Top Tips For Men's Health

British Nutrition Foundation

We aim to give people access to reliable science-based information to support anyone on their journey towards a healthy, sustainable diet. In this section you can read about nutrition and lifestyle tips for men's health.

Top tips for men’s health

1. Maintain a healthy weight – being overweight or obese is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and mental health problems. It can also decrease fertility.

2. Eat more fibre – base your meals on high-fibre and wholegrain foods like wholegrain breakfast cereals, wholewheat pasta, wholemeal bread, brown rice and include pulses (such as lentils and beans), unsalted nuts and seeds in your diet.

3. Keep track of your red and processed meat intake – if you on average eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat a day (that’s around 600g a week) cut down to 70g a day (that’s less than 500g a week).

4. Cut down on saturated fat – reduce your intake of biscuits, cakes, pies, pastries, chocolate and cream, choose unsaturated oils such as rapeseed, olive and sunflower oils and spreads made from them for cooking, salad dressings and spreading and choose low-fat dairy foods.

5. Eat more fish – try to eat at least two portions of sustainably sourced fish a week, one of which should be oily (such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout).

6. Eat more fruit and veg – try to eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. Fresh, canned, frozen, dried and 150ml of unsweetened juice all count.

7. Watch your salt intake – aim for less than 6g a day. Check the nutrition label on foods, choose reduced salt versions of foods, and do not add salt in cooking or at the table.

8. Keep active – aim for at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate activity – that’s the type of activity where you raise your heartbeat plus muscle strengthening exercises like sit ups/press ups 2 days per week.

9. Limit alcohol intake – if you drink alcohol, try to drink no more than 14 units a week, with several alcohol-free days each week.

10. Seek help if you need it – if you are worried about any aspect of your health do not keep quiet, speak to your GP.

Useful resources

‘Engage’ training is a comprehensive one day programme which seeks to address the current...
We all have good and bad days but what and when we eat can influence our mood, energy,...
We have a team of trained volunteers throughout the UK who carry out talks to groups both...
This programme is a six week training programme for groups of adults and focuses on...
Informing Choices NI are currently supported by the Public Health Agency to undertake a...
A healthy diet and regular physical activity may help you manage the effects of prostate...
This includes: Raising awareness of depression and Aware NI services at a wide range of...
There are hundreds of prostate cancer support groups in the UK. We have details of many...
As part of this community, you can talk about whatever you want, from diagnosis to...
Living with prostate cancer can be hard to deal with emotionally, as well as physically...
Cancer Focus NI can provide a wide range of presentations to meet the needs of your...
There is an increasing number of organisations / practitioners who are keen to involve...
Cancer Focus NI, Keeping Well vans are mobile drop-in units which bring health checks,...
Call us for free, unbiased, confidential support and information. There's no such thing...
Each month we run an online support group for men on active surveillance - a form of...
Prostate Cancer UK have a team of trained volunteers throughout the UK who carry out...
Move for Men is your new monthly fitness and wellbeing membership, designed to help you...
Fatigue support is a telephone programme which includes 4 appointments with a Specialist...
We rely on our incredible volunteers to help us spread the word about prostate cancer,...
There are a number of health campaigns throughout the year to raise awareness of...
The important thing to remember when you’re affected by prostate disease is that you’re...