With a country so focused on healthy living and exercise I felt the need to introduce some preventative measures to forestall early death. Here are a few things to avoid if you want to keep your engine lubed and pumping.

For starters, you may have read about our little chemical friend PFOA, the key ingredient in Teflon pans. Before we go into how it could kill you, I would like to mention the strong need for general discretion with all consumer products. Anything that makes burnt eggs slide off a surface at 300 degrees probably isn’t too good for your internals. Anything with the word “miracle” or for that matter “plastic” should probably be avoided if possible. These man-made chemicals stress your body.

PFOA is present in nonstick and stain-resistant materials, popcorn bags and pizza boxes. It has been linked to cancer and birth defects in animals and is in the blood of 95 percent of Americans, including pregnant women. So try to avoid using pans lined with Teflon even if the unlined pans are harder to scrub clean. Recently the EPA has crafted a voluntary pact to virtually eliminate PFOA from consumer products by 2015.

Watching out for aluminum in consumer products wouldn’t be the worst idea either. Aluminum has been associated with plaques and tangles in the brain that are linked to onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Avoiding antiperspirants and aluminum antacids are your best bets for an aluminum-free mind. Numerous secondary studies link high doses of aluminum to dementia.

However, avoidance isn’t the only path to prevention. For starters, prostate cancer may be prevented by eating pomegranates, masturbation and frequent ejaculation. Yes, both have been linked to lower rates of prostrate cancer. So if you’re interested in avoiding cancer those are a couple of viable options.

For those balding, taking finasteride has been shown to not only bring about hair growth but also drastically decrease your chances of prostate cancer. The drug has also shown that prostate cancer is, in part, preventable. Good news.

Research also suggests that the chemicals in green tea can shut down the AH receptors, which activate genes in the body but not always in a positive way. Research suggests that green tea may help reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and lower cholesterol levels.

And for coffee drinkers, studies show that one or two cups a day can lower your chances of liver cancer by almost 50 percent. So there’s something for everybody in the drink ’till ya twitch markets.

And lastly, those who regularly take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can significantly decrease their chance of cancer, although some stomach problems may arise. Combining aspirin use with a diet high in fiber can also help keep you healthy.

Here are some things to avoid for good heart health: most condiments, sausage, bacon, tobacco, fried foods, pretzels, hot dogs, tapioca, preserves, salami and smoked fish or meats.

For good general health and bacterial prevention avoid cream of tartar, drug injected chicken or beef, corned beef, warmed-over potatoes, dried fruits with sulfur dioxide, pre-mixed salads, or day-old vegetables.

But it’s easy to list what not to eat. Scientists have done just the opposite with the recently designed Polymeal. Recipes are available through numerous sources but it wraps itself around a basic set of seven foods. As an example: 4 oz of fish with 14 oz of fruits or vegetables. Throw on 2.4 oz of almonds, 1/10 oz of fresh garlic, and 100 grams of dark chocolate or 5 oz. of red wine. With it, you can lower your chances of heart disease by 76 percent.

So if you don’t want to die avoid Teflon pans and tartar sauce, hot dogs and ketchup. Stick by the Polymeal and eat lots of fiber.