THE PROBLEM: Rising Blood Pressure

Some men are always close to their boiling points.
And new research from the Netherlands may explain why. The scientists
discovered that besides the obvious factors -- obesity, lack of
physical activity, and high salt consumption -- diets containing too
little potassium were the primary cause of hypertension. In their
analysis, the scientists used 3,500 mg daily as the cutoff for defining
a low potassium intake. The average intake for a man in his 30s? Only
3,100 mg.

THE FIX: Add ½ cup of beans, a
banana, or a handful of raisins to your daily diet. Each will increase
your potassium intake by about 400 mg a day, boosting you above that
3,500 mg benchmark.

THE PROBLEM: Waning Sex Drive

Don't wither away down under.

THE FIX: Munch on two handfuls of
walnuts, peanuts, or almonds every day. Research shows that men with
diets high in mono-unsaturated fat -- the kind found in nuts -- have
higher testosterone levels than those who don't eat enough of the
healthy fat. Nuts are also the best food source of arginine, an amino
acid that improves bloodflow throughout your body -- including below
the belt.

THE PROBLEM: Your metabolism is slowing

By snacking on the right foods -- those that are low
in sugar but rich in protein -- you'll keep your metabolic furnace
stoked, and be less likely to binge between meals.

THE FIX: Have one slice of hard or
semihard cheese -- for instance, Cheddar, Swiss, or provolone -- two or
three times a day. Cheese has 7 grams of protein per slice and contains
no sugar. That means it doesn't raise blood-sugar levels, so your body
stays in fat-burning mode. Want an alternative? Opt for a cup of
low-fat plain yogurt or a stick of beef jerky, or multitask with a
handful of almonds. (See "Waning Sex Drive," above.)

THE PROBLEM: You can't lift as much weight

As
testosterone levels start to drop, it takes longer for your muscles to
return to full strength after each workout.

THE FIX: Eat broccoli and bell
peppers. Together, they're packed with vitamins C and E, two nutrients
that fight free radicals -- rogue molecules that slow the repair of
exercise-induced muscle damage, impeding recovery. Try this 15-minute
meal from resident "Muscle Chow" columnist Gregg Avedon. It's infused
with the most effective ingredients for speeding muscle recovery after
a hard workout -- vitamins C and E, high-quality protein, and
slow-digesting carbohydrates. In a deep saucepan, sauté 1 tablespoon of
chopped onion, ¼ of a red bell pepper (cut into long, thin strips), and
a pinch of black pepper on medium heat for 2 minutes. Next, add ½ pound
of turkey-breast strips and 1 teaspoon of sage. Brown the turkey for 2
minutes, then add 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of broccoli florets.
Bring to a boil for 1 minute, then stir in ½ cup of plain, uncooked
couscous. Cover the pan, remove it from the heat, and let it sit for 5
to 10 minutes before serving.

THE PROBLEM: Every Lunch Is A Business Lunch

Dining out means restaurant megaportions -- and, most likely, a mega-gut.

THE FIX: Trade that grilled-chicken
sandwich for a grilled-chicken salad. U.K. researchers found that men
who ate a low-glycemic lunch -- one without bread, rice, or pasta --
burned more fat for 3 hours after eating than those who ate a
high-glycemic meal, even though both groups consumed the same number of
calories. More smart choices: chicken stir-fry, fajitas sans the
tortillas, or even a 6- to 8-ounce steak with a side salad or steamed
vegetables.

Go on to the next page for more healthy eating tips...

Your 40s

The Fight-Disease Decade

Baldness, wrinkles, and back hair are the least of
your worries; your body may be a walking time bomb. That's because
approximately 30 percent of men in their 40s have asymptomatic prostate
cancer, according to research from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer
Institute. That is, the cancer is there but nearly undetectable. It's a
terrifying prospect, but a reality in your 40s, which might be labeled
"the decade of disease."

The reason: Until age 44, accidents are the most
likely cause of death in men. But once you reach 45, heart disease
becomes your number-one threat, killing 36,000 fortysomething men every
year.

And scientists at the University of California at
Irvine discovered that men over 40 were up to twice as likely to
develop melanomas than were women of the same age.

