Of all my memories growing up, spending time with my grandmother in Whangarei, in the northland of New Zealand, stands out. My parents used to put us on an unaccompanied 3-hour bus ride to stay with her when they needed a break from raising three Kiwi boys\u2014and it was like being at camp. Candy, terrorizing the neighborhood, learning Mahjong, knitting (yes, knitting!), climbing trees, skateboarding\u2014basically just running wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then there was the food. Aside from the candy she cleverly kept just out of reach\u2014perched on a stool so my brothers and I couldn\u2019t get to it\u2014our meals were a hearty mix of classic Kiwi fare. Think home-cooked meat and vegetables, and the breakfast staple she introduced me to (not that I had a choice!): sardines. While most of my friends were chowing down on bacon and eggs, I was starting my day with sardines\u2014or her other go-to, cold baked beans squashed onto toast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast forward 50 years, and I\u2019m having a full biomarker and nutritional profile done by the head nutritionist for Red Bull\u2014the guy who looks after their professional athletes. Twenty vials of blood and a report that came back as thick as a Jack Reacher novel. Comparing the amount of data in my report to what you get from a standard GP blood work-up was like comparing an instruction manual to build a model airplane to one to build a 747. I spent days devouring it like it was a superfood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I eventually had a follow-up consultation, the first thing out of his mouth was: \u201cYou know you have the best omega-3 profile of anyone I have ever tested\u2014ever. What do you take?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I do eat a lot of sardines,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, I went on to say that when I travel in the Greek Islands in summer, some weeks that is pretty much ALL I live on\u2014lunch and dinner – \u201csmall fish\u201d (as they\u2019re known) and salads. I think my longest stretch in Greece a few years back was 17 days living on just that! Back home in California, I eat one or two non-BPA cans of Sea Tales<\/a> sardines every day – although, if you believe the media<\/a>, apparently I eat quite a lot more than that. So I have my grandmother to thank for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sardines contain good, very good, and excellent amounts of at least a dozen important nutrients, especially for men\u2019s health\u2014and they\u2019re my #1 dietary staple, keeping me strong and thriving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A 3.2-ounce (91g) serving of Atlantic sardines (in water, with bones) provides approximately the following % Daily Values (DV):<\/p>\n\n\n\n These nutrients (as well as others) are the makings of a perfect superfood for men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the way, worried about mercury? Don\u2019t be.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sardines are one of the safest fish you can eat when it comes to mercury exposure. Because they\u2019re small, short-lived, and low on the food chain, they don\u2019t accumulate toxins like larger fish such as tuna or swordfish. That means you get all the benefits of nutrient-rich seafood\u2014without the heavy metal baggage.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n The older I get, the more I appreciate what this little fish does\u2014keeping my heart pumping, brain sharp, muscles strong, and everything else running smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Canned sardines are convenient, especially in non-BPA cans. Or grill them fresh if you can get them from a local fish supplier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They might be an acquired taste\u2014but even my wife, who avoided them for years, now finds herself reaching for them at breakfast or for a lunchtime snack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Heart Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Bone Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Sexual Health \/ Erectile Dysfunction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Muscle Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Brain Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Prostate Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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