Men’s Health Month helps raise awareness about early detection and treatment of preventable disease among men and boys. Women tend to outlive men by almost five years. One reason for this is that women are more likely to visit the doctor for annual examinations and preventive services than men. Routine health monitoring can help reduce the risk of men’s deaths at an earlier age. Men are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, and stroke than women. Healthy changes in diet and exercise habits can lower men’s risks for these conditions. Follow these tips to live longer and healthier:

• Seek regular medical care to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• Get 2 1/2 total hours of physical activity a week, including strengthening exercise on two days a week.
• Follow a MyPlate-friendly meal plan. Everyone, regardless of gender, needs to eat vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean protein foods, and low-fat dairy. In general, men need more calories and protein than women.
• Limit drinks with added sugar, such as soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks. Those can add many extra calories.

Sources:
Men’s Health Network, www.MensHealthNetwork.org
MyPlate, www.myplate.gov