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 CONTENTS
MEN’S HEALTH JULY 2019

COVER STORIES
& FEATURES
DRINK YOUR GUT AWAY
Did you know a glass of red
wine is the equivalent to
an hour in the gym?
32

BURN FAT FAST

...And all you need is a pair
of dumbbells.
41

FEAST LIKE A CHAMP

5-ingredient fitness fuel.
70

HOW TO RETIRE
BEFORE 39
Start saving for the future.
90

FIT AT ANY AGE

THE 20S
Prevent damage, save cash
and put off ageing. Plus, go
from scrawny to brawny.
100

THE 30S
Drop weight, get fitter and
tackle anxiety. Plus, do it
while sleeping like a baby.

P.20
108

THE 40S
Get back on track, deal
with injuries and ramp up
your savings. Plus, do you
have low-T?
116
MH WOMAN
Boost your brand with THE 50S
Ayanda Thabethe. Yes, you can still be active
and hustle to retirement.
Plus, you’ll enjoy sex
more.
124
Photograph: SEAN LAURÉNZ
 CONTENTS

F
MASTER RELATION PS
Go above and bey .
48
A st tion.
78
VERSUS
Yoga vs. meditation.
WHY IS SHE
50
CRYING?
It’s not what you
WEIGHT LOSS think.
EVERYTHING YOU 82
KNOW ABOUT FAT
IS WRONG HEALTH
Get the skinny on
fat. DON’T FORGET
52 YOU’RE GONNA
DIE!
ST YLE Gain perspective.

P.58
INVESTMENT 84
Trench revolution.
57 NOT ENOUGH
TIME
WATCH THIS Fix the future.
SPACE 86
ALL EYES ON YOU
Six stellar winter trends. The world’s nine
Swiss favourites. YOU VS. WINTER
66 See who will win.
88
OUD TO WINTER
Complement the WEALTH
cold weather with
these scents. THE START-UP
68 PROJECT
Get in with a
THE CUT ASK THE
UPFRONT BETTER MAN FOOD fighting chance.
The best gear SOMMELIER 94
FIGHT TO to hit MH HQ this Drink a glass of
MAN OF ACTION HAVE WE
month. success.
Find motivation. THE FINISH REACHED PEAK WEALTH REPORT
28 36
8 After surviving a PROTEIN? Squeeze out stress.
near-fatal car crash, There are a lot of 98
GEAR GAME PLAN
ED’S LETTER Alwyn Uys took on Play the advantage to Bring on the claims out there.
Everything you will the Ironman. improve your long popcorn. 74 On the
16 Cover
Photographs: CARLO MIARI FULCIS, MICHAEL HEDGE

learn from this issue. game and your 38

10 COVER GUY
health. VERSUS Anton Nilsson
WHAT HAPPENS 30 FITNESS Exercise vs. nutri- PHOTOGRAPHER
THE EXCHANGE WHEN... tion. David Venni
“Should foam- ... I work late? HOW GROSS THE MH 76
rolling hurt?” 22 ARE YOU? FINISHER
13 The worst , most Give fat loss a big GET LEAN ON
DRIVE health-hazardous leg-up by ending your HIGH PROTEIN
The six cars of habits you should workout with hefty A man, a pan, a
COLUMN
your life. consider dropping. lower-body moves. plan.
Age with grace.
24 34 46 77
14

6 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 MAN OF ACTION

BRAY-DUNES,
FRANCE

FIND MOTIVATION. When your motivation in winter starts to waiver, turn to others, says Joburg-born Oliver Bath,
who in May this year – alongside Todd Hussey and Nicholas Shraga – completed seven marathons in seven days
across seven countries. They spent seven months training for this feat. “Although the bulk of the training is done
solo, using platforms that log and share your training activities enables your teammates to keep a check on you,
which motivates you.” And if that’s not enough? “Have something bigger than yourself to run for. Coupled with
our group camaraderie is the motivation of running for Bokamoso Education Trust, a South African charity deeply
involved in providing education for underprivileged children. Over two years, we have now managed to put two
children through their schooling,” says Oliver proudly. To donate, head to bokamosotrust.org.za.

8 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 “For me, the toughest parts are during the training,
and not over the seven days – that’s fuelled by
adrenaline and hype. It’s getting through the seven
months of mundane – and in many cases, solo – hours
of training to get you to the start line that puts you in
the precarious position of potentially giving up.”
– OLIVER BATH, SOUTH AFRICAN RUN777 MARATHON RUNNER

PHOTOGRAPH ROB CLOETE MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 9

 Email: tellmh@media24.com Twitter: @MensHealthZA Facebook: MensHealthSA
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Danielle Weakley Editorial Director

AgeIsBut
ANumber This is our annual Fit at Any Age issue. The theme could
Robert Cilliers Editor & Creative Director
WANITA NICOL Deputy Editor
AZEEZ JACOBS Fashion & Grooming Editor
NADIM NYKER Digital Editor
KIRSTEN CURTIS Contributing Editor
not be more apt for a guy of my age, following in the giant footsteps MEGAN FLEMMIT Multimedia Journalist
of my predecessors, Arthur Jones and Jason Brown – both great DAVE BUCHANAN Copy Editor
KELLEIGH KOREVAAR Features Writer
men and great editors, from whom I have gained so much knowl-
THAAQIB DANIELS Content Producer
edge and wisdom over the last eight and a half years at Men’s Health. NADIA WINDT Fashion Assistant
This issue contains tools, tips and advice to help you look, feel and Contributors: Mark Arendse (Design); Michelle von Schlicht (Design)
perform at your best – regardless of whether you’re 25 or 55. Here are 10 Shared services: Kerry Nash (Production Manager
great lessons you’ll learn from this issue, no matter what your age: James Garaghty (In-House Photographer)
Amina Essop (Office Administrator)
1. VISUALISE YOUR ACTIVITY – our brains don’t know the difference between
imagining something and doing it. Practise your training in your head.
2. CONFRONT YOUR WORST MEMORY – a different perspective couldchange your life.
CEO MEDIA24 Ishmet Davidson
3. EMBRACE YOUR CORE VALUES – enjoyable activities, with people you like spend- CEO PRINT MEDIA Rika Swart

ing time with, help to reaffirm the good: who you are, and what makes you happy. GENERAL MANAGER, LIFESTYLE Minette Ferreira
GENERAL MANAGER, MONTHLIES Nerisa Coetzee
4. DOSE UP ON BEETROOT JUICE – it boosts power output during cardio by increasing CFO, LIFESTYLE Jameelah Conway
FINANCIAL MANAGER Melanie Leeman
the production of nitric oxide, a potent vasodilator, allowing more oxygen to saturate
muscle tissues. MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
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Alwyn Uys (p.16). With superior men m Lizel Pauw 082 876 8189
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sharlene.ssmith@media24.com)
first South African para-athlete to o Yumna Rojjan 072 399 5789
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Yelanda M Mitchell 074 897 576
complete the Ironman 70.3*. Or you (yelanda.M Mitchell@media24.com)
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take advice from Anton Nilsson (p. mariska.v venter@media24.com)
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on how to stay cover-guy-ready at 56

Put your mind to it, get inspire MAGAZINES INTERNATIONAL

and yyou
u will nail eve
every
ydde adde – aan Alwyn crossi SVP/MANAGING DIRECTOR ASIA PACIFIC & RUSSIA Simon Horne
ng the Ironma DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Richard Bean
e’ e ou
u o it. finish line n
. SVP/EDITORIAL & BRAND DIRECTOR Kim St. Clair Bodden
DEPUTY BRANDS DIRECTOR Chloe O’Brien
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CONTENT SERVICES Shelley Meeks

ROBERT CILLIERS
S Global Editions / EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
D OR
DITO USA Richard Dorment, AUSTRALIA Luke Benedictus, BULGARIA Vladimir Konstantinov,
Insta: @robdcilliers CHINNA Gao Zhen, CROATIA Kresimir Sego, GERMANY Markus Stenglein, GHANA Godfred Akoto
Boafo, GREECE Vassilis Georgakakos, HUNGARY Máté Pásztor, ITALY Aldo Ballerini,
KAZAKHSTAN Irina Utesheva, MALAYSIA Eugene Phua, NETHERLANDS Ronald Janus,
NIGERIA Osagie Alonge, POLAND Aneta Martynow, PORTUGAL Pedro Lucas, ROMANIA Mihai
Ghiduc, RUSSIA Maxim Semelyak, SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO Ivan Radojcic, SINGAPORE Kelvin
Tan, SPAIN Jordi Martinez, THAILAND Chatchawin Unhanun, TURKEY Fatih Büyükbayrak, UNITED
KINGDOM Toby Wiseman, LATIN AMERICA Sergio Rodriguez, MIDDLE EAST Carlin Gerbich

Running with gi
ants. *“70.3” refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race,
consisting of a 1.9 km swim, a 90 km bike ride, and a 21.1 km run

10 MH. .ZA
 MH WORLD
JULY

Download your
digital copy at
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Works on iPad,
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MEN’S HEALTH
HEALTH QUESTION: When I TWITTER POLL
snack, I get hungrier –
how do I stop the WHAT IS THE MOST
cravings? VITAL PIECE OF FITNESS
The answer is snacking “proteins and
EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR
healthy fats,” endocrinologist Dr. Belinda WORKOUTS?
Lennerz tells us. “Your body digests both DUMBBELL SET

34%
slowly, and neither triggers the kind of
hunger-stoking insulin response you get
from sugar or refined carbs.”
Pro tip: stay away from sweet and salty
flavours – a combo that fires up your
brain’s ‘give me more’ sectors.
Eat better: MH.CO.ZA/HEALTH
BENCH

9%
160 The number of
women we surveyed
who revealed that, for women
SEX

HEADPHONES
who highly value vaginal
orgasms, a longer penis is preferred. Over a third (33.8%)
claimed they were more likely to consistently have a vaginal
orgasm when their partner’s penis was longer than average;
50%
however, 60% of the women said size makes no difference.
See what else they said: MH.CO.ZA/SEX-WOMEN APPLE WATCH

#MENSHEALTHZA 7%
Based on 3,446 responses
to Men’s Health

Instagram
@menshealthza
Twitter
@MensHealthZA
Facebook
MensHealthSA
Getty/Gallo; Images supplied (Instagram)

Scan this QR code

Unakho Jadezweni Quaniet Jakoet Zola Mbanguta and see the stories
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12 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 EXCHANGE
THE JULY

Your biggest,
strangest,
and most
embarrassing
questions
— answered!

ST YLE GROOMING
sprays. One spritz on
I love my black the neck and another
denim jeans. But I like my cologne.
A lot. But how do in the centre of your
I’m afraid washing shirt. You can also
too often might I apply my fave
scent without apply cologne on
fade them. Help! your wrists and rub it
Sicelo, Jozi going overboard?
Carlos, Pinelands. in. You’ll know you’ve
You’re right to gone overboard
FITNESS give them special We do many things when you can smell
treatment. But weeks to smell better. yourself coming,
How hard should I be foam-rolling? (months?) without Deodorants, body and/or your friends’
It should hurt, right? washing? Too long. sprays, and most eyes water when
Liam, Chatsworth If you want to keep commonly, cologne you enter the room.
the vibrancy of your all work together to There’s a test you
First off, you don’t have here could just mean tissues after rolling. black jeans, practise combat odour. But can do: spritzing
to use a foam roller. It is pain; or you could be Self-applied pain is a careful washing. That when applied way your cologne while
a choice. For some, it irritating a fracture, personal choice, but means washing them too heavily, cologne a friend is an arm’s
may help with mobility and causing more more is not necessarily inside out and in can actually end up length away from
or temporary pain problems. When better. Some people cold water. Then air being worse than you. With each spritz,
relief, as the pressure foam rollers are used tend to overdo or drying – don’t use foul odour itself. ask the friend if they
enacts changes within correctly you will overvalue the ability the tumble dryer. How much can smell you. If they
Getty/Gallo Images

tissues and the nervous experience discomfort. to tolerate discomfort. We recommend should you can’t, you could use
system. But you should Still, there should be But with rolling, too Skip Intelligent spray? Probably another spritz. If they
never use a foam roller no ongoing pain or much pain can actually Dark Washing less than you can, skip the sprays –
for a bone issue. Pain discolouration of the prevent gain. Liquid. think. Limit your you’ve done enough.

HT TO YOU B
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 ADVOCATE
T H E D E V I L’S

COLUMN

By Jonathan Ancer

product that appealed road to oblivion.

to me the most was All of which has
a nose-hair remover. made me think
But I couldn’t bring about the meaning
myself to buy it. That of ageing.
would have just been I’m still reasonably
“cray cray”, and even young (give or take a
as I write “cray cray”, I year or two), but I know
see in my mind’s eye that eventually my body
that teenager, visibly will start to slow down;
cringing. and a panicky, it’s now-
The last time I or-never feeling has
went to a restaurant, started to creep into
I complained to the my being. I still have
waiter that the music time to do the things I
was too loud. That’s want, but I’d better get a
something my father move on – I mean, that
does. The nutritional boeuf bourguignon
information on isn’t going to make
products has become itself, and there’s still
blurry, and I find a Wimbledon title up
myself asking people for grabs.
to repeat themselves. Yes, I’m getting
I used to have older; but that’s not

TheMeaningofAgeing the teen and said,

“Kiff tune, hey?”
outstanding recall for
details and names;
now, I find myself
all bad. Because
with age comes
confidence, wisdom
TIME IS SLIPPING AWAY – SO I’D BETTER HURRY, IF I WANT TO
“Whatevs,” he saying “thingamabob” and perspective.
WATCH ALL THE STAR WARS MOVIES IN THE CORRECT ORDER
shrugged. “It’s my and “whatchamacallit” With age comes
mom’s favourite disturbingly often. experience. I’ve learnt
song.” His mom? And last night, after I a few things over the
I was watching The Tonight Show with So, did that make told my daughter to years: I’ve learnt that
my friend Dave. One of Jimmy Fallon’s me old? I did a quick go to bed, and she everyone is winging
guests was British comedian Ricky Gervais. A fan stocktake of my life, replied, “But why?”... it, but some just do
and realised there well, I responded with it with a bit more
asked him what the worst thing was about getting old. were signs of my the old person’s go-to confidence than
“I don’t know where to start,” replied Gervais. “I wake advancing years chestnut: “Because I others. I’ve learnt to
everywhere. Just said so!” identify – and avoid
up in the morning now and go, ‘Oh God, I didn’t die.’ the other day, I went I haven’t been age- – damaged people
I’ve got a stiff back and stiff legs. I’m losing hair. It’s to the pharmacy profiled and targeted whose negativity
all bad,” he continued. And then Fallon asked him to with a R200 reward on social media yet, makes life grim. I’ve
voucher – and having with ads for funeral learnt to say no. And
pick just one thing. That was the wrong time for me to a reward voucher for cover, orthopaedic I’ve also learnt to be
have taken a gulp of coffee. a pharmacy is already shoes and retirement realistic. Which is why,
a sign of my looming villages. But when this evening, I won’t
“Pendulous testicles,” Gervais replied sharply. Coffee sprayed out of my decrepitude, but that I’m bombarded with be spending hours
nose and tears rolled down my cheeks; but when I looked up, I saw that wasn’t the worst part. adverts for adult practising my serve;
Dave was stony faced. He didn’t think it was funny. He doesn’t have a The worst part was, nappies, I’ll know it’s I’ll be in front of the TV,
sense of humour, I thought; but then a hot flush stopped me dead in my when I looked for just a short sag, limp watching Star Wars:
tracks. Maybe the reason I found it so goddamn hilarious was because I something to buy, the and hobble down the The Phantom Menace.
could relate to it – and Dave, who’s a few years younger than me, couldn’t.
Maybe I’m laughing because it’s true. Maybe it means I’m old. Am I old? In
my mind I’m timeless. I still believe I’m age-proof: that there’s still time to
achieve many triumphs – I will one day watch all the Star Wars movies in
the correct order, learn how to make boeuf bourguignon, find a cure for “I’ve learnt a few things
cancer and be the first South African to win Wimbledon. But getting old
– or worse, being old – means time is running out; it’s slipping away. over the years. Everyone’s
A few days after the Tonight Show incident I found myself in a spinning
winging it; some just do it
Getty/Gallo images

class. When a particular tune came on, I gave a whoop and sang along.
The teen next to me gave me a thumbs-up. You see, I told myself, I’m not old
– I like music young people like. As we climbed off our bikes, I sidled up to with a bit more confidence.”
14 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
 BETTER MAN
YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING SMARTER, HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER

Fight To The Finish

ALWYN UYS SURVIVED A NEAR-FATAL CAR CRASH, CRACKING
HIS NECK, SNAPPING HIS FEMUR AND BREAKING HIS BACK.
BUT HE WAS BUILT FOR ENDURANCE.
 THE MAN
ALWYN UYS
OCCUPATION
FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
& PARA-ATHLETE
LOCATION BY
SEAN CAPE TOWN, KELLEIGH
LAURÉNZ SOUTH AFRICA KOREVAAR

Alwyn Uys glided onto the pink

Ironman 70.3 carpet, the arms that steered him through
a 1.9km swim, 90.1km cycle and 21.1km run in front of
him, lifting only to wipe away a tear.
He heard the crowd cheering, felt their energy; and
the loudest applause he’d ever heard washed over him
like the waves of the Durban sea he’d swum in earlier.
Crossing the half Ironman finish line had always been
a dream of his. Now, against all odds, it had come true.

BROKEN DREAMS
Alwyn had spent his university years playing for a
formidable Maties rugby team, but was benched after a
persistent arm injury. Wrapped up in trying to find out
who he was if he couldn’t be a rugby player, he turned to
triathlon, with the Ironman start line fixed in his mind.
Then – for one second – he took his eyes off the road.
Alwyn’s car hit a dip between dirt and tarmac, went
spinning, and he was flung through the windscreen.
One second: the length of time he took his eyes off the
road. One second: how long, he recalls, it took his car to
crash. One life-changing second.
“The Ironman is known for being the toughest
endurance race for any athlete. And when I was
paralysed, I took a knock – a big one. Mentally, it
broke me. I was this strong, capable guy who could do
anything, physically. And in an instant, I’m sitting in a
wheelchair, helpless. Dependent on people around me.
“And that broke me. I used to be the one who was able to
help others; and now? I couldn’t even turn myself around in
my bed…” He laughs, and makes sure to add, “…at the time
of the accident. I can do that pretty well now.”

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 17


RISE ABOVE
We wrote about Alwyn in January 2017, after
following his three-year journey from hospital
bed to racing hopeful; he’d just started
triathlon training again, for the first time
since just before his accident in 2014. After
the accident, he’d tackled rowing at first.
But his focus didn’t shift back to triathlon
just because he wanted to continue the
challenge he’d set for himself “before”;
he was searching for something.
“Rowing is a sport for which I required
a lot of assistance and the guidance of a
team, whereas with cycling and triathlon,
I can go for a cycle or swim all on my
own and experience that freedom, that
independence. Which for someone with an
acquired disability is huge. All that we seek
is our independence back…” He pauses to
think. “I call it the search for normality.”
He grins. “I always say I’d rather be doing
an Ironman with my arms only than spend
another day in a hospital bed.”
But if Alwyn thought the journey had been
tough just getting to the point of training
for a triathlon, the journey to the Ironman
70.3 start line would be a constant trial – one
gruelling challenge or setback after another.
While preparing for SA Championships,
he was diagnosed with meningitis, which
nearly took his life. He spent a month in
hospital trying to fight the viral infection.
This was his “lowest low”, he says, because he
watched all of his hard work going to waste.
“I dealt with the disappointment by
telling myself, ‘I’m only human; these
things happen – life happens! So, what are
we going to do now? Where do we go from
here?’ And I did all I could do to pitch up
at the race, and give it all I had. Because
giving up before even trying was never
an option.”
Despite the odds, Alwyn was released
from hospital just in time to compete at SA
Champs, in hand-cycling – for which he
snatched a double gold medal.
HIT THE ROAD
In September 2018, after the high of winning
SA Champs, he really started to buckle down
and train for Ironman. But he’d been a hand-
cyclist only before that, which meant he had
to learn a new discipline, namely wheelchair
racing (the equivalent of running). And he
couldn’t just dive into a programme – he also
18 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
It’s the
freedom and
independence
Alwyn feels
when he swim
wims
s,
s,
that rew himm
he .
had to learn to swim again.
His goal? Sub-seven hours.
Leading up to the race, Alwyn was
clocking around 15 hours of training each
week, while balancing a job at the same
time. He swam three times a week, ran three
times a week and cycled five times a week.
And on weekends? There was no rest. That
was when he would put in the big numbers:
two long sessions – a long swim of 3km and
a long cycle of 100km+.
It wasn’t just Alwyn’s training that
underwent a complete revamp – his diet
changed too. For the last year he’s been
on the ketogenic diet. Having been an
athlete all his life, Alwyn’s been on many “I needed to do the Ironman in
diets, but he follows this low-carb/high-fat a wheelchair. Not for myself – I’m okay!
lifestyle because he finds it effective for I’ve dealt with this disability. But so many
endurance sport. other people with disabilities haven’t dealt
And it wasn’t just about physical with theirs. And I’m doing it for those who
fitness. “I’m a big fan of visualisation and can’t: those people who’ve lost their lives to
meditation, and I find it very effective to a disability, but are still alive today, those
train mentally, and strengthen my mind in who are mere shells of who they were. And
that way, to prepare me for long endurance then, I also do the Ironman for a mother,
sessions. And to stay sane, really. Ironman a father, a best friend, and the siblings
training is not easy – it’s just as much who’ve lost someone to a disability.”
mental as it is physical.” “I’ll never forget the looks people gave
But, what had started as a goal years me when they saw me for the first time in
before Alwyn was in a car crash had that hospital bed. Looking at me with pity…
morphed into something much bigger crying on the inside, for my part… I’m
than himself. doing it for them, to show them that they
 ROLE MODELS

Alwyn smashed
his goa
al and
finishhed the
Ironman 70.3
Durban on
2 June 2
2019.

“Don’t get me
wrong, I am
determined to
still walk one
day, but it is
no longer
where my
happiness
lies,” he
reflects.
haven’t lost me. That paralysis hasn’t taken
my life – it’s given me life! Paralysis has
shown me how to live my life to the full.”
After all, how can you pity someone who
wakes up every day, trains in the morning,
heads off to work, manages to squeeze in
another training session in the evening,
and still finds time to cook, read and chill
with family and friends?
Essentially, Alwyn is the person you
promise yourself you’ll be every Monday
morning. Except he did it every day, for
months – in pursuit of a sub-seven-hour finish.
“Do
oing an Ironman can be
the definition of hell to some
peo
ople, to me it’s freedom!”
FINISH STRONG
“Doing an Ironman is the definition of
hell to some people. To me, it’s freedom,”
says Alwyn.
On race day, when Alwyn lined up among
all the other athletes who had put in the
work, who had sacrificed hours in pursuit of
this moment – the whole thing felt surreal,
but he felt free.
The 28-year-old set off wearing his
extensive training like a badge, with
the number “7” fastened to the front of
his mind. But things didn’t go to plan.
For the first hour he felt tired, low on
power, and nauseous at times, all while
knowing he still had a long day ahead
of him.
“There are always elements we can’t
control; but how you handle them is what
determines how you finish a race.” And
Alwyn was determined to finish, even
if it wasn’t in the seven hours he was
aiming for.
“Ironman was more than just an event;
it was an emotional journey, finding
myself through the pain. I visited some
dark places during the race, digging deep,
and asking myself some uncomfortable
questions – like, ‘WHY am I even doing
this?!’ And in an Ironman, you get to know
yourself really well.”
After hours of powering through, and
overcoming every uphill battle only to see
a new challenge on the horizon, Alwyn Uys
glided onto the vivid pink Ironman carpet.
The arms that had steered him through
a 1.9km swim, 90.1km cycle and 21.1km run
rested in front of him, lifting only to wipe
away a tear.
He heard the crowd cheering, felt
their energy; and music, and the loudest
applause he’d ever heard washed over him
like the waves of the Durban sea he’d swum
in that morning.
But for the last few moments before
that finish, everything was silent.
Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of
people supporting him, and absorbed in
his own thoughts, he crossed the line.
All those years had come down to that
one sublime moment.
Alwyn’s time: 6:58.

Find out more about Alwyn Uys: alwynuys.com or on Instagram: @alwynuys

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 19

ADVICE MH
WOMEN

Boost
Your
Brand
BUILDING A PERSONAL BRAND
HAS NEVER BEEN MORE RELEVANT
THAN IT IS TODAY. SOCIAL MEDIA
PLAYS A HUGE ROLE IN GROWING
A BUSINESS, OPENING UP THE WORLD
OF MARKETING AND BRAND STRATEGY
TO ANYONE WITH AN INSTAGRAM,
FACEBOOK, TWITTER OR YOUTUBE
ACCOUNT. ENTREPRENEUR, TV HOST
AND MODEL AYANDA THABETHE
GIVES US THE LOW-DOWN ON HAVING
A SUCCESSFUL PERSONAL BRAND
ONLINE. / BY THAAQIB DANIELS

AYANDA THABETHE

THE SOCIAL
Instagram:
@ayandathabethe_
Twitter:
@ayandathabethe_

THE SKILL
Entrepreneur,
model & TV host

T H E P LU G
Find her on the cover
of the July issue
of Women’s Health

Styling: Karin Orzol

 Know Yourself
“I think building a personal brand starts with
identifying who you are as a person, and what
you want people to know about you,” says
Ayanda. “And once you identify your niche,
you can then build a more authentic audience
that relates to what you’re putting out there.”

It’s A Business
“I look at social media as a marketing tool. It’s
a platform for people to access info about
you and what you stand for. It’s then easier
for brands to know whether they identify
with you, as well as your audience.”

Trust Your Circle

“If I’m unsure about whether I should post
something or not, I ask people I trust for
advice. I’ll ask if it’s something that will be okay
in the long run, because once it’s online, it’s
there forever. I think when you’re posting on
social media, you need to be able to tell if it’s
something you’d be proud of having out there.”

Be Unapologetic
“I don’t always look for approval. I’m going to
do ‘me’ the best way I can. I think I’m always
comfortable with what I post because I’m
aware of my brand identity and what I wish to
achieve. The people who identify with me are
welcome to follow me, and the people who
don’t, they don’t have to follow me. I think
that’s the nice thing about having choice on
social media. If someone’s content doesn’t
interest you, you don’t have to follow them.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY SEAN LAURÉNZ

 BODY SCIENCE

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN

I Work Late?
PRESENTEEISM WILL ONLY DEMOTE
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND WEIGHT-
LOSS AMBITIONS – SO PUNCH THE
CLOCK ON ITS PITFALLS.

01. Chained 02. Food For Thought

To Your Desk Leave the office late, and
For many workers, it no dinner will be late too.
longer feels unusual to Mice studies suggest that
pack up at 8pm rather this can disrupt circadian
than 5pm – even though rhythms and lead to
that means toiling at the weight gain; but your
desk for up to 15 extra extra kilos are more likely
hours per week. This can to be the result of poor
affect your metabolism, food choices, caused
by increasing your insulin by convenience and
resistance. Those who hunger. You’ve already
sit for extended periods packed your lunch, so
have double the risk of make another portion for
developing diabetes. If dinner. Eating al-desko
you can’t get away, do meals in succession may
a lap of the office every be bleak, but it’ll help
30 minutes. you resist Uber Eats.

03. Rhythm Sticks 04. Antisocial

Allowing work to eat into Behaviour
your evening makes it When working late turns
harder to switch off at from a necessary evil into
bedtime. A recent study a habit, your social life
found that the circadian will suffer as you swap
irregularities triggered post-work events for
by four nights of reduced PowerPoint presentations.
sleep were significant Social isolation can lead
enough to cause spikes to depression. The cure
in your heart disease and lies in switching off your
stroke risks. Thankfully, laptop and tapping into
separate research found WhatsApp to arrange
GETTY/GALLO IMAGES

that an hour’s nap in a midweek drink with

front of the F1 on Sunday friends – it’s a scientifically
afternoon will offset the proven salve for your
harm. Lights out. mental health woes.

