Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i Men's Health South Africa

My son is a happy, loving kid. But he can be a bastard. Right now, this 4-month-old bruiser (that’s him on the right) is playing a nightly game with me and my wife: as soon as we drift off into proper, deep sleep... he starts bleating. He’s teething, so it’s a six-a-night alarm cry. And once you get to his cot, and he sees you? He breaks into a smile, and starts an hour-long, one-sided discussion, in gurgles and bowel movements. Believe me, no matter who you are or how many candles you have on your birthday cake – that starts affecting you. The result: bleary-eyed zombie mode, with caffeine uptake, sense-of-humour downtake, and rookie mistakes that you’d never normally make. But sleep loss isn’t just the hallmark of breeders;…

FILM 30 MAR LESS REALITY/MORE TREASURE HUNTING In Ready Player One, an expansive virtual-reality universe turns into an online treasure hunt, after users discover its recently deceased inventor has hidden an immensely valuable digital Easter egg somewhere in his creation. We’re not sold on the premise, but Steven Spielberg is directing it and the book is a bestseller. Go in with an open mind. 23 MAR FEWER HUMANS/ HIGHER STAKES Filmmakers know we’re all still just crazy, destruction-obsessed kids at heart. Pacific Rim Uprising plays into our most childish fantasies by pitting skyscraper-sized robots against world-destroying enemies. Definitely a step up from the tower of bricks you demolished as a laaitie. THE GAME: PLAY 23 MAR A WAY OUT Innovative videogames are scarce. But A Way Out is looking to…

THE BREW-SERS COLD CASE Buy beer warm, store it warm and pop it in the fridge when you’re ready to drink it, right? Wrong. Heat and hop-fresh flavour just don’t mix. The culprit: oxidation, AKA the slow reaction between your brewski and oxygen. “As soon as it’s brewed, beer begins again,” says Dave Glor, a German-trained brewer and field quality analyst for New Belgium. “If you’re going to store it for any time, you want to keep it cold, to slow oxidation.” The ideal temps are between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius. OFF THE CHART Some beers play by the rules, others were brewed to break them – certified beer judge Matthew Hurst (follow him @BeerClubSA) has sipped them all. Here are the rebel pints worth drinking: AEGIR CRUSH IPA…

MOBILITY Perform 2 rounds of the circuit below for lower-body mobility. Rest 10 to 15 seconds between each move and 30 seconds between rounds. Still not loose? Do a third round. Reverse Lunge with Reachback Stand tall, arms at your sides. Lunge back with your right leg and lower your body until your left knee is bent 90 degrees. As you do, swing both arms overhead and to the left. Return to the starting position. Repeat with your left leg, swinging your arms to the right. That’s 1 rep; do 12 to 15. Inchworm to Runner’s Stretch Bend at the waist and touch the floor; then walk your hands to a push-up position. Step your right foot forward, outside your right hand. Lift your right hand and reach up, arm…

TREND NO.1 TEXTURE  The suede jacket is like the sports car of a man’s wardrobe... But don’t be that guy who picks a mustard-yellow Corvette. You want something classic and not too flashy, in a sophisticated earth tone such as olive, brown, or tan. TREND NO.2 PATTERN When you want to make a good impression but still communicate your creative side, try a shirt and tailored shorts with subtle patterns. The key to pulling off pattern on pattern: make sure the patterns are similar in colour but vary in scale, so they don’t compete with one another. TREND NO.3 STRIPES  Stripes can be found everywhere now, especially with smart brands like Ben Sherman and Country Road. We suggest taking it one stripe at a time. Experiment with different styles to…

Not eating fresh produce this time of year is like visiting Thailand, and staying in your hotel room. You’re missing out, buddy. And you have no excuse: now, it’s easy to eat well. In a new International Journal of Epidemiology study, 10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables was found to be the reaper-fighting dose. Sound like a lot? Not if you make these peak-produce recipes. THE FILLER-UP MIELIE MEAL Two small mielies provide a gut-filling 4 grams of fibre for 711 kilojoules. So eat them first. That way, you don’t end up eating everything at the braai. RAW Mexican Salad Mix a one can of black beans, rinsed, with the kernels from 2 mielies, 1 chopped tomato, ½ chopped red onion, 3 Tbsp lime juice, ¼ cup chopped coriander,…

