Mens Health

Many men have been raised by doting womenfolk to eat the lion's share of energy giving food in the form of fatty cuts of meat and meat products.

Mens health issues have therefore traditionally included heart disease, high blood pressure and gout.

Your prostrate would rather you be a vegetarian, but there are certainly many advantages to keep up the animal protein.

The protein you eat every day must be the leanest, most energy packed that you can get. Fillets of chicken, beef, pork, lamb and fish will provide you with the protein you need to feel full (and therefore stop you craving calorie laden sweet and fatty foods). Protein will give your body the vitality and immunity you require to function at peak performance while losing fat.

To kickstart your new healthy diet, consider a 10 day detox program to balance your metabolism and clean out the accumulated gunk in your stomach, intestines and bowel.

Train your tastebuds. It will take several weeks, but they will adapt to this new healthy habit.

Men generally burn more calories even at rest than women. This is due to the difference in make up of the male and female bodies.

Women are actually meant to carry more fat then men and even in the healthy fat range, a fit woman may carry over 10% more fat than a man of similar fitness.

Specifically for a mens healthy diet program while in the weight loss phase, you need to calculate an intake of calories as follows.

A very active man wanting to lose 1/2-1kg per week should take in 1800-2100 calories per day. Naturally, this is somewhat of a generalisation as the figures are affected by your current weight and the amount and intensity of the exercise you undertake.

Men can be overweight yet fit through exercise and therefore healthier than if you slim down without regard to an exercise program.

Fat that is distributed in the lower half of your body, making you pear shaped, is much less of a health risk than if your fat is clustered around your middle (apple shaped).

If you have a waist measurement of over 102cm (40 inches), that is the cue to slim down and get fit.

A 102cm waist has been proven to be the point of high risk of serious disease, like diabetes, hypertension, stroke and even some cancers.

Regarding Body Mass Index, most unfit and moderately fit men can believe this measurement as a fairly accurate indication of body fitness. The formula is as follows. Take your weight in kilograms and divide it by your height squared (in meters).

For example, a man weighing 90 kgs who is 1.8 m tall would calculate BMI as 90/(1.8 x 1.8) = 27.77. (Overweight)

You need to aim at a 20-25 Body Mass Index to be in the healthy range. Below 18 is underweight, over 30 is obese and over 40 is morbidly obese.

Now while it is true that Arnold Schwarzenegger had a BMI of 35 at his peak and Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) clocked in at 32, it is probably fair to say that if you have a BMI this high, it is not because you are one of the fittest bodybuilders in the world, but you actually need to lose quite a bit of fat.

If you are looking for a mens diet program specifically as an abs diet, then you what you need is low carb and low calorie.