22 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

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 DRIVE

According to extensive similar way to mine – at thee b

research done by our US edition, the average
man will own six cars in his lifetime. Now,
that might seem like a high or a low number,
depending on your age, your petrol-head
status, and the cubic displacement of your
wallet; but it got me thinking: what number
was I on, and where did it all start? My cur-
rent running (or, in this case, driving) total:
five. I’m coveting my sixth, and it probably
won’t be my last. But no matter what your
driving digits are right now, your journey
in combustion engines probably started in a
bottom
of the fuel food chain.
In my case, it was a small, lightweight,
low-mileage demo Japanese hatchback
with go-faster stickers called a Tazz. What
it lacked in terms of pure horsepower,
head-turning looks, muscular naming
conventions and luxury features, it made
up for with its irrepressible, bomb-proof
character, value for money (and later,
resale value), and most importantly, the fact
that it could happily chug along on just the
thought of fuel. The Toyota Tazz was my first

The New
Ford Ranger
Raptor

TheCarsofYourLife WHAT YOU DRIVE IS A REFLECTION OF WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU’RE GOING.
THEY’RE MAN’S NEXT BEST FRIEND AND OUR FOUR-WHEEL TICKET TO FREEDOM. WITH THESE SIX CARS,
YOU’RE ALWAYS GOING SOMEWHERE EXCITING./ BY ARTHUR JONES AND ROSS McCAMMON
 our l f iend; and man, I loved it.
And I swear, in its ow wn little never-say-die way
– it loved me back. As a student, it was kind to
both my wallet and my le tel-like
ence, and it never gave
skills after I got my licen
me one mechanical isssue, which is brilliant
considering I would dn’t have been able to afford
to fix it. For me, it was everything I needed.
It could take mee – and an impressive number
of students, wh ho somehow fitted Lego-like in
the front and d rear seats – almost anywhere.
It offered an
a unadulterated, windows-down,
fresh-airr take on freedom (the air-con
wasn’tt terribly efficient); and best of all,
it was all mine. No sibling, parent, or
friend’s – this was my wingman, and it
offered some of the greatest adventures,
and an unforgettable soundtrack, to some
of the best years of my life.
Cars should reflect a little of who you are
and where you want to go. My car journey
since that first love hasn’t been a straight
line upwards – I’ve moved both up and
down the cost curve according to where I
was financially, and in what I wanted from
a car. I’ve changed brands, and tried all
the different categories of cars, too – from
sportscars (fast, not practical) to sedans
and SUVs (safe, practical), back down to
simple boy-racer hatchbacks (fun, not so
practical). For over 10 years at Men's Health
I’ve also been lucky enough to test-drive
different cars – which I didn’t own, and
plenty of which I couldn’t afford – but it
made me appreciate what cars are capable
of, their comparative value, and what your
hard-earned money can get you. I’ve learnt
lessons from the journey: huge horsepower
numbers and runway looks don’t necessarily
guarantee driving satisfaction; reliability
and safety are two vastly under-appreciated
qualities (and don’t have to equal boring);
station wagons can be brilliant cars; and
lastly, most fabric seats aren’t ideal for kid
vomit. Or mud. Or dog hair. Or post-workout
training-shirt sweat.
The good news: regardless of what stage
of your life you’re in, one of these six cars
(or one of the Reader Rides) will be the
right whip for you. These are, in our opin-
Photographs: Supplied
ion, the best cars for your Rands right now,
and will give you all you need in your petrol
and diesel wants. Best of all – they’ll all
take you somewhere exciting.
the best all-rounder hatchback for the
money; it’s the perfect first car, and the
THE FIRST most solid car choice for the undecided
– regardless of your age or what life stage
Volkswagen Golf GTi you’re at. If you absolutely can’t afford
it either new or old, then check out its
Before you whine about the cost, we cheaper sibling, the Polo; or outside of
know: it ain’t exactly a cheap entry-level VW, there’s the Suzuki Swift or Ford Fiesta
car. But if you can’t afford a new or demo – especially
model, there are second-hand options. the excellent SPECS
We also recommend getting the ‘older’ ST version, if R 5 6 5 8 0 0. V W.C O. Z A
current model before the new one lands you can find a
LOV E S: D O M I N AT I N G
– it’s almost certain that you’ll pay less second-hand
for it. The current version is still easily one. H AT E S: C O M P R O M I S E
THE FRIEND | Toyotta Fortuner
Granted, it’s not new, and it’s
not going to win any style
awards; but when it comes to
versatility and adventure potential
versus value, nothing touches
this rugged SUV. It does double
duty on both tar and trail, offers
plenty of space, has high levels
of safety and reliability; and most
importantly, like any good friend
it will go anywhere with you. If you
have the money (like, double),
the Land Rover Discovery is also
an excellent choice, and comes
with more gadgets, comfort, and
ability. But for pure bang-for-buck,
the Fortuner is in a league of its
own – hell, the entry-level model
is cheaper than a GTi. There are
plenty of
models and
options SPECS
to choose F R O M R 47 7 6 0 0.
from, but TOYOTA .C O. Z A
our pick is LOV E S: F R ES H A I R
the 2.4 GD-6 H AT E S: T R A F F I C
4x4 Auto.
MY RIDE The Grail: 1971 Ford Ranchero GT
“My vehicle of choice will always be a bakkie, but this is
my pick for a classic. This unique vehicle was the first of its
kind, being the first car manufactured with a truck bed. It’s
the iconic look, the minimalistic design, and the versatility
of being both muscle car and workhorse. In black, with
deep-dish alloy wheels and white lettering on the tyres?
It’s just plain badass.” – Peet Mocke, photographer
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 25
 DRIVE

THE OVERACHIEVER
Volvo XC60

Power and driving dynamics will

always have their place, but style
is an underrated commodity. Yes,
it’s a Volvo, and yes, of course it's
safe; but you’re missing the point.
This SUV is brilliant at everything
it does – so much so that it won
World Car of the Year in 2018. And
it looks like nothing else on the
road. It offers the same power
but better acceleration than its
bigger sibling, the XC90, but only
has five seats versus seven. In
our opinion, it looks better too.
It’s sophisticated, stylish, offers a
surprisingly high standard of tech
and luxury, and is relatively unique
on our roads. If you still want a
little more
performance
along with SPECS
your style STA RTS AT R 687 1 0 0.
quotient, VO LVO.C O. Z A
check out LOV E S: M A K I N G A N
the excellent ENTRANCE
Alfa Romeo H AT E S: G E R M A N
Stelvio. C O M PA R I S O N S

MY RIDE

The American Car:

Chevrolet 4100 LS
Automatic
“I always told myself,
if I was ever in a
position to buy a
4100 like my dad’s,
I would. And last
year, finally, I was.
When my dad
passed away in 1993
he had one just
like this – a straight
4.1-litre auto that I
THE BEAST | BMW M2 Competition reckon was always
ripe for the muscle
car treatment. That
Every man deserves a sports car at least once in his life. Anything this German company produces that carries was the car I learned
an uppercase M in the name is a good start. Yes, the M3 and M4 are fearsome; but this smaller, lighter, more agile to drive on – and I
M2 is my flat-out favourite. It's fast, but still slightly more forgiving on rookie drivers, reckon mine will be
thanks to massive braking power, a shorter wheelbase, and clever stability tech. SPECS the one I teach my
It offers the signature Beemer driver-first focus: a potent engine (302kW, 550Nm) kid to pedal with
R 9 59 0 0 0. B M W.C O. Z A too.” – Calvin Fisher,
offering rear-wheel-drive power; a taut, light chassis; and two turbos, both able to
kick-start tectonic plate shifting. Yes, it’s almost a million bucks – but in my opinion, LOV E S: G R E E N L I G H TS motoring journalist
it’s the biggest, best-driving beast for the money. H AT E S: H E S I TAT I O N

26 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019


We’ll be honest – this was a tough one. This
is hands-down the hardest-fought category
THE TRUCK in the line-up, and at the risk of a little fence-
Ford Ranger Raptor sitting, it does depend on what you want.
Power? The crazy VW Amarok V6. Reliability
and resale value? Toyota Hilux. Within the
blue oval family, there’s also the supremely
capable and recently improved Ranger
SPECS
F R O M R 78 9 0 0 0. FO R D.C O. Z A
LOV E S: G E T T I N G A I RT I M E
H AT E S: L E V E L TA R M AC
MY RIDE
THE REWARD
Audi RS4 Avant
er we said about station
Here’s a case in point. It’s not
a sports car, and it doesn’t have an
outrageous design – no stupid spoilers
or aviation-style wings here. It doesn’t
shout for attention, but there is a subtle
undercurrent of menace. It's capable
of astonishingly brutish behaviour. It’s
the motoring equivalent of US President
Theodore Roosevelt’s famous diplomacy
policy: speak softly, but carry a big
stick. And boy, does it have a fearsome
club: a 2.9 litre, twin-turbo V6 heart
that’s good for 334kW and a ridiculous
600Nm of torque. That propels this
big, heavy car to 100 in 4.1 seconds.
Combine that with the signature grippy
Quattro four-wheel drive, and you get a
super-practical station wagon with both
speed and swag. Transport your kid’s
whole mini rugby team one day, and
then drop the cocky hot hatch at the
robots the next. Immature? Maybe. But
immensely satisfying. If you really don’t
like station wagons – then our runner-up
is the Range Rover Sport: an SUV that
conquers all.
SPECS
R 1 2 1 1 5 0 0. AU D I .C O. Z A
LOV E S: S U R P R I S I N G S P O RTSCA R S
H AT E S: STAT I O N WAG O N ST E R EOT Y P E S
Wildtrak. But what swung us here was the
F factor – the spring-loaded fun this offers.
It's been crafted with trick rear coil-over
suspension, FOX shock absorbers, custom
tyres and heavy-duty brakes, and is most
comfortable when being heavy-handed on
the rough stuff. This is not a ‘normal’ Ranger –
it’s a completely different truck. It has its own
unique chassis, it stands taller and wider, and
it has higher ground clearance and wading
depth. Oh, yeah – it also looks much better.
So, do you want a high-performance off-
road machine that guarantees more fun
on the rough stuff? Sold.
The Mudder: 2006 Toyota Fortuner 4.0 V6
“My vehicle is a 2006 Toyota Fortuner 4.0 V6. We use
it all the time for our overland travel. Our next trip is in
June/July, to Botswana and Nambia for a month. One
of my favourite parts of the vehicle is the ease with
which I can upgrade and modify it to our travel needs.
That and reliability are why we chose Toyota.”
– Simon van der Merwe, overland travel blogger
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 27
 GEAR

THE BEST R TO HIT MH HQ THIS MONTH

STAFF
BEOPLAY H9 NOISE- CHOICE
CANCELLING HEADPHONES
(FROM BANG AND OLUFSEN) NOISE-CANCELLING
Struggling to hear your HEADPHONES
thoughts in a noisy office? Or
do you need to block out the
gym buzz so you can hear your
workout jams? These wireless
headphones from Bang &
Olufsen come with Advance
Active Noise Cancellation,
which allows a clear, rich and
powerful listening experience
without outside interference.
The over-ear cushions are
made using memory foam,
giving a snug fit. The device
has built-in touch controls on
the ear cups, so you can adjust
volume, play and pause, and
skip songs by simply swiping
or tapping on the right ear. The
H9 can also be accessed via the
BeoLab app.
R7 999, Incredible Connection

GARMIN INSTINCT
The adventure assistant on your wrist. The Garmin Instinct is a
rugged, durable GPS watch made to perform in even the toughest
environments. It's shock- and water-resistant (100 metres), and
has a built-in 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter. Keep
track of your stress levels and heart rate. You can also monitor
your training, and join the Garmin Connect online fitness
community. The battery will last up to 14 days in Smartwatch
mode. Overall, a must-have for your next outdoor trek.
R6 199, capeunionmart.co.za

ACT UA L S I Z E
CANON EOS RP
Mirrorless cameras are the new trend in the
world of photography, and Canon’s latest offering
is everything you could want in a camera. The DULUX COLOUR PLAY TESTER
IMAGES: JAMES GARAGHTY, SUPPLIED

Canon EOS RP is designed for the creative on Dulux’s new range of roller testers is
the move. The lightweight body has full-frame a commitment-phobe’s dream. One 30ml
capabilities despite its compact size. The new squeeze bottle covers a square metre with
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lenses perform superbly in low light, allowing get an accurate indication of what the paint
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stabilisation, and can be controlled remotely via testers in Dulux’s 24 most popular shades
the Canon Camera Connect app. at most hardware stores.
R18 795, ormsdirect.co.za R20, dulux.co.za

28 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

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 GEAR

Playing the
Advantage
THE NET GAINS OF INVESTING IN A BIG HITTER GO
BEYOND IMPROVING YOUR LONG GAME – IT’LL SERVE
UP A HOST OF LIFE-EXTENDING BENEFITS, TOO.

MH
It’s that time of
year again. Wimbledon is here –
and for a couple of weeks, we all WINNER
head to our local courts to join in
the sporting spirit. But turning
this annual affectation into a
regular hobby can also be a hit
for your health.
A University of Oxford study
found that playing tennis has a
greater life-extending effect than
taking part in any other sport. In
fact, its impact was nearly double
that of the second-healthiest,
swimming. But if Wimbledon
inspires you to do more than
just drink Pimm’s and pour
cream over fruit, you’ll need a kit BIG HITTER 95/100 FULL CONTROL 82/100
upgrade. That wooden number Babolat Pure Aero Prince TeXtreme Warrior 100
gathering dust in your garage may R3 499, sportsmanswarehouse.co.za R1 856, tennis-warehouse.com
look cool when paired with a retro
PERFORMANCE •••••••••• PERFORMANCE ••••••••••
headband, but it’ll be of little help DESIGN •••••••••• DESIGN ••••••••••
on the court.
We invited the experts at
EASE OF USE •••••••••• EASE OF USE ••••••••••
the British Tennis Coaches PURE CLASS This upgrade on the ROYAL ROAD This racquet’s
popular AeroPro aims to add more weight affords you the speed
Association into the MH Lab spin than ever to your strokes, while required to switch between
to test the pro-grade racquets the frame’s redesigned midsection bludgeoning baseline forehands
that can serve you an immediate reduces drag and ups ball speed, and reaction volleys. For beginners
providing even more firepower. with big aspirations.
performance boost. Each was put
through its paces across different EXPERT VERDICT Rafael Nadal’s EXPERT VERDICT This lightweight
surfaces in order to reveal which choice has a nice, dampened feel racquet has a firm feel, and offers
on impact, and good feedback. The impressive manoeuvrability and
ones really make the difference. excellent power, spin and decent control. A solid all-rounder that
Think of it as racquet science. accuracy allow you to swing with excels on the serve, providing
confidence. It’s truly user-friendly. plenty of head speed and topspin.

30 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 MAJOR
PLAYERS
The experts at the
BTCA used the
following criteria
to reveal the
racquets worth
your investment.

HEAVY-HITTING
For
thumping
baseline rallies, you
require a racquet
with enough speed
and power to put
your opponent on
the back foot.

RIGOROUS
CONTROL
If you’re
keen to emulate Tim
Henman’s “Tiger”
serve-and-volley
tactic, a deft touch is
crucial and allows for
pinpoint placement.

ROOM TO
IMPROVE
OK, you’re
not challenging for
a Grand Slam just
yet, so your racquet
needs a little leniency
when it comes to
clunky swings.

IN THE ZONE 79/100 NEW CLASSIC 91/100 HEAD START 88/100

Yonex Ezone 98 Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph Head Graphene Touch Radical MP
R2 700, racketlon.co.za R3 399, tennis24seven.co.za R3 833, tennis24seven.co.za
PERFORMANCE •••••••••• PERFORMANCE •••••••••• PERFORMANCE ••••••••••
DESIGN •••••••••• DESIGN •••••••••• DESIGN ••••••••••
EASE OF USE •••••••••• EASE OF USE •••••••••• EASE OF USE ••••••••••
HIT THE SWEET SPOT The latest SEAL OF APPROVAL Co-designed CLOSE CONTROL Though not as
Ezone has a sweet spot that extends by Roger Federer, this 340g frame heavy as Andy Murray’s XT mod-
high into the racquet’s upper section, offers plenty of heft, allowing you el, what the MP loses in power, it
Words: TED LANE, Photography: ROWAN FEE

while the new “Quake Shut Gel Air” to push your opponent back as you makes up for in control. Harness
technology minimises vibrations for attack. Its stability enables precise the added motility and make your
extra comfort. It sounds cool, too. serves and rock-solid volleys. rival run with pinpoint volleys.
*Price excludes shipping

EXPERT VERDICT This racquet’s
stiff feel isn’t for everyone. It gave
plenty of speed and spin from the
baseline and was pleasant to serve
with, but is not easy to control. Best
suited to power players.
EXPERT VERDICT Federer put his
name to it for good reason. It’s a
nicely balanced racquet, ideal for
attacking. If you can handle the
weight, you’ll be rewarded with
superb stability, power and control.
EXPERT VERDICT The new string
pattern and solid feel provide the
ball speed to hit regular winners,
while also forgiving the odd mis-hit.
It’s ideal for regular players scaling
their club rankings.

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 31

 GUY DRINKS

Red Alert
THE TEMPERATURE’S DROPPED, OUR MEALS
ARE HEARTIER, AND WE FIND OURSELVES
REACHING FOR RED WINE. BUT WHAT
TO CHOOSE, WITH SO MANY FLAVOURS
AND STYLES FOR DIFFERENT PALATES?
AMY HOPKINS STOMPS OUT THE BS TO
BRING YOU SOME WELL-AGED ADVICE.
V I L L I E R A M E R LOT
2 0 1 6, R 9 5

This soft, fruity red

Ready to get stuck into your wine is an easy
crowd-pleaser and
favourite bottle? Here are has delicious dark
some tips for enjoying it even berries, vanilla and
more than you already do: cedar wood on the
palate. It’s the kind
1. Keep Your Cool of wine you break
open around the
Red wine should be served braai, or when
no warmer than 18˚C. As you’re piling up
temperatures can reach double your plate with a
that in SA – and not everyone mountain of pasta
is lucky enough to have a wine after training legs.
fridge – feel free to stick your
wine in the fridge for about 20
minutes before serving, or chill
it briefly in an ice bucket.

2. Have A Sniff Around

How do you know if a wine is off?
Do the sniff test. If you smell any
of these aromas when you open
a bottle – sherry, sulphur, or a musty
smell – it’s a no-go. Remember that
it’s important to store your wines in
the coolest part of your house, with
no direct sunlight and lying down,
e.g. in a dark cupboard.

3. Pair Up
Up for some wine pairing? There
are three styles that you can
play with to find the right wine.
Horizontal Pairing is a fairly
common style, and builds layers
of intensity by pairing food with
wines that are similar in taste,
texture, colour and aroma. Vertical
Pairing is more radical, and uses
contrast to highlight flavours,
textures, and the way the wine
interacts with your food. And
the third one? Combine Vertical
and Horizontal Pairing.
4. Eat Your Heart Out
So you’ve got the wine pairing
down, then; but did you know that
what you’ve eaten during the day
can affect how your wine tastes in
the evening? Things that can affect
your taste buds include smoking,
toothpaste and spicy food. Even
your fragrance can affect your
perception of wine. Eat a dry, salty
cracker to cleanse your palate.
K W V T H E M E N TO R S P E T I T
V E R D OT 2 0 1 6, R 2 2 0
A rich, wooded wine,
and heavier than your
average red (thanks to
the 18 months on French
oak – 70% new), this
intense ruby wine smells
like dark cherries and
olives and tastes of rich
juicy fruit. Think long-
lasting flavour to serve
with hearty meats (lamb
shanks, venison) and
aged cheeses.
WA RW I C K T H E F I R ST L A DY
C A B E R N E T S AU V I G N O N 2 0 1 6, R 9 5
In my house, at any time, you’ll
be sure to find a bottle of
Warwick First Lady – or as I call it,
“The blue label”. It’s a delicious,
super-versatile, everyday wine
that’s good to drink on its own
(not too heavy) or with dinner.
It’s a winner with grilled chicken,
rosemary lamb or some braaied
brisket with garlicky green
beans. Expect dark cherries and
chocolate with a touch of cigar.

32 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 “In a town like
AROMA CHEAT SHEET Stellenbosch, Shiraz can
Some general notes for classic wine styles – good
to know if you’re doing a blind tasting! sometimes be seen as
S H I R A Z : S M O K Y, S P I CY, P E P P E RY, P LU M S, L E AT H E R
Cabernet Sauvignon’s ugly
M E R LOT: C O F F E E , R E D F R U I T, C H O C O L AT E , M E AT Y N OT E S step-sister. We take pride
P I N OTAG E : TO F F E E , R A S P B E R RY JA M , B L AC K B E R R I E S, BA N A N A
in elevating this cultivar,
P I N OT N O I R : ST R AW B E R R I ES, V EG E TAT I O N , C O M P O ST, P E R F U M E
CA B E R N E T SAU V I G N O N : B L AC K B E R R I ES, M I N T, VA N I L L A , C I GA R B OX , DA M P E A RT H and showcasing what epic
Shiraz wines our ‘cab
terroir’ can produce.”
– Winemaker Hanri Ferreira,
Kleine Zalze

KLEINE ZALZE
V I N E YA R D S E L EC T I O N
S H I R A Z 2 0 1 6, R 1 3 0 ST E E N B E R G N E B B I O LO
2 0 1 5, R 27 0
You know how we
define ourselves Imagine arriving at
as “runners” or a dinner party with
“CrossFitters”? Well, your partner and saying
I’m a “Shiraz fan”. “who wants some
I discovered this on Nebbiolo?”. This unusual
my many wine-tasting varietal is already a great
adventures – I always conversation starter. It
tended towards the smells like leather, fynbos,
Syrah. Which, by rose petals, and dried
the way, is the same apricots, but tastes like
thing as a Shiraz (the wild strawberries. This year
difference just refers it received the recognition
to style). Kleine Zalze of a Platter’s Wine Guide
consistently produces 4.5 out of 5 award. Serve
great Shiraz (and at your next Sunday roast.
Chenin Blanc). You’ll
taste dark, wild fruit
and spices.

Always serve
Pinot Noir more
chilled than your
other red wines.
This Haute Cab is
best served at
16˚C.
Photograph: JAMES GARAGHTY, Additional Words: MEGAN FLEMMIT

A L L É E B L E U E P I N OTAG E 2 0 1 5, R 2 17

Our proudly South African

varietal, Pinotage, can vary so
much in flavour from one winery
H AU T E C A B R I È R E P I N OT N O I R R É S E RV E 2 0 1 5, R 2 1 5 to another that I have often found
it difficult to find one I really like.
Pinot Noir (one of the parent grapes of Pinotage) Enter Franschhoek winery Allée
is typically lighter and fruitier than other red wines, Bleue and its widely recognised
and it’s one of the reds you can get away with and accoladed Pinotage. This
serving with fish (such as salmon). If the smell of is a wooded, dry red wine in the
red berries with earthy forest and a hint of spice classic sense, with characteristics
and tobacco sounds good, you’ve found your such as ripe cherries, wood
winning wine. Plus, it goes perfectly with venison and vanilla. It’s rich and elegant,
and steak tartare. Or, you know, just on its own. without overpowering tannins.

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 33

 LIFE
How Gross
Are You?
EVERY NOW AND THEN, FOOD
SITS ON THE COUNTER ALL
NIGHT AND SHEETS DON’T GET
CHANGED. BUT HOW GERMY
DOES THAT MAKE YOUR LIFE,
REALLY? JESSICA MIGALA
GETS THE FACTS ON HOW
RISKY YOUR HABITS ARE
TO YOUR HEALTH.
YOU EAT PIZZA THAT SAT
OUT ALL NIGHT.
HOW GROSS IS IT? Pizza
crust is dry, the sauce is acidic,
and pepperoni and sausage are
preservative-laden – all things
that don’t support bacteria
survival, says Fraser. Different
story if you had spinach
and tomatoes: moisture-
rich toppings tend to breed
microbes that can gang up and
fell you (diarrhoea, vomiting).
Best to refrigerate pizza within
four hours, before bacteria have
the chance to really go wild.
34 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
YOU WASH YOUR C
CUP ONCE A WEEK.
HOW GROSS IS IT? If you
take your java black, you’re in
luck: “Coffee has antimicrobial
properties, and it doesn’t contain
the nutrients bacteria need to
multiply,” says Dr. Angela Fraser,
a food-safety professor at Clemson
University. Those nutrients?
Protein and sugar – which means
milk and sugar. If your lips deposit
bacteria that combine with milk
residue, you could give birth
to millions of germs. Limit the
chance: wash the mug every time.
YOU USE THE SAME DISH-
CLOTH UNTIL IT STINKS.
HOW GROSS IS IT? That
odour is a telltale sign of a bona
fide science experiment. By the
time something smells, “it has
millions of organisms growing
inside,” says Reynolds. (You
need only hundreds to cause
illness.) That can include E. coli
and salmonella. Ideal: throw it
in the washing machine after
every use. Since pretty much no
one does that, at least spread
the rag out to dry – that’ll kill
90% of bacteria, she says.

YOU WEAR OLD GYM KIT.
HOW GROSS IS IT? “Most
men have probably reworn sweat-
stained shirts without a problem,”
says Dr. Jason Miller of Schweiger
Dermatology Group in the US.
You might get minor acne on your
chest or arms; worst case, a staph
r f ngal infection, or folliculitis. If
wear yesterday’s clothes,
ne-causing bacteria by
g up after your session
wash that contains salicylic
acid, like Dermalogica Clear Start
Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash.
Lather gently and moisturise often!
YOU SKIP WASHING YOUR
HANDS AFTER PEEING.
HOW GROSS IS IT? None of
our experts specifically said it’s
okay, but it’s not the biggest
offence. “It’s unlikely that you’ll
pick up a germ while urinating
that’s hazardous in the way it can
be if you pick up a microscopic
particle of stool on your hand
when using the toilet,” says Dr.
William Schaffner, an infectious-
disease expert at Vanderbilt
University. Washing (with soap)
after sitting, of course, is non-
negotiable.
ILLUSTRATION BY RODRIGO DAMATI
YOU SLEEP ON DIRTY SHEETS.
HOW GROSS IS IT? Many
people carry staph bacteria
on their skin without it causing
trouble. But it could, if the germs
you shed naturally while you
sleep multiply enough, says Dr
Kelly Reynolds, director of the
Environment, Exposure Science
and Risk Assessment Centre at
the University of Arizona. Aim
to launder sheets weekly – or at
least wash your pillowcase, since
it’s next to germ entry points
(mouth, nose, and eyes).
YOU TEXT ON THE TOILET.
HOW GROSS IS IT? Is this
at your home, and do you
live alone? If so, fine to keep
the conversation going. Not
so in a public restroom, says
microbiologist Dr Philip Tierno,
of the NYU School of Medicine.
Think about it: you touch the
door and locks, pick up a virus,
then deposit it on your phone
while texting. Later, your phone
goes up to your mouth, and the
virus goes in. You need only one
measly cell of norovirus to chain
you to the toilet (without texting)
for up to three days. Keep it in
your pocket.
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 35
 GUY WISDOM

TASTING NOTES

Ask The Sommelier

STRAIGHT-UP ADVICE FROM A STAND-UP GUY, EVERY MONTH. / BY KIERAN LEGG
FROM OTHER
REGIONS
Take your palate on
a trip – sip on these
at Tinashe’s top
wine destinations:

have represented Zimbabwe on

the world stage twice. Being an
ambassador for my brand, and
being in the spotlight, has helped
me overcome many hurdles.

People keep telling me

networking is important. THE MOSEL
But what’s the secret behind VALLEY, GERMANY
mingling and making long- “I love Riesling, and
lasting connections? there’s no better
Let’s keep this simple: you have
bottle (or better place
to keep it real. Don’t walk around
to taste it) than on the
trying to court people in an effort
slopes of the Mosel.”
to make it big. As someone who
started from the bottom and still
wants to learn, I never hide my
vulnerable side or weaknesses.
I find people are compassionate,
and they’re more than willing to
help or get involved.

MEET TINASHE NYAMUDOKA I want to impress my date

at the dinner table. How can
His rise to success has included stints working at I order wine and make it look
like I know what I’m talking CHAMPAGNE,
some of South Africa’s top restaurants, from the about? FRANCE
Oyster Box Hotel to Maze by Gordon Ramsey. Stop messing around – just ask “I’m a big fan of this
Now he’s the in-house sommelier at Cape Town’s for the sommelier. They will help bubbly beverage
you find a wine that works with (and who isn’t?), but
coveted Test Kitchen, where he runs and your meal and palate. You want I’m also fascinated
populates the ever-changing wine menu. In his a good glass of wine, right? by the history and
spare time, he judges wine competitions, That’ll impress her more than you culture behind it.
mispronouncing wine terms. This spot holds a lot
competes in blind tastings, and works on growing of treasure on
his own wine label: Kumusha Wines. Use his How did you work towards both counts.”
advice to pop the cork on your inhibitions, and being able to taste the tiniest
differences between wines?
take a sip from the stemmed glass of success. How can us guys do the same?
You’ve got to learn how to taste
I’m stuck in an entry-level especially when dealing with the what’s in the glass, without being
position and can’t figure out older, more seasoned staff. While swayed by labels or price tags.
how to work my way up. I left that restaurant after a year Taste what you can (as often as
How did you engineer and a half – not the smartest you can), and keep a notebook
your success? financial decision, at the time – in of your own wine-tasting notes,
I was inspired by the seasoned hindsight, with the success I’ve based on your experiences.
sommeliers before me. I learnt had, I’ve learnt that sometimes
what they did well, and perfected you just have to follow your heart. You’ve found a great deal SLANGHOEK
what were their shortcomings to of success launching your VALLEY,
mould myself into what I am today. You’ve launched your own own brand, running the wine SOUTH AFRICA
And while I was working, I made brand, with international menu at one of the country’s “I find myself going
sure I was getting my formal wine ambitions. What challenges top restaurants, and scooping there often to taste
education too. did you face, and how did up awards left, right and my line of Kumusha
you overcome them? centre. How do you stay wines in the barrel.
You’ve worked at some of It was a struggle to authenticate driven these days? The mountainside is
the country’s top restaurants. the brand to the point that it was I want to make a real, positive a warm, comfortable
What lessons have you picked appreciated by my peers in the difference in the wine industry by spot to enjoy
up there that us guys can put industry. Fortunately for me, I now helping young wine professionals delicious but
into action today? judge top wine competitions (both gain access to more lucrative underrated wines.”
At The One and Only I learnt local and international), which has opportunities. I look at it like this:
to be resilient and patient. The given me the credibility I need my drive is beyond the restaurant
Images supplied

Follow @tinashe_
Oyster Box taught me that to push my brand further. I also floor or wine brand; it’s about nyamudoka for more
communication skills are essential, compete in blind tastings, and shooting for larger overall goals. advice from the vine.