GREEN TEA Caffeine and antioxidants help damaged cells die, lowering the chance they’ll turn cancerous, says Chung Yang, a cancer researcher at Rutgers University. TIP Bottled green tea may have added sugar, while fresh tea has none (unless you add it). Pick up a box of plain caffeinated green tea bags and brew your own. TROUT Omega-3 fatty acids in this coldwater fish may prevent cancer-promoting inflammation, says Neil Iyengar, medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre. TIP Wrap a trout fillet in foil with a little oil, salt, pepper, and orange slices. Bake at 230°C until flaky, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve it with bulgur wheat. BULGUR WHEAT As your whole grain intake goes up, your overall cancer risk may drop, a review in BMJ suggests. It could…

1. Don’t get into a conversation about downgrading to single-ply if you’re a double-ply kind of household. 2. Don’t contest the mani-pedis. It’s not worth it. Trust me. 3. If you have young kids, keep the best DSTV package you can afford. I can see all you parents out there with young kids nodding your heads sagaciously in agreement as you read this. It’s for your sanity.…

1 THE SLEEPLESS CURE Instead of dampening your mood, a lack of sleep – when used strategically – may actually relieve depression, a new study suggests. Such “therapeutic sleep deprivation” can be either total (staying up for 36 hours) or partial (sleeping three to four hours). Researchers pooled data from 66 trials to find that about half of the 1 593 participants had “a rapid reduction of depressive symptoms” after just one night of sleep deprivation. Symptoms generally returned after a full night’s sleep. Since this practice comes with risks depending on your medical and mental health history, never do it without talking to your doctor. Studies are ongoing. 2 THINK YOURSELF FIT Your view of your fitness relative to others’ can influence your health. When Stanford researchers followed some…

NAOMI PIERCEY MARRIED, BUT REMEMBERS HER SINGLE DAYS. LI JUN LI A HEAD-TURNER SEEN ON THE EXORCIST. MARISSA GAINSBURG A WOMEN’S HEALTH FITNESS EDITOR WHO LIKES TO SWEAT. She wants to know my number. It’s really high. Dealbreaker? NAOMI: No. But ease her mind and be a proactive, responsible adult by getting tested. There’s probably no greater turn-on. LILI: I would love for a guy to do that so I don’t have to ask. The STD talk is always awkward. MARISSA: And it’s so easy to lie about. NAOMI: My single girlfriends assume every guy has something. I think women in general, as horrible as it sounds, assume guys are just dirty. That’s how women approach sex. LILI: I dated a musician once, and his number was in the hundreds.…

THE NUTRITION MAVERICKS Our food experts The Raw Proponent A nutritional therapist with 18 years in the game, Christine Bailey reckons raw foods are the real deal. The Minimalist Graduate of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition Jess Dyer prescribes simple and sustainable nutrition, not a fad in sight. The Hungry Trainer As a foodie, nutritionist and Personal Trainer, Joe Sexton is leading the fight against restrictive diets. The Game Changer Having worked with Chelsea FC, Drew Price specialises in high-performance nutrition that delivers. 25 CERTIFIED HEALTH ENHANCERS Chasing the latest nutritional furors shouldn’t come at the expense of flavour, fun or, crucially, veracity. Our list does away with inflated price tags and hipster hype to present a menu of often underrated ingredients to be incorporated into your daily menu with…

6.05AM JUMP START BEDROOM WORKOUT If you didn’t drop off until late, you won’t make your 6am gym session. Instead, try this short workout from trainer Ollie Lawrence, modelled on one favoured by famous sleep-dodger Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’ll shunt blood around your body, flooding your system with oxygen and endorphins. 01 Stretch it out Slip from the sheets into a low lunge, with your rear shin on the floor (A). Push your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your quads (B). Hold for 30sec, then swap legs. While you’re at it, check your phone. Its blue light will wake up your brain. 02 Gradual Awakening In a push-up position (A), slowly lower to the count of eight for maximum time under tension (B). Drive back up until your…

