By Karen Inge, leading Australian Dietitian & Nutritionist.

Men have a number of different health needs to women and certainly different dietary habits.  Like women they need to manage a healthy weight and look after their heart and bones, but they also have unique needs like prostate health.  Compared with women, they’re also more likely to have a greater average fat intake and lower dietary fibre intake, partly due to their poorer fruit consumption.  And they’re also more likely to skip breakfast and drink 2 1/2 times more alcohol.  On the positive side, their exercise levels are greater and they tend to have less dietary hang-ups than women.  If they’re hungry, they eat what they want and don’t agonise over the decision!

With greater recognition of the diet and health link, more and more men are waking up to the idea of maximising their wellbeing.  So if you’ve been wondering what to feed that bloke in your family or are a motivated male, read on.  This month we bring you smart strategies for men at different ages and stages.

Men in their 20s – stress free & single

This is definitely the period of ‘me’ focus with diet often being a low priority.  Life is about living on the edge.  There’s just not time to learn to cook or plan meals, so takeaway foods feature heavily.  Binge drinking is common and any efforts towards health are a side effect of being a gym junkie or sports star. 

Smart strategies

• Stock your kitchen and pantry with nutritious anytime-of-the-day-or-night snacks like yoghourt, yoghourt drinks, grain bars, unsalted nuts, fruit snack packs and breakfast cereal.
• Schedule time to shop and keep a master list of the food essentials on your computer – print it off and check as you go. 
• Enrol in cooking classes or buy a good cookbook
• Choose healthier takeaways watching for fat and total kilojoule counts. 
• Check off 2 fruit & 5 vegetables every day
• Eat more low GI carbohydrate-rich foods, like any Jalna Yoghourt, for energy to go and go
  

Men in their 30s – work stress

This is when some of the biggest lifestyle changes occur for many men.  As they knuckle down into their career and possibly start a family, there’s less ‘me’ time.  Exercise drops off and work stress can lead to overeating and weight gain.  The Executive Diet is common– famine during the day and feast at night. Plus caffeine addiction and a few too many alcoholic drinks start to slip in. 

Smart strategies

• Decide to make a plan to cope with stress – schedule exercise time during the work day and stick to it.  
• Eat breakfast every day to boost your mind, mood and energy levels.  Grab a Jalna Yoghourt On The Go or Vitalize Drink if you’re really running late. 
• Take 5 in the morning to pack snacks or a lunchbox.
• Avoid eating late at night and cut the caffeine after 6pm. 
• Make wise choices when dining out – ask for an extra serve of vegetables, smaller meat serve, sauce and dressings on the side – and buy wine by the glass.
  

Men in their 40s – Mid Life Crisis / Male Menopause

This is the dangerous decade when middle age spread takes over and many men experience a little health scare like a high cholesterol reading. This often becomes a positive wake up call and steps towards a better lifestyle are taken. Men especially want to be good role models for their kids and this can motivate physical activity again.  

Smart strategies

• Aim to reduce your waist measurement to less than 94cm
• Have regular health checks. 
• Eat less fat, especially saturated fat, choose fat free or low fat dairy foods, like any from the Jalna range, lean meats and more fruits, vegetables and wholegrains.
• Boost your bone health with 3-4 dairy foods a day like Jalna Yoghourt. 
• Make activity a family affair on weekends and holidays. 
  

Men in their 50s, 60s and beyond – Fit & fabulous

A changing perspective in the 40s starts to really pay off in the 50s and beyond. Men who have experienced this getting of wisdom, can look to the future positively and enjoy better health and vitality.  They are focused on extending their health span and not just their lifespan and can look forward to a happier, healthier and longer life with their partner and family.

Smart strategies

• Continue to have regular health and fitness checks
• Tweak your exercise program as you age to incorporate the right level of strength training to maintain muscle
• Eat more plant based and other super foods like fish with omegas and Jalna Yoghourts with probiotics. as well as lycopene-rich tomatoes for prostate health 
• Enjoy a glass of red wine
• Eat more oysters and lean lamb to boost zinc levels and maintain sexual function!