There's also an elevated risk of nonfatal diseases,
such as macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness. And don't
forget about obesity: Even if you managed to sidestep it in your 30s,
keeping your waistline in check doesn't become easier with age.

The solution? A preemptive attack on your body's natural enemies. Your weapons: a knife and fork.

THE PROBLEM: A fat expense account

Eating on the company is a fast way to inflate your gut.

THE FIX: Adopt a point system.
Assign these values to menu items: 2 points for a salad; 3 points for
an appetizer; 2 points for an entrée; 4 points for a dessert; and 2
points for an alcoholic beverage. Order whatever you want, but limit
yourself to a total of 6 points. To follow this system, choose from a
category only once.

THE PROBLEM: Cancer-prone skin

Mutating moles are scary, but food can help: National
Cancer Institute researchers determined that people with the highest
intakes of carotenoids -- pigments that occur naturally in plants --
were as much as six times less likely to develop skin cancer than those
with the lowest intakes. "Beta-carotene is an internal sun protector,"
says Regina Goralczyk, Ph.D. That's because the vitamin plants itself
in your skin, where its imperceptible orange and yellow pigments help
deflect sunlight.

THE FIX: As a preventive, eat two
sweet potatoes every week. This will provide you with the same amount
of weekly beta-carotene as in men who demonstrated the lowest
skin-cancer risk. Other top sources are carrots and cantaloupe.

THE PROBLEM: Shrinking muscles

The average guy loses 6 pounds of muscle by the time
he's 50. But, in addition to lifting weights, you can protect your
hard-earned muscles by feeding them a steady supply of high-quality
protein.

THE FIX: Tuna. Ounce for ounce, it's
one of the best sources of protein -- and contains zero saturated fat.
To grill your way to a better body, follow this muscle-building recipe
from Men's Health cover model Gregg Avedon. Brush a 6-ounce
tuna steak with olive oil, lightly season it with freshly ground
pepper, and place it on a preheated grill. Grill until medium-rare to
medium, for 7 to 10 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons
of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of balsamic
vinegar, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water in a
bowl, and microwave the ingredients for 30 seconds. When the tuna is
ready to eat, drizzle a small amount of the warm sauce on top. For a
perfect complement, pair the tuna with ½ cup of wild rice.

THE PROBLEM: You're a workaholic

Don't let long days at your desk undermine your healthy eating habits.

THE FIX: Order an inexpensive
minifridge and have it shipped directly to your office. (We like the GE
Spacemaker Compact Refrigerator; $130 at homedepot.com.)
Stock it with food you won't be ashamed to carry into a meeting: pints
of milk; individual packets of string cheese; a few ounces of turkey;
and a couple of in-case-of-emergency microwave meals, such as Healthy
Choice, Smart Ones, and South Beach brands.

THE PROBLEM: Elevated risk of prostate cancer

Sex probably won't kill you, but your sex gland can.
Fortunately, Harvard researchers found that men with the highest levels
of selenium had a 48 percent lower incidence of advanced prostate
cancer than those with the lowest intakes.

THE FIX: Eat three Brazil nuts every
day. That'll provide you with 200 mcg of selenium, the exact amount you
need to keep your prostate-cancer risk at rock-bottom levels. Mushrooms
help, too: A half cup of the cooked fungi -- specifically, brown and
portobello -- contains more than 35 mcg, or nearly 20 percent of the
amount you need daily.

THE PROBLEM: Worsening Vision

You were first warned about going blind as a teen;
this time, the threat is real. Thankfully, the National Institutes of
Health found that people who consume the most lutein -- a carotenoid
found in plant foods -- are 43 percent less likely to develop macular
degeneration. Lutein helps filter blue light, preventing it from
damaging retinal tissues.

THE FIX:
Eat two servings of greens each day. Consider one serving to be 1/2 cup
of cooked spinach, broccoli, or brussels sprouts.

THE PROBLEM: Narrowing arteries

High cholesterol is a killer.

THE FIX: Grab a handful of grapes
every day. Antioxidants in the skin of red grapes have been linked to
lowering LDL cholesterol and preventing clogged arteries. A glass of
red wine is also beneficial. In a recent Spanish study, scientists
found that red wine reduced markers of arterial inflammation by 21
percent. Alcohol also thins your blood, just as a daily aspirin does.








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