1 Be curious. Talk to multiple people and do extensive research, even if the inquiry takes you into realms you don’t understand. Resist the temptation to seek silver bullets. “The learning is important, because you are the only one who really understands your problem,” Faber says. 2 Maintain your data. Keep a copy of your entire medical record. If you have an MRI scan done, get a CD of the images. Keep doctors’ reports and make notes of medical conversations. That way, when a different specialist asks to see your records, you can send them instantly. 3 Spot your doctors’ biases. Everyone has a natural inclination to favour one approach or another. The doctor who’s really good at gamma knife radiosurgery is more likely to recommend it. Biases aren’t bad,…

1. Heavy impact “Testosterone drops by about 1% a year after turning 30,” says ‘Fit at 40’ campaigner James Crossley. But it’s not all bad news for the midlife gym bro: training right can halt the decline. “Go for three weekly full-body workouts with exercises like deadlifts.” Compound moves like this will keep testosterone production firing on swole cylinders. 2. Plate up Left to its own devices, your metabolism will also start to stutter. “If you’re eating the same at 45 as you were at 25, you’re going to put weight on,” says Crossley. “To keep your metabolism high, aim for five small meals a day, every three hours.” And include an apple: a Brazilian study found it keeps midlife paunch away. 3. Flexi time There’s little comfort to be…

GO DEEP CROSSINGS: A DOCTOR-SOLDIER’S STORY By Jon Kerstetter How do you reconcile war and “first, do no harm” as an Army physician? Publish your stunning memoirs, evidently. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON By David Grann One of those “How did I not know this before?” true-crime exposés about the chilling case that made the FBI. THE INVENTION OF NATURE By Andrea Wolf The age of discovery comes roaring back to modernity in a biography of “the Shakespeare of science”, German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt. PAIN + REFLECTION = PROGRESS PRINCIPLES BY RAY DALIO That’s the multibillionaire hedge-fund manager’s formula for learning from your mistakes and making your own luck. It’s a counterintuitive leadership primer packed with tough-love maxims, like the three below. R569, exclusivebooks.co.za 1.…

STATION 01 500m SkiErg Don’t get carried away at the start of your challenge. Think of the SkiErg as your warm-up, so stay relaxed and conserve energy by aiming for longer pulls. Focus, too, on maintaining a steady stroke rate. You’ll need those lungs for the airbike assault. STATION 02 50 calorie Airbike Climb into the saddle for the sticky part of the workout – this is where you can make or break a good time. Go hard and don’t hold back. Pump your arms and legs to spread the workload across as many muscles as possible, and gulp down as much air as you can. Keep in mind that different airbike and fanbike brands measure calories differently. Make sure you test yourself on the same brand every time. STATION…

1. He prepared himself mentally. “I’d known Jez for a while before he finally started his journey with us, and at first he was very hesitant to start. Crucially, he knew what he wanted – but couldn’t take that first step. He finally made a decision, acted on it, and entered the Challenge.” 2. He had clear and realistic goals. “Before Jez started his training with us, he sent me a picture of a previous cover guy (true story), and said, that was the type of physique he wanted to achieve.” 3. He regularly sought advice and tips to help in his training. “Jez was keen to learn from our trainers, and from the knowledge they had to share. He was never too proud to ask for help.” 4. He…

Tawrieq has been a loyal reader, and he came to us for help: he wanted a more powerful look, and to be noticed for the right reasons. We repaid his loyalty by upgrading his daily uniform, and adding some real style weapons to his wardrobe. Here’s what you can learn from his style shakedown: Make A Head Start Tawrieq wanted a hairstyle that’s fuss-free. “A classic haircut is usually a bit longer on the top and shorter on the sides,” says Ryno Siebrits, barber at Barnet Fair. “And it’s always tasteful – if you maintain it with the proper product,” he says. Use hair pomade. Why? “It provides a soft, natural hold for free-flowing styles – without the stickiness,” says Ryno. And when It comes to facial hair? You don’t…