36 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 GAME PLAN
JULY

You have 150

hours of free
time this month.
Here’s what’s
happening, and
why it matters.
BY KIERAN LEGG

THE SHOW THE RACE THE SHOWDOWN

1 – 28 JULY
JIVE CAPE TOWN
FUNNY FESTIVAL
Recent studies have shown that
laughter is a quick way to reduce
stress, boost happiness, and form
stronger social bonds. Featuring
some of the country’s best
stand-up comedians and acts from
around the world, the Jive Cape
Town Funny Festival is the perfect
antidote after a week spent stuck
in a cubicle. This year’s bill
includes local talents Sifiso Nene,
Emo Adams, Carvin H Goldstone,
The Big Boys, and Lindy Johnson,
alongside London pianist Kev
Orkian and Australian mentalist
and magician Matt Tarrant. Visit
webtickets.co.za for more info on
the month-long festival.
THE MOVIE
2 JULY
SPIDER-MAN
FAR FROM HOME
Our favourite web-slinger is back,
and faces his toughest challenge
yet: an all-expenses-paid school
trip to Europe. But hopes of
kicking back at cafés are dashed
when he’s recruited by always-
angry Nick Fury to do battle with
the Elementals, a group of
extradimensional humanoids
intent on destroying the fabric of
20 JULY
SOUTH AFRICA
vs. AUSTRALIA
Want a preview of the World Cup
later this year? Head to Emirates
Airline Park (formerly Ellis Park),
where the Springboks and
Wallabies will slug it out as part
of an abridged rugby champion-
ship. In last year’s tournament,
we finished second behind the
dominant New Zealand team
after securing a couple of
convincing wins against the
Australians. This year, fans will
be hoping the Boks one-up their
performance and take the lead
going into the World Cup in
6 JULY
September. Catch the game by
WITKLIP MTB WINTER CHALLENGE tuning into Supersport on DStv,
While winter’s frigid climes tend to put a dampener on most outdoor or snag tickets to the game itself
activities, the coldest season is one of the best times of the year for by visiting ticketpros.co.za.
mountain bikers looking for new, challenging races. The Witklip MTB
Winter Challenge in Gauteng is a 55km race that will take you through
Bronkhorstspruit’s unique countryside, pitting you against devilish
THE GAME
climbs as you hurtle along farm roads, cattle track, and trails. If you’re
26 JULY
not yet ready to take on this gargantuan route, organisers also offer
10km and 27km alternatives, for riders still finding their feet. Visit
wildtrail.co.za for more info.
WOLFENSTEIN
YOUNGBLOOD
Set in an alternate history in
which Nazi Germany won the
Second World War, Youngblood
is a cooperative shoot ‘em up
that sees you and a mate work
together to overcome impossible
odds as you go toe to toe with
occupying forces in France. As
you progress, you'll gain access
to new guns, gear, and abilities,
19 JULY 26 JULY expanding your arsenal and
THE OTHER MOVIE: THE OTHER OTHER options when it comes to
dispatching an ever-growing
THE LION KING MOVIE: horde of foot soldiers, rocket-
Saddled with the kids, and not
ready to shell out for Spidey
ONCE UPON A TIME IN powered infantry, and robot
dogs. The best part: instead of
suits once the little tykes have HOLLYWOOD going mission by mission, you
got their superhero movie fix? A television actor and his stunt (and your mate) can choose
Take a detour to Pride Rock. This double embark on one last which levels to tackle and which
remake of the 1994 animated journey to make a name for rewards to pursue. On PC,
classic leverages CGI to themselves in the film industry. Nintendo Switch, PS4, and
breathtaking effect, with the This latest movie by legendary XBOX ONE.
film’s iconic characters animat- director Quentin Tarantino is a
ed down to the tiniest tufts of tribute to the final hours of
Getty/Gallo images; Image supplied

reality. And a few local landmarks.
Spidey teams up with Mysterio
(Jake Gyllenhaal), a master of
illusion wearing a fishbowl as
a hat. What to expect: an
entertaining, adrenaline-
filled spectacle.
fur. Add in a star-studded cast
including the likes of Donald
Glover, Beyonce, James Earl
Jones, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Seth
Rogen, and you have a remake
that truly does justice to the
original.
Hollywood’s golden age,
bringing together a massive
ensemble cast and weaving
together multiple storylines to
pay tribute to this bygone era.
Starring Brad Pitt, Leonardo Di
Caprio, and Margot Robbie.

38 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 PROMOTION

HARNESS THE
POWER TO DO MORE
How Samsung has integrated its devices to help
you take full control of your fitness and life.

Finding balance in a world that demands your time and energy

day in, day out can be tough. This is where technology can do
what it’s always promised – the ability to give you more ways to
do the things you want, effortlessly. Samsung delivers exactly
this through the recent launch of its ground-breaking and
instantly-popular Galaxy S10, which includes the Galaxy S10+,
S10 and S10e. Each device is packed with powerful features
including a screen made for cinema, ultrasonic fingerprint Galaxy Watch Active Galaxy Fit
security, a long lasting battery and ground-breaking camera
features, including an ultra-wide lens. It can take on both your The innovative, stylish and sporty Should you want a durable, yet
Galaxy Watch Active gives you lightweight fitness tracker that’s
home, social and work life with ease. advice, so you can stay ahead of also affordable, the Galaxy Fit
Where it excels it terms of your fitness is how it integrates your fitness game. It also displays and the Galaxy Fit E is the way to
notifications and sends and receives go. They’re designed to
seamlessly with both the impressive Galaxy Watch Active and messages. Essentially, its exercise, automatically track select
Galaxy Fit. With its new Wireless PowerShare feature, your sleep, stress and health tracking activities, such as walking,
Galaxy S10 can share its power to help charge another phone, features make it a personal lifestyle running, rowing, biking and
coach for those seeking a healthier elliptical exercises. You can also
the Galaxy Watch Active and the Galaxy Fit. All you need to do body and mind, by combining track up to 90 additional types of
is place the devices together. Why this matters is that you now improved fitness and wellbeing activities when you connect it to
have a dream team of technological marvels powered up and features. The Galaxy Watch Active the Samsung Health app. The
comes with a sporty new design Galaxy Fit tracks your heart rate
ready to take on your biggest goals. that is thin, light and versatile that 24/7 through your most stressful
makes it easier to maintain a days as a reminder to take it easy.
balanced lifestyle. Additionally, the Both have stress and sleep
From your device to your wearable the power to do more is attractive, minimalist design is tracking to ensure your well-
truly yours. And if you look good doing it, more power to you. effortless to navigate. being day and night.
 Becoming a DAD?
MAKE IT

GET IT FOR

“Finally! It’s about time that us dads get a guide just for us.”
“Read this and be better prepared for what’s coming.”
“Don’t be the guy who shows up to fatherhood clueless. There’s no excuse.”
 STRENGTH
Total-Body Dumbbell Blast
The American Kettleswing
Yoga vs Meditation

THE BIG WORKOUT

Quick-Fire
Fat Loss
is Within
Your
Grasp
TWO DUMBBELLS ARE ALL YOU
NEED. OUR TARGETED WORKOUTS
– DESIGNED TO FIRE UP EVERY
MAJOR MUSCLE GROUP – WILL
TURBOCHARGE YOUR METABOLISM
WHEREVER YOU FIND YOURSELF.
BYRON KEULEMANS
 STRENGTH

01A

02B

02A
A
01B

LEAN IN 18 MINUTES 01
TALL KNEELING HAMMER
02
FLAT-BENCH CHEST
CURL TO FRONT RAISE FLY TO PULLOVER
Words: Michael Jennings | Photography: Philip Haynes

To help you land the most potent attack on your body’s

fat stores while armed with only a pair of dumbbells,
we’ve made all of the moves in this workout a
combination of two exercises. You’ll perform
each super-move pairing for 60 seconds, taking a
30-second break in between. Complete three rounds
in total, for 18 minutes of kilojoule-torching intensity
that leaves no muscle unworked in your quest for a
leaner physique. In the first two weeks of your plan,
perform this workout on Mondays and Fridays; in
your second two weeks, on Wednesdays.
3 ROUNDS OF 60 SEC
Kneel down holding two
dumbbells at your sides. Curl
both up (A), squeezing your
biceps, before lowering them
back down to your hips. Without
letting go, bring both arms up in
front of you (B), before lowering
again to work your abs, biceps
and shoulders hard.
3 ROUNDS OF 60 SEC
The perfect pairing to sculpt your chest
and back. Lie on a bench with your arms
fully extended above your chest, hold-
ing the dumbbells. Keep your arms as
straight as possible as you lower the
weights down wide to stretch your chest
(A). Pull them back to the start position.
With a slight bend in your elbows, lower
both arms behind your head (B), then
bring them back over your chest.

42 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 THE SPEC
MUSCLES
TARGETED

WORKOUT
18 MIN

RESULTS IN
4 WEEKS

LEVE
LEVEL
HARD
D

03A 04B

03B

0 A
04

03
RENEGADE ROW
TO BEAR CRAWL
3 ROUNDS OF 60 SEC
At the top of a push-up, while holding
a dumbbell in each hand, set your
feet wide and keep your core tight
as you row one dumbbell up to your
chest (A). Lower, then repeat on the
other arm. Now “walk” both hands
forward (B) and bring each foot to
the push-up position. Don’t stop
for 60 seconds of love-handle-
shifting effort.
04
GOOD MORNING TO
BENT-OVER ROW
3 ROUNDS OF 60 SEC
Finish the round with a kilojoule-torching
legs move. Hold the weights in the top
of a hammer curl, as if there were a band
around your hips pulling them back.
Let your hips hinge to 90 degrees (A),
keeping your chest up and back flat.
Extend both arms below you (B), before
pulling them in to your sides. Drive your
hips forward to standing. Now, another
two rounds await.

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 43

3
 STRENGTH

EXPERT Mark Ross

EXPERIENCE Ross balances
being a Barry’s Bootcamp trainer,
semi-pro footballer and PT, so he
knows how to score weight-loss
results against the clock.
CONTACT @markross_fitness

01A
02A
01B

02B

NON-STOP INTENSI
INTENSITY
With its one-minute intervals and use of lighter
weights, this workout keeps the intensity high to
help you expend extra kilojoules. “When you push
past the 30-second mark, lactic acid builds up. It’s
at this point that you’ll create the most metabolic
stress to drive weight loss,” explains trainer Mark
Ross. So, think of this workout as cardio and
weights rolled into one – the most time-efficient
way to carve out a defined body. Commit to this
workout on Wednesdays in weeks one and two, and
on Mondays and Fridays in weeks three and four.
01
SIDE BEND TO
LATERAL LUNGE
3 ROUNDS OF 60 SEC
For the first combo, hold a
dumbbell in your right hand.
Flex your torso sideways
to lower it to your knee (A).
Extend back up. Perform a
lateral lunge with your left
leg, lowering the dumbbell
to your foot (B), then rise to
standing. Switch sides after
30 seconds.
02
BULGARIAN HIP HINGE
TO REVERSE FLY
3 ROUNDS OF 60 SEC
With one foot on top of the bench and
dumbbells by your sides, take a step
away with your other leg. Imagine your
hips are being pulled back, so your chest
lowers down towards the floor, keeping
your arms fully extended (A). From here,
lift the dumbbells out to your sides in line
with your back (B). Lower the weights,
then raise your upper body back to the
start. After 30 seconds, switch legs.

44 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 THE SPEC
MUSCLES
TARGETED

04B
WORKOUT
03A 18 MIN

RESULTS IN
4 WEEKS

LEVEL
MED

04A

03B

03
BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT
TO LATERAL RAISE
3 ROUNDS OF 60SEC
Now, switch to your quads. Start in
the finish position of the last move to
perform a one-legged squat, dropping
your opposite knee to the floor (A).
Before you come back up to the starting
position, lift both dumbbells out to your
sides (B), squeezing your shoulders at
the top. Control the weights back down,
then press back up through your heel.
After 30 seconds, switch legs.
FRONT SQUAT TO
ARNOLD PRESS
3 ROUNDS OF 60 SEC
Standing with the dumbbells in front
of your shoulders, palms towards you,
drop into a squat (A). Return to standing,
press the dumbbells above, twisting
your elbows out (B). Lower the weights,
reversing the move so your palms return
to face your shoulders. After a minute,
rest for 30 seconds. You’ve got two
more rounds to create the biggest
burn possible.

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 45

 FINISHER

BOOST THE BURN

Give Fat
Loss a Big
Leg-up
PAIRING HEFTY LOWER-BODY MOVES
AT THE END OF YOUR WORKOUT IS
TOUGH. BUT THE METABOLIC SHOCK
MEANS YOU’LL BE TORCHING
KILOJOULES LONG AFTER THE LAST
REP. IT’S WORTH THE BURN.

THE FORMAT:
Follow a ladder
structure, going from
10 reps per move in
01
SQUAT FOR
your first round to one STARTERS
rep per move in your As your body’s biggest
last. So, start with 10 muscle group, your legs
reps of barbell front can fire up the afterburn.
squats, then perform Load the bar with 75% of
10 Romanian deadlifts. your body weight, held
In your next round, across your shoulders,
perform nine reps of hands under the bar, so THE
each, then work your your elbows are in front. TASKMASTER
way down the ladder. Drop into a squat. Keeping Name:
Rest as little as possible your elbows high, drive up- Andrew Tracey
between rounds. wards. After 10 reps, move Trainer tip:
on to deadlifts. “I’ve put squats
and deadlifts
together, as
they allow you
to go heavier
than isolation
exercises. This
is what will get
your metabolism
soaring.”
@theandrew.
tracey

02
RISE FROM
03
MAKE IT, DON’T
THE DEADLIFT BREAK IT
photographs: PHILIP HAYNES; Words: MICHAEL JENNINGS

Now you’ll switch your Performing more than 100

focus to your hamstrings.
Grip the bar just wider than
your shoulders, and raise
it to hip height with arms
straight throughout. With
your knees slightly bent
and your back straight,
lower the bar until you
feel a stretch in your
hamstrings. Reverse the
move until the bar is back
at your hips. Brace yourself:
your nine squats await.
reps may seem daunting,
but if you pick the right
weight, the descending
rep structure and the
push/pull pairing will allow
you to keep going without
the need for significant
breaks. Grit your teeth. The
more exhausted you are,
the greater the impact on
your metabolism for the
rest of the day. Suck it up,
and hang on to that bar.

46 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 FORM
MASTERCLASS
Go
Above
and
Beyond
In the
Gym
ELEVATE YOUR FAT-BURNING
TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH THE
AMERICAN KETTLEBELL SWING,
A CONDITIONING UPGRADE
THAT WILL SEND YOUR EXCESS
BAGGAGE PACKING IN ONE SWIFT,
METABOLISM-SURGING MOVEMENT
BRING YOUR
FAT TO THE BOIL
The kettlebell swing may look
simple, but you can fall into the
trap of squatting, instead of
generating the power by
thrusting your hips. First,
practise the movement; then
strengthen the muscles you’ll
call on, and you’ll capitalise
on the kilojoule-burning
benefits of the real thing.
EXPERT Tom Bliss
KNOWLEDGE PT Bliss is
strict on lifting technique.
He’ll take you from
apprentice to athlete level
in four steps.
CONTACT @tomblissfit
48 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
A
B B
01
BARBELL GLUTE BRIDGE
2 SETS OF 10 REPS
Build a stronger set of glutes to
power the upward swing. Position
your upper back on a bench with a
barbell resting on your hips and your
knees bent, with the soles of your
feet pressed into the floor (A). Under
control, drive your hips upwards,
squeezing your glutes at the top
when they’re parallel with the floor
(B). Lower back down.
A A
B B
03
KETTLEBELL Z PRESS
2 SETS OF 10 REPS
Now enhance your overhead strength
and build the stability you need to
control the weight above you. Sit in
an upright position with your legs
outstretched, with a pair of kettlebells
on your shoulders in the front rack
position (A). Press them overhead
together (B). Once your elbows are
locked out, return the kettlebells to your
shoulders.
A
02
SUPERMAN BACK EXTENSION
2 SETS OF 15 REPS
By strengthening your back, you’ll be
able to maintain proper form, even
when fatigue starts to set in. Lie chest
down on the floor with your legs and
arms outstretched (A). Initiate the
movement by squeezing your lower
back and glutes, and simultaneously
raising your arms and legs off the floor
(B). Hold for a couple of seconds, then
return to the start.
04
RUSSIAN KETTLEBELL SWING
Photographs: Philip Haynes; Words: Michael Jennings
2 SETS OF 12 REPS`
Practise the Russian swing before
going overhead with the American
version. This will help you hone the
movement pattern you’ll need later.
Holding the kettlebell between
your legs, initiate the movement by
swinging the weight back (A), before
driving your hips forward to lift the
kettlebell to shoulder height (B). Let
the momentum bring you back.

WE HAVE
LIFT-OFF
With new strength secured,
follow the form guide below and
grip the kettlebell handle with
confidence. You’re now ready to
tackle all the reps of our
workout without pausing, for
maximum kilojoule-burning
effect. Take a swing.
PHASE 1
HINGE, DON’T SQUAT
Hold the top of the
kettlebell with both hands
between your knees. Swing
back to start the movement
by hingeing from your hips.
With a slight bend in your
knees, drive your hips
back, as if opening
a door with your
glutes. Keep your
chest above the
kettlebell and your
back flat.
STRENGTH
PHASE 2
IT’S ALL IN THE HIPS
To bring the weight
forward, you need to
drive the movement
from your hips, not your
arms. So, thrust your
hips forward just as you
did in the glute bridge,
keeping your back
straight and squeezing
your glutes as the
kettlebell passes through
your legs and up to
shoulder height.
PHASE 3
OVER AND OUT
This is where the US
version differs from
the Russian swing.
Finish by continuing
the movement
overhead, until the
bottom of the weight
is facing upwards.
Breathe, then
control it back down
between your knees
to go straight into
your next rep. Find
a smooth rhythm,
and you’ll fly through
your set.
THE WORKOUT
2 0 A M E R I CA N
K B SW I N G S
1 0 BU R P E ES OV E R
KETTLEBELL
5 RO U N DS AS FAST
AS P O S S I B L E
POST YOUR SCORE AND
TAG US @MENSHEALTHZA
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 49
 vs M E D I TAT I O N
VERSUS

YO G A

TheMindortheBody?
YOGA AND MEDITATION HAVE TRANSITIONED FROM GO-TO MENTAL SALVES TO CURE-ALL HEALTH REMEDIES.
BUT WHICH PRACTICE HAS THE SCIENTIFIC BACKBONE? MH OMS AND AAHS OVER THE STATS.

tri billion
Since itt began The nnew age of anxiety has
trendinng in the seen self-help start-ups, such
1980s, the ancient practice as medita
di tion app Headspace,
has beccome a multi-trillion- grow tto become tech giants
Rand industry
ndustry worldwide v
valued in the billions.

Stick at yoga, and your levels of brain-derived
neurotrophic factor – a biomarker that’s lower
in those with depression – will triple,
bolstering your mood in the long term.*
STRESS KILLERS
An Experimental Biology study found a clear
3x 1 reduction in anxiety after just one hour of
guided meditation. This positive impact on
stress levels lasted for as long as one week.

A course of restorative yoga is proven to help
you lose more than 2.5 times the amount of
subcutaneous fat than standard stretching,
according to the National Institutes of Health.
FAT CHANCES
Mindfulness is the perfect addition to your
2.5x 7x weight-loss plan. The University of North
Carolina found that those who meditated lost
seven times as much as those who didn’t.

ALL-ROUNDERS

Slows Soothes Eases Cures Enhances Improves Reduces Lowers

ageing inflammation insomnia back pain energy memory cancer risk cholesterol

Finish your morning run with downward dogs
and US researchers found you’ll enjoy twice
the drop in blood pressure, which slashes
vascular stress to cut your heart disease risk.
HEART CENTRE
Proven to release nitric oxide, which opens up
2x 30% your blood vessels and lowers blood pressure,
mindfulness can cut your risk of dying from
a heart attack or stroke by almost a third.†

MUSCLE STRETCH
Words: BEN WELCH; Photographs: Gallo/Getty

Daily sun salutations may feel purely spiritual,
but Indian scientists revealed they increase
your bench-press strength by 23%. It’s the
most wholesome route to mirror muscles.
Short, daily meditation has been linked to
23% 5MIN spikes in testosterone and human growth
hormone, which increase protein synthesis
and support the growth of new muscle cells.**

MEDITATION WINS!
THE MH While you may expect the mental and physical nature of yoga to give its benefits a more measurable
edge, the research disagrees. Despite focusing solely on the mind, meditation’s physiological benefits
VERDICT are miraculously wholesale. Incense at the ready.

*Frontiers in Human Neuroscience | †Journal of the American Heart Association | ** Maharishi University of Management

50 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

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 WEIGHT LOSS
Get The Skinny On Fat

Know About Fat

Is Wrong THE TOPIC OF FAT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE POLITICAL, WHETHER WE’RE
DEBATING THE OBESITY CRISIS, OUR POTENTIAL NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE,
THE RISE OF STIGMATISATION OR THE DEIFICATION OF THE AVOCADO.
SO, WHERE ARE THE ANSWERS WE’RE HUNGRY FOR? MH CONSULTS THE
AUTHORITIES TO GET THE SKINNY ON FAT / WORDS BY SCARLETT WRENCH

52 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOBE LAWRENSON

YOUR BODY TYPE
ISN’T WRITTEN
INTO YOUR DNA
The idea that our physiques
follow a fixed genetic blueprint is
both comforting and frustrating.
It offers an excuse, sure, but it also
removes agency. The truth lies
somewhere in the doughy middle.
“So far, more than 100 gene
variants have been discovered
that affect how much fat is stored,
and where in our bodies it is
deposited,” says Professor John
Mathers, director at the Human
Nutrition Research Centre at
Newcastle University.
The catch? “Most of these have
minimal effect, and even collectively,
their influence is modest.” A variant
in the FTO gene, for example,
might make people hungrier
– but it doesn’t make healthy eating
and exercise protocols any less
effective. Patterns within families,
then, are more likely to be a result
of their environment, habits and
the resources available to them. BEING “SKINNY
YOUR MOVE? The good news FAT” IS A REAL words, that packet of “energy gel”
splits open; fat leaks between your
is the latest research shows that
a host of factors can, as Mathers
puts it, “switch genes on and off”.
THING organs (visceral fat) or inside them
(ectopic fat), raising your risk of
heart disease and diabetes. You
Everything from exposing your And it’s just as damaging as any can’t see it, but it’s there.
skin to natural light on a daily basis other kind of fat. Body fat isn’t How well you are able to store
to eating a wider variety of foods merely insulation: it’s stored energy. fat safely is partly genetic. But
and reducing your stress levels Even fairly trim men carry around scientists now suggest that a host
can deactivate genes linked to fat more than 335 000kJ worth of fuel, of lifestyle factors could also be to
storage. The next generation will to be broken down and burned up blame: “If you have a high-sugar
thank you for it. when needed. Think of it as your diet and you’re eating at odd hours
emergency race-day energy gel. and drinking alcohol excessively,

20%
The problem, then, is less about
how much fat you’re packing, and
more about where you’re packing
it. “When you exceed your capacity
to store subcutaneous fat – under
the skin – you experience an
overspill,” says Dr Adam Collins, a
nutrition and metabolism specialist
The proportion of a child’s
at the University of Surrey. In other
weight that can be attributed
to their father’s size – but it’s
lifestyle, not genetics, that
really makes the big difference.
then this might cause preferential
visceral fat storage – regardless
of kilojoule balance,” says
Collins. “High levels of adrenalin,
noradrenaline and cortisol might
also play a part.” All of which means
that overwrought office workers
who rely on self-medication and
late-night Mr. D Food are at greater
risk of unhealthy fat storage,
regardless of their BMI.
YOUR MOVE? Running it off
might not be the quickest solution.
In an International Journal of

Q&A
Q: Is the fat I eat the same amino acids (proteins) can be Cardiology study, subjects on a
stuff as the fat on my body? converted into fat molecules, strength-training plan

The A: In a sense, yes. The fats

we eat come in the form of
Science triglycerides: three fatty acids
bound to a glycerol molecule.
of Fat Without going too heavy on
the biology, we break them
By Steve Grant, down into their component
nutritionist parts, then either use them
up or reassemble and store
them.
Q: So, what about the rest
of my meal?
A: Glucose (carbs) and
too – that’s if we don’t use
them for energy.
actually lost more visceral
fat than those following an
Q: Where does the fat actually
go when I lose it?
endurance-based regimen.
That a lunchtime in the weights
A: The reverse occurs. When
your body requires more
room will also help you burn
through some of that excess
energy than you’re putting adrenalin is a further sweetener.
in, it breaks the molecules
in your fat cells back down.
Ultimately, they’re converted
into carbon dioxide and water.
Most of the fat you lose, then,
is actually exhaled.
 WEIGHT LOSS
YES, IT IS
POSSIBLE TO
BE BOTH FAT
AND FIT
To counsel against judging others
on the way they look might seem
pretty hackneyed – but it’s a solid
scientific principle. An analysis of
27 studies published in the journal
Obesity Reviews found that any-
where between 6% and 75% of
overweight people have normal
blood pressure, cholesterol levels
and insulin balance. They’re healthy,
in other words. Or, as Collins puts it:
“The relationship between BMI and
metabolic health is not linear, and a
person with obesity can make ma-
jor improvements without visibly
losing weight.”
OBESE PEOPLE
AREN’T SIMPLY
LACKING IN
WILLPOWER
54 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
TRUE FITNESS IS
MORE COMPLEX
THAN HOW MUCH
WEIGHT YOU CARRY.
We all know the opposite to be
true: not every man with a Mo Farah
physique is capable of running for
the bus without wheezing. Similarly,
not every man who’s overweight is
a heart-attack statistic in waiting.
Multiple factors – unrelated to the
holes in your belt – have been proven
to correlate with better metabolic
health, from eating more dairy to
maintaining regular sleep times.
One clear measure of your
health is your “metabolic flexibility”
– which has nothing to do with the
ease with which you can execute a
downward dog. “This is your body’s
ability to cope with the stress of
being fed on too little or too much
food,” says Collins – its ability to stay
healthy, whatever you throw at it.
YOUR MOVE? Build up your
metabolic flexibility with intermittent
fasting. Try eating your last meal by
4pm a few times a week. Your body
will become more adept at burning
its own fat, developing a resilience
that will allow you to function at full
power, regardless of the visibility of
your abs. There’s always time for
that later.
Glib motivational mantras are not
in short supply on social media.
The idea that we can achieve
whatever we want through force
of will is a modern mainstay.
But to assume that people with
obesity could lose weight if only
they spent more time channelling
a “Don’t wish for it, work for it!”
attitude is, well… lazy. In reality, our
behaviours are governed by two
complex, competing systems.
The part that inhibits our
impulses is known as the
“executive function”, explains
neuroscientist Dr Sandra
Aamodt. “It’s basically the
brain’s managerial system.
However, engaging it requires
active effort, and it tires easily.”
In contrast, the part of your
brain that acts habitually and
18%
The proportion of lean
people estimated to be
metabolically unhealthy in a
German study, raising their
mortality risk above that of
healthy people considered
to be obese.
injudiciously runs on automatic.
Once our default settings
are established, they’re hard to
overcome. Add to this the fact
that our metabolic rates crash in
response to kilojoule restriction,
while our appetite increases, and
it’s clear our brains are wired to
“fight against weight loss”.
YOUR MOVE? Dr Aamodt’s
advice is to adopt a process-
based, not outcome-centric,
mindset. Plan to batch-cook a
meal every Sunday, or walk for 20
minutes before work each day.
Don’t think about shedding kilos;
think about gaining habits.
“Building new habits only
requires effort in the early stages,”
she says. “After that, they become
automatic.”
CONSUMED SMARTLY,
SATURATED FATS CAN BE A
WELCOME FRIEND.
IN THE
RIGHT DOSE,
SATURATED
FATS CAN
BE GOOD
FOR YOU
Dividing the fats we eat into “good”
(oily fish!) and “bad” (burgers!) might
feel very neat. But, like many neat-
and-tidy concepts, it’s actually not
that accurate. “Labelling sat fats as
‘bad’ is too broad,” says nutritionist
Steve Grant. For a start, few of
the things we eat are that binary.
“Most foods contain a mixture of
saturated and unsaturated fatty
acids. The ratios will vary, but it’s
never all one way or the other. Beef,
for example, tends to be about
40% monounsaturated fat, 5%
polyunsaturated and 55% saturated
fat.” What’s more, all types of fat have
a crucial role to play in cell formation,
brain health and building hormones,
among other things. Even the sort
found in your rib-eye.
The idea that sat fats are solely
responsible for heart disease
dates back to the 1950s – a period,
need we add, during which Camel
cigarettes were “the doctors’
choice”. Today, we know a bit more
than that: “There are actually many
factors that contribute to heart
disease, and saturated fat is more
of an issue in combination with
caloric excess and a diet high in
refined carbs.”
Photograps by Jaina Minton, Getty/Gallo
YOUR MOVE? A moderate intake
of saturated fat is unlikely to clog
your arteries if they aren’t already
inflamed by a diet high in sugar
and processed foods. So long as
you’re scoring the majority of your
fats from natural sources – and
ensuring an adequate intake of
omega-3 fats – you needn’t sweat
the occasional steak.

