and can potentially slow down the very ageing process itself.
Oxygen-free radicals are produced in the body when we burn energy. They are also very prevalent in certain foods, for example, processed food and fried foods. These oxygen-free radicals are thought to damage the body in various ways. They can cause LDL cholesterol to become stickier and lead to hardening of the lining of the blood vessel walls, causing narrowing and eventually potential blockages of these arteries. They can affect the integrity of the immune system, with oxygen-free radicals allowing the unregulated growth of cancer cells.
Antioxidants are the subject of considerable ongoing research to see what role they may play in health, wellness and disease prevention. Keep yourself informed about developments in this area in the years ahead.
Soy is a vegetable protein that is eaten widely in the Far East. Soy seems to have many health benefits. It is rich in the B vitamins, potassium, calcium, fibre, protein and also some of the good fats that are actually good for your heart. Soy also has substances called isoflavones, which may be good for the prostate in terms of helping to prevent prostate cancer.
What is in ONE Portion?
Grains
Fruit and Vegetables
Dairy
Protein
The Good Guys – Foods to Live For
The Bad Guys – Foods to Avoid
Salt
Excess dietary salt can help cause high blood pressure, which is an important risk factor for heart disease and stroke. We can become tolerant to the taste of salt and unwittingly use more and more over time to get the same taste (just like with sugar).
Steps to reduce salt intake include avoiding table salt. Be aware of high sources of salt such as tinned soups, soy sauce and frozen dinners. Remember that processed foods tend to be very high in salt; these include snack foods, frozen meals, tinned foods and cheese. Instead of using salt in cooking, consider other herbs and flavoursome spices. Watch the salt content of sauces and consider salt substitutes, for example, sea salt, but use sparingly.
Breakfast Like a King
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet many men don’t eat any breakfast because they are ‘too busy’. Research has shown that those who eat a good breakfast tend to perform better, both physically and mentally, than those who choose to skip the meal. It makes sense, as getting a nutritious, healthy breakfast will give you lots of energy and keep your brain alert and active. Forget the breakfast rolls or the artery-clogging full Irish. Instead go for a bowl of fibre-rich cereal and skim milk or some fruit. The protein in the milk will help to invigorate your brain, while the complex carbohydrates in the cereal and fruit will give you long-lasting energy until lunchtime.
How To Improve Your Diet and Nutrition
We all have our excuses: too busy, too little time, etc. But if we truly value our health, then we must give our bodies the best fuel possible to keep the engine ticking over. Don’t use excuses for not following a healthy eating plan. Your health is too important for that.
Key Points