If the kitchen is the new garage, it’s time to stop buying flashy tools you’ll never use. Those panini presses and popcorn-makers are fun, but they’re one-trick ponies that suck up space. For terrific meals, you need just a few items: a pan, a knife, a blender, and a one-pot cooker. To find the best possible versions, we subjected the gear to the rigours of a professional test kitchen. THE NON-STICK PAN Call it trial by dishwasher: first our team ran a stack of contenders through 10 wash-and-heat-dry cycles. Then, to gauge durability, we fried an egg in each pan without using any oil. The less the egg stuck to the pan, the better the quality of the non-stick coating. Some pans just couldn’t handle the stress. These two aced…

Food prices rose by 16,5% last year. Petrol has hit 2014 peaks of R14 per litre again. Interest rates are set to climb. SARS is battling a R40 billion pilferage shortfall. Oh, and we’ve been downgraded to junk status. And then there’s you: you still have to live... I once thought having a thriving business and portfolio of lucrative contracts meant I was standing on solid ground. But in the blink of an eye we lost a couple of clients; we gained a few others, but after crunching the numbers and staring red-eyed at our one-thousandth spreadsheet, the verdict was in: we were in deep, deep trouble, and we were sinking further. My wife and I watched safety and security slip away; instead, we had uncertainty. We had to decide…

1 DECRYPTED There’s money to be made (and lost) riding the new wave of cryptocurrencies. And while settling on one of the (now) thousands of virtual coins requires research, rands and a lot risk-taking, all you need to start trading is an online wallet and an exchange. THE STASH A crypto wallet is where you’ll store your haul of digital dosh. However, not all wallets are made equal, with options ranging from lightweight websites to wireless dongles and QR codes. While websites keep things simple, they’re also vulnerable – meaning your (hopefully) coin-filled coffers aren’t 100% secure. Try GreenAddress, an app that keeps your precious Bitcoin keys off the net and away from prying eyes. THE MARKET Buy when it’s cheap, and sell when it’s hot. You want an exchange…

1. Lighting. Bad backlighting and sunglasses. (Hiding something?) Step out of the shadows. 2. Setting. Too posed! Try including some friends. They’ll bring you down to earth. 3. Bio. You got jokes, Nick. Very funny. But in case she’s not amused, include some real interests too. FIND A GIFT SHE’LL LOVE! THE PERFECT GIFT! NAOMI SAYS: SHINY NEW TOYS CAN BACKFIRE. BUT A REPLACEMENT FOR HER BROKEN ROLLER BAG (OR, IN MY CASE, BROKEN BLENDER)? GOLD.…

THE MH FITNESS FUTUROLOGISTS LAUREN ARMES FOUNDER OF INDUSTRY MAVEN WELLTODO WELLTODOGLOBAL.COM KAMAL PATEL NUTRITION RESEARCHER, EXAMINE CO-FOUNDER EXAMINE.COM KEMO MARRIOTT HEALTH CONSULTANT AND COACH BROTHER HOODTRAININGCLUB.COM DAVID HOWATSON MASTER TRAINER AT TECHNOGYM TECHNOGYM.COM MIKE FITCH CREATOR OF THE ANIMAL FLOW SYSTEM ANIMALFLOW.COM STEVEN WARD CEO OF NON-PROFIT BODY UKACTIVE UKACTIVE.COM ANDREW MANTEIT FOUNDER OF SPORTSWEAR RETAILER THEACTIVEMAN.COM KELLY STARRETT PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND HEALTH AUTHOR MOBILITYWOD.COM 1 YOUR HOLIDAY WON’T BE A REST WEEK The new health tourism is not to be confused with travelling for superficial surgical work, to places where the exchange rate is favourable and the regulations light. Instead, there’s a burgeoning trend for combining city breaks and winter sun with your fitness goals. Book one of these three dedicated destinations to satisfy your wanderlust without sacrificing…

1 PLAY THE FIELD Look past the trans-fat fried snacks giving spuds a bad name – at its purest, the potato is an energising super-carb, packed with nutrients. “The potato has long been integral to our cuisine,” says Josh Eggleton of Michelin-starred UK pub The Pony & Trap. “Over 500 years we’ve evolved the ingredient into many homegrown varieties, each with its own taste and texture.” Better still, spuds offer a field of health and fitness benefits. Dig in. NEW POTATOES There are more than 80 varieties of potatoes grown in South Africa. All come packed full of potassium for improved muscle function. PURPLE POWER When it comes to heart health, purple reigns supreme. Eating Violet Queen, Double Fun or Magenta Love daily will drop your blood pressure significantly –…