EVEN “HEALTHY” FATS
CAN BE, WELL, FATTENING
McDonald’s doesn’t have a monopoly
on kilojoules. When it comes to the
“intake vs output” equation, your
body barely differentiates between
those sourced from a whole-food
restaurant salad counter and those
ordered off a touchscreen menu at
2am. The “health halo” effect causes
labels such as “organic”, “natural”
and “vegan” to alter our perception
of what we’re eating. Avocados,
almond butter, olive oil, dark
chocolate – all of these are
undoubtedly nutritious. But that
doesn’t mean portion control
needn’t be executed.
“Fats provide 38kJ per gram,
compared to just 17kJ for carbs or
proteins,” explains Grant. “That’s not
to say you want to eat a low-fat diet.
But excess kilojoules – even from
nutritious sources – will put you at
risk of weight gain.”
YOUR MOVE? Know your
numbers. Half an avocado or a
tablespoon of nut butter each pack
about 460kJ, which is enough to
give you your healthy fat fix without
filling you out. And if, occasionally,
you would rather swap it for a 30g
slice of blue cheese, that’s fine, too.
STIGMATISING
OBESITY
ONLY MAKES
THE PROBLEM
WORSE
This is not a position based
on emotion, but on data. Yes,
providing people with the tools
and encouragement they need
to take agency of their well-being
is, of course, a very good thing
(and it’s what we’re here for). But
making others feel bad about
their current situation provides
little in the way of “fitspiration”.
“There is robust research
demonstrating that weight bias
and stigma lead to poor health
outcomes,” says Dr Fatima Cody
Stanford, an obesity medicine
physician at Harvard Medical
School. “It leads to maladaptive
eating behaviours, and people
are less likely to pursue physical
activity in public if they fear being
judged.” In a study of 2 944 UK
adults, those who experienced
discrimination gained more
weight than those who did not.
YOUR MOVE? What does
fuel change? Well, focusing on
developing intrinsic motivators
is effective – that’sdoing things
because we enjoy them, as
opposed to extrinsic motivators,
such as seeking approval or
fearing negative outcomes.
A flexible plan you can stick to
beats a fast-acting plan that you
can’t. Let’s all get stuck in.
2092
The number of kilojoules
by which study partici-
pants’ metabolisms
dropped after extreme
weight loss, according
to the journal Obesity.
Q&A
The
Politics
of Fat
By Scottee, aartist
and writer off theatre
show Fat Blookes.
Q: Should we avoid using
the word “fat” altogether?
A: The word “fat” is one
that can simply be used to
describe a body, like “tall”
or “short”. But it can also
be used to create a public
enemy: people can be
vilified for their fatness. So
when we hear the word,
we have to think about the
intention behind it.
Q: You mean it’s not al-
ways offensive, then?
A: I actually have a prob-
lem when people try
to soften it, describing
me as “larger than life”,
or “jolly”. These are just
coded words for fat. And
by trying to soften it, it
reinforces the idea that
fatness is something we
shouldn’t talk about. I hear
the phrase “fat-shaming”
used a lot. It can be as sim-
ple as no one wanting to
sit next to you on the train.
It’s too often seen as so-
cially acceptable to mock
people about the shape of
their bodies. Most of the
fat people I know don’t like
to eat in public, because
regardless of whether it’s
a salad or a burger, people
have opinions about it.
Q: But being overweight
isn’t good for you, right?
A: You don’t see the same
thing with groups of peo-
ple smoking or drinking,
so I don’t really buy into
the idea that it’s about
the betterment of health.
There’s a thing called “obe-
sity blindness”. You might
go to the doctor with ec-
zema, and the first thing
that comes up is your
weight. My cholesterol is
fine, I’m not pre-diabetic,
my lungs are healthy, I ex-
ercise the amount I should
do… I’m not saying doc-
tors shouldn’t be advising
people on these issues,
but it needs to be viewed
more strategically.
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 55
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Trench
STYLE

Revolution
Winter Wardrobe Trends
Overhaul Your Look
Our Sexiest Scents
IT MAY HAVE EARNED ITS ICONIC STATUS
ON THE BATTLEFIELD A CENTURY AGO,
BUT THE INHERENT FUNCTIONALITY OF
A TRENCH STILL MAKES IT YOUR
STRONGEST ALLY IN WINTER.
/ BY AZEEZ JACOBS

For traditional trench styles, the

coat should sit just above the knee,
though a full-length trench coat is
more practical for protecting a suit.
With belted designs, only tie at the
front if you’re slim – otherwise,
always tie at the back, to avoid
looking bulky. Trenches also
look great unbuttoned with the
collar up; add a scarf knotted
loosely over the collar for
a relaxed look. Consider the
fabric carefully, too – look
for waterproof or water-
repellent cotton; or for
a heavier winter number,
wool gabardine is a classic.
Cream is the time-
honoured choice, but dark
colours – especially grey or
navy – feel fresh. Country
Road has a great cropped
version. Meanwhile, Zara
and Superdry are making use of
Insets: Gallo/Getty; Additional words: Stephen Doig

engineered fabrics that repel water

efficiently. Advances in technology
TIP
mean that the trench coat has CLEAN LINES
stopped being a personal sauna. If your trench is in dire
need of a wash, stick it
Fabrics can wick and breathe. So, in a mesh bag to protect
should you feel the urge to sing in your buttons, straps
the rain, you’ll finish in finer fettle and buckles.

than a certain Gene Kelly.

WATER-REPELLANT TRENCH COAT R2 099 ZARA

THE ART Humphrey Bogart

Bogie’s Burberry, with its
Alain Delon
The British trench met
Michael Caine
Michael Caine’s black,
OF THE soft structure elegantly French Left Bank cool double-breasted number
TRENCH fitting over a suit, was
Casablanca’s third
in 1967’s Le Samouraï,
courtesy of Alain
in 1971’s Get Carter
brought to the trench the
Learn from the star – though being Delon. Teamed with a hard-edged toughness of
timeless icons complemented by snappy jaunty-angled trilby, it a Geordie gangster. Layer
who wore it well. one-liners and Ingrid cemented the coat’s it over a flannel three-
Bergman helped. furtive noir aesthetic. piece – shotgun optional.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES GARAGHT Y MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 57

 ALL
EYES
ON
Five hot winter
trends you’ll want to
wear this season
by AZEEZ JACOBS
Photographs by
CARLOS MIARI FULCIS
 Sportswear has left the gym
and found its way into the urban
wardrobe. But when wearing
sportswear as casual wear, there’s a
fine line between casual and looking
like you just rolled out of bed. A
metallic windbreaker teamed with
tailored trackpants and a pair of box-
fresh sneakers is a failsafe option on
the runway and on the streets.

DA M I E N : J - M AT I S E
JAC K ET R 6 699
D I ES E L , T- S H I RT
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A I R D E F E N C E T R AC K
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S N E A K E RS R 699 P RO
K E DS AT Z A N D O.C O. Z A

A N O U S H K A: B O DYS U I T
R 3 299 D I ES E L ,
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CA LV I N K L E I N , B O OTS
M O D E L’S OW N
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S U P E R D RY, R A M S -
GAT E PO LO N EC K
R 1 399 P R I N G L E ,
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JAC K ET R 679 Z A R A ,
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H & M , D E N I M S K I RT
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Polonecks were a staple in the 60s and 70s, and are now back in style
again – thanks to everyone’s piqued interest in all things retro. But don’t
underestimate the versatility of this simple yet sleek design: you can
wear a fine-gauge poloneck underneath a leather jacket when you’re
off duty, or with a blazer on the grind. Poloneck dilemma solved.

60 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 DA M I E N : A PO L LO 11
P U F F E R JAC K ET R 3 899
A L P H A I N D U ST R I ES,
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TA N K TO P R 79
H & M , D E N I M S K I RT
R 459 Z A R A

Balenciaga and Raf Simons marched puffers down the runway for their
autumn/winter shows, and as a result, we’re right on board with this fashion
trend. Opting for a white puffer will take your wardrobe to the next level.
And one of our favourites is from Alpha Industries – not only because of
their unconventional designs, but also because of the knowledge they
accumulated manufacturing outerwear for the military, back in the day.

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 63

 DA M I E N : N O R A
JAC K ET R 5 89 0
A N TO N Y M O R ATO,
J E RS EY R 2 699
CA LV I N K L E I N , SO L I D
INK JEANS R1 300
K I N G S L EY H E AT H

DA M I E N : F E L I X I S
BAC K D E N I M JAC K ET
R 4 399 SC OTC H &
SO DA , SW E ATS H I RT
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C O N STA N T I N E J E A N S
R 599 SOV I ET, STATS
B O OTS R 2 199 CAT
FO OT W E A R

A N O U S H K A: K I K I

Models: Damien at Kult Models, Anoushka at Boss Models; Grooming: Diana at Gloss Artist Management; Fashion Assistant: Nadia Windt; Digital Assistant: Neil Danvers; Additional words: Shane C Kurup
L E AT H E R JAC K ET
R 5 699 S U P E R D RY,
K N I T T E D D R ESS
R 3 699 D I ES E L

Adding textures to an outfit is an easy way to switch things up. Take the
rough with the smooth – for example, try a blazer or denim jacket with a jersey
in a bright, tactile cotton-wool blend. It’s a great way to add character and
charm to a monotone look. You’re getting interesting... already.

64 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 Where
to Buy
ALPHASHOP.CO.ZA
ANTONY MORATO
011 517 2435
CALVIN KLEIN
021 418 1185
CATFOOTWEAR.CO.ZA
DIESEL 011 630 4000
G-STAR RAW
021 418 9000
H&M 021 826 7300
KINGSLEY HEATH
0875 508 880
PRINGLE OF
SCOTLAND
011 444 2270
SCOTCH & SODA
011 784 3233
SNOBMILANOSA.CO.ZA
SOVIET
021 462 6188
SUPERDRY
011 784 5739
Sloganeering tends to polarise opinion, and the style world certainly has a love-hate WOOLWORTHS
0860 022 002
relationship with it. Whatever your standpoint, this season sees a glut of designers ZANDO.CO.ZA
ZARA 021 446 8700
translating the look for knitwear; and when approached in the right way, it can add a
welcome hit of personality to an often unremarkable winter line-up.

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 65

 WATCHES

Watch
This
Space
THE BASEL WATCH FAIR IN
SWITZERLAND SHOWCASED THE
LATEST AND GREATEST IN NEW
WRIST CANDY. HERE ARE OUR FAIR
FAVOURITES / BY LUKE BENEDICTUS

03
02
Limited Gucci Grip mpletely
G re a t B a rr ie r R e e f
N o w fo r something co
01 Ori s inimal
C o n n e c te d Modular io n II I d if fe re n t. Beneath the m
Tag Heuer Ed it e tating
d itio n ” e stio n : w h e n is buying a div c u sh ion case, three ro inute
45 “Golf E u
sh o t ve er fu rther right Q h like doing your bit for the d is c s re ve al the hour, the m r
Does your te e watc in eithe
fm ey r? S p en ding ? A n sw e r: w hen it comes an d th e d at e. Available in
than Steve H o lan et r with
e sa n d th an a Camp’s p e o f th e O ris Great Barrie 3 5 m m o r 3 8 mm, it comes
more time in th the sh ap e steel,
eg u ard ? W el l, you O ris is d o n at ing some of th in te rc h an g eable straps in n
Bay Rescue lif Reef. le to the -green calfski
ld spring fo r golf lessons to pro c e e d s from every sa n , g old and bottle like w e aring
cou t b og ey m en . o ra tio n Fo u ndatio h e r. T h e re sult is
tackle your big
g es Reef Re st le at hroom
TA G H eu er io n e n te rp rise working s- in sp ire d miniature bat
Or you could tr
y th e a conse rv at 19 70 od way.
ch . D eliv er ing e ra te th e R e ef . But this al e s o n yo u r wrist. In a go
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41 8 27 93
perform D an t to 3 0 0
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such as shot d 0 co u rs es ar ound cause g aquamarine d
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g o f 3 9 0 0 th e st u n n in
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the world, this te r g uaranteed to tu appen to meet
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you h
golf watch on e ta ke s o ff , you w aves.
still: when you
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eu r beneath the
in am at E R S. C O. Z A
can legally use
the ap p
, R 41 0 0 0 B E L L AG I OJ E W E L L
pro
Once you turn
tournaments. r o w n .
on you
though, you’re UE
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66 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 04
S&G
Bay Chrono
Tudor Black rv iewed
ealth inte
When Men’s H , h e
last year
David Beckham -tone Tudor
tw o
was wearing a n his
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Black Bay in st one
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wrist. Since th as a
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trend has con ainst
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vintage-inspire r’s new bi-metal
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minimalism. Tu d and pops on
lo u d , p rou
remix is with
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your wris ar .
m
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a former Spic
W AT C H .C OM
R80 300 TUDOR

08
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Seiko S N J0 2 5 Ev e m surviving
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with golde n n u m e ra w as e q u ip tion s g mountains o
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– handy when n e – it’ s g so m ew h e re in the
o r so , an d p erhaps the larg sh u ttle s against bliste
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R 11 9 9 0 0 R O L E

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when to stop.
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 GROOMING

Oud to Winter
DRAW THEM IN, WITH A HEAVIER SCENT THAT COMPLEMENTS
THE COLD WEATHER. / BY AZEEZ JACOBS
3
Winter fragrances are deepened by spicy, musky 3. No Da Vinci Code 4. Smell Like A Boss
and woody notes; a spritz of the right cologne How to apply cologne? Oud Aromatic is
will tingle your partner’s senses and leave We asked the face of a juicier take on the
a lasting impression. To impress without Armani Code Absolu, Ryan classic Boss Bottled
a change of dress, here are our sexiest Reynolds. “A north-westerly Oud. With its orange
scents for when the temperature drops. breeze coming in at ten flower note on
knots, Vivaldi playing on top and seductive
low, and I execute a perfect myrrh at heart, it’s
cartwheel through the both refreshing and
1. Into The Blue 2. Gentlemen mist,” he deadpanned. comforting. But hurry
A spicy accord consists of Prefer Givenchy Share this on date night. up, as this is a limited
nutmeg and cardamom, This fragrance won’t ARMANI CODE ABSOLU EDP 100ML edition. HUGO BOSS OUD
while the signature musky overpower you once it’s R1 850 TRUWORTHS.CO.ZA AROMATIC EDP 100ML
heart of this composition on; instead, it warms up R1 995 EDGARS.CO.ZA
remains the same. It’s while you’re wearing it,
complemented by with a fresh pear top note
a blue cedar and black that dies down to reveal
ebony that will impress a leather and patchouli
2
any Tinder date. NARCISO base. GIVENCHY GENTLEMAN EDT
RODRIGUEZ BLEU NOIR EDP 100ML 100ML R1 535 FOSCHINI.CO.ZA
R1 235 WOOLWORTHS.CO.ZA
4

MH
5 CHOICE
6

5. Explore Your Senses 6. After Midnight

Montblanc enlisted three
Givaudan perfumers
to each focus on one
ingredient from one part of
the world. Bergamot from
Italy, vetiver from Haiti, and
patchouli from Indonesia
combine to create this
woody aromatic scent
Taking inspiration from
the all-night web woven
by Loris Azzaro in the
1970s, this new Eau de
Parfum for men captures
those nights, and the
endless parties that went
on until the wee hours
and beyond. Nature is the
Photograph: JAMES GARAGHTY

that begins with a fresh predominant smell here,

citrusy burst and settles with inspiration drawn
into a warm, musky aroma. from woody red cedar.
MONTBLANC EXPLORER EDP 100ML AZZARO WANTED BY NIGHT EDP
R1 395 WOOLWORTHS.CO.ZA 100ML R1 310 CLICKS.CO.ZA

68 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

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 FOOD t
The Protein Dilemma
A Man, A Pan, A Plan
Exercise vs. Nutrition

AFTER AN ENERGY-SAPPING TRAINING SESSION, HARD GRAFT IN THE KITCHEN

CAN FEEL LIKE ONE REP TOO MANY. SO WE’VE COMPILED 12 HASSLE-FREE
DISHES, EACH WITH JUST FIVE INGREDIENTS, BUT PACKED WITH ENOUGH
PROTEIN, CARBS AND – CRUCIALLY – FLAVOUR TO RESTORE YOU TO
YOUR BEST. WHO’S HUNGRY? / BY SCARLETT WRENCH

01 Smash the avos

02 minutes. Puls
Pulse the
INGREDIENTS INGREDIENTS

Photographs By Michael Hedge

SERVES 4 (they aid vitamin SERVES 4 cashews
Guacamole AV O C A D O S , 2 absorption) and
combine with the
Courgetti AUBERGINES, 4,
F I N E LY D I C E D
and yeast in a
blender un ntil the
and Pita C H E R R Y TO M ATO E S , 4 ,
CHOPPED tomatoes, onion olognese A J A R O F TO M ATO combination looks
and lime. Not PA STA S A U C E like Parme esan
RED ONION, ½,
Use avocado’s CHOPPED are avoca full This vegan, CASHEW NUTS, 50G cheese. Buy
heart-healthy of healt ats, min-packed N U T R I T I O N A L Y E A ST, nutritional yeast
A L I M E , Z E ST A N D
JUICE the e also rich 1TSP that’s fortified
fats to smash st l raise your
B vitamins, COURGETTI, 500G with B12 – you need
your post-gym W H O L E W H E AT P I TA S , 2 g energy
which help turn it to build red
r blood
hunger pangs. METHOD carbs into ene levels. cells, but it’s often
Serve with METHOD lacking in a vegan
You can p the
wholewheat p Fry the aubergine diet. Warm m the
ingre ts in
until it starts to courgetti n a pan,
a der, but
dry, season, add then serve e with the
ing them in
the sauce and let “Bolognesse” and
a bowl gets the
it bubble for 20 “cheese”.
done too.

70 MH Z y 2019
 04 as any grilled
chicken breast,
Fiery and on your
Chicken plate quicker
than a takeaway.
Burgers Chicken is
also rich in
Done right, burgers metabolism-
can be a regular meal, supporting
selenium.
not a rare indulgence.
Combine the
mince, egg,
INGREDIENTS coriander and
SERVES 4 chilli, then mix
LEAN CHICKEN MINCE, well with your
500G hands. Shape
A N E G G, W H I S K E D the meat into
four patties and
CORIANDER, A
HANDFUL, CHOPPED fry on a medium
heat for about 15
A RED CHILLI, SLICED
minutes, flipping
SEEDED BUNS, 4 until cooked.
Now, stuff into
A 1:1 ra
atio of METHOD the buns with
carb
rbs and This home-made your choice of
prootein will
ll burger is as lean toppings.
repairr musclees
and kill yo
an our
hunnger.

03 your go-to.
05
INGREDIENTS INGREDIENTS
SERVES 1 Mix the purée SERVES 4
Chicken G A R L I C A N D TO M ATO
PURÉE, 1TBSP
and sauce and
spread on the
Miso SALMON, 4 FILLETS,

Tortilla BBQ SAUCE, 1TBSP tortilla. Cooked Salmon PRE-COOKED

C A R R OT S , 6
Pizza LARGE WHOLEMEAL tomatoes are
rich in recovery-
with A D A I KO N R A D I S H
TO R T I L L A W R A P
COOKED CHICKEN, boosting Daikon R O A ST E D P E A N U T S ,
Prep this after
a late finish for
1 2 0 G, TO R N U P carotenoids, and
barbeque sauce
Slaw 40G
S W E E T M I S O D R E S S I N G,
LO W - FAT TO TA ST E
an instant dinner M OZ Z A R E L L A , 5 0 G is, well, tasty.
Cutting weight?
with 40g of protein. Add the chicken
METHOD and mozzarella, Throw together a METHOD
For the flavour of season, then bake light, lightning- Salmon is a rich
pizza without the at 200ºC for 8-10 quick salad that will source of fatty
kilojoules, this is minutes. aid your recovery. acids, which have
anti-inflammatory
a
properties.
p
Peel, slice and
P
sspiralise your
carrots and
c
daikon.
d
Crush the roasted
C
peanuts and mix
p
n half, then dress
in
in
n sweet miso (to
make your own
m
dressing, combine
d
20g of miso paste
2
with 1tbsp of
w
tamari, 2tbsp of
lime juice, 2tbsp
of honey and
o
5tbsp of water).
5
Serve with the fish
S
and scatter on
a
the remaining
peanuts.
p

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 71

 06 are a great, high-
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 4 protein, energy-
Date and D AT E S , 1 0 0 G dense snack, while
the oats contain
Walnut WALNUTS, 50G, CRUSHED
ORANGES, 2, ZEST AND beta-glucan, which
Balls JUICE is linked to heart
health,” says Slater.
O AT S , 1 0 0 G, ½
B L E N D E D I N TO F LO U R Soak the dates in hot
For an instant
GROUND ALMONDS, 50G water for an hour
pick-me-up, ahead of time, then
stick these in blend until smooth.
your gym bag. METHOD Mix in a bowl with
Prep this for a the rest of the
snack you can fall ingredients, adding
back on any time a little of the date
you need it. “Nuts water if you want to.
Roll into eight balls. A serving packs
Save these for the 50% of your daily
journey home from omega-3s, for
the gym. muscle repair.

08 INGREDIENTS
SERVES 1
optimal muscle
recovery.
Salmon DARK RYE BREAD,
2 SLICES
Cover the bread in
French AN EGG, BEATEN
the beaten egg, then
add to a preheated
Toast SMOKED SALMON, 100G pan with a dash of
CRACKED BLACK PEPPER oil.
Cook up this Cook for two
CHILLI FLAKES
10-minute meal minutes on each
for amino acids side, then remove
and healthy METHOD and plate up with
fats in a flash. This is an easy, half of the salmon on
ultra-fast meal, each slice. Garnish
packed with liberally with black
omega-3, protein pepper and chilli
and carbs for flakes.

INGREDIENTS cheese and sage,

SERVES 4 and bake until
A BUTTERNUT, golden. Serve on
CUT INTO CHUNKS top of a spoonful
GNOCCHI, 500G of butternut
TENDERSTEM BROCCOLI, purée.
300G
07 PARMESAN, 80G,

Butternut GRATED
SAGE, 3 SPRIGS,
and Sage SHREDDED

Gnocchi
METHOD
This creamy bowl
Season the
of slow-burning
carbs will help butternut, bake
to preserve your at 180ºC for 30
muscle gains. minutes, then blitz
a quarter of it in a
blender. It’s a great
source of fibre,
which keeps your
blood glucose
in balance.
Meanwhile, boil
your gnocchi,
100g at a time;
remove each one
when it rises to the
surface of the
pan and place
in iced water. Do
the same with the
broccoli. Place
the butternut
pieces, gnocchi
and broccoli on
a tray, top with

72 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 FOOD
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 1
OAT MILK, 250ML
PEANUT BUTTER, 1TBSP
A FROZEN BANANA
UNSWEETENED COCOA,
2TSP
BABY SPINACH, HANDFUL

METHOD

09 Chuck your wet

ingredients into
Banana the blender first to
Nut ensure a smoother,
less lumpy mixture,
Smoothie then add the rest.
Natural sugars
Bump up your and electrolytes
blood glucose in the banana will
at the push of restock your muscle
a button. glycogen if you’ve
been training hard.
Epicatechin, found
in cocoa power,
increases the
number of energy-
11 little oil, then the fibre-rich
INGREDIENTS
generating
mitochondria in
SERVES 2 bake in the oven haricot beans,
your muscle cells, Smoky BAKING POTATOES, 2 on medium heat
for 90 minutes.
tomato puree,
paprika and
so you’ll be ready
to train again
Bean A TIN OF HARICOT BEANS
A TIN OF TOMATO PUREE As well as honey, then
tomorrow. Jackets (UNCOOKED IF POSSIBLE) providing slow-
release energy,
heat. Add extra
paprika for
SMOKED PAPRIKA, 1TSP
Add spice and potatoes are rich smokiness, or
A SQUEEZE OF HONEY
sweetness to your in potassium, more honey
baked potato to which can be if you like it
METHOD
kill your cravings. depleted during sweeter. Serve
Prick the potatoes, exercise. In a it up with your
rub them with a pan, combine spuds, obviously.

12 INGREDIENTS
SERVES 4

Hazelnut CARROTS, 800G,

PEELED, CUT
Pork Chops LENGTHWAYS
PORK CHOPS, 4
Swerving carbs THYME SPRIGS, 4,
should never CHOPPED
mean losing ORANGES, 2, ZEST AND
INGREDIENTS out on flavour. JUICE
SERVES 1
OATS, 50G ROASTED HAZELNUTS,
40G, CRUSHED
SEMI-SKIMMED MILK,

10
250ML
DESICCATED COCONUT, METHOD

Blackberry 10G
CHOCOLATE WHEY, 30G
Boil the carrots for

Porridge BLACKBERRIES, 5
five minutes.
Season the chops,
sear, then put
Treat yourself to this METHOD aside. Pork is rich in
sweet, protein-rich immunity-raising
porridge for either This is ideal if you
need to eat within zinc and muscle-
breakfast or dessert.
five minutes,. It has repairing amino
a good balance of acids. Put the
protein and carbs, carrots in the pan.
but tastes indulgent.” Mix the thyme, juice
Put the oats and and zest, and pour
milk in a bowl and two-thirds over the
microwave for carrots. Put the pork
three minutes until on top and pour
bubbling. Mix in the over the rest of the
coconut, whey and juice. Bake at 180ºC
berries for a shot of for 10 minutes. Top
recovery-supporting with hazelnuts, and
vitamin C. pig out.

O.ZA/ July 2019 73

MH.CO
 FOOD

Despite what bright new

food packaging might lead you to believe,
humans have known about the power of
protein since at least the early 19th century.
That’s when a Swedish chemist named
the molecules using a word from the Greek
proteios, meaning “holding first place”
and therefore most important. Today, if
society resurrected that Swede and dumped
him into a South African supermarket, he
might feel smugly validated. In the eyes of
consumers and marketers, this nutrient is
indeed the most important – ubiquitous,
beneficial, desirable, and, now, lucrative.
The global protein-supplements market
will reach R310 billion by 2025, according
to industry reports. You’d expect to find
whey in your post-gym shakes and bars,
but now protein is popping up everywhere.
You can wake up and have a protein-rich
bowl of cereal, grab a whey-infused protein
water on your way out the door, pick up an
extra-protein chicken wrap for lunch, and
munch on barbeque-flavoured protein chips
as a mid-afternoon desk snack. Nielsen,
a worldwide data-analytics company, did
a survey in the US; they found that 55% of
American households now regard protein
as an important consideration when they

Have We
purchase food.
What’s more, Nielsen saw an 8% sales uptick
for products claiming to be an “excellent” or

Reached Peak
“good” source of protein on the front of their
packaging. And get this: between 45 and 64%
of consumers did not identify beef, pork or

Protein?
THERE ARE A LOT OF CLAIMS ABOUT PROTEIN OUT THERE – IN
THE SUPERMARKET, AT THE FAST-FOOD PLACE, ON THE BACK
OF A GIGANTIC BOTTLE OF WHEY POWDER – BUT THE CLAIMS
YOU’RE GOING TO READ IN THIS STORY ARE ACTUALLY TRUE.
/ BY OLIVER THRING AND JOSHUA ST. CLAIR
chicken as being high in protein, even though
all those foods are loaded with it.
So why the confusion? Why the current
obsession with a nutrient? And most
crucial, are all these protein-heavy foods
helping or hurting your diet?
Why You Need It Protein is vital to life: It’s
made from amino acids that are essential
for building and maintaining muscles and
bones. In addition, recent studies suggest that
protein quality may become more important
as you age. But beyond your infrastructure,
protein also helps to regulate a host of cellular
processes, affecting everything from your
immune function to the transportation of
Photograph: PETER CROWTHER

oxygen through the bloodstream. Protein

can even aid in weight loss: researchers
have found that consuming it stimulates the
release of satiety signals in the small intestine,
helping you feel full. In short, protein is
a super-nutrient.

74 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019


Protein  can be
a misleadingly
catch-all term
for what goes
into products.
Why You’re Probably Not Eating Enough
The irony of the protein boom is that we
aren’t actually ingesting any more of it
today than we were 30 years ago. That might
be because protein’s recommended daily
allowance (RDA) is a modest 0.8 grams per
kilogram of body weight per day, a number
formulated by the US National Academy
of Sciences during World War II in order to
safeguard public health during a possible
shortage, and ensure the nutritive value of
military rations.
“That RDA means roughly 8 to 10% of
your daily intake should be protein,” says
Dr. Heather Leidy, a protein researcher and
associate professor in Purdue University’s
Department of Nutrition Science. But that
8 to 10% is only the minimum required to
prevent a protein deficiency; not what you
need for protein synthesis, muscle gain,
satiety, weight management, and glycaemic
control. While the diets of most of us may
contain between 10 and 15% protein, Leidy
notes, research suggests that anything from
20 to 30% would be a better health goal.
That’s between 1.2 and 1.6 grams of protein
daily for every kilogram of your target body
weight. So if you’re an 85kg guy who wants to
weigh 75, you should eat between 90 and 120
grams of protein per day. The good news is
that higher amounts of protein as a result of
all these snacks and shakes won’t harm the
liver, kidneys, or bones of healthy people, as
some once claimed; however, excess protein
can mean excess kilojoules, which may lead
to weight gain, Leidy says.
What kind of protein you eat does matter,
though, and ‘protein’ can be a misleadingly
catch-all term when describing what actually
goes into food products. You have whey
and casein, both found in milk, as well as
Insets: Getty/Gallo
numerous plant options, such as the protein
extracted from soya, peas, and hemp. (Some
companies even extract protein from insects
such as crickets and grasshoppers.) Not all
protein is created equal.
Typically, only the animal-derived THE PROTEIN
SPECTRUM
varieties found in meat and dairy products
contain all the amino acids that your body Not everything with a “High
needs. Whole foods with high-quality Protein!” label is actually
protein (beef, dairy, poultry, seafood,
stuffed with it. In fact, most
of the foods highest in protein
soya) remain your best source. Better than don’t carry a label at all.
supplements, even. “People rely too much on
the powder when they think it confers some
magical benefit beyond whole foods,” notes HIGH
Men’s Health nutrition advisor Dr. Mike
Roussell, a New York nutrition consultant. (27g)
Protein powder, whether it’s in a jug or
dusting snack foods, isn’t bad. But it lacks 85g chicken
the healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and breast
macronutrients found in whole foods.
Most importantly, whole foods make you
feel full, whereas a shake can leave you
(25g)
wanting more.
How to Consume What You Need Can
you eat that much protein per day? Doing
USN Trust
the maths might make your head (and 25 High
your jaw) ache. “It’s more valuable for (23g) Protein
Shake
people to look at protein on a meal-by-
meal basis,” says Roussell. “The problem
is that our whole system is based on daily
recommendations, not meal-based ones.” 85g flank
Depending on your body size, you should eak
ste
shoot for somewhere between 30 and 40
grams of protein per meal, Roussell advises,
which is enough to maximise muscle-
protein synthesis while also helping you feel
full. Athletes should aim for that 40-gram
(20g) 85g snoek
mark, depending on the intensity of their fillet
exercise. Vegans might need to rely on
supplements to reach the optimum range.
Leidy suggests spreading out your protein (19g)
intake even more: Aim for 20 to 30 grams at
each breakfast, lunch, and dinner; drink
a shake after your workout to net another Three eggs
(18g)
20 to 30 grams; and if needed, add 20 grams
with a mid-morning snack.
But be careful with snacking. You’ll find
some “protein” productsonthe market that
contain a measlyfour grams per serving, along
withanabundanceofaddedsugars.“Ifindthat Sc ec
e Chhoco
inthe snack arena, it’sgenerally a marketing oB
Pro Bar
tool, not actually a benefit,” Roussell says. It’s
(8.7g)
notthatprotein-centricbarbequechipsare
badforyou.It’sjustthatforthesameprice,
youcouldpurchaseabout170wholegramsof
another health food that supplies 20 grams of
Beetroot
B
proteinalong with vitamin B12, calcium,and Crisps
zinc.It’scalledGreekyoghurt.Andwouldn’t LOW
that be simpler?
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 75
 VERSUS

vs N U T R I T I O N
EXERCISE

Gains or Losses?
THE VIRTUES OF A NUTRITION AND EXERCISE OVERHAUL ARE OBVIOUS. BUT WHEN YOUR TIME AND NEED FOR
RESULTS ARE OF THE ESSENCE, WHICH TRANSFORMMATIVE TACTIC IS THE SUREST ROUTE
E TO A NEW YOU?

