Healthy Lifestyle

Most men know which foods they should avoid, and you know that it’s not a good idea, especially if you’re trying to watch your weight. To really take your nutrition to the next level and maximize your diet, it helps to know which foods you should be eating.

The following top foods for men are all great additions to your diet and should be eaten on a regular basis. Doing so will not only help you to progress maximally with your workouts, but it will also help to promote much better health in the long run.

1 - Cabbage : A vegetable that often gets lost in the mix, cabbage is chock-full of nutrients and incredibly low in calories. This is the perfect food to eat when you're trying to shed body fat because it offers good nutrition and gives you a sense of fullness, which is a major factor in top foods for men. Potentially one of the biggest benefits that cabbage offers is an antioxidant that helps to work toward preventing cancer.
A one-cup serving of cabbage has 22 calories, 5 grams of carbs, 0 grams of fat, and 1.5 grams of protein.
One unique way to incorporate cabbage into your diet is to prepare a twist on the traditional cabbage roll: stir-fry some lean, sliced chicken breast with chopped vegetables, wrap it up in a slice of cabbage, and then bake these rolls in a light tomato sauce until tender. These could easily be frozen and then taken to work for lunch.

2- Cottage cheese : One of the best things to eat right before you go to bed, cottage cheese is a great source of casein protein, thus supplying your body with slow-digesting protein during the overnight fast. This is precisely why cottage cheese is among the top foods for men -- especially if you’re lifting weights.
A terrific way to consume this before bed is to mix it with one tablespoon of peanut butter (melted if you prefer) and throwing in a few chopped nuts of choice, which will add a small amount of fat to the snack, further slowing the release of protein into the blood.

3- Pomegranate berries : A very healthy fruit, pomegranate berries have been shown to help prevent cancer, particularly prostate cancer. Since this is a concern for many men, getting your daily dose can offer you extra reassurances that you are doing everything you can to protect yourself.
This fruit is also an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps to maintain proper collagen development and to fight the common cold. To make it really simple to reap the benefits of this healthy fruit, toss in half a cup of berries into your post-workout protein shake and blend until smooth.

4- Dates : If you’re looking for something to include in your post-workout meal, dates are the perfect choice. This fruit is very high on the glycemic index, which is what you want at this point since it will cause the protein you consume at this time to be taken up by the muscle cells at a faster rate.
Most guys, when choosing a post-workout fruit, will opt for a banana, which has a glycemic index of 56, while a date has a rating of 103. Remember that the rest of the day you want to be eating on the lower side of the glycemic index, so only eat dates after your workout.

One easy way to incorporate dates into your post-workout meal is to spread a date jelly over a few rice cakes, which will give you fast-acting carbohydrates that will really get the protein from your post-workout protein shake into your muscles.

4- Salmon : Salmon is a rich source of essential fatty acids, making it one of the best varieties of fish to eat on a regular basis and one of the best foods for men. If you enjoy canned salmon, you’ll appreciate the excellent source of calcium provided by the bones, which, in turn, will promote strong bones in yourself and proper muscle contractions.

When ordering salmon from a restaurant, however, watch out for any sauces it may be slathered in. Salmon is a popular fish to drown in cream sauces, which can provide you with a lot more fat and calories than you need.
When preparing salmon at home, try grilling it on the barbecue -- or oven grill -- after it has been sitting in a marinade composed of 1 tablespoon soy sauce, chopped fresh ginger (amount depends on taste preference), a half tablespoon olive oil, and a half teaspoon onion soup mix. This will enhance its flavor and won't add a lot of additional fat or calories.

Add all these tips together, and you could easily eat between 12 and 15 portions every day without making any major changes to your lifestyle. All it takes to give yourself a huge nutritional boost is a little planning. You may inadvertently find some unexpected fringe benefits -- lower shopping bills, more energy and a slimmer waistline. It’s hard to overemphasize just how valuable getting your five (or more) each day can be. Try making sure you eat at least five fruits and vegetables every day for a week, and you may be pleasantly surprised.