EXPERT PANEL DAVID REAVY; JOHN RUSIN; CHAD WATERBURY; DAVID JACK THE GOAL DEADLIFT OR SQUAT BIG NUMBERS  WHAT TO TEST: HIP MOBILITY AND LOWER-BACK STABILITY Toe Touch Stand with your feet together, knees locked. Hinge forward and reach for the floor. Your goal is to touch the floor with your fingertips or, at the very least, be just 5cm short of that goal. Pass You touch the floor with your fingertips. Fail You don’t, or you feel pain while bending. DAILY FIX  1. Foam-roll your glutes and hamstrings, 30 to 45 seconds a side. Spend 15 to 20 seconds on sore areas. 2. Do a forearm plank; shift to a left-side plank, then a right-side plank. Hold each for 30 seconds. Do 2 reps. Overhead Squat Stand with your feet…

THENAR MUSCLES These help your thumb pinch towards your fingers, and they don’t get much love in most gym workouts. TRAIN THEM Plate pinches. Start with two 2.5kg plates, smooth sides out. Work up to a 60-second hold. PINCH PERFECT The smooth-sides-out plate pinch is a gold standard of grip strength, but it’s not the only way. STRUGGLING? Turn the smooth sides of the plates inside and hold; you’ll still train your thenar muscles, but it’s slightly easier. FOREARM EXTENSORS The muscles on the back of your forearm work together in order to open your fingers and extend your wrist backwards. TRAIN THEM Spread and open your hands as wide as you can while bending your wrists back. Hold for 30 seconds. Rest; then repeat. FOREARM FLEXORS…

01 Bottoms Up Kettlebell Press Preload shoulders with a lighter weight before heavier pressing. Set up in a lunge position, and with the opposite arm to your lunged leg, hold a light kettlebell bottom facing up at 90 degrees (A). With your other arm out, push the kettlebell overhead, keeping your elbow tight and biceps se to your ear (B). Reverse the move. 3 sets of 8 reps each side 02 Dead Hang Hanging from a bar might appear easy, but holding this position decompresses your spine, stretching your lats, and shoulders for better stability during overhead moves. Jump up and grip onto a pull-up bar (A). As you hang, draw in your abs to create a slight posterior tilt at your pelvis (B). Aim to build-up to 60-second holds.…

A man’s classic wardobe essentials are few in number and clean in style: blue jeans; a lightweight cardigan; khaki chinos; a two-button black suit; and a navy blazer. Nail these, and everything else falls into place – especially when worn with the most essential of essentials, the crisp white shirt. The right white shirt works in plenty of situations, ranging from business casual to black tie. A smart, modern way of mastering the style of the classic white shirt is to opt for a non-iron version. It’ll help take some of the hassle out of your morning routine, as it requires little to no ironing – just a wash at home to achieve a flawless appearance. Man of The Cloth The (right) material maketh the man. Here’s what you need…

1 SPRITZ AND GO The smell of success isn’t sweet, it’s minty. Psychologists at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia discovered that test subjects exposed to this smell shaved seconds off their training times. You can get the same effects from this bottle and smell great on a post-workout date. EAU DE LACOSTE L.12.12 ENERGIZED 100ML R1 215 EDGARS 2 FIRM BUT FAIR HAIRCARE Relying on a blast from the dryer will dry out your hair, making it limp and brittle. This soluble paste has beeswax to lock in moisture, stopping you from resembling a scarecrow in your next presentation. JOHNNY’S CHOP SHOP MATT PASTE 75G R120 DISCHEM 3 BODY RELIEF Muscle and joint pains? Try this balm enriched with menthol to relieve tension and ease muscle pain. Use it…

