It’s said that men take more care of their cars than they do of their bodies.
A rattle, a lack of performance, a scratch on the paintwork receives prompt attention.

Regular servicing ensures the car performs well and lasts the distance. This is how it should be with a man’s health too. So here are ten checks that should be included in his body’s service.

1. Pressure. The first indication many men get that their blood pressure is high is when they suffer a heart attack or a stroke, since high blood pressure doesn’t usually cause symptoms. So having it checked is the best way of finding out whether it’s getting ready to blow. Blood pressure should be checked every three to five years, unless the doctor has advised checking it more frequently.
A diet low in fat, sugar and salt, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, regular exercise, maintaining an ideal weight, drinking no more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day, not smoking and reducing stress helps keep blood pressure down. Omega 3 fish oils, garlic and co-enzyme Q10 can also help to keep blood pressure at a safe level.

2. Fuel level: Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produce enough insulin and consequently blood sugar (glucose) levels rise too high. This damages blood vessels and nerves, increasing the risk of heart disease, blindness, kidney damage and impotence.
A test every few years is important because although diabetes may cause for example tiredness, excessive thirst and the need to pass urine more, often it causes no symptoms at all. Avoiding being overweight and exercising regularly will reduce the chance of diabetes developing.

3. Windscreen: Have your eyes tested every couple of years to make sure you are seeing everything clearly. Hidden problems such as damage to the blood vessels at the back of the eyes, from undiagnosed diabetes or high blood pressure, can also be detected during an examination. Glaucoma is a condition that, if untreated, can cause blindness so once a man has reached the fabulous age of forty, he should be tested for this every two years. Omega 3 fish oils, garlic and pycnogenol are just some of the supplements that can help keep the circulation healthy. Lutein is believed to help keep the eyes in good order.

4. Bumpers: Regular testicular self-examination is the best way of detecting cancer early when treatment is most successful. In the shower, check for swelling, a pea-sized hard lump on the front or side of the testicle, or a dull ache or sharp pain felt around the testicle or in the scrotum. If you’re worried about something, don’t ignore it, ask your doctor to check it out. The testes don’t like smoking or too much alcohol or too much heat, but they do like vitamins A, C and E, selenium and zinc to help keep them healthy and producing sperm well.
5. Bodywork: Keep an eye on moles and if an existing one changes size, shape or colour or develops irregular edges, bleeds, itches, crusts or reddens or a new one appears, ask your doctor to check it.

Protect your skin from excessive sun exposure and skin burning - the major risk factors for cancer - by applying a cream with UVA and UVB protection regularly throughout the day, covering up with sleeves, a hat and sunglasses and keeping to the shade between 11am and 3pm. Daily moisturising with a cream containing vitamins C and E, not smoking, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, drinking at least eight glasses of water a day, omega 3 fish oils and kelp extract can all contribute to good skin health.

6. Performance: Depression strikes men too. It makes them feel sad and miserable and affects their performance, making everyday jobs harder to do. Feeling low, sad or miserable; becoming angry for little reason; poor concentration and motivation; minimal enjoyment or pleasure from life; disturbed sleep; appetite disturbance; fatigue; and poor libido could mean depression.
Plenty of rest and relaxation, regular exercise, not drinking alcohol excessively and eating a balanced healthy diet will all boost mood. Taking the herb St John’s wort can help overcome mild to moderate depression. It can be treated, so never be frightened to ask for help.

7. Exhaust system: Check the toilet bowl before flushing. Blood (bright-red or black flecks) or mucus in the stool, a change from normal bowel habit that lasts more than a few weeks without returning to normal, a feeling of incomplete bowel emptying, stomach pain or discomfort, unexplained weight loss, tiredness or a lump in the abdomen indicate a check-up with the doctor is needed.
Artichoke extract, a daily probiotic, and psyllium can both help the bowel perform properly. Moderate exercise, a diet high in fibre, fruit and vegetables and low in fat and red meat and maintaining an ideal weight may help prevent bowel cancer.

8. Water system: Have a prostate check-up if passing urine more often, particularly at night; difficulty getting going; stopping and starting; or urgently needing to go sound familiar? It may mean the prostate is enlarging and causing a blockage, which is most common in men over forty. Usually the culprit is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is not cancerous, and can be treated.
Ease symptoms by reducing caffeine and alcohol intake and taking the herb saw palmetto. Zinc is also needed for a healthy prostate gland. Vitamin E, selenium and lycopene are believed to offer protection against prostate cancer.

9. Load: Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres and then divide this result again by your height in metres. The result is your body mass index or BMI. If it’s over 25, you are overweight. If it’s over 30, you are obese.
Obesity contributes to heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and some cancers, to name but a few of the health problems that may result. It also knocks an average of nine years off a man’s life expectancy. Taking regular exercise and eating a healthy low-fat, low-calorie diet is the best way of maintaining a healthy weight.

10. Over-revving: Keep your stress in check. If stomach butterflies, dry mouth, needing the toilet, mood swings and irritability or neck muscle tensionfor example are recurrent or present most of the time, then health-damaging long-term stress may be the cause. Unchecked, this contributes to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes; weakened immunity with recurrent coughs and sore throats; and muscle aches, poor concentration, insomnia, anxiety and depression.

Keep stress in check by eating regularly throughout the day, avoiding too much caffeine, getting enough rest, taking a valerian supplement before going to bed and taking time to relax and unwind on a regular basis throughout the day.

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