The reduced rissk of

45%
The percentage of our
dying from any y population, whose
disease for thosse diets, according to the
who exercise Human Sciences
regularly is Resource Council,
impossible to aren’t nutritionally
ignore. diverse.

LIGHT IDEAS
The average kilojoule burn from an hour of Cut this from your daily intake and you can
weightlifting is a hard-won reward. However,
all that graft can easily be nullified by just
one McDonald’s double cheeseburger.
1862 KJ
2092KJ
drop almost half a kilogram per week.
Just swap your cheese footlong and chips for
California rolls and you’re all set.

According to the American Heart LONG GAMES

An International Journal of Epidemiology study
Association, regular exercise has the power
to cut your risk of heart disease (responsible
for almost 1 in 6 deaths each year in SA) by
this amount
40% 33% found that eating 10 portions of fruit and
vegetables a day can reduce your odds
of suffering a fatal stroke by a third.

EXTRA CREDITS

Boosts Relieves Slows Strengthens Reduces Improves Sharpens Controls

metabolism stress ageing bones inflammation mood focus appetite

BRAIN GAINS
A Neurology study revealed just 30 minutes of One serving of leafy greens per day, however,
vigorous daily exercise can stave off 10 years
of premature brain ageing, with those who
train less suffering faster cognitive decline.
10
YEARS
11
YEARS
has a more potent impact on your cognitive
powers – just. Extra spinach keeps your brain
one year younger than a cardio commute.*

“Exercise is key for muscle, but go slowly for MUSCLE-UPS

Words: BEN WELCH; PhotographS: GETTY/GALLO

“This much protein per kilo of lean body mass

real progress. The body can only handle
20% more weight than you lifted the
previous month.” – Jonathan Codling, sports
physiotherapist
0.2x 2.2g will support growth. Multiply your LBM by 2.2:
the result is your daily protein target in grams.”
– Christian Finn, personal trainer

IT’S A DRAW!
THE MH It’s too close to call. For physical transformation, it’s true that food offers the greater potential for
short-term results; but fad diets fail, and research proves that if you want to keep the weight off, exercise
VERDICT is your best ally. Forget half-measures – for success this year and beyond, double down.

* Neurology

76 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019


Get Lean
on High
Protein
SWAP UNSATISFYING, HIGH-CARB
BREAKFASTS FOR OUR CHICKEN
FRITTATA: LOADED WITH FILLING
PROTEIN AND NUTRITIOUS FATS,
TO PREVENT ALL-DAY SNACKING
AND FUEL MUSCLE GROWTH.
/ BY MICHAEL JENNINGS
IRON MAN
Peppers are full of vitamin
C, aiding the absorption
of the iron in your spinach.
This helps oxygen reach
your muscles, reducing
fatigue so you can work
off more fat at the gym.
A FRESH START
Detox from weekend
excess the right way.
Flavonoids in parsley
boost body-purifying
enzymes in your liver, while
the manganese in nutmeg
helps to break down fats.
Photographs: MICHAEL HEDGE; Recipe: Nutritionist RHIANNON LAMBERT @rhitrition
1 2
Breakfast Chicken Frittata
CUT YOUR FRITTATA INTO FIVE SECTIONS FOR
A SLICE A DAY, MONDAY TO FRIDAY.
INGREDIENTS
1/ RED ONIONS, 2, SLICED
2/ MIXED PEPPERS,
1 0 0 G, C H O P P E D
3 / C H I C K E N B R E A ST, 2 5 0 G
4/ SPINACH, HANDFUL
5 / G A R L I C C LO V E S ,
2 , F I N E LY C H O P P E D
6/ EGGS, 6
7 / F E TA C H E E S E , 1 0 0 G
8 / G R O U N D N U T M E G,
PINCH
9 / PA R S L E Y, H A N D F U L ,
F I N E LY C H O P P E D
1 0 / S A LT A N D B L A C K
P E P P E R , TO TA ST E
3 4
5 8
FOOD
METHOD
619
kJ
Step 1 Add the onions, peppers
and chicken pieces to an oiled
pan on a low heat and fry until
the meat is cooked through,
stirring regularly. Scatter in the
14.5g spinach and garlic and cook for
Fat a further minute.
Step 2 Crack the eggs into
a bowl. Crumble in the feta
cheese, add the nutmeg and
9g whisk it all together. Throw in
Carbs the chopped parsley, salt and
pepper.
Step 3 Pour the egg mixture
into your pan and leave it on
27g medium heat for five minutes,
Protein until the eggs start to set around
the edges. Transfer to your oven
and cook for a final 10 minutes,
until the frittata has browned
on top. Serve a slice hot or cold
with a generous handful of fresh
salad leaves.
HUNGER STRIKES
Eggs and feta make
this a complete protein
source. It contains all
nine essential amino
acids, reducing the
hunger hormone
ghrelin and helping
you retain muscle.
METABOLISM BOOST
Not only is chicken a
lean, low-kilojoule meat,
it also packs selenium,
which – alongside the
quercetin in your onions –
kick-starts your metabolism
and ups your energy spend.
6 7
9 10
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 77
 RELATIONSHIPS
Avoid A Sticky Situation
Dry Your Eyes

Lube Up
Yes,wegetit;you’reasexmachine.
■ Yourone-night-standsboastaboutyou
overbrunch,andyourexesimmortalise
youintheirSexcapadesHallOfFame.But
justincaseyou’renot–oryourpartner’s
YES, YOU MIGHT FEEL EMBARRASSED, AND YES, YOU’LL
PROBABLY BE CONFUSED; ALTHOUGH WE CAN PRETTY MUCH
pleasureisactuallymoreimportantthan
yourego–there’sanewtoolslidinginto
Photographs: Getty/Gallo

GUARANTEE SHOP ASSISTANTS DON’T GO HOME AT NIGHT

TO DISSECT THE VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES FOR WHY YOU’VE bedroomseverywhere:lubricant. Use
BOUGHT LUBE. / BY KELLEIGH KOREVAAR our guide, so you don’t slip up!

78 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 There are only two
types of people who use lube, right? Post-
menopausal women who can no longer
lubricate naturally, and teenage boys who
have just discovered broadband WiFi.
Wrong. Not only can lube make sex (and
masturbation) a lot more pleasurable; it also
makes the whole thing a lot safer.
It’s Not You… Or Me
“Many men (and women) believe that the
use of a lubricant indicates that they have
a problem – either for themselves
personally, or for their partner. There’s
a huge stigma suggesting that vaginal
dryness means that a woman is not
turned on; and duly, some men believe
that suggesting a lubricant means that
either they have not turned [a woman] on
sufficiently, or their partner is not aroused
– both leading to feelings of failure, and
a negative thought process and experience
in the bedroom.
“This not only leads to uncomfortable
sex, but avoids real communication and
satisfaction in the bedroom,” says Brodie
Meyer, managing director of online adult
store Désir.
But here’s the thing: being able to
lubricate naturally can be influenced
by a whole host of things – none of them
necessarily your skill or attractiveness.
Of course, there is the possibility it’s due
to a lack of arousal or not enough foreplay;
but you’ll only know if you ask your partner.
Spoiler alert: no one likes a selfish lover.
But just as erectile dysfunction can have
a list of causes longer than the insert in that
bottle of little blue pills, so too can vaginal
dryness. Other than lack of arousal and
foreplay, reasons can include hormones,
stress, depression, ageing, menopause
and medication.
And according to Women’s Health
Concern, a platform that serves to
educate and advise women about their
gynaecological and sexual health, 17% of
women suffer from natural dryness during
sex. Even before menopause begins.
According to Indiana University
research, women reported greater pleasure
and satisfaction when they used lubricant.
“The term ‘wetter is better’ is something
I say to all clients. Dry sex can be painful
sex,” says Catriona Boffard, a clinical
sexologist and psychotherapist. She adds:
“Using lubricant can be really useful in
making sex more enjoyable and comfortable
for everyone. The anus does not produce any
lubrication at all – so using lubricant with
anal sex is imperative!”
Recover Like A Pro
Then, of course, there’s the recovery factor;
and here at MH we’re always looking for
a great recovery tool. The most unusual
one so far? Lube. “Various lubricants offer
different consistencies and viscosities,
which not only assist in avoiding tissue
damage, but also promote healing
and faster recovery – whether it be for
masturbation or for vaginal or anal sex,”
says the Désir MD.
Not only does lube add to the recovery
process, and the comfort of vaginal or anal
penetration (whether with fingers, toys or
a penis); it can also increase and enhance
sensitivity and sensation during both sex
and masturbation (Check out the next
page for a great recommendation from
the Women’s Health sex editor).
It’s All About The Label
Of course, while some lubes are meant to
cause sensations and tingles, some may not
agree with your body. It’s a good idea to test-
drive the product before you dive straight
in. And we’re not talking about some public
rendezvous with your significant other
that could get you arrested in the middle
of Clicks; just do a patch test before using
your lube for real.
Your lube
should not cause you any
discomfort whatsoever. And
while the moment might be
heated, a burning sensation is a
dead giveaway that you should stop
using that lube immediately.
“Even the best lubes can create a
burning sensation. This could be due to the
inclusion of parabens, or it could include
products such as glycerin or sugar; it may
indicate a yeast infection in women; it may
contain alcohol as a base; or it may point to
an underlying bacterial infection.
“In all instances, avoid using that
lubricant altogether, and try more gentle
alternatives, made of body-safe ingredients
and designed for more sensitive skin.
Persistent burning or discomfort should
be seen to by your general practitioner,”
advises Meyer.
And as you’re checking the ingredient
list and nutritional value of all the food
items going into your basket, you should
be checking your lube, too. “Parabens have
recently become a big no-no when it comes
to lube ingredients. They’re often the cause
of skin rashes; it’s also been found that
parabens disrupt the endocrine system.
Anything that starts with ethyl-, methy-,
propyl-, isopropyl, butyl- or isobutyl- should
be steered away from,” Meyer says.
Love With A Glove
If you use condoms, checking the label is
even more important. While condoms are
usually somewhat lubricated already, sex
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 79
 RELATIONSHIPS

that lasts a long time will cause Unlike your irritations and sensitivities. anal play. While it’s easy to use too much
the lubrication to dry out. And love, not all Remember that silicone lube during vaginal intercourse, the thresh-
lubricants are
guess what? Dry condoms eternal. You lubricants are not designed to be old with anal sex is much lower, so use a bit
break easily. might need to used with silicone adult toys, as more. “Anal lubricants in particular are
Silicone lubricants are not reapply; but they degenerate and break down incredibly specialised in their formulas and
start with a
recommended for use with dollop the size the silicone base – making your consistencies. Unlike the vagina, the anus is
condoms. Some brands have of a 20c piece, toys unsafe and unhygienic,” not self-lubricating [no matter whether your
a silicone-hybrid-type formula, and work up warns Meyer. partner is male or female], and requires
from there.
which is latex-condom-safe. Best for: massage, long-lasting additional moisture and lubrication to
But the general rule is: if it play and water play. ensure comfortable penetration and to limit
doesn’t say condom-safe, it You might want to keep tissue damage within the rectum. With a
probably isn’t. a flavoured lube on hand. “For thicker consistency and a silicone base, anal
Oil-based lubes and oral sex, you might want to lubes assist in preventing drying out, and
Vaseline are also incompatible go with just saliva, coconut in avoiding abrasions, which may increase
with condoms, because they oil, or a flavoured lube. Some your risk of contracting an STI. Most anal
make them porous, more likely to split, unflavoured lubricants aren’t safe for oral lubes have anti-bacterial qualities and are
and therefore less safe. They also alter the consumption, or just taste pretty awful,” latex-friendly, allowing safe condom play,”
pH and bacteria levels, which could cause says Boffard. “Flavoured lubricants are explains Meyer.
infection. So before you head to the kitchen great for oral sex, but unfortunately they can Best for: anal sex and anal play.
or your bathroom cabinet to grab a “this’ll dry up more quickly when used for vaginal But if you’re not into having a
do” solution, think again – you may be doing or anal sex, as most are water-based,” she pharmacy-sized selection of lubes to
more damage than you know. warns. And when it comes to choosing a choose from, your best bet is a hybrid
Tip: adding a drop or two of lube inside flavour, the world really is your... Slice of lubricant. The most important thing to
the condom before you unroll it will bacon? Sure! You can get anything from remember is that everyone is different.
up your own sensitivity. strawberry to salted caramel – and even What works for someone else might not
bacon flavour! work for you, but you’ll only find that out
The More The Merrier Best for: oral sex. through trial and error – which means it’s
So, you’re sold on adding lube to your And then there are lubes designed for time to lube up!
side table. But if the most exposure you’ve
had to what’s available is that small row in
your nearest supermarket, you’re going to
need some help.
First off, we have water-based lubricants.
“[They] often provide moisturising THE WH SEX EDITOR RECOMMENDS:
qualities, and are highly effective in Avoid a sticky situation with Leigh Champanis-King’s top picks.
treating the symptoms of vaginal dryness.
Compatible with natural rubber or latex
condoms and toys, water-based lubricants
are formulated to be pH-balanced and to
provide realistic lubrication. While these
lubricants are not as long-lasting as some,
they offer a more natural base, and are
favoured by women for their pH-balancing Water-Based Silicone-Based Wild Card
and ability to prevent thrush and irritation,” Oske Aqua EasyGlide Silicone Oh! Holy Mary
says Meyer. Lubricant Lubricant Cannabis Sliding Gel
Best for: silicone toys, condoms, sensitive “I love this lubricant “Looking to enjoy “This is for those more
because it’s natural, a marathon session in adventurous folk who want
skin, and to emulate the feeling of natural
pH-balanced, vegan and the sack, complete with to add extra spice to their
lubrication. hasn’t been tested on sexy massage? This lube romps. It has a heating
“Silicone-based lubricants are unique animals (good karma all won’t dry out quickly, so effect that feels more like
round). It’s also latex safe you don’t have to stress an intense tingle, and will
in their structure, in that they contain
and perfect to use with about things getting sticky definitely add another
no water and will not evaporate or dry up toys (a little pre-game fun before you’ve finished dimension to playtime.”
Photographs: Supplied

quickly. The silicone molecules are larger is always a good idea).” having fun.” (R429, desir.co.za)
(R169, myoske.com) (R207, passionfruit.co.za)
and are not absorbed into the skin, which
results in fewer topical body reactions,

80 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 RELATIONSHIPS
Why
YOU GUYS
She
IT’S PROBABLY NOT WHY YOU THINK – AND YOUR REACTION MIGHT BE MAKING
IT WORSE. HERE’S WHAT LAUREN LARSON WANTS YOU TO DO INSTEAD.
I went to a nostalgic
showing of the noted tearjerker Beasts of the
Southern Wild recently. In one of the film’s
many emotional climaxes, a father tells
his daughter, with his dying breaths, “No
crying.” From the back of the movie house,
a woman issued a single brazen wail. The
proverbial floodgates had been opened. The
woman’s crying started a chain reaction in
the theatre – much as when someone throws
up on a plane – and within seconds, every
woman in the house was weeping. I have seen
the footage of mourners in North Korea after
82 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
Is
Crying?
Kim Jong Il died, falling to their knees and
sobbing over Dear Leader departed; but
that was nothing. The women in the movie
house dissolved. The men there sat quietly.
I’m always surprised when people talk
about crying as though it were something
tactical. I wish crying were just another tool
in my manipulation tool kit, right between
blowjobs and passive aggression, that could
be deployed at will. And maybe there really
are adult women out there who go into
negotiations and arguments thinking, If I
cry, I’ll get my way. But I don’t know any of
Kyle Hilton (Larson), Getty Images (Markle, Berry), Comedy Central/Everett Collection (Broad City), Heritage Image Partnership Ltd/Alamy (painting)
those women, and anyone who thinks tears
are a “strategy” has never seen me crying.
My face turns very red and stays that way
for four to six hours. I fluctuate between low
satanic rattling and primal sobs that carry
all the pain of my female ancestors. Snot
is inevitable. Cogent speech is impossible.
Mine are not Hollywood tears, characterised
by a single rivulet sliding gently down one
cheek before trickling seductively into my
heaving bosom. Nothing about my crying
elicits sympathy. For me, and for every other
woman I’ve spoken to on the subject, crying

“I’d argue (tearfully)
that the worst thing
a man can say to
a woman when she’s
crying is ’shhhhhh’.”
is just something that happens. And in the
right circumstances – like in a dark theatre,
full of other women who are also weeping –
crying feels really good.
I don’t think it’s my job to suppress
my tears. Ever since high school, women
wizened by years in the workforce have
told me that I should never cry. If men
don’t see tears as manipulation, I came
to understand, they see them as a sign of
weakness. Writer Rebecca Traister has
described a similar revelation. “They don’t
know you’re furious,” Traister recalls a
female co-worker telling her once after she
burst into tears in the office. “They think
you’re sad, and will be pleased because they
got to you.” Now, having cried in front of a
lot of men – in the office, over drinks, and
in bed – I no longer believe that. I think
men generally understand when a woman is
crying out of fury, frustration, or a sudden
awareness of the mortality of all things, à la
Beasts. It’s just the prescribed responses to
tears that are condescending.
I’d argue (tearfully) that the worst thing
a man can say to a woman when she’s
crying is “Shhhhhhhhhhhhh.” I had a
shhhhhhhhhhhhh-ing boyfriend once.
If I began to cry during an argument, he
would pull me in with his stupid manly
arms and press my head to his stupid manly
chest, and then he would ruin it all by
shhhhhhhhhhhhh-ing me. I would indeed
stop crying. But I didn’t stop crying because I
Leslie Xia (illustration)
was soothed. I stopped because my hate-fire at
being silenced and talked to as if I were a child
dried up all the tears. Most of the vocabulary
we use to comfort crying adults is the same
YOUR EXPERT In this column and on
MensHealth.com, Lauren Larson writes
about the evolving dynamics between
men and women – from hooking up,
to...  everything else.
as a muscle cocoon where I can cry, shielded
from the world. Every pectoral workout
you’ve ever done has been in preparation for
this moment.
Rage tears are tougher. If I’m angry – at
you, or at the world at large – I don’t want
soothing words or pity, and I certainly
don’t want advice. I just want to explain,
through tears, what is bothering me. I have
been blessed to witness one man crying in
front of another man. The three of us were
drinking, the conversation took a heavy
turn, and one of my friends began to cry as
he described something he was frustrated
about. (I started to cry, too, because I never
vocabulary we use to comfort crying toddlers. miss an opportunity for catharsis.) My
While it’s nice to hear “There, there” from my other friend took a long sip of his beer,
mother when I’m crying – partly because I’m without breaking eye contact, and said
decidedly not her equal, and partly because nothing. He didn’t acknowledge the tears
I know that comforting me is giving her a across the table, and he definitely didn’t
Munchausen-by-proxy thrill – it’s infuriating shhhhhhhhhhhhh anyone. He just let my
to hear it from a peer. And it’s especially friend talk, nodding when appropriate.
infuriating to hear it from a male peer, Not everyone has the steely nerves required
because often I’m already uncertain about to wordlessly watch someone else cry. In
whether he sees me as an equal. this way and this way only, crying actually is
The proper response to crying depends on infantile: it’s very difficult not to take action
where you are, and the type of tears you’re when you see tears, especially when they’re
dealing with. Sad tears are the easiest. If I’m tears that you have a role in. So acknowledge
crying because someone has died (onscreen the tears by passing along a tissue box, but
or off), because I didn’t get the job I wanted, then say nothing. All I want when I’m crying
or because you just dumped me, a long hug hot tears of rage is assurance that I’m still
will suffice. The best thing you can do is being listened to, even when what I’m saying
offer up your manly arms and manly chest is, “Hnrrrrngahhhhnurrrrr.”
RARELY WILL YOU and then, usually in a
“IT’S FINE, GO ON” witness women tense meeting with
How to handle crying in the office, superiors, angry tears
tears – women’s or but it’s happening all come without warning.
men’s – at work. around you. Women If this happens, it is more
are extremely adept important than ever to
at finding quiet places keep listening. For four
to sob at work. If I’m years at my last job, every
about to cry sad tears, I time I had an important
immediately proceed to meeting with my boss, I
my designated crying would weep. When tears
spot, a single-occupant started, I would inevitably
bathroom on another apologise, and he would
floor. If you come upon say, “It’s totally fine, go
a woman in transit to on.” As soon as I knew
her office crying spot, that I wasn’t making
do not stop her to ask, him uncomfortable (“It’s
“Are you okay?” It’s totally fine”) and that he
perfectly acceptable was interested in what
to pretend you haven’t I was saying (“go on”), I
noticed. But every now would stop crying. – L. L.
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 83
 HEALTH
Age Gracefully
Beat the Clock
Can You Outlast Winter?
Don’t My wife proudly flashed
her phone in my direction the other day to
Forget,
show off a picture she’d recently taken of me
holding our young son in a swimming pool.
You’re
I promptly grabbed the device and used my
fingers to zoom in on my belly, the size and
general flabbiness of which I have been loudly
Gonna
and repeatedly bemoaning of late. “I knew
you were going to do that,” she tsk’d.
Die!
She thinks I’m being ridiculous about my
gut – and she has a point. By any measure,
I’m slim. I eat reasonably carefully, and
work out at least six times a week. Yet I
AND OTHER WAYS TO FEEL miss the visible ab muscles I had in my
BETTER ABOUT GETTING OLDER. 30s. I miss more than that, actually. Now
/ BY DAN HARRIS
in my mid-40s (wait, is 47 my late 40s?!),
84 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
I notice that I am increasingly criticising
myself for looking old and bedraggled. So
why, considering this noxious little stew of
narcissism and body dysmorphia, would
you listen to me about ageing gracefully?
Because while I do perseverate about
this stuff, the amount of worry – and the
way in which that affects my behaviour
– has improved dramatically. Here’s a
comparison:
About ten years ago, I was in the throes of
a balding crisis; an omnidirectional freak-
out that bled into every area of my life. I was
on a flight home from an incredible journey
to report on an isolated indigenous tribe in
the Brazilian Amazon. Instead of savouring
ILLUSTRATION BY SHOUT

the experience, I locked myself in the
lavatory and spent ten minutes scrutinising
my hairline and engaging in a robust bout
of what the Buddhists call prapañca, or
“mental proliferation”. My mental movie
went something like this: Baldness -->
Unemployment --> Living on the street.
This prapañca made me irritable and
miserable. Just ask my wife, Bianca, who
caught me staring in our bathroom mirror
many times during this period.
These days, my gut panic aside, I am
much better at seeing my self-centred
anxiety crop up and then letting it go. While
writing this column, I asked Bianca whether
I’m handling my belly/ageing concerns more
successfully than the balding crisis. She
chortled and said, “There’s no comparison.”
What made things better? Part of it
was the combined effect of marriage,
maturation, and meditation (which has
become a daily practice and also an active
side hustle). But another important calming
ingredient has been something that may
strike you as supremely counterintuitive:
contemplating death.
Somehow, death has become taboo in
our society. As the meditation teacher Greg
Scharf has observed, in a youth-
obsessed culture, dying is the ultimate in
“really bad taste”. Yet it’s inevitable – even for
you. (And even for those tech titans in Silicon
Valley who are reportedly spending billions
to “solve” death. Good luck with that.)
There’s a fitting line from the Mahabharata,
the great Indian epic: “What is the most
wondrous thing in the world?” The answer:
“All around us people can be dying, and we
don’t realise it can happen to us.”
Every great spiritual tradition has
recommended that in order to live fully,
the best practice is to contemplate death.
How to do this? The Buddha recommended
meditating while staring at decomposing
bodies. Because of how deeply impractical
that proposal is, my wife and I opted for a
more feasible alternative: a few years ago,
we signed up to become hospice volunteers.
I was assigned to a small, eight-bed
hospice reasonably close to where I live.
Once I got over my initial jitters, I learnt
lessons that ranged from the inspiring
to the deeply comforting. For example, I
UP YOUR INNER GAME
Dan Harris is a co-anchor of Nightline and
the weekend editions of Good Morning
America. He’s the author of 10% Happier and
Meditation for Fidgety Sceptics.
noticed that for many people who are close utter nonchalance, “Yeah, you have
to the end, fear seems to recede. I recall no problems.”
chatting with a former college professor Working in a hospice is not a panacea,
who told me that as death neared, he felt less however. I often end up getting in an Uber
like a separate ego and more like a part of afterwards, checking email, and becoming
a larger, unfolding system. Yes, I thought, wholly caught up in my own nonsense
there’s nothing wrong or unnatural about again. And I still believe that there’s
death. Nature is in constant flux – and we actually some upside to my egoistic self-
are nature. flagellation: a certain amount of awareness
I also found that spending time in of my midsection can provide a healthy
a hospice provided a massive dose of motivation to get to the gym. But on the 85th
perspective on my workday problems. I time I find myself musing darkly on my
experienced this most poignantly through hairline or waistline, I now sometimes have
my relationship with a patient named the wherewithal to ask myself: given my
Ronnie, a former construction worker with limited window on earth, is this how I want
chronic lung and heart problems. When he to be spending my time? Yes, it makes sense
was first sent to the hospice four years ago, to work hard and strive, but what’s the point
he was given three days to live. Instead, he if you’re not enjoying the ride?
defied the odds and thrived. Every week, Ageing gracefully isn’t some Yoda-style
Ronnie and I eat snacks, banter with each imperturbability. Your insecurities and
other, and play video games. (Ronnie sees no peccadilloes remain; you just learn to
irony in the fact that he spends hours killing manage them more skillfully.
zombies while sitting in a hospice.) Once, I I usually wrap up these columns with
was telling him a story about how I had been something witty, but due to the weight of
worrying about some issue in my life – and this issue I will forgo the cute, and put it to
that I had then remembered Ronnie and you bluntly: given the undeniable reality of
stopped myself. Without even interrupting your finitude, how do you want to live?
the game, he turned to me and said, with When in doubt, just ask death.
HOWTOGAIN
SOMEPERSPECTIVE
YOU DON’T swipe right, there’s a great has died. Second, you
have to work in a hospice quote about mortality. systematically envision
(although I recommend Remember that all the people in your
it, and you can find one everybody who’s ever life and think of the fact
at hpca.co.za if you want been born will die. that they will die. One by
to learn more). Here are All these lives, all this one: your partner, your
some other tips to help drama, it just comes children, your friends. “It
you increase your ageing- and goes. Think about it. isn’t morbid, but rather
gracefully quotient: My meditation teacher, a way of keeping the
Download an app called Joseph Goldstein, truth that we all die front
WeCroak. It hits you up recommended a three- and centre,” he says. You
with notifications at five minute exercise to can access a three-part
random times a day that reflect on dying in as meditation, “Turbo-
remind you to stop and vivid a way as possible. Charge Your Meditation”,
think about death. It pings First, you ruminate on that ends on a death
you, “Don’t forget, you’re the great sweep of contemplation, for free
going to die. Swipe to see generations over time and at 10percenthappier
the quote....” When you remember that everyone .com/menshealth. – D.H.
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 85
 HEALTH

Tick
Tick

Tick
Not
Enough
Time
DOES THAT HEADLINE STRESS YOU OUT AS MUCH AS
IT DOES US? THERE’S A WORD FOR THAT. (A GERMAN WORD,
OF COURSE.) AND JEFF CSATARI HAS A WAY TO FIX IT.

