One of the most common questions urologists hear is “How can I keep
my prostate healthy?”
A good place to start is to maintain a balanced, healthy diet, and to stay
active with regular exercise. You should also add a little sunshine to
your day in order to get plenty of Vitamin D.
Here are seven lifestyle changes to help maintain your prostate health:
1. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Leafy,
green vegetables are full of important vitamins and antioxidants.
2. Choose whole-grain bread instead of white bread. Add whole-grain pasta
and cereal to your diet as well.
3. Limit your consumption of red meat, like beef, and processed meats like
hot dogs. Fish, poultry, beans and eggs are good choices for protein.
4. Limit saturated fats and avoid hydrogenated fats that are found in many
fast foods and packaged meals. Choose healthy fats like olive oil, nuts
and avocados.
5. Avoid sugar-sweetened sodas and juices.
6. Cut down on salt. Limit the use of canned, processed and frozen foods.
7. Limit your portion sizes. Visit www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines for
dietary guidelines.
And, don’t forget to have a prostate cancer screening. If you’re
in a high-risk group (African-American, Scandinavian or have two or more
family members diagnosed with prostate cancer), you’re encouraged
to get your first screening at age 40. Men who are at normal risk should
get screened beginning at age 55.
Is it time for a prostate exam?
Visit www.northoaks.org/prostate to request an appointment with our board-certified urologists or to learn more.