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Men’s health: supporting your path to wellness

Good health starts with small things. Focusing on preventive measures like regular checkups and screenings can make a big difference in how you feel. Review these tips and resources to help you feel confident in making decisions about your whole health.

Receive regular checkups

As you age, the risk of diabetes, heart conditions, and certain cancers increases. Taking these preventive steps helps lower your risk and detect problems early:

  • Schedule preventive checkups with your primary care doctor every year.
  • Receive regular cancer screenings and vaccines, as recommended by your doctor. All men should get screened for colorectal (colon or rectal) cancer by age 50.
  • Let your doctor know if any close family members have a history of prostate cancer or other health conditions, such as high cholesterol, diabetes, or heart disease. This can affect how early and how often to receive certain screenings.
  • Check preventive guidelines for your age.

Recognize depression

While feeling low from time to time is normal, depression is a mental health condition that shouldn’t be ignored. Symptoms of depression in men include:

  • Angry, irritable, or aggressive behavior.
  • Anxious, restless, sad, or dissatisfied feelings.
  • Loss of interest in work, family, or hobbies.
  • Suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts.

Seek support for depression

These tips can help if you’re feeling depressed:

  • Talk to your doctor about treatment that’s best for you.
  • Reach out to loved ones.
  • Spend time with people who are positive.
  • Set realistic goals for yourself to avoid being overwhelmed or discouraged.

Eat smart

Choosing healthy foods can reduce your risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions. These habits will feed your good health:

  • Include foods like fish, almonds, and flaxseed in your diet. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are important parts of the membranes that surround every cell in your body.
  • Eat at least two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables every day.
  • Limit calories from added sugar, which is often found in sweetened beverages, cereal, baked goods, and packaged snacks.
  • Avoid processed foods like crackers, chips, deli meat, cereals, and many frozen or ready-to-eat meals. These are often high in salt, sugar, and trans fat.

Improve your overall lifestyle

These are other lifestyle changes you can make to maintain or better your health:

  • Fit 30 minutes of physical activity into your everyday routine to help lower your blood pressure, increase energy, strengthen your body, maintain your weight, and potentially decrease your risk for a heart attack or stroke.
  • Limit your alcohol intake to no more than two drinks a day.
  • Avoid smoking or using tobacco.
  • Use sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun.
  • Manage your stress levels by spending time with friends and exercising.

Sources:

    National Institute of Health: Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fact Sheet for Consumers (accessed July 2022): ods.od.nih.gov.

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight (accessed July 2022): cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/fruits_vegetables.html.

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Men and Heart Disease (accessed July 2022): cdc.gov/heartdisease/men.htm.

    American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts for Men (accessed July 2022): cancer.org.

    National Institute of Mental Health: Men and Depression (accessed July 2022): nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/men-and-depression.