Tick
Tick

Somewhere between anxiety and dread is that
feeling that creeps in on a Sunday evening. You still haven’t finished
the spreadsheet that was due Friday COB. Or cleaned up after the
party on Saturday. Or bathed the bulldog. Or yourself. Oh, and it’s
five minutes to midnight.
Torschlusspanik can be triggered by trivial stuff like an overly
ambitious weekend chore list; or say, a surprise visit from the boss, who
plants himself in your office to chat when you have less than an hour to
prep for a critical meeting. Often, all it takes to get that feeling started
is procrastination and the guilt that stems from that inaction. (“You
Artpartner-images/Getty Images

The Germans, who have an uncanny ability to capture in one
word a feeling that would take a full sentence in English to explain,
call this dread Torschlusspanik – literally, “gate-shut panic”. It’s the
medieval fear of not making it safely behind the castle gate before
nightfall. In modern usage, it describes the fear of running out of
time... to act, to accomplish, to meet deadlines real or perceived.
shouldn’t have left such a complicated project for the last minute!”)
Or, on a grander scale, upward comparison, the dangerous practice
of holding yourself up to someone you think is almost at the top of the
mountain while you’re still trying to figure out which ropes to use.
Whether your fear of time running out is short-term or more
epic, there are ways to make it... kaput:

86 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 is Running Out...
THIS HOUR
If you’re faced with 60 minutes to finish a
report, answer “urgent” emails, and fill out this
week’s fantasy-baseball-team roster, tackling
three tasks at once may seem wise. But studies
prove the opposite: multitasking lowers
attention span, increases stress, and makes
each task take longer. So keep it simple, says
Dr. Jordan Etkin, a professor at Duke University’s
Fuqua School of Business, who’s researched
multitasking. When you have deadlines of
60 minutes or less:
1 TRUNCATE YOUR TO-DO LIST.
High achievers are ruthless about prioritising,
she says: “Take a step back, figure out what’s
most important, and work on that thing.”
2 REFRAME THAT HOUR.
Duke researchers discovered that when
students cramming for an exam thought of one
hour as 60 minutes, the hour seemed longer,
they felt more productive, and they found the
subject matter more interesting.
3 3
TAKE TEN SLOW BREATHS.
We know everyone and their six-year-old
has told you to “belly breathe” when you feel
stressed. It’s not BS: dozens of studies have
shown how deep breathing activates the part
of the nervous system that works like a brake
on the stress train, helping you focus enough
to get stuff done. In other words, when you’re
under the gun, those breaths help you be
filled with fewer “I can’t pull this off” worries
and have more success at just pulling things
off.
TODAY
Now you have 24 hours to play with. The trick
to feeling like there’s still sand in the top of
the hourglass is to stop glorifying being busy.
Our culture values action, so working through
lunch makes us feel more productive and less
guilty... while in fact, ceaseless work makes us
less efficient. Instead:
1
DO 90-MINUTE INTERVALS.
“Humans weren’t made to work in a linear way,”
says Andrew Deutscher, managing director of
the Energy Project, a performance consulting
firm. “We’re built to pulse like waves.” So step
away from work every 90 minutes; people who
do so have a 28% higher level of focus than
people who take one or no breaks.
2
LET NATURE HELP.
Hunt for a natural scene. When a group of
students viewed a rooftop meadow for 40
seconds, they had greater concentration and
made fewer errors on an attention test than
those who looked at an empty concrete rooftop.
KNOW WHAT TO IGNORE.
Former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower
used what became known as “the Eisenhower
Box” to get things covered before nightfall.
Try it: draw four boxes, two stacked over two.
In each, write one of these things: urgent
and important daily tasks; important but not
urgent work; urgent but not important tasks;
work that’s neither urgent nor important. Use
it to determine what to ignore, leave for later,
delegate, or do immediately – you know, like
launch the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
THIS YEAR / THIS LIFE
Perhaps your head has run these lines: how
is it July already? How did I get to be this
age without starting a family/hot VC firm/
counterculture revolution (hell, I haven’t even
broken 10 000 Twitter followers yet)? This is a
deeper level of fear than the temporary panic of
having too much to do. It’s the anxiety of falling
short of your own expectations coupled with
the feeling that you don’t have enough time left
to meet them. When it hits, breathe, and:
1 ASK BIGGER QUESTIONS.
The larger question you should ask isn’t how to
cram it all in. It’s why you think you have to do
all those things you set out for yourself, says
Dr. Raj Raghunathan, of the University of Texas,
Austin. Instead of tallying up a life by job titles
and degrees earned, he says, rethink what a
meaningful life is. It might not be what’s on
your LinkedIn page.
2 GO OUT MORE.
People who meet with friends more than
once a week are 27% more likely to be satisfied
with life than those with no friends or who
get together only a few times a year.
3 DON’T OVERTHINK IT.
Regrets over things we could have done can
instigate Torschlusspanik too. These tend to
haunt us much longer than regrets over things
we should have done (like go to your friend’s
son’s wedding), says Cornell psychologist Dr.
Tom Gilovich. So stop wasting additional time
fretting over the “what if”s and “wish I had”s, and
just plunge in. After all, the gate is closing. But
there’s time to make it in.
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 87
 HEALTH
WINTER SURVIVAL QUIZ
YOU VERSUS
WINTER:
SEE WHO WILL WIN!
TAKE THIS QUIZ TO FIND OUT IF YOUR GET-THROUGH-TO-SPRING
STRATEGIES ARE LEAVING YOU COLD (OR SICK, OR TIRED).
EDITED BY / SCARLETT WRENCH
1. You’ve been rushing
from house to car to
office and back without
seeing the sun for days,
and you’re a little down.
You should grab...
A Five cups of milk
B 15 eggs
C A 140g salmon fillet
Answer: A, B, or C Each of the
above will meet your daily need of
vitamin D, which many of us
become deficient in over the
winter. Although we would advise
forgoing the 15-egg omelette in
favour of the salmon fillet.
2. When you have a
mild cold, you go to...
A Bed
B The kitchen
C The yoga mat
Answer: C, as long as your
symptoms are above the neck and
you don’t have a fever. Mild
exercise (on your own mat, in your
own home, thanks!) can help open
your nasal passages and
temporarily relieve congestion.
88 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
3. What’s the healthi s
thing to do après-ski?
A Not use the term après- ,
under any circumstances
B Sit next to the fire,
as one does
C Hit the gym to work out the
muscles you didn’t use skiing
Answer: B Relax next to the fire
– it can decrease blood pressure,
according to University of
Alabama researchers.
4. The best way to
warm up if you feel
numbness due to
mild frostbite is with...
A A fireplace
B A warm bath
C A foot massage
Answer: B Hit the bath. Overstim-
ulation of the skin – with hot water
or intense rubbing – as well as
exposure to direct heat can
lead to tissue damage. Soak in
a warmish bath (37 to 40°C) for
about 30 minutes, or until your
skin returns to its usual colour or
loses its numbness.
5. It’s freezing in here!
Do you turn up the heat
or grab a jersey?
A B
Crank it up Wrap it up
Answer: B Putting on a chunky
knit is a double play: you trim
your heating bill, and maybe your
circumference, too. Researchers
at Virginia Commonwealth
University found that men who
slept at 19°C had a 42% increase
in brown-fat volume compared
with when they slept at 24°C.
Brown fat is a potentially “good
guy” type of body fat that can
help burn kilojoules.
6 What happens when
you drag yourself out for
a chilly morning run?
A Your 10K time gets faster
B Your 10K time gets slower
C You can’t wait to get home
Answer: A Your heart rate will be
lower in cooler weather than on
scorching midsummer runs,
since your heart doesn’t have to
work so hard to regulate your
temperature. That means better
race times.

7. If seasonal affective
disorder makes you want
to shovel in carbs, the
best time to eat them is . . .
Sun Lee (kettlebell), Adam Nickel/Synergy Art (man skiing), Peter Crowther/Début Art (globe)
A First thing in the morning
B At dinnertime
C All the time
Answer: B Carbs boost the activity
of feel-good brain chemicals and
can offset depressive symptoms.
Concentrating your intake in the
evening may also support sleep –
unless you’re getting those carbs
from pie crust, or French toast, or...
pie-crust French toast (how bad
could it be?!), in which case you
have a different set of problems.
Keep your mood and your body
feeling great at the same time by
getting night-time carbs from
brown rice, sweet potatoes, and
other whole foods.
9. Where should you
put the blame for how
tight your pants are
this month?
A The gym membership
you’ve used exactly once
since April
B SuperRugby snacks,
Cricket World Cup
snacks, winter drinks
C Winter itself
Answer: A, B, and C Sure, winter
so far has probably included
more kilojoules and less exercise.
But a lack of sunlight could also
be packing on kilograms. A
Canadian study (for winter
studies, always look to the
Canadians...) found that
insufficient sunlight may inspire
you to store fat. Try at least
getting out at lunchtime.
10. A mug of glühwein
could sink your risk of
a cold by . . .
8. The best thing to cover
when you go to sleep on A 10%
a cold night is...
B 20%
A Your head C 30%
B Your feet Answer: C Consuming flavonoids,
C Your webcam, because who knows?! compounds found in red wine
(and in many fruits and vegeta-
Answer: B At night, blood vessels in your bles), could reduce your risk of
extremities dilate as part of getting you catching a cold by about 30%,
ready for sleep. Socks may help your body according to a study from New
get to its night-time state faster: in one Zealand. Flavonoids are thought to
study, people wearing socks fell asleep 7½ boost immune function. Of
minutes faster and slept 32 minutes longer course, washing your hands also
than when they slept sans socks. helps slash the risk...
HOW MANY DID YOU GET RIGHT?
0 TO 3 LET’S GET YOU NEXT TO 4 TO 7 LEAN IN TO THE COLD. 8 TO 10 CAN WE BORROW
THAT FIRE... WHICH WE’VE SET UP (NOT TOO FAR.) YOUR SOCKS?
OUTSIDE IN THE SUN... AND BRING Escape your overheated You’re handling the big
YOU SOME GLÜHWEIN. home and lace up your freeze, so let’s put that
If your mood is as dark as hiking boots. Participating bravado to the test: A PLOS
the mornings, start your in nature-focused leisure One study found that
day with a nice, juicy activities (mountain biking people who finished their
orange: Its vitamin C may would work too) can showers with a blast of cold
help alleviate the body’s enhance your psychologi- water took 29% fewer sick
response to stress. cal health and well-being. days. Deep breath now...
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 89
 WEALTH
Save For The Future
Fight Your Way To The Top
Build A Business

How To
Retire
By 40
AS IMPLAUSIBLE AS IT SOUNDS, A
SUBVERSIVE NEW MOVEMENT CLAIMS
THAT ANY OF US CAN ATTAIN FINANCIAL
INDEPENDENCE – AND BEFORE THE GREY
HAIRS TAKE HOLD. ALL IT REQUIRES IS THE
TOTAL DISMANTLING OF OUR ATTITUDES TO
SAVING AND SPENDING. IT’S WORKED FOR
SOME. COULD IT WORK FOR YOU TOO?

/ WORDS BY RICHARD GOODWIN

+ KIERAN LEGG

90 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 This is
exercise.” Whiter retired from accountancy at 43, having saved half
of his salary over two decades. Five years later, he spends his time
lifting weights, blogging, hanging out with his kids, and watching the

an article
rest of the world drag themselves to the office every morning.

SELF-PRESERVATION SOCIETY

about
The FIRE movement is American in origin, and dates back at least
to the 1990s. It’s particularly popular in the accelerated economies
of Silicon Valley – the land of libertarianism and spreadsheets – but

personal
it isn’t restricted to highly paid tech bros. If you’re earning R200
000 a month working at Facebook, say, you have many more options
than someone living precariously in the gig economy.

finance.
But since the financial crisis of 2008, ordinary people have begun
to question the logic of our consumerist, credit-dependent society.
A whole ecosystem of blogs and podcasts has sprung up. Online
forums such as r/financialindependence abound with income
calculators and advice.
Blogger Peter Adeney (aka Mr. Money Mustache) welcomes
millions of users to his site each month. He retired in his mid-thirties,
after saving about 50% of his income while working in “standard tech
Sorry about that. You probably didn’t come here to cubicle jobs” and growing tired of hearing his middle-class compadres
be told you could save money on your car insurance. And you don’t complain about how expensive everything was over their high-priced
need to be reminded that you could easily afford a house somewhere microbrews or sitting in their financed coupés.
you don’t want to live if you would only scrimp on flat whites and “The whole country seemed to be displaying the same odd
avocados. At MH, we pride ourselves on not being your father-in-law. behaviour: living ridiculously expensive lifestyles, while thinking
But something has been stirring on the personal finance dark they were completely normal – and then being baffled when they
web – something subversive, and perhaps a little cultish. had no money left over,” he notes.
“I see earning money like a game that I want to beat,” writes the “The whole reason for doing any of this,” Adeney wrote recently,
anonymous Saving Ninja on his or her blog of the same name. “It’s “is to lead the happiest, most satisfying life you can possibly lead.”
fun. Being a completionist is in my nature. I need to get that high The spirit of individualism speaks to a deep part of our psyche.
score.” The Saving Ninja is part of FIRE, a movement built around The 19th-century philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson described
the twin aims of achieving “Financial Independence” and “Retiring society as a “joint-stock company” that fed its members at the
Early”, ideally in your thirties or forties.
Success requires an obsession with
your balance sheet, as well as iron
discipline regarding the pastries at
your favourite café. It also demands START YOUR FIRE
an anti-consumerist spirit, and the Take the first steps in reclaiming control of
your spending, with help from the Escape Artist
level of commitment you’d need for
– Barney Whiter.
any training regime. Indeed, for many
of FIRE’s adherents, the discipline
required to put away 40% (or even 80%)
of each pay cheque derives benefit from 01/MAKE A 02/ASK BIG 03/DO YOUR 04/KNOW
training of a more literal sort. SPREADSHEET QUESTIONS RESEARCH WHAT COUNTS
This isn’t Be interrogative Now look at Finally, examine your
“If you want the mentality to do this,
supposed to and meticulous. your “passive” active spending.
first you need to improve the clarity of be fun. List Would you expenses, those Divide purchases into
your thinking,” says Barney Whiter, everything you consider you barely notice: those that truly add to
spend money moving to a your phone your life, and those that
48, who blogs about personal finance at
on each month place with contract, ADSL, don’t. Could you shop
theescapeartist.me. “If you’re a cubicle – not what you cheaper rent? electricity, water, at a more affordable
rat leading a sedentary lifestyle, it’s think you spend, Or finding a medical aid, car supermarket instead
but what you flatmate? Could insurance. Spend of the fancy spot
a natural reaction to comfort-spend
actually do – you work from a day researching down the street?
Photographs: ROWAN FEE

on holidays and takeaways and so on. with the largest home one day deals and making Could you skip the
People get run down.” expenses at the per week to calls. You can flat white, and brew
top. Examine reduce your haggle with most your own cup of
Weight training helped him end his
that first. transport costs? companies. coffee at home?
downward spiral. “It changes your mind-
set… Get yourself out of the door, and

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 91

 WEALTH
“You’re told
you can buy
happiness,
but you
can’t. What
you can buy
is freedom.”
expense of their “liberty and culture”. But what if this joint-stock
company is going out of business? In that case, FIRE isn’t simply
a matter of securing a life of leisure in your forties; it’s an act of
subversion – and of self-preservation.
“This is also a response to the decline of ‘jobs for life’,” says Whiter.
“It’s insanity to work in an economy where something like 10% of
people are made redundant each year. Companies are continually
restructuring. Automation is coming. AI is coming. The idea that
you can leverage yourself to the hilt is crazy.”
As many FIRE adherents are quick to
point out, it’s easier to achieve financial
independence in places such as South Africa
than in the United States. The groceries
are cheaper; but more importantly, there’s
arguably less social pressure to spend. And
where Americans are forced to fork over
thousands for medical aid, many of us coast by
on our company’s plans.
SA also ranks highly for investor protection,
and our volatile markets are fertile ground for unearthing lucrative
investments. We have the tools. It’s just a case of exploiting them.
CHEQUES AND BALANCES
“My goal is to become financially independent within 10 years,”
says Indy Hothi, 30, a strategy consultant. “That means having an
investment pot of about R18 million.”
Hothi works in finance, which gives him a two-fold advantage:
he is financially numerate, and relatively well paid. He currently
92 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
earns about R70 000 per month, all of which he puts into savings.
His wife earns R660 000 per year. They live on her salary.
While most of his colleagues feel the need to base themselves
within walking distance of a decent café, Hothi lives in a modest
home near the airport.
“It was the cheapest place we could find within commuting
distance of my job,” he says. He also makes all of his own lunches,
and only reads the Economist – he believes that limiting his
exposure to the media, and thus advertising, helps him avoid
getting sucked into a consumerist mindset.
“As a millennial, I can’t get rid of it entirely; but there are lots
of tools to block this stuff,” he says. “Just because I searched for
something online, it doesn’t mean I want to be targeted with ads.”
None of this makes him feel that he’s missing out. “I’m fortunate
that as a consultant, I understand what businesses do to drive
demand,” he explains. “Our lifestyles are all about replacing products,
and those replacement life cycles are becoming shorter and shorter.
“I realised early on that these products don’t buy you happiness.
They really don’t.”
Behind the spreadsheets, he says, is a “philosophical problem.
There are actions that anyone can take – going without coffee, say –
but underlying it all is a question of value. It’s about fulfilment, and
understanding yourself.”
For Hothi, as with many FIRE advocates, the ‘retirement’ part is
misleading. His wife will probably continue to teach after reaching 40,
he says; but that’s because she enjoys her job, rather than out of necessity.
“My passion is for social enterprises in developing economies,” he says.
“Financial independence will allow me to focus on that.”
I put all this to Adrian Lowcock, head of personal investing at
Willis Owen, who specialises in a more “your father-in-law” school of
financial advice. The working assumption of FIRE-heads is that you’ll
need a savings pot in the region of R18 million. They reckon you can
reasonably expect a 3 to 4% return on that (ideally, spreading it around
a mixture of assets, shares, government bonds,
and so on), so it should provide around R700 000
per year in perpetuity.
FINANCIAL Lowcock cautions that it’s not quite as simple
INDEPENDENCE IS as that. “You need to factor in inflation,” he says.
ACHIEVABLE FOR
MANY – BUT ARE SUCH “If inflation is 3%, your buying power will have
RADICAL MEASURES A halved in 23 years’ time. That means your R700
BRIGHT IDEA? 000 will buy R350 000-worth of goods. There’s
a negative compounding effect, as prices are
always going up.”
He stresses that financial planning is a
marathon, not a sprint. It’s naïve to think you can work for 20 years
and sit back for the following 50. But he agrees that a reckoning is
long overdue when it comes to our collective reliance on credit.
In Old Mutual’s 2018 Savings & Investment Monitor, it was
revealed that the average South African chooses to set aside just
14% of their income as savings. More worrying is that 13% of each
pay cheque goes towards paying off debt. Households rated their
satisfaction with their current financial situation at 5.9 out of 10.
“It’s a huge concern to me how little savings people have,” says
Lowcock. “When I was growing up in the 1990s, the future seemed to 300, 400 people, then it was sold up. The town’s only recovering
so rosy,” he recalls. “We spent a lot. It’s taken 10 years since the now. I never want to be in that situation: stuck with a house worth
financial crisis for changes in attitude to seep in. half of what I paid for it, and no job prospects.”
“I have an 18-year-old niece. She doesn’t go to the pub. She He’s seen the same process at work in manufacturing. “About
doesn’t drink. She’s focused on her career. I don’t like categorising 25% of jobs in my sector will be automated by 2030,” he says. “There
generations, but the outlook has never been rosy for millennials. are no long-term prospects. I know from speaking to people that
They realise they have to look after themselves.” there’s a lot of borrowing. They talk quite casually about their R180
000 credit card debt.”
SYSTEM FAILURES Wilson is now considering moving back in with his parents to save
Jonathan Wilson, 28, is an engineer who works (remotely) for a the money he spends on rent, and perhaps reduce childcare costs
manufacturing firm. He and his partner are hoping to achieve in the future. “It’d be great to move back and contribute a bit. It’s
financial independence in their forties. They both entered the cheaper to live there, so we’re thinking we could even start a business.
workforce in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. “A large part of my previous role was teaching. I’d love to teach
“My first job was sold to me as a great opportunity, but my pay people advanced manufacturing or engineering in schools.”
barely went up beyond the low R300 000s. It didn’t matter what I
did; I wasn’t getting any raises.” His girlfriend, meanwhile, was MONEY TALKS
earning a decent wage in online marketing but working in a “toxic Clint (not his real name), a 33-year-old industrial analyst, also
environment” and getting home miserable every evening. values financial independence above retiring early. He and his
“I realised that without ‘Fuck you!’ money, I couldn’t just get up wife are saving half of their R1 million joint income in the hopes
and walk out of a job,” says Wilson. He defines “Fuck you!” money as of going down to two or three work days a week in future.
three to six months’ salary. “It’s what you need to be able to tell your He acknowledges he’s lucky to live in a relatively affordable
boss that you’re not putting up with any more. When I didn’t have area, and to have been able to live rent-free at his parents’ house
those savings, I didn’t feel like I had any power.” while he saved for a deposit on his first home. But for him,
After he moved firms, he was able to lift FIRE is a matter of necessity. He has a
his salary beyond the R500 000 mark; but chronic respiratory condition.
the more significant development came when “I don’t know how long I can work without
he earned the right to work remotely. Wilson THERE’S MORE TO
my disability wrecking my career,” he says.
reckons that by eliminating workplace chatter, GOLD-PLATING YOUR “The lower my spending is now, the less I have
he can get through his daily to-do list in just a FUTURE THAN SAVING to reduce expenses in the event of a severe
HALF YOUR WAGES IN A
few hours. His girlfriend, meanwhile, took a PIGGY BANK
illness. In the meantime, I’ll save more, too.”
pay cut to become self-employed. Both have cut The post-crash era has taught him self-
down their costs. reliance. “I hated relying on the government,
“What I’ve found is that the more pushed you as things can change at any moment,” he says.
are for time, the more you spend. People who Clint is dismissive of the ‘gamification’ of
work lots of overtime tend to buy takeaways and taxis to compensate.” finance among some FIRE enthusiasts. Many, he says, are high
He saves R18 000 each month from his take-home pay of R36 000. earners in denial about how difficult this is for ordinary people to do.
“My savings rate is 48%; so with a withdrawal rate of 4%, that gives Moreover, “It’s not worth increasing your savings rate by an
me 20 years to retirement,” he explains. He puts around R12 000 into extra 2% if it makes you miserable. We would save R78 000 a year if
investments, and uses the rest to top up his “Fuck you!” fund. we didn’t take holidays; but life is what happens between now and
He and his girlfriend buy most of their food in bulk from retirement, and I don’t want to spend it eating rice and beans in
Asian supermarkets. “Don’t hit any of the middle aisles. You want a studio flat with the heating turned off in winter.”
vegetables and dried goods. We eat vegan most of the time.” While not everyone will be able to retire at 40, FIRE’s principles
How does he feel when he sees his peers on a night out? “I prioritise can help pretty much anyone. “I have friends who make R780 000
my own health,” he says. “I compete in combat sports. I do yoga, and a year, yet have as much money saved – zero – as others who are
a lot of training. I find that much more rejuvenating than drinking unemployed. That’s insane,” says Clint.
at parties. Living in a consumerist society, you’re constantly told you Whiter echoes this point. “The extreme examples get the atten-
can buy happiness, but you can’t. What you can buy is freedom.” tion. Mr. Money Mustache saved more than half of his income and
When he describes where he grew up – a once-thriving industrial retired at 30. Let’s be honest: most people won’t do that. But the
town that is now mostly boarded up – his priorities make far more idea is relevant – you don’t have to retire at 30, but why not at 55?
sense. “There’s been a cycle for hundreds of years: a new industry “It’s just about not being an idiot with your money, not
comes in, people move to the big town; but then it all runs out. being ripped off by consumerism. Everyone can get better
“My dad worked in the steel industry. At its peak, it employed with money. Money is power – power over your personal life.
about 6 000 people in a town of about 12 000. Eventually, that fell It can be used for good.”

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 93

Cairo Howarth takes
a hands-on approach
when it comes to
the running of
EFC Africa.

94 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 WEALTH

Fighting
Chance
THE BEST WAY TO LEARN ABOUT SOMETHING IS BY DOING IT. AFTER
STARTING SEVERAL WARTH
– PRESIDENT OF EF MAKE
A BUSINESS THRI MMIT

SOUTH AFRICAN MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

(MMA) athletes seeking the glory and fame
that comes with being a champion fighter
had very few chances in the early 2000s. The
limited number of events taking place across
the country wasn’t enough for anyone to make
a lucrative career out of the sport.
Meanwhile, across Europe and the US
the sport was exploding. It quickly became
the fastest-growing sport of the time; and yet,
its reach did not extend to Africa.
Like many successful entrepreneurs before
them, Cairo Howarth and his brothers, Silas
and Calvin, took advantage of the gap they
saw in the market, and launched the Extreme
Fighting Championship (EFC Africa) in
2009. Having trained in judo and karate
since they were youngsters, the brothers
were avid supporters of MMA.
“We saw what was happening with the
UFC overseas. It was quickly taking over
the world,” says Cairo, who’s now president
of EFC Africa. “We thought, why would
Africa be any different?”
The birth of EFC Africa gave rise to a new
era of MMA on the continent. For the first
time, athletes were contracted to fight.
“We canvassed the local scene, and gave the
top athletes the opportunity to compete at
our first event: EFC 1,” Cairo explains.
From the start, EFC was a hit, among
athletes and fans alike. After EFC 1, the sports
organisation received an influx of eager
fighters wanting to compete. “They saw that
we were doing it properly, and much more

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SEAN LAURÉNZ MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 95

 WEALTH
professionally,” says Cairo.
“After that first event, many of the athletes
gave interviews. I remember one in particular,
with Andrew van Zyl, who went on to become
our multi-heavyweight champion. At the time,
he was doing the smaller circuits; but he had
basically retired from MMA, because there
was no way for him to really compete,” Cairo
explains. “He came to EFC 1 as a fan. And it
reignited his love for the sport, so he began
training, and became an athlete once again.”
Now, ten years on, EFC reaches audiences
across the globe. While the majority of
athletes come from Africa, there is
a handful from Europe, Asia and the US.
For Cairo, EFC has been an interesting
journey – one abundant with lessons. “It’s
easy to start a business; it’s hard to make a
business successful,” he explains. “There are
many factors that come into play, and unfor-
tunately a lot of them are out of your control.”
HERE’S WHAT THE RIDE HAS TAUGHT HIM:
Choose Your Partners Wisely
When it comes to running a business, it’s
important that you and your business partners
are on the same page. Cairo learnt this the
hard way with one of his earlier businesses.
Together with an acquaintance, he decided to
open South Africa’s first online record shop.
“It didn’t work out well. I ended up getting
burnt on that, and losing quite a bit of money.
The thing about taking on a business partner
is that you’re making a full-time commitment
with that person. You have to really trust
them, and ensure you’re both aiming for the
same thing.”
Cairo was lucky. He was still young at the
time, with no responsibilities. While the
lesson cost him, he could still bounce back.
And the next business he ventured into was
with his brothers – the two people he trusted
most in the world.
Still, going into business with family isn’t
without its challenges. You have to make a
conscious decision to keep your personal life
and your work life separate. But for Cairo, the
benefits far outweigh the challenges. “There
are no issues with trust. We all know what
we’re aiming for, we’re all on the same page,
and we’re all trying to get to the same goal.”
And that goal is to be the UFC of Africa. To
give African athletes the chance to perform
on a global stage. “As Africans, we don’t get the
same opportunities as those growing up in the
96 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
States or in Europe, especially when it comes
to sport,” he says.
Before the Howarth brothers established
EFC, there was no way for MMA athletes to be
recognised for their achievements. Without
EFC no-one would have known who they were,
and there would have been no opportunity for
them to further themselves in the sport.
“That’s probably what we’re most proud
of – the opportunities that have been provided
by EFC, and the stories we hear. We’ve seen
many guys who’ve gone pro with us, and now
they’re doing amazing things.”
Leverage Your Resources
With EFC, Cairo and his brothers were
venturing into new territory. To ensure the
success of their new venture they had to use
the resources available to them. “While it was
a new industry, we were lucky too. We had an
events company, we had a television company,
we had a marketing company; and EFC was
a combination of all three.”
For their first event they struck a deal with
SuperSport. They produced the show them-
selves. “To get to that point was a lot of behind-
the-scenes work. Because we had a history in
TV production and we had an events compa-
“It’s easy to start a business; it’s
hard to make a business successful”
ny, we could take them through how things business from actually working in a business.”
would work.” The brothers produced evidence Cairo recognises how fortunate he was. He
of how they’d run events in the past, and the knew that if his businesses ended badly, he
quality of the shows they’d produced. That wouldn’t be left on the street. “And it’s easier to
body of work counted in their favour. take risks when you’re younger. Now it’s much
“We were lucky that we could do that. We harder; I have children, I have a family, I have
had all these great resources, so we thought, more responsibilities. It’s a whole different
how else can we leverage those?” story to when you’re in your twenties, because
Knowing when to leverage your resources then there’s not much you have to worry about.”
is something Cairo learnt early. He was
fortunate – his father’s company was involved Adapt or Die
in marketing and television, and that’s where In the ten years since the brothers started
he learned the ropes. He would often tag out, they’ve faced many challenges. “Back
along to shoots with his father. then, we were the new kids coming into the
Later, when he had to choose between industry. We had to come in and steal market
studying and making money by working share from other players. We don’t have those
through his TV production business, Cairo issues anymore.”
chose work. He ended up not getting his As the organisation has grown, so too have
degree. What he learnt, he learnt on the their responsibilities. They now have more
job. “I’m sure there are plenty of benefits to athletes, more staff, more expectations and
studying and getting experience that way, bigger overheads. In order for the growing
but it’s hard to beat learning what to do in a company to survive and thrive, they had to

adapt constantly to the media climate.
“Yes, we’re the biggest and the strongest
in the industry in MMA in Africa at the
moment, but that can change tomorrow. If we
don’t change daily and look at what’s happen-
ing on a day-to-day basis, we run the risk of
falling behind.
“We can’t even look at what we were doing
ten years ago – that business model no longer
works. And in ten years’ time, it’s going to be
different to how things are today.”
It’s a lesson that applies to businesses in
every industry. Being as fluid as possible will
help you stay relevant in the long run. “If you
look at the Fortune 500 companies of 50 years
ago, there are only a handful of companies
that still exist today.”
Over the years, EFC have changed
everything from their broadcast distribution
to their revenue streams. To implement
change, they look at every aspect of their
business, and decide if that’s the most effective
way for them to carry out that aspect, and if it
aligns with the direction the market is taking.
Their current goal is to make EFC the
second-most-watched sport across Africa,
after soccer. To do this, they’ve changed the
way they distribute their content across the
continent. For the past ten years they’ve had
exclusive deals with TV operators across
Africa. This year they changed their business
model to include deals with multiple operators.
“We’ve changed our model drastically, with
the intention of taking the organisation – and
the sport and athletes – to a bigger market.”
In addition to the deals with TV networks
across Africa, the shows are also streamed
on the company’s digital channel, EFC
Worldwide TV.
“When it comes to the distribution of our
content, we look for two things: it’s eyeballs,
for one – we want to be in front of as many
fans as possible, and make our content as
accessible to them as possible. And then, two,
there’s obviously a revenue component, in
terms of how much money we can get for
our content in a different market.”
None of these changes would have been
possible if the brothers hadn’t invested a lot of
time into making the business work. As the
old adage goes: “The more time you put into
something, the better it turns out.”
CAPITALISE
ON YOUR FUTURE
“Owning a business generally means
that you have a lot of your own capital
tied up in the business. It’s good to
diversify your investments and reduce
your risk, if possible; and a simple and
efficient way to do this is to invest in
listed stocks,” says Cairo.
“Although I’ve always been a keen
follower of the markets, until recently
I’d never actually invested myself. Now
[using an online platform] I enjoy the
benefits of having invested in different
companies (other than my own).”
If you plan on starting your own
business in the future, consider
investing now so you have more capital
to work with when the time comes.
While there are risks associated with
investing, if you make smart decisions
you’ll be able to mitigate these risks.
Standwa Nongauza from EasyEquities
explains why investing is a good idea:
1 / You can make money in your
sleep. “Investing can generate passive
income in the form of dividends
– which is a great way to supplement
your main source of income, and
can help you build capital for your
business.”
2 / Your money’s available if you
need it. “Investing in the stock markets
is the most liquid form of long-term
wealth creation there is. Meaning that
finding buyers and sellers is incredibly
quick, and a speedy process overall
(unlike property investment, and other
more niche forms of investing). When
it comes to valuing the price for your
assets, the stock markets establish
value very quickly.”
3 / It’s (potentially) better than
leaving it in the bank. “In the long
term, investing can earn you more
money than you would have made
when only saving. Things like interest
rates and inflation eat away at savings,
while with investing, there is the
potential to make returns that beat
inflation and fees.”
Don’t know where to start? The
EasyEquities online platform allows
you to invest in several ways.
Choose between investing in a
foreign account, buying shares,
or even saving for your future with
a retirement annuity. Find out
more at easyequities.co.za.
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 97
 WEALTH

JULY

WEALTH REPORT
THE Put the squeeze on your
stress, build a business
(all by yourself), and
raise calmer, more
calculating kids with
this in-depth research
and MH-certified advice.

