The adage is true: you are what you eat. As a man in a world overly concerned with gendered marketing of everything from books to vitamins, how do you know what's really best for your body, and what's simply advertising meant to make you drop a few extra bucks on a supplement marked "for men"? Your health should be the most important issue to you, but learning how to take care of it doesn't have to be a struggle. If you're looking for foods to make you the healthiest man that you can be, then here's what you need to know.

Watermelon

What food promotes both heart health and protects against prostate cancer? If you were thinking something nutritious yet not-very-delicious, think again: the answer is the sweet, clean-tasting watermelon. The lycopene in watermelon is a well-known anti-prostate-cancer antioxidant, while compounds like citrulline and arginine promote healthy blood flow, which helps your heart function properly. Problems like heart disease and (especially) prostate cancer disproportionally affect men, so protecting against them is a good way to proactively guard your health. A serving of watermelon (about a cup of the cubed fruit) every few days is a good way to incorporate this delicious, healthy food into your diet.

Citrus

While you may think that, stereotypically speaking, joint problems are more of an issue for women, the physical labor – whether in their jobs or in their hobbies – that a majority of men traditionally participate in can be murder on the joints, especially when it comes to weight lifting, building, and handyman jobs. To combat this weakness, introduce more citrus fruits – especially oranges and grapefruits – into your diet. A lack of Vitamin C – what is commonly referred to as scurvy – causes the collagen in your joints to deteriorate, which can cause joint pain, so including the vitamin in your daily meals through citrus fruit can put you well on the way to healthy and happy joints. You can also use a joint relief cream, from a place like Icon Health. 

Spinach

One of the hardest things in strength training is having to wait while your torn down muscle fibers rebuild and knit back together in order to make you stronger. In order to help speed that process along and build strong muscles, try upping your intake of iron rich foods like spinach. In addition to helping you repair and build up your muscles, iron also helps to move oxygen around in your body and keeps your cells, hair, and skin healthy.