Prevention helps men to get and stay healthy

	American Heart Association American Cancer Society Prostate Cancer Foundation National Institute of Mental Health

Men can take a number of actions to avoid their risk of many health problems. The most critical factor in ensuring a man's long healthy life is prevention. In fact, the top 10 threats to men's health — including heart disease and cancer, which lead the pack — can often be prevented.

What You Can Do to Stay Healthy
You've surely heard these recommendations before, but they are worth repeating. Why? Because they work!

• Eat right (Did you know that men require more, but tend to eat less, fruits and vegetables than women? The recommendation for men is nine servings a day.) A serving is generally a piece of fruit, a half-cup of cut fruit, one cup of uncooked vegetables, or a half-cup of cooked vegetables.
  
  
• Exercise regularly — aim for at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.
  
  
• Don't smoke.
  
  
• Visit your doctor for regular health screenings For more information, go to http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/health-screening/WO00112.

Of course, making lifestyle changes isn't always easy. If you'd like some help, contact a LifeSteps health coach.

Preventing Heart Disease
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of men in the U.S. This includes heart attacks and stroke. A few ways to significantly reduce your risk:

• Keep a close on eye on your cholesterol level. Reaching undesirable levels could put you at higher risks and there are steps you can take to improve your readings. Be sure to speak your doctor or a LifeSteps health coach if:

  •  Your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL or above
  •  Your low density lipoprotein or LDL is 130 or higher and
  •  Your high-density lipoprotein or HDL is 40 or lower.
  

• Monitor you blood pressure to determine if you have high blood pressure or hypertension. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80. You can purchase an inexpensive, easy-to-use blood pressure monitor for use at home. If you discover that yours is above 120/80, your doctor may prescribe medication or he or she could advise you to follow other guidelines that you can even put into practice now, such as limiting sodium and alcohol intake as well as eating a healthy, low-fat diet and being physically active.
  
  
• Try to quit smoking
  
  
• Maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise

Keeping Cancer at Bay
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in American men, with lung cancer topping the list, and prostate cancer weighing in at No. 2. Lung cancer can be prevented in many cases by avoiding cigarette or other smoking. Some types of cancer may be prevented with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Talk to your doctor or health coach about the pros and cons of PSA testing and whether it is right for you.

For these reasons, visit your doctor regularly and consult with him or her about what's best for you based on your age and other risk factors.

Read more information on what the symptoms and treatments for prostate cancer and how a LifeSteps health coach can help.

Managing Depression
Clinical depression is a medical condition that can affect a man's ability to manage his life and relationships. Clinical depression can also affect a man's physical well-being, causing unpleasant symptoms such as sleep disturbances, tiredness, and poor appetite. Many depressed people feel physical aches and pains that are associated with depression, or made worse because of the depression.

People who are clinically depressed tend to feel down almost all day for 2 weeks in a row or longer. If you're clinically depressed, you usually have at least one of two key symptoms:

• You might feel sad, down, hopeless, or irritable most of the day, almost every day. For some, this goes on for many weeks. For others, it comes and goes but is still the overriding mood.
  
  
• You may have lost interest in your usual activities or feel as though you just don't enjoy things anymore.

Other symptoms of depression can include problems concentrating; lack of energy; slowing down in your thinking or movement; significant changes in appetite or losing or gaining weight without trying to; trouble falling asleep or staying asleep; sleeping too much; feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or low self-esteem; or thoughts of death or suicide.