Men's Health: Recipes That Build Muscle, Prevent Cancer

Oct. 20, 2000 -- You could just eat. Or you could beat stress, build muscle, protect your prostate, save your heart, and survive a hangover. Here’s your menu:

Preventing Prostate Cancer

Tangerines turn margaritas into medicine, thanks to tangeretin and nobiletin — flavonoids that inhibited the growth of prostate cancer in the lab — and vitamin C. Researchers found that a high-C diet may cut prostate-cancer risk by 23 percent.

Tequila We don’t know if the worm has anything to do with it, but Harvard researchers found that downing two alcoholic drinks a day may reduce your risk of an enlarged prostate.

Broccoli tastes better when you realize that a study of 1,200 men showed that those who regularly ate the most broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables reduced their prostate-cancer risk by 41 percent.

Sweet potatoes and carrots contain 4,250 milligrams (mg) of beta-carotene. That’s enough to help your body absorb all of the lycopene in the tomatoes while possibly reducing your risk of prostate cancer by 32 percent.

Chicken Grab a breast; you’ll get about half of your RDA of selenium. According to one study, men taking a selenium supplement for 41 years were 63 percent less likely to die of prostate cancer than those who took a placebo.

Whole wheat tortilla and beans Both contain selenium and a heavy dose of fiber. Canadian researchers found that a diet high in soluble fiber was able to lower levels of PSA, the body’s marker for the presence of prostate cancer.

Wheat germ A study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center showed that men who took supplemental vitamin E had a 20 percent lower risk of prostate cancer, while those who took zinc daily had 45 percent less risk. Wheat germ is high in both.

Watermelon is red for a reason. Like tomatoes, watermelon contains lycopene, a phytochemical that may reduce your prostate-cancer risk by as much as 40 percent. A single 1-inch slice has as much lycopene as four tomatoes.

Tangerine Margaritas1 oz tequila1/2 oz lime juice1/2 oz triple sec2 oz tangerine juice

How to put it all together: Mix everything and serve over crushed ice. Makes 1 serving

Per serving: 125 calories, 0 grams (g) protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat (0% of calories)

Chicken Enchiladas1 lb chicken breast, cubed1 green bell pepper, chopped1/2 tsp cumin1/2 tsp chili powder1 can (16 oz.) fat-free refried beans 1 cup wheat germ6 whole wheat flour tortillas1 can (10 oz). spicy salsa3 oz. reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, shreddedSalsa and sour cream for garnish

How to put it all together: Cook the chicken, pepper, and spices in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the beans and wheat germ. Add 3/4 cup chicken filling to each tortilla, roll up, and place seam side down in a nonstick baking dish. Top with the salsa. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with salsa, sour cream, and cheese. Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 536 calories, 49 g protein, 65 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat (24% of calories).

Making MuscleIced tea sweetened with honey University of Memphis researchers found that subjects who ate the sticky stuff had higher and longer-lasting levels of glucose, which may help store the muscle fuel glycogen after exercise.

Steak Meat builds twice as much muscle fiber as other protein sources like tofu and tuna. Make your meat beef and you’ll also get testosterone-boosting amino acids. Testosterone helps you lift more weight and build more muscle.

Almonds You need nuts; they’re high in magnesium. In a Western Washington University study, people taking extra magnesium — which almonds are high in — were able to lift 20 percent more weight than those taking a placebo.

Broccoli Athletes in one study suffered less postworkout muscle damage when they took a vitamin-C supplement than when they took a placebo. Broccoli is your vitamin-C supplement; half a cup has 60 mg, more than any other vegetable.

Brown rice It has more of the amino acids arginine and lysine than the white stuff you pelt the bride and groom with. University of Houston researchers found that men who took arginine and lysine supplements had 21-and-a-half times more muscle-building growth hormone than the saps who got the placebo.

Low-fat ice cream Scoop out some chocolate for more magnesium. Plus, just a half cup contains 63 mg of calcium, the mineral your biceps, your triceps, and all your other ‘ceps need to contract properly.

Almond Beef Stir-Fry1 tsp canola oil1/2 lb lean boneless top round, cut into thin strips1 tsp fresh ginger3 Tbsp slivered almonds2 cup frozen broccoli, thawed1/2 cup beef stock2 Tbsp soy sauce

How to put it all together: Heat the oil in a heavy, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute the beef. Stir in the ginger, almonds, and broccoli and stir-fry for another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the stock and soy sauce and cook until bubbling. Makes 2 servings.

Surviving a Hangover

Apricot juice Save the OJ for your screwdrivers; AJ is the best fruit-juice source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that prevents alcohol from damaging your cells. Bonus: It’ll help relieve your dehydration-induced headache.

Scrambled eggs Binges drive away dates and vitamin B6, causing you to wake up alone and feeling “out of it.” Good thing eggs are one of the top sources of B6, as well as sodium and protein to help your dehydrated body retain water.

Hot sauce Just a dash will turn your eggs into ibuprofen. That’s because the red peppers in hot sauce are the top source of capsicum, a natural painkiller. In one small study, it eliminated the headaches of nearly half of the subjects.

Whole wheat cinnamon-raisin bagel Despite the hole, bagels are good at soaking stuff up, like all the extra acid in your churning stomach. And the whole wheat kind is even better. Cinnamon may add more antioxidant protection from postbinge free radicals.

Honey-date yogurt spread Sounds like trail food, we know. But honey and dates are the best sources of fructose, which has been shown to boost alcohol metabolism by 25 percent. The yogurt? It has bacteria that will help calm your stomach.

Kiwifruit Truly first-aid fruit, thanks to proteolytics, enzymes that may help break down the proteins behind indigestion. Kiwis are also the most vitamin- and mineral-dense fruit around.

Strawberries More vitamin C to help clear the martinis out of your blood. One half cup has roughly 50 percent of your recommended daily intake of C.

Mint tea Make it with two teabags — regular and mint. Mint is packed with the pain-relieving ingredient methyl salicylate. Caffeine heals your head by shrinking swollen blood vessels.

Hot Pepper Eggs1/4 cup diced onion1/4 cup diced red bell pepper1 egg and 2 egg whites1 Tbsp parsleyHot sauce to taste

How to put it all together: Fry the onions and peppers with 1 tsp water in a nonstick skillet. Add the eggs and parsley. Stir until the eggs thicken and set. Remove from the heat and top with hot sauce. Makes 1 serving

Per serving: 132 calories, 14 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat (36% of calories).

Kiwis and Strawberries 4 sliced kiwis2 cups sliced strawberries2 Tbsp orange-juice concentrate

How to put it all together: Mix everything in a large bowl. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 2 servings

Per serving: 160 calories, 3 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat (1% of calories).