4 DON’T OPEN UP 6
1
More and more less face-to-face
GET YOUR
GO SOLO companies are interaction in the GAME ON
embracing open-plan aftermath, but
office spaces as a productivity took
way to encourage a massive hit. The While open-
teamwork and face- authors explain that plan offices
to-face interaction. in a bid to preserve may be killing
But a new Harvard what privacy they productivity,
study has revealed had left, people were launching a
the switch from communicating videogame and
cubicle to communal via email or text slugging it

NATURAL-
2 may have the
exact opposite
messages instead. If
your office has already
out with your
colleagues

BORN
could boost
effect. Researchers transitioned, your best performance.
observed employees bet is asking for a few
READERS
As part of a
at two offices before days a month to work Brigham Young
Teamwork makes and after owners from home. Studies University study,
the dream work, but converted the work have shown that participants
if you’re starting a You’ve survived an eight-hour environment to an remote workers are were divided into
business, a pair of shift, squeezed in a gym session, open-plan office often more productive 80 teams, and
each assigned
meddling partners and cooked dad’s infamous spagbol space. They noted (and substantially one of these
could turn those early that not only was happier) than those
days into a nightmare.
from scratch. Who really has the there significantly confined to the office.
tasks: playing
the head-
A new study has energy for story time? You do – and banging console
revealed that lone-wolf here’s why: reading to the little guy classic Rock
entrepreneurs tend won’t just make your child less likely Band, running
to fare better than 5 FINANCE WITHOUT FEELINGS and gunning in
a group of aspiring to be disruptive or hyperactive, it Halo 4, doing
will also help you to be a calmer, According to a recent Dalbar study, 50% homework solo, or
start-ups. Researchers tackling a goal-
in the US surveyed less-aggressive parent. A Rutgers of investors who lost money with their setting activity
10 000 businesses investments found themselves in the red with a group of
on the crowdfunding
University study analysed data on because of psychological factors. At the top others. Those
site Kickstarter. Of 2 000-plus parent-child pairs in of the list of these factors were loss aversion with a joypad in
these, they selected which the parents were quizzed on and narrow framing. Loss aversion is an all- hand performed
around 3 500 that encompassing term for the fear that leads 20% better in
(among other factors) how often to withdrawing an investment at the worst subsequent tests
could be classified
as companies that they harshly disciplined their possible time (such as an extreme dip). People than the others.
While your boss
were founded by tykes – verbally or physically. The who are guilty of narrow framing are investors might not be
an individual or a results: those who read to their who make big decisions on one stock without on board with
partnership. While thinking about the impact this may have on the setting up PS4
those businesses
toddlers were less likely to engage rest of their portfolio. The lesson: take a deep at the office,
backed by a team in so-called harsh parenting, with breath, and start reading. Nothing can compete challenging
were able to snag parents adding that these kids were with having an in-depth knowledge of the your mates to
more funding, the market and its trends. It’ll help you make more a few rounds of
less hyperactive and disruptive. The informed decisions, and give you valuable a multi-player
solo ventures bagged mobile game
higher revenue. lesson: don’t skip story time. context that will help you calm the f*** down. during your
lunch break
might help you
3 GIVE IT A SQUEEZE perform better
throughout the
day.
Whether it’s a joke foam friends was yes. Long answer: study discovered
gift or a relic left invented back in better than you think. patients undergoing
behind by your the 80s, after a TV One study gave surgery were less
Getty/Gallo; Unsplash; Freepik

cubicle’s former writer discovered the stress balls to grade anxious when armed
occupant, you calming benefits of sixes and asked them with one of these. As
probably have a destroying random to complete a test. with fidgeting, the
stress ball on your objects in his office. The squeezers were latest studies have
desk somewhere. But do they actually less distracted than breathed new life
The first of these work? Short answer: their peers. Another into this foam relic.

98 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 FIT AGE A T A NY

Strategies and tips for more muscle,

money, success, and sex for your 20s, 30s, 40s,
50s, and beyond!

Your
Twenties
Hey, you’ve got it pretty good
right now! Enjoy being active and the
ideal heart rate, and make sure to get
plenty of sleep. You’re confident enough
to take on the world and even
get away with some risky behaviour
without doing (major) damage.
All you’ve gotta do is stay focused –
and start saving some cash.
THE NUMBERS
What Fitbit tells us about the average man in his 20s.

BODY MASS RESTING DAILY DAILY ACTIVE HOURS

INDEX: HEART RATE: STEPS: MINUTES: OF SLEEP:

25.7 62 9903 60 6.59

100 Photographs by RAMONA ROSALES

 75/5
ik Light 4.75/5

G RAPHI
H K REG
HI GRAPHI
HIK SEMIBOL
B O D 6.5 < 100>
1 . 19 10
/ J ly 2019 01
 ANY
AT
T

A
GE • FI

GE • FI
What you can FINANCIALLY

A
T
AT
ANY

(and cannot) get away FIT AT 20

with in your 20s
Avoiding
the
Routinely Dentist A Crazy Those Two
Drinking to A Irregular (Three?)
Oblivion Hardcore Sleep Times You
Schedule WELCOME to the
Weed Did Ecstasy real world. Step 1:
Habit start saving for
retirement – like, now!
The earlier you start, the
Your brain is still “The 20s are the “We don’t have longer your investment
pretty young – it’s worst decade for evidence of long- has to grow and the less
not fully developed oral health in males,” term so-called brain you’ll have to save over
until your mid- to says Dr. Mark Wolff. damage from short- time, says Arielle O’Shea,
late 20s. Right Skipping your term or intermittent a finance journalist for
now there are pointments now use of these NerdWallet. If you’re
more connections caan lead to tons of substances,” says at your first job, look
between neurons. e (and money) Dr. Wilson Compton at your retirement fund
This helps you i the dentist’s
in from the USA's or employer plan and
learn quickly, but it office later. Tooth National Institute find out what percentage
also means there’s decay and gum “We tend to on Drug Abuse. of your retirement
When you're get more deep “I wouldn’t expect
more real estate for damage are the investment your
young, the trillions sleep when we’re someone who
alcohol to bind to, real deal: they can company is willing to
of connections younger,” says Men’s had no noticeable
explains Dr. Frances be permanent. match. Shoot to
in your brain Health sleep advisor complications at
Jensen, author of And gum disease mirror that. (So if it
become wrapped Dr. Christopher the time to have
The Teenage Brain. has been linked to matches up to 6%, try
in an “insulation” Winter. In other problems ten or
This makes the to contribute 6% from
called myelin – a words, the sleep twenty years later.”
effects of booze each pay cheque.) “A
construction project you do get probably Long-term use is
more profound, and lot of people think they
that starts in the counterbalances different. Ecstasy
allows addictions to should pay off their
back of your brain at bingeing on Netflix acts on two still-
form in a stronger, student loan first, or build
birth, and over time, into the wee hours, developing brain
more permanent up this big emergency
moves forward, or staying up till regions, those for
way than they do fund, but those matching
speeding up sunrise, he says. Not
later. Plus, binge [Rands] are an instant
connections along every night, though.
drinking now is return on investment,”
the way. The crucial If your schedule is
linked to reduced says O’Shea.
frontal lobe, which completely off, the
areas of the brain For the rest of your
controls decision best workaround is
involved in memory, paycheques, follow
making, is the last to aim for at least 49
language, attention, other body-wide the 50-30-20 rule of
to wrap up. Chronic hours of sleep over
and more – and they problems, including budgeting: Fifty per
cannabis use in the week. But that's
stay smaller for life. heart disease. cent of your income
your 20s can mess only for now; as you
But it's also largely after tax goes towards
up the process. get older, you lose
preventable. necessities (food,
The result: a higher your reserve and
Make one appoint- housing, transportation).
propensity for risk deep sleep is harder
ment. If you Thirty per cent goes to
taking thr ut to come by, so a
get cleaned up and discretionary spending
life, Jensen says. crazy schedule will
cked for cavi- j d
judgment d ffor
and (entertainment, dining
s, you might be leave you ragged, memory formation, out, dates). And 20
ay limiting your hungry, and just and long-term, per cent goes to
c
check-ups to every feeling lousy. If only chronic use has savings (including both
couple of years, you could bank been linked to retirement savings and
Wolff says. sleep now for later. negative changes a cash cushion, or long-
Illustration: Marta Signori, Insets: Getty/Gallo

in both. – Cassie term payments for, say,

Shortsleeve buying a car). 

>>> ALL THAT POST-ADOLESCENT TESTOSTERONE coursing through your body means one thing: you want
SEX TIP to get laid, and often. If you’re with a partner who has similar stamina and flexibility, go for it! Make each
OF THE DECADE session count by spending a good 15 to 20 minutes making out before the clothes hit the floor. And use
lube. Check out page 78 to find out which lube is best for you.

102 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 Ç The
Check-up
FUTURE PROOF 20s

¶
YOUR FACE
You're healthy and young. Who
needs a doctor? You do. Here,
your healthy-guy talking points.
BY RACHAEL SCHULTZ

Introduce yourself Share your sex life

First, have a go-to Check that you’ve
doctor. You need received the HPV
someone to be vaccine. (It may not
What to apply, lather on, and shave off to look your familiar with you and be too late to get
best at every age. BY GARRETT MUNCE your medical history,
says urologist Dr. Matt
the vaccine now.)
According to the US
Coward, director of CDC, almost everyone
20s: Invest in Your Future 40s: Build Your Defence male reproductive who doesn’t get vac-
“The single most important thing you In this decade, most of us start to see medicine and surgery cinated becomes
should be doing during your 20s is new spots and uneven skin tone, much at UNC Fertility in infected with this
protecting your skin from the sun,” says of which is caused by sun damage Raleigh. When things symptomless STI at
dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner. Sun from our earlier years. “Vitamin C is your go wrong, a physician some point, which
damage that happens early in your life go-to ingredient,” says Dr. Zeichner. who knows you (not could raise the risk
can weaken the foundation of your skin “Think of this potent antioxidant as an just the random of genital warts and
and affect how it ages over time. A whole insurance policy on your sunscreen. Put person at the clinic) even some cancers.
crop of new sunscreens like ClarinsMen it on every morning under your SPF.” It’s can better determine While you’re on the
UV plus SPF 50, 50ml (R370, clarins. been shown that daily use of vitamin whether your topic, ask for an
co.za) are designed for daily use and C helps combat new UV damage and symptoms in a crisis “STI panel”, which
are lightweight, clear, and easy to wear repair existing pigmentation issues. Try are signs of something includes tests for
so that you won’t feel like you’re hitting Uriage Depiderm White Lightening bigger. This doctor chlamydia, gonorrhea,
the beach on the way to the office. Also: Corrective Serum 30ml, (R385, clicks. should also take your and sometimes HIV,
Wash your face twice a day (morning and co.za). Also: Schedule a yearly full-body baseline numbers – syphilis, hepatitis,
night). Look for a cleanser that contains check-up with your dermatologist to blood pressure, lipids, and herpes. Ideally,
salicylic acid, such as Neutrogena Visibly monitor moles and sun spots. If you fasting blood sugar – you should get a new
Clear Spot Clearing Facial Wash. don’t have a dermatologist, get one. to measure against in panel of tests with
the future. Get them every new partner,
30s: Nurture the Face You Have 50s: Fight the Good Fight rechecked every three or at least get
In your 30s, skin-cell turnover starts “In your 50s, skin starts to get dry and to five years. them annually.
to slow down. “The skin can’t protect dull,” says Dr. Zeichner. Not only does
itself as well as it used to from the it lose hydration, but our skin’s natural
environment,” says Dr. Zeichner. ability to purge dead skin cells slows
“Collagen and elastin start to weaken, down, which can leave them on the THE NUTRIENT YOU NEED NOW///
and fine lines can start to appear.” surface and give skin a sallow look. Using
Products with retinol like Optiphi
Intense Retinol Infinity Serum (R1 444,
heavier, more hydrating creams will help,
as well as a chemical exfoliator such as
Vitamin D “When you're in your
optiphi.com) can stimulate collagen Dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel (R1 499, 20s, your body can still lay down the
production, which strengthens skin dermalogica.co.za) to get rid of those materials needed for strong bones that
from the inside out and increases cell dead cells. “Adding a hydroxy acid to your will sustain you through life,” says Dr.
turnover, to keep your skin’s surface routine will help dissolve connections
Mike Roussell, a Men’s Health nutrition
fresh and diminish early signs of ageing. between skin cells so they can be shed
Retinol can be irritating at first, so add more easily,” says Dr. Zeichner. “This will advisor. “Vitamin D plays a key role
Photograph: Allie Holloway

a pea-sized amount to your moisturiser
every other night and work your way up.
Also: Find a hyaluronic-acid serum like
Vichy Minéral 89 Fortifying and Hydrating
Daily Skin Booster to help your skin cells
retain moisture and function better.
improve light reflection off the skin, to in bone health.” Aim for 600 IU of D
brighten a dull complexion.” Also: Switch daily. (85g of cooked salmon has 570.)
to a gentle, hydrating cleanser such as
Eat more: Wild salmon, canned tuna,
Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar, which
won’t disrupt your skin’s pH balance. sardines, egg yolks, milk, Swiss cheese
And keep using sunscreen!

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 103


TRANSFORMATION!
How to Build
Muscle at 20
Getting buff as a skinny 20-year-old is a tough
ask, but not impossible. Bukhosi Khoza was on a
mission for muscle a few years back; and now, at age
24, he’s no longer that skinny kid on the rugby field,
but a fully fledged (and flexed) personal trainer.
This is how he did it. Make sure you follow his
journey on Instagram @bukhosi_khoza.
The Challenge: “I grew up very skinny, but was very
athletic and loved playing soccer. But my high school
didn’t have soccer, so I had to play rugby. Being
skinny and playing rugby is not the best combo.
Especially if you had as little strength as I did. I
started going to the gym to gain muscle mass and get
stronger. I wanted to play first team rugby so badly,
and that’s where my weightlifting obsession began.
After three years in the gym, I could see all my
hard work paying off, which gave me more confi-
dence and motivation to improve myself even more.
I was obsessed with fitness, so much that I gave
up rugby straight after matric to follow my passion.
I fell in love with the process of getting fit, so I
worked on becoming a trainer and fitness model.
I’ve had my ups and downs in my fitness journey,
but what kept me going was the need to constantly
improve myself. And honestly, pursuing this goal
is the only thing that made me feel like I have a
purpose. My results have brought me a higher level
of self-belief and have allowed me to inspire others
as well. I’m becoming both mentally and physically
stronger, because I invested in my own personal
growth. Now I want to help others do the same.”
104 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
THE FITNESS
Bukhosi is self-trained. After a lot of
experimentation in the gym, he
found what works for his body and
stuck to it.
Think Big
The secret to Bukhosi’s muscle
growth is his approach to working
out. Instead of isolation moves like
biceps curls, he went for exercises
that spread the workload across his
entire body, such as squats and
deadlifts. “I would work my full body
every day,” he says. “Your workout
programme must cover all body
parts. And you’ll need to lift a bit
heavier than your usual.”
Your Body Weight Is The Best Weight
If you’re just getting started, make
bodyweight exercises the backbone
of your routine. They’ll help you
improve overall body awareness and
ensure that you’re keeping your core
involved in all your training.
The Mind Is A Muscle
“One of the most important things I
learnt through my fitness journey is
that it all starts with your mental
health,” he says. “You need to have
the right mindset in order for you to
grow physically.” Bukhosi also found
that having a strategic approach to
his training helped him achieve
better results. “You need to know
what you want, and how you’re going
to get it. Plan accordingly.”
ANY
AT
T
A
GE • FI
GE • FI
A
T
AT
ANY
BUKHOSI KHOZA
AGE: 24
LOCATION: Pretoria
OCCUPATION: Online Personal
Trainer
HEIGHT: 173cm
WEIGHT BEFORE: 51kg
CURRENT WEIGHT: 78kg
TIME TO GOAL: 4 Years
THE NUTRITION
“Getting a fit body is not only about
training, but also good nutrition and
good mental health. It’s a whole
combination.”
Give Those Jaw Muscles a Rest
Bulking up requires a lot of chewing.
This is where protein shakes can
help. Try going with three meals of
real food and then incorporate three
liquid shakes to help cut down all that
mastication.
Make The Diet Portable
Pick smart and pack smart when
you’re away from home. When you’re
out to eat, cough up the extra cash
for a bowl of berries at breakfast. And
then leverage protein for snacks:
biltong, low-sugar protein bars,
nut-and-seed trail mixes.
Prep For Your Meal Prep
Bulking diets require structure to
thrive. Even Bukhosi slipped up at
first when he started eating more
healthily. “Compared to before,
I’ve become really focused on my
diet and what I eat. I can now control
Photographs: Supplied; additional words: Thaaqib Daniels
my craving, and I’m aware of what’s
good for my body.” For people with
busy schedules, it's tough to get the
hang of prepping your meals. Try
this: shop on Tuesdays and meal prep
four meals for lunches and dinners,
which should last you until the
weekend. Then shop and prep three
more lunches and dinners on
Saturday, which should take you
back to Tuesday. Tweak it to your
schedule, and see what works for
you. Fiddle until you find what works.
– Thaaqib Daniels
 YOUR FIRST BIG INJURY
How it happens, how to treat it, and how to live
with it for the long haul.
T H E G R E AT
DISAPPEARING
CONDOM
The Spot:
Lower Back BY MATTHEW KASSELL

The Injury: THE FIRST TIME I had sex without a condom,

Muscle Spasm
m I was a third-year at varsity and had been
The Spot: with my girlfriend at the time for about six
“Poor form wh hen
Knees months. We’d both been tested, and she was
you’re lifting
ng weights
can trigg ger spasms on the Pill. It seemed relatively responsible.
The Injury: But while I found the experience pleasurable,
in the muscles that
go up p and down
ACL Tear I also felt exposed, as if I were playing cricket
It often happens without a box. It wasn’t gratifying enough
yourr back,” says Dr.
when you’re doing that I wanted, afterwards, to ditch condoms
Ryaan Lingor, team
something like altogether. For the most part, I appreciate
phhysician for the
swerving to receive what they do.
New York Rangers.
a pass and you slip. Surprisingly, my position puts me in
Treat it: Some
A classic reason your the minority, as an increasing number of
evidence says heat is
ACL goes: an uneven men are going without condoms. The vast
better, other science
strength relationship majority of guys don’t use them often or
says ice. “Go with
between your quads for long, according to Men’s Health sex and
whatever feels better
and hamstrings, says relationships advisor Debby Herbenick,
to you,” Dr. Lingor says.
Dr. John Gallucci Jr., a sexual-health researcher at Indiana
Light stretching helps
CEO of JAG-ONE University, and most people don’t use them in
keep muscles from
Physical Therapy. casual sex after their mid-20s. This is jarring,
continuing to spasm,
Treat it: Immediately considering in 2017 there were an estimated
hee adds, and OTC
after injury, ice it, rest, 2.2 million new cases of gonorrhoea, 3.9
antti-inflammatories
and do some gentle million new cases of chlamydia and 47 500
such h as ibuprofen
quad stretching new cases of syphilis in men aged 15 to 49.
help relieve pain.
(heel to butt). Parttial Given those numbers, you’d think that
The lonong-term fix:
tears may heal w with guys would be using plastic wrap and
Keep form rm on point:
physical therap apy. an elastic band. So why aren’t more men
build core strength
A tear of mo ore than reaching for their condoms at a time
with rotationa al
35 to 45% % will when they need them most? The reasons
movements suc ch as
probabably require the are many, according to sexual-health
chops, and do deep ep
knif
nife, Gallucci says. experts. There’s a lack of education around
ab-strengtheners like
The long-term fix: sex. There’s the influence of no-condom
front and side planks.
Strengthen quads pornography. There’s a general sense of
and hamstrings with ambivalence, along with a distrust of public-
walking lunges and health recommendations, particularly in
step-ups, says Gallucci. low-income communities. There is also, as
Keep the knee tracking always, alcohol.
between the second The guys I talked to spoke mostly of
and third toes. pleasure. “It feels a lot better if you don’t”
wear a condom, says David, a 21-year-old
university student who’s had sex without a
condom in about 20 different casual hook-
The Spot: Ankle ups, by his estimation. The women he’s slept
with, he adds, often prefer, and consent to,
The Injury: Sprain him not using one.
It happens to world-famous athletes, so don’t be surprised if you roll your ankle, Angel, a teacher, who is single and in his
causing the ligaments that support the outside of it to stretch beyond their late 30s, abandoned condoms 15 years ago.
normal limits and tear. The more times you suffer a sprain, the more susceptible He acknowledges that it’s “super-dangerous”,
you are to future instability and injury. but gets tested regularly and hasn’t
Treat it: These seem like no big deal, but they can limit you for life if you try to contracted any diseases yet, he says. “I know
Illustration: Allie Holloway

push through the pain – even if they’re relatively mild. In the first 48 hours, use that it’s not the smartest thing,” says Angel,
RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation, along with anti-inflammatories. “but when you’re in the moment, and ready to
Then do gentle range-of-motion exercises such as ankle circles. go, sometimes you’re not thinking logically.”
The long-term fix: Teach your ankle to stay strong under stress with balancing Few people are, I guess, when they
exercises such as single-leg body-weight squats on a balance board, and agility have sex on the brain. I’ve heard the same
exercises like running in progressively smaller figure-eights. – Alyssa Shaffer about syphilis.

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 105

 ANY
AT
T

A
GE • FI

GE • FI
A
ANY
AT
T
his first national crown a year later, and
has been among the best ever since.
But he plays a sport whose players
have a short shelf life. Traditional sports
stress mind and body, but esports are
mostly mental. They challenge your
brain, especially its knowledge centres,
object-perception hubs, and learning and
processing engines. The reaction time and
efficiency of these systems begin to diminish
naturally in your mid-20s, which may be
why esports are dominated by people in their
early 20s. That means that Marquez may be
nearing game over. Last year, he finished a
career-low sixth in the world Melee rankings.
Marquez says he’ll “play as long as my
hands allow,” but to do so he’ll have to slow
the cognitive-ageing process. Emerging
science offers hope. With the right training,
Marquez, and anyone with a PlayStation,
might be able to preserve – or level up – his
brain prowess.

AGE 24. That’s when your brain’s reaction

times begin to decline, according to research
from Simon Fraser University in Canada.
Scientists analysed reaction-time data from
3 305 gamers between the ages of 16 and
44, observing their reactions when playing
StarCraft II, a game that has you making a
lot of decisions in real time. The researchers
scored “looking-doing” latency, how quickly
players could spot something unique
onscreen and react. A 39-year-old is about
150 milliseconds slower than a similarly
skilled 24-year-old. That’s up to 30 seconds

PP
of lost reaction time every 15 minutes.

B A START One potential chemical reason for this

decline: N-acetylaspartate (NAA), the
second-most concentrated amino acid
in the central nervous system, begins
Level up to greater brain longevity and diminishing. Among NAA’s purported
mental agility by learning from the youngest functions is contributing acetate for
sport of them all – esports. BY IMAD KHAN myelin sheaths, which insulate nerve cells
and increase the speed and efficiency at
JOSEPH MARQUEZ’S HANDS are a blur. His – all within milliseconds. His fingers slam which information travels throughout the
right thumb slides from button to button, buttons, unleashing a flurry of moves. But brain. This, combined with the shrinkage
his left thumb shifting between angles mere it’s not enough. Marquez, the oldest star left of the memory-driving frontal lobe and
degrees apart on a circumference the size of in last August’s Evo 2018 Melee tourney, hippocampus, starts the erosion of your
a 50c piece. He’s just seconds into his Super falls, slipping into the losers bracket. ability to store and recall information.
Smash Bros. Melee contest against Justin He doesn’t dwell on that. “I try not to think Gaming may offer a workaround for many.
McGrath, 25 – and this is not going well. when I’m playing,” says Marquez, known as Different video games seem to stimulate
Marquez, 27, is performing 325 Mang0. And that strategy has worked for a different parts of the brain. That means your
Illustration: Quickhoney

actions per minute, or five inputs every decade. He is a star for Team Cloud9, a top Xbox can provide a brain “workout” – if used
second. That requires processing squad in the R10 billion world of competitive correctly. But just as your body can’t thrive on
visual information onscreen, reacting, gaming, better known as esports. Marquez fitness 24/7, your brain needs the right dose
contemplating, strategising, and executing entered his first tournament in 2007, won of gaming – not round-the-clock Call of Duty.

