One of the mistakes many people make is taking their good health for granted. It’s easy to believe that you’ll always feel great when your health is secure and maintained, but unfortunately, even individuals who already watch what they eat and exercise regularly can find themselves facing issues sooner or later. One of the most common areas where problems present themselves in men is the prostate. In fact, many men will likely experience some kind of prostate irregularity or disorder as they age, be it something like benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPG), also known as an enlarged prostate, or something a bit more serious like prostate cancer. Luckily, there are some changes you can make to your lifestyle to help lower the likelihood and severity of potential problems. How do I keep my prostate healthy? Let’s take a look.
Prostate Health
When considering prostate health and how to guarantee that it remains in good condition as you age, the most important factors to keep in mind are diet and exercise. What kind of lifestyle do you lead? If the answer is that you’re fairly sedentary and eat whatever you want, it might be time to reconsider. What you put in your body is just as important as what you do with your body every day when thinking about your overall health and how to keep yourself healthy and happy. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some specific diet and lifestyle suggestions to ensure the good health of your prostate.
Foods and Beverages to Avoid
The first food to avoid is red meat. It might be tempting and satisfying to grill a few steaks and enjoy the summer sun, but they can cause more harm than they’re worth. That’s because red meat tends to be high in trans-fats and saturated fats, two substances that negatively impact your prostate. This is especially true if you’re already living with an enlarged prostate as this kind of meat can actively worsen your symptoms. Instead, consider adding more lean cuts of meat and fish to your diet. Monosaturated fats are better for your body in general, but especially for your prostate.
The second food to avoid is dairy. Similar to red meat, dairy is a favorite food category for many, ranging from cheese to ice cream and everything in between. While the occasional treat might be okay, the best advice is to avoid dairy as much as possible thanks to its high-fat content. Instead, consider food like almonds, salmon, collard greens, and spinach in order to consume your daily levels of calcium.
Spicy foods are also important to avoid. The problem with spicy food is that, much like acidic food, it irritates the prostate and bladder, triggering urinary symptoms similar to BPH. If you already have an enlarged prostate, these foods can make your symptoms significantly worse. With that said, this isn’t true for everyone. If you find that you can eat spicy food and experience problems afterward, then you can keep them in your diet. If you do have more severe symptoms after consuming it, however, then cutting things like chili, curry, and hot sauce out of your diet is the best option.
Food isn’t the only thing you need to keep an eye on when it comes to prostate health, of course. Beverages can be just as much of an issue. Caffeine, for example, is something that might seem harmless upon first glance but can actually have a big impact on your prostate. Because it is a diuretic, drinking caffeine also increases how often you urinate. Individuals with an enlarged prostate often already struggle with the increased urge to urinate as well as the ability to fully empty their bladders, so adding a diuretic to the mix is a bad idea. If you simply can’t cut it out of your diet completely, try to relegate it to mornings rather than nighttime.
Finally, alcohol is something to which you should pay careful attention. While some alcohol, like red wine, might actually help reduce the risk of prostate cancer and BPH, most other kinds can irritate your prostate and bladder and perhaps even increase the risk of developing serious health issues. Enjoy alcohol in moderation and try to keep the beer to a minimum.
Other Ways to Boost Prostate Health
One of the best ways to increase or maintain your prostate health is to keep your weight at a healthy level. If you know that you need to lose weight, there’s never a bad time to start. You can begin with small things – even taking just a short walk in front of your home is a great option. Losing between one to two pounds a week is ideal to keep the weight loss safe.
Once you’re ready to begin adding more exercise into your daily routine, consider strength training. This type of exercise – also known as resistance exercise – can help boost both the performance and the strength of your muscles. Physical activity, in general, will help lower stress, boost immune function, and release tension, all things that can help with the health of your body in general, including your prostate.
Once you have your exercise routine planned out, add more fatty fish to your menu. Omega-3 fats are vital for heart health and also do wonders to keep your prostate in good shape, too. Try to eat fish at least two times every week and remember that there are recipes for everything. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of fish, consider trying different meals until you find one that you like. You shouldn’t have to suffer through your dinner, of course, but it’s still important to consume food that actively promotes prostate health.
Finally, consider adding some green tea to your diet! Thanks to its high antioxidant levels, green tea is a beneficial addition to your daily life and can help improve your hydration, too. Make sure that you either pick a brand that is decaffeinated or understand exactly how much caffeine you’ll be consuming with a non-decaffeinated brand. If you choose the latter, the same rules mentioned above apply – drink during the morning, not at night, and be ready for the potential of increased urination urges.
How do I keep my prostate healthy? The answer should be much clearer now and lies mainly in your diet and exercise routine. Eating the right foods and avoiding those that have been shown to negatively impact prostate health is vital, as is getting regular exercise and physical activity. Keep the above guidelines in mind and aim to keep your overall health in good shape.