WAKE UP AND EAT! Skipping breakfast for just one day may negatively affect your metabolism, suggests a new, small-scale study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Over the long term, the authors speculate, this habit could lead to poor glucose metabolism – and ultimately, issues such as type 2 diabetes that may not be attributable to only weight gain and overeating. COCOA ON THE BRAIN Food for thought, literally: the flavanols in chocolate may improve working memory and visual processing and deter cognitive decline, a new Italian review suggests. These compounds may also boost bloodflow to a part of the hippocampus affected by aging. Avoid “alkalised” chocolate (look on the label), which has lower amounts of flavanols. NETFLIX AND CHOW? Don’t mix TV, dinner, and family. In an Academy…

Like most things in life, it’s all in the details – you need to tweak the small things to get the big results. The first step for the Jarvis clan was to get all the costs down in black and white (no ‘creative accounting’, like certain Stellenbosch-based companies), and then the lateral thinking had to start. 1 USE A TRADE EXCHANGE Leverage your skills to pay for services My son is taking surfing lessons. He loves them. They pack an hourly cost, which usually means that if you buy up these sessions in bulk, you’ll get a bigger discount. I work for Surf Camp SA as a marketing and media consultant on a monthly retainer, and those same guys were teaching my kid how to surf. What I saw was…

Kyle O’Flaherty used to be stoked by his weekly workout routine, a heavy rotation of cycling, boxing, jiu-jitsu, and running. But even at age 20, his hips started to ache, and not just during exercise. He’s not unusual. “I’ve seen a tremendous spike in young, active men with hip pain in my practice in the past five to 10 years,” says orthopaedic surgeon Benjamin Domb. In fact, according to research, more 45- to 54-year-olds are opting for hip replacement. Follow our guide to staying out of the operating room and keeping your hips pain-free. 1 HOW YOUR HIPS GO HAYWIRE Each thighbone attaches to a socket in your pelvis. A cartilage coating allows for smooth movement. Ligaments, tendons, and muscles provide stability and range of motion. But things can go…

1 THE GUY WHO KEEPS GOING BACK TO YOUNGER WOMEN Joel had one or two affairs every year. He took up with inexperienced young women impressed by his nice clothes and fancy dinners. But he wasn’t just a jerk looking to screw younger women – it was more complicated. According to Joel, his wife loved him but wasn’t impressed with him. She knew him before his success and had plenty of sexual experience of her own. And while Joel had no concerns about disappointing his girlfriends sexually, he was concerned about disappointing his wife. The results: performance anxiety, sexual frustration, and lower desire for his wife. He needed a new attitude, I told him, one of “we’ll have fun in bed no matter what.” First: de-emphasise intercourse, making it one…

MEN WOMEN DOGGY STYLE MARISSA SAYS Squeeze her hips tightly. They’re an untapped erogenous zone. WOMAN ON TOP NAOMI SAYS The driver’s seat is fun! And you can go deeper if she adjusts her hips. MISSIONARY (LEGS ON SHOULDERS) NAOMI SAYS Want to try kissing her toes? Here’s your chance! Touch her calves too. TRADITIONAL MISSIONARY LILI SAYS Don’t forget kissing! Stimulating multiple senses is a good thing.…

Ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato and Hippocrates specifically recommended the benefits of fasting for both medical and mental purposes. In many other religious cultures, from the Middle East to Asia and North America, fasting has been used for centuries, not only as a therapeutic practice but also as a religious or spiritual one. These practices are still around today, during the holy month of Ramadan, during Christian Lent, and on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. Of course, these days there’s a Slack channel for fasting. Seriously. You want to try a Monk Fast (36 hours, water only)? How about the Warrior Diet (starve during the day, eat a massive meal at night)? Or, if you’re really keen, you can hook up with the advanced 60-hour Himalaya Fast,…

Against The Tide Being an Olympic swimmer is a full-time job; for most, it’s something they wouldn’t be able to achieve even if they spent their full 24 hours eating, sleeping and breathing swimming. But Calvyn Justus is not like most people. He’s an Olympic swimmer and a vlogging sensation, sharing behind-the-scenes videos of his swimming training and travels around the world with his 72 000-strong audience. “It fits perfectly, as my swimming career allows time in between workouts to edit and film.” The two career paths could not be more different – but when you strip them down, you need just two characteristics, according to Calvyn. “Dedication and perseverance. In both fields you set a goal and have to put in hard work and long hours to achieve that…