106 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 Fighting games, such as Super
Smash Bros. and Street Fighter,
challenge you to accelerate your
thought process. Open-world
games such as Fortnite and
Grand Theft Auto, could prevent
age-related volume loss in the
hippocampus. Esports science is
in its infancy, so both research-
ers and players are searching for
(and disagreeing on) the right mix.
Marquez doesn’t seem interested in the
research. Many esports teams believe more
practice is better. Marquez’s tournament
prep: he plays Super Smash Bros. Melee, a
Nintendo GameCube-era game that he also
streams online, off and on all day. He’s not
changing. “Maybe my reactions are a little
slower,” he says. “But put me in a certain
situation in the game and I can react to some
shit that nobody else can.” His experience
may indeed compensate for biological
decline, but he may not be optimising
his brain performance, says Dr. Mark
Campbell, who heads the three-year-old
Lero eSports Science Research Lab at the
University of Limerick in Ireland.
Campbell thinks e-athletes may retire
early because they burn out, worn down
from relentless (and one-dimensional)
training hours. He recommends that players
focus on efficiency instead of volume, using
intermittent training. In general, people
can maintain intense concentration for 15
minutes, he says, so e-athletes should break
their “training” into smaller, intensive
blocks, rather than just nonstop playing.
Think 15 minutes working on controller
skills, then 15 minutes strategising in the
heat of the action, then 15 minutes of game
play. “The idea is training with a bit
of purpose,” he says.
This is worth keeping in mind for
everything from your sports prep to your
personal brain-honing efforts, and it
fits with what neuroscience has taught
us about learning in general. Along with
focused training, variety may be critical.
Different games deliver different cognitive
advantages. Marquez, for example, misses
Photographs: Robert Paul & Marquez
out on the benefits for the hippocampus that
come with open-world games.
Suchgamesmaysucceedbypushingyou
ESPORTS TOURNAMENTS
28-30 June
SOUTH AFRICA Sun Arena at Times
Square, Pretoria
to explore three-dimensional game worlds.
One of the earliest video games to do that was
Super Mario 64, a 1996 Nintendo 64 game
and the subject of a 2014 study. Researchers
got adults to play it for at least half an hour
daily for two months. They saw brain volume
increases in the regions responsible for
spatial processing, memory, strategic
planning, and motor skills.
Why? Dr Craig Stark, a neurobiology
professor in the US, who studies how video
games affect the mind, may have the answer:
the “environmental-enrichment effect”,
which has been observed in mice. Drop a
mouse into a room with toys and places to
explore, and “wonderful things happen to its
ability to learn new information,” he says.
“Immersive, 3-D types of games,” Stark
says, make you the mouse. The shining
esports example is open-world heavyweight
League of Legends. “You have to remember
where you're going, where your resources are,
and then hold on to all of that information,”
Stark says. “People doing League of Legends
keep their hippocampi in good shape.” Our
brains are wired to learn and retain new
information, so you can use environmental
enrichment to hone your own. “Navigate
around and get back home without that nice
little iPhone GPS,” says Stark.
Athletesofmore-physicalsportsare
rAge Expo
Comic Con Africa
21-24 September
Gallagher Convention
Centre, Midrand
Modern esports got their start about
two decades ago. Today, tournaments
can draw more than 10,000 fans (top
left). Joseph Marquez (left) is one of the
world’s best at Super Smash Bros.
Melee. The fighting game challenges
his hands (above) and brain to operate
at peak efficiency, performing 325
actions every minute of game play.
embracingthesimulatedexploration
that gaming offers, too. Football and
basketball athletes utilise NeuroTracker,
a virtual-reality-style game that has you
track multiple targets across a 3-D space.
Virtual performance has been predictive of
athletic-performance statistics throughout
the season. The military is also making use
of virtual-reality flight and fight simulators.
NASA uses VR simulations to train for
rescues and practise spacewalk procedures.
And flipping the script, gamer Jann
Mardenborough recently went from being
a Gran Turismo 5 champion in 2011 to being
a driver on a real motor-racing team.
THE RISE OF ESPORTS and esports research
means more attention for Marquez, who
meets his chief rival, Adam “Armada”
Lindgren, in that losers bracket. Lindgren,
25, owned his elder in 2017. At Evo 2018,
Marquez and his favourite character, Falco,
fall to Lindgren again. More age-related
slippage? Marquez is defiant. “I really don’t
think age matters much,” he says. But
Lindgren is burnt out. Weeks later, on
YouTube, he announces he’s retiring from
Smash singles. Still, Marquez, the Atari of
his craft, isn’t going anywhere. “You might
even be smarter as you get older,” he says.
Ifyouplaytherightgames.
Rush
27-29 September
CON.ECT
5-6 October
Ticketpro Dome,
Johannesburg
NMMU Vodacom
Sports Centre, PE
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 107
 Your
Thirties

So your hair's a little thinner.

(There are solutions, if you want
them.) And you’re getting a little less
sleep. (Blame it on the baby, if you
have one.) Arm yourself with some
essential life skills, like disaster-
proofing your life, and prepare for
the future. But whatever you do,
don't panic. You can nail this decade,
and we're here to help you.
THE NUMBERS
What Fitbit tells us about the average man in his 30s.

BODY MASS RESTING DAILY DAILY ACTIVE HOURS OF

INDEX: HEART RATE: STEPS: MINUTES: SLEEP:

27.0 63 10006 60 6.43

108 Photographs by RAMONA ROSALES

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 FINANCIALLY
FIT AT 30

WHATEVER YOU DO,

DON’T PANIC
YOU’RE ON your way:
(hopefully) paying off those
loans and (maybe) having
kids. How to prepare for the
crunch?
Some have adopted
FIRE plans (Financial
Up to a third of men will suffer from an anxiety Independence, Retire Early),
but this strategy is incredibly
disorder or panic attacks in their lifetime. But as difficult, says NerdWallet’s
real-life responsibilities truly start to bite in your Arielle O’Shea. “You have to
thirties, you’re more vulnerable than ever. Use be a person who can either
our timeline to survive any breakdown. save a huge portion of your
income (and FIRE people
save 40, 50, 60% of their
income) and live on very
little money, or else take side
0-3MIN refocusing the mind on do nothing to rest your of constant agitation, jobs to supplement your
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE simple tasks can calm overactive endocrine it’ll keep ordering income.” Not inadvisable;
You’re short of breath you down. The solution system. Remove the release of the just difficult.
and your heart can be as mundane as yourself from the hormones adrenalin More difficult still is hav-
rate spikes. You’re counting the number situation: leave your and cortisol; with ing children, which will
trembling; and in an of tiles on your office desk for a 10-minute levels set to surge make retiring early harder.
evolutionary response, ceiling until the panic break and divert your at any point, the “A lot of people think that
your body redirects passes. attention to what’s simplest upset can when they have children,
blood to muscles and around you, even if burst the dam. they should start saving for
organs that can help that's just what’s being YOUR DEFENCE their kids (like for university)
you overcome 3MIN – 2 Hours served in the office In severe cases, instead of for themselves,”
a threat. Though WHAT IT FEELS LIKE canteen. Eventually, doctors may says O’Shea. Instead, keep
designed to maximise Your breathing your cortisol levels will prescribe you saving for retirement. (More
your odds of survival, normalises and start to even out and anti-anxiety drugs on that on page 123.)
this can your heart rate falls. you can return to your along with beta So keep aiming for a
lead you to “What was that? Am I desk on a more even blockers to steady 15% savings mark.
misinterpret a minor dying?” you wonder. keel. your heart rate. This doesn't all have to
office crisis as a matter You’re not, despite Otherwise, these flow into your retirement
of life and death. your sweaty palms Men’s Health all-stars annuity, though. Look into
WHAT’S HAPPENING and pale, ghostly 1 WEEK are effective lifestyle a tax-free saving account,
A panic attack occurs complexion. WHAT IT FEELS LIKE prescriptions: which lets you invest after-
when the mind makes WHAT’S HAPPENING Anxiety can easily ex- omega-3 fatty acids tax Rands, meaning your
a powerfully nega- Adrenalin has a half-life tend beyond a specific in oily fish, which curb money will grow and be
tive interpretation of of three minutes, so stimulus and hang adrenal activation ready to withdraw tax-free.
normal events. When the initial panic soon over you even when caused by stress; the You can withdraw from this
your boss sets you an passes. Cortisol, how- you’re not in a stressful cortisol-slashing B account at any time, for
impossible deadline, ever, sticks around for situation. Unexplained vitamins in steak; and any reason, should you find
for example, your hy- longer. It can take two chest pains and a per- a lunchtime run, which yourself out of work and
pothalamus activates hours for your more sistent sense of fear produces mood- needing emergency funds.
your pituitary and chronic feelings of are symptoms that boosting However, there is a catch:
adrenal glands, caus- stress to subside. your anxiety is becom- endorphins while you can only contribute
ing stress hormones YOUR DEFENCE ing a chronic problem. making use of the R30 000 per year towards
adrenalin and cortisol Your brain is WHAT’S HAPPENING extra adrenalin. this fund (with a lifetime cap
to flood into your sys- associating your These heightened Outrun your panic: of R500 000).
tem: the “fight or flight” current situation with a anxieties mean that flight, in this case, The best thing you can
response. sense of panic. Sitting your hypothalamus is might be the best do in your 30s is avoid
YOUR DEFENCE still, staring at your unable to switch off way to fight back. inflating your lifestyle as
A US study found that overflowing inbox, will fully. In its state your salary increases.

110 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019


HOW TO
GET
FITTER
AT 30
The Challenge
Around this age, the number of
nerve receptors in your heart
declines and your maximum heart
rate drops – which is why you’re
breathing a little harder on your
weekend jog.
The Goal
Run your first half marathon
The Time Frame
12 weeks
YOUR THIRTIES UNDENIABLY
REPRESENT A PHYSIOLOGICAL
TURNING POINT.
But rest assured, this is no hairpin
bend towards decline – merely a
gentle lifting-off-the-throttle from
your testosterone-fuelled twenties.
The key, therefore, is to act now
and shift your focus to building
lifelong fitness, not summer-
long abs. You need to work on
your engine.
Yes, the prospect of a 10km
morning run is making you feel
tired already, and these days it
takes an extra day to shake the
DOMS from your legs. However,
there's still plenty of adaptive
energy in your muscles and cardio
system. With some smart tweaks
to your exercise and nutrition
plan, you can arrest any decline
and become a long-distance
contender in weeks. We’ll see
Photograph: rick-miller.co.uk
you at the start line.
CONSISTENCY OVER INTENSITY
Gone are the days when you could
push through your limits recklessly,
ANY
AT
T
A
GE • FI
GE • FI
A
T
AT
ANY
day in, day out. Be realistic in
how you plan to tackle this half
marathon, but remember that slow
and steady wins the race. You're
far better off operating at 80%
for 100% of the time, as opposed
to vice versa. Hit your weekly
kilometre goal, even if you have
to walk bits of it.
PREVENTION IS BETTER
THAN CURE
Prioritise adequate recovery.
During your rest days, you’re not
only recuperating from the session
you’ve just done, but preparing for
what you plan to do later in the week.
The day after a long run or
intense speed session should be
followed by a gentle jog at most,
along with one or more of the
following: a massage, foam rolling,
cryotherapy, compression wear, a
mobility session, or your feet up in
front of Netflix.
WORK ON YOUR TEKKERS
Almost everyone can run. But how
many people can run properly?
A good coach at one of your
favourite local clubs will be able
to offer pointers and feedback
on technique – such as arm or
knee drive – which will minimise
the impact on your body and
ensure you can continue for
years to come. Running, after
all, is all about efficiency. Better
technique requires less effort,
which allows you to run further,
more easily.
TIMING IS OF THE ESSENCE
If you’ve always thought more
about what you eat than when,
now’s the time to change that.
Adopt a “train low, compete
high” carbohydrate protocol:
eat less when training, and more
on race day. Training in low-carb
conditions boosts your numbers
of mitochondria, the body’s
energy producers. Then, by
loading up on race day, you’ll
make even better use of those
macronutrients. Yes, carbo-
loading is a thing.
IT’S A
MARATHON,
NOT A SPRINT:
START THINKING
ABOUT YOUR
LONG GAME.
GO SLOW AND LOW
It’s a good general rule for most
people to go for moderate- to
low-glycaemic carbs to improve
their blood glucose balance: sweet
potatoes, wholegrain pasta, oats,
and so on. But this becomes even
more important after you hit 30.
At this point, mitochondrial density
starts to fall in skeletal muscle, and
this may affect your ability to
manage blood glucose levels –
causing dips in energy, which
can nullify your resolve to train.
DOSE UP ON BEETROOT JUICE
If you’ve maxed out on dietary
changes, consider this instant
endurance hack. Beetroot juice,
which is rich in nitrates, has been
shown to boost power output
during cardio by increasing the
production of nitric oxide, a potent
vasodilator. This allows more
oxygen to saturate muscle tissues.
Have a shot of beetroot juice two
hours before your race, and you
may find yourself speeding ahead
when your rivals start to struggle.
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 111

TRANSFORMATION!
How to Drop Wei ht
in your 30s
When you’re a career-focused 30-something
with a tight schedule and busy work days,
like Werner van Wyk, sometimes weight
sneaks up on you. But the marketing manag-
er wasn’t going to let those extra kilos take up
permanent residence. With the help of his
coach, JJ Botha, he started making subtle
lifestyle changes. Now, 14 months later and
29kg lighter, he tells us how he did it.
The Reality Check: One day at the office, my
pants ripped in front of colleagues and I had to
go home to get changed. Needless to say, I was
embarrassed. More of these moments would
follow. Even my pants buttons would pop off
from time to time. I'm quite tall, so I never
realised how much weight I'd gained; I felt
humiliated and ashamed inside. A colleague
and I decided to start planking at work. Baby
steps, you know? During this time I consumed
fewer kilojoules; and within three weeks I'd lost
7kg. That was a great start that I was incredibly
proud of. But I knew I could do more.
112 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
THE FITNESS
Werner recruited the help of
personal trainer JJ Botha to help
motivate and guide him, and to help
him keep his training consistent.
Eyes On The Prize
Werner told his coach that his goal
weight was 95kg, and that he wanted
a toned and chiselled chest. JJ’s reply
to that was: “You’ll have a six-pack by
December.” He also advised Werner
to ignore the negative comments
that he’d inevitably get from some
people. “You're doing this for you, no
one else.”
Find Your Balance
At the age of 30 and up, you need to
re-evaluate what your body wants
and needs. Werner did cardio
training for six mornings a week,
and sessions with his coach five
afternoons a week. Rest days were
vital, as he needed his energy for
work as well. And his coach made
sure he didn’t overwork himself.
Engage Before Exercise
After three decades, your body has
bad habits that can lead to injury.
Spend 10 to 15 minutes warming up,
stretching tight tissues (think hip
flexors and pecs, if you sit often) and
awakening dormant muscles (like the
rhomboid muscles in your mid-back)
with resistance-band drills.
ANY
AT
T
A
GE • FI
GE • FI
A
T
AT
ANY
WERNER VAN WYK
AGE: 34
LOCATION: Jeffrey’s Bay
OCCUPATION: Marketing Manager
WEIGHT BEFORE: 113kg
WEIGHT AFTER: 84kg
TIME TO GOAL: 14 Months
RECOMMENDED FAT-BURNING
WORKOUT: Mountain Climbers
THE NUTRITION
A few beers every weekend didn’t
help Werner achieve his goals; but
following the dietary guidelines given
by his coach made the difference.
Take It Slow
“Although Werner was very focused,
at times he was too hurried to
achieve his goals. He soon realised
that there's no fast-forward button,
and that he should remain consistent
in order to see proper results,” says
coach JJ. Tackling all your goals at
once could easily result in feeling
overwhelmed. Choose a goal a week.
One week you focus on drinking
more water, the next you cut back on
kilojoules, and so on. As the weeks go
by, you accumulate the beneficial
behaviours with far less stress than if
you'd taken on multiple goals.
Visualise Your Meals
Coach JJ says that summer bodies
are made in the kitchen. Werner
needed some help in this regard. So
Additional words: THAAQIB DANIELS Photographs: Supplied
with the guidance of his coach, he
backed off the booze and junk food.
By envisioning and planning more
nutritious options early in the day, he
made it more likely that he'd stick
with it later. He even ditched the
weekend round of beers.
Check In With Yourself
The number on the scale isn’t your
only marker of progress. Even if that
number hasn’t changed, what else
about you has? Are you sleeping
better? Feeling more confident?
More energised? More motivated?
 ANY
AT
T

A
GE • FI

GE • FI
A
T
AT
ANY

The
Check-up

30s

➧
HOW TO
LIKE YOUR BABY
SLEEP Sure, you feel fine. But
double-check that: certain
key issues have subtle –
or no – symptoms.

People tell you that time goes by so fast How are those every visit. Premature
numbers now? heart attacks can hit
when you have a newborn. Not at 2am on a “Because of stress, by age 45, so you need
Tuesday it doesn’t. BY PAUL KITA lifestyle, lack of sleep, to act on any skewed

I
obesity, sedentary numbers
USED TO take pride in how well I slept. But now, as a 33-year-old new father, behaviour – even right now.
I am proud no more. favouring weightlifting
I used to scoff at the 35.5% of American men who clocked less than sev- over aerobic exercise Do I need a
en hours of sleep a night, as the latest US CDC numbers report. Who are – so many younger fertility check?
these people who “can’t” sleep? These people who are at increased risk of men have elevated If you have problems
heart disease and weight gain, because they struggle to set a bedtime? I know blood pressure,” says ejaculating, issues
now that these people are moms and dads – like my wife Meghan and I, who Dr. Martin Miner, co- with your erection,
spent months after the birth of our first kid waking up every two hours to ad- director of the Men’s or disproportionate
dress his wails. Health Centre at testicle sizes, ask for a
It was during this time warp that I called sleep advisor Dr. Christopher Win- the Miriam Hospital semen analysis – even
ter, the author of The Sleep Solution. He helms the Charlottesville Neurology in Providence, US. if you’re still a way off
and Sleep Medicine centre, and he’s a father himself. I wanted to commiserate. Untreated, it can from having kids. “We
“Most new parents don't expect how much sleep they will lose – not only damage your heart, can often prevent male
when they're trying to get the baby back to sleep, but also when they're trying arteries, kidneys, infertility [by reducing
to get themselves back to sleep,” Winter says. “It’s usually because there’s no eyes, and erection stress, treating
plan. I call this ‘guerrilla sleep.’” – so confirm that depression, and giving
This led to flashbacks of late-night nursery raids in which Meghan and I, eye- your numbers, up smoking] before it’s
blacked with dark circles, tried to incoherently give each other orders as the live including cholesterol, actually set in stone,”
grenade of a shrieking child flailed before us. Had we devised a pre-crisis attack triglycerides, and HDL urologist Dr. Matt
plan, we might have fared better. Winter suggests dividing and conquering. levels, look good at Coward, says. – R. S.
“Agree on ‘on’ and ‘off’ shifts, ideally of about seven hours every other night,”
he says. The “on” shifter, who takes on feeding responsibilities and the baby
monitor, stays in a spare room, apart from the “off” shifter, who is only to be THE NUTRIENT YOU NEED NOW///
woken up for emergencies. Winter recommends separate rooms, if possible,
with the goal of more restful collective sleep for the couple.
My son sleeps much better now, but there are still nights of terror. Healthy Fats These are hallmarks
Something deeper within me has shifted, though. I no longer take as much of the Mediterranean diet, which studies
pride in my own sleep as I do in my child’s.
Don’t tell Meghan, but most nights I don’t even mind a 2:00 a.m. teething-
have shown may reduce your risk of heart
induced caterwaul. That means I can swoop in, scoop up my child, and soothe disease, the top killer of men. Seek out
him until he rests his tiny cheek against my chest. monounsaturated and polyunsaturated
As I try to return to sleep myself, I implement another of Winter’s ideas: fats (including omega-3 fatty acids).
meditating on something calming. He had suggested mentally mapping out
some relaxing weekend activities. Instead, I often think of my son, dreaming Eat more: Olive oil, avocado, nuts
dreams of his own, and hope that I’m a part of them. (almonds, cashews, macadamia),
mackerel, oysters, anchovies
Illustration: Tavis Coburn

>>> YOU’VE PROBABLY established a bedroom repertoire that’s been proved effective. Nice work.
SEX TIP Now add in more intimacy – those lovey-dovey moves that release oxytocin, a neurotransmitter
OF THE DECADE dubbed “the cuddle hormone” that bonds you and your partner. Keep eye contact during missionary,
say “I love you” during the deed (only if you mean it), and hold hands during a post-coital snuggle.

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 113


DISASTER-PROOF YOUR LIFE
Your 30s are a volatile time for marriages and careers.
This is your survival playbook. BY CASSIE SHORTSLEEVE
1.YOUGOTFIRED
Out of a job? So were Steve
Jobs and Howard Stern in
their 30s. “Understanding
you’re not the first
person to whom this has
occurred can normalise
your experience,” says Dr.
Geoffrey Greif, a professor
at the University of
Maryland School of
Social Work.
OWN YOUR ROLE
Blaming yourself – or
someone else – for your
problems only works
for so long, says clinical
psychologist Dr, Stephan
Poulter. Owning up to
your role in what went
wrong, on the other hand,
can be a truth serum. You
might figure out what you
want (a more engaging
gig), what you were
disappointed with (the
lack of responsibility),
or what your unspoken
expectations were (more
flexible hours). “This
kind of self-reflection
becomes a compass on
how to navigate moving
forward,” Poulter says.
The next step: making
the changes to address
those discoveries.
And once you get
rehired . . . It’s easier to
find a new job when you
have a job. So network
strategically. Seek out
interviews, meet with
mentors, mentor younger
employees, and know
how your field is evolving
and if your skills are, too.
114 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
2.YOUGOTDIVORCED
First marriages that don’t
work out typically end in
the 30s. The resulting big
changes can take any-
where from 6 to 12 months
to process, says Poulter.
So let the dust settle, then
use these strategies to
saddle up again.
WRITE A NEW STORY
“People going through
separation often have a
problem of managing
their stress,” says Dr. David
Sbarra, a psychology
professor in the US. “That
in and of itself is a problem
you have to solve.” It’s
fine to go over forensics.
(Is there a pattern in my
relationships?) But an
important element of
recovery is stepping
out of the story of how
everything is terrible.
For insight on your next
move, reach out to those
in similar situations (your
buddy who split from his
wife) as well as opposite
ones (the guy at work
who's been married for
25 years), suggests Greif.
Talk to multiple people,
triangulate, and create a
new road map.
Embrace your core
values. Doing enjoyable
activities with people you
like spending time with
helps reaffirm the good:
who you are and what
makes you happy. This is
an opportunity to do all the
stuff you wanted to with
friends and family.
ANY
AT
T
A
GE • FI
GE • FI
CONFRONT
A
T
AT
ANY
YOUR WORST
MEMORY
Twenty-five years after a
chance encounter in a primary
school bathroom humiliated
3.YOUMESSEDUP me, revisiting the episode –
and my tormentor – changed
Whether you crossed
the line with a female the course of my life.
colleague or made a BY SEAN HOTCHKISS
tone-deaf, Matt Damon–
like #MeToo comment, I WAS TEN YEARS OLD. It was 1993. And
you need to address
the issue. I’d recently entered a new junior school.
One afternoon I left my classroom to pee.
APOLOGISE PROPERLY I entered one of the stalls in the men’s
My behaviour was out
of character. I’m bathroom, dropped my shorts to my
humiliated by what ankles, and relieved myself.
I did. Guess what, pal: What happened next is hazy. What I
this isn’t about you. “It’s
about the person you can recall is that I became preoccupied
hurt,” says Men’s Health with something on or around my genitals
advisor Avi Klein, – so preoccupied that, without noticing,
a psychotherapist.
Acknowledge the impact I backed away from the toilet and out of
on them – you made the stall. I stood by the sink examining
another person feel my balls.
unsafe or self-conscious.
It shows you’re aware of My shorts were still around my shoes
the effects of your actions. when I heard the metal door slam.
“There’s no end to how Standing in front of me was the toughest
much empathy you can
give someone when grade seven boy in school. Brandon [his
you’ve done something name has been changed] was a sports star,
wrong,” he says. Allow the handsome, and popular. And now he was
other person to decide
how they will interact with incredulous.
you (or not). It’s respectful, “What the fuck are you doing?!”
and it also gives them the I froze.
agency you robbed them
of – important in evening “Are you some kind of faggot?”
out power imbalances. Flight kicked in. I gathered up my
shorts and ran. Back in the classroom,
Create a plan to make
amends. It shows you’re I slid down in my seat and closed my eyes.
taking the problem No. I wished the entire experience away.
seriously. Tell people
that you’ll answer
Illustration: Edmon De Haro
any questions. It’s on AFTER THAT DAY in the bathroom with
you to start difficult Brandon, I disappeared. I stayed away
conversations and from the other kids at break time, left
make those around you
comfortable enough to for home as soon as classes finished.
share concerns. My marks went down. I came to know
that particular prepubescent agony
of wondering where I fit in. I was sure
I liked girls, but the homophobia that
existed among boys in my blue-collar
neighbourhood was so vicious that news
of my pantslessness would mean danger,
and I had convinced myself it was only
a matter of time before Brandon told the
entire school I was gay.
By age 11, I began wearing T-shirts to
the swimming pool, covering my body.
For years, I hid my face beneath a cap
worn low down. Puberty finally hit, bring-
ing brutal bouts of acne with it. Years
later, still struggling with my identity,
I escaped into drugs. When I finally got
sober in 2017, I was confronted for the
first time with the vast, shadowy realm
of all the parts of me I’d suppressed. Was
that sole incident with Brandon to blame
for all my years of childhood pain? No.
But it was the day I learnt that I would
have to hide.
I tried every trick that could help me
dig through my warehouse of hidden
memories. I had my head shrunk by
Freudian psychoanalysts in the city,
I had my soul retrieved by a rural shaman,
and along the way I learnt something
transformative: every time I worked up
the courage to reveal a shameful memory,
it lost its power – often instantly.
Adults understand that crappy
childhood experiences are as common as
chicken pox. But kids don’t. By uncovering
all the parts of ourselves we’ve hidden, we
soothe the awkward grade six in us who was
sure his brand of torture was unique.
One afternoon during a breathing
exercise with my therapist, I remembered
Brandon. I couldn’t believe how long I’d
repressed the memory, or how strongly
the feelings came back. I felt my whole
body go rigid. Hesitantly, I revealed to my
doc what had happened that day in the
bathroom, and the way the shame had
haunted me in the years since.
I went home and Googled Brandon’s
name, and a Facebook page came up. Had
to be him. I kept searching and found his
email address. I typed an email: I was a
classmate of his from primary school.
I had a memory I wanted to corroborate
with him, and would he be willing to talk?
Two hours later, a text arrived:
It’s Brandon.
I felt a familiar clenching in my chest.
“ I THOUGHT I MIGHT
HYPERVENTILATE. IN ALL
MY FANTASIES OF
HOW THIS MIGHT
GO DOWN, I’D NEVER
GOT TO THE PART WHERE I
WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO
SPEAK TO HIM.
I pulled off the highway and sucked
in deep breaths. I thought I might
hyperventilate. In all my fantasies of
how this might go down, I’d never gotten
to the part where I would actually have
to speak to him.
I spent two hours crafting the perfect
text message. That evening, I finally
mustered the courage to hit send. Less
than five seconds after the text landed,
Brandon called. Startled, I picked up.
“Yo.”
It was the same deep voice that’d been
replaying in my brain for months.
“Hey, Brandon,” I said. “Thanks for –”
“What’s up?” he asked. Cool, aloof.
“Refresh my memory.”
When I finished telling my story, he
paused for what felt like an hour.
“I came from my science class,” he said,
in what sounded like disbelief. “I came
into the bathroom, and yeah, there you
were, with your pants down. I was scared.
I thought, Jesus, this kid is flashing me! I
didn’t know what to do!”
I laughed. He laughed.
“I told the kid who sat next to me in
home ec about it,” he said. “But I never
spoke or thought about it again.”
Then he asked, “Was I mean?”
When I explained to him what he’d
said, his voice dropped. “Man,” he said.
“That was wrong.”
Then he asked, “Why were you in
therapy?”
I told him about my struggle with
addiction.
“No kidding,” he said. “I’ve been
there too.”
”
With the tension defused, and a
bond cemented, we laughed like co-
conspirators, like brothers. We
laughed and laughed.
“Look me up next time you’re in the
area,” he said when we finished. “I’m so
glad you called.” I thanked him and hung
up the phone, triumphant. It was a feeling
better than any buzz, any high.
What happens the day after you face
something that’s been haunting you for
a quarter of a century? You wake up at
4am, electrified. The most shameful
moment of my life resolved. The most
epic fear reduced to laughter. Had it really
happened? In the weeks and months
that followed that phone call, my life was
transformed. I smiled more. I obsessed
less. Hours I’d spent scrutinising my skin
and body in the mirror were alchemised
into time I spent out in the world, lighter,
freer. Relationships with the older men
in my life – even the tough, macho types
I realised I’d always projected Brandon
onto – became easier. I experienced the
world less as a scared boy and more as an
upright man.
In recovery, I’ve learnt that the
places within ourselves we dread
going are the places we must go. And
sometimes we find something we could
never expect. A story, a narrative I’d
held on to for years turned out to be just
another experience shared by someone
who saw it from a different angle. His
explanation of that set me free. As
Brandon said, “I can’t believe that day
haunted you for all this time, and
I never thought about it again.”
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 115
 Your
Forties

It’s not too late to get back

on track if you’ve let things slip – the
transformation on the next page
proves it. And even knocking out the
pain from your long-ago injury is
an option now. Start ramping up your
savings and paying closer attention
to your ticker, and you have more
than half your life ahead of you.
THE NUMBERS
What Fitbit tells us about the average man in his 40s.

BODY MASS RESTING DAILY DAILY ACTIVE HOURS OF

INDEX: HEART RATE: STEPS: MINUTES: SLEEP:

27.8 64 10026 61 6.34

116 Photographs by RAMONA ROSALES

.

G 6.5
5 GRA
G RAPHI
A E D 6 .5
5 < 10
1

TRANSFORMATION!
How To Reset
in Your 40s
When Charl Stander woke up in hospital
after being diagnosed with diabetes, he
didn't stay down for the count. The 45-year
old took control of his eating habits and
implemented a new way of life. Here’s his
journey to six-pack stardom. (Check out his
full transformation story on our website:
mh.co.za/weight-loss)
The Reality Check: Charl Stander sat up in a
hospital room. The walls around him lost colour
every time he blinked; heavily sedated, he was
in the worst shape of his life. In June 2014, after
being diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, the car
salesman from Port Elizabeth was in disbelief.
“Can’t they just give me a pill?” he wondered.
Unfortunately, they couldn't.
But Charl didn't accept defeat. Two days later,
he had a sudden realisation: even though his
pancreas wasn’t releasing insulin anymore, his
life wasn’t over. This was a fight he couldn’t give
up. He had a responsibility as a husband and a
father of four, and this was just the beginning.
“I got up from my hospital bed, signed myself
out, and made the first step to changing my
life. On that day, I had already beaten diabetes
mentally.” Now it was just a matter of achieving
his physical goal: taking his 144kg weight back
to two digits.
118 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
THE FITNESS
Over the next four years, Charl
adapted his daily routine to better
himself both mentally and
physically.
A Rough Start
He bought himself a rowing machine.
But the early stages of this journey
weren't going to be easy. “I’ll never
forget, I rowed for a single minute
before stopping – and I was too
exhausted to climb off the machine.
My children helped me get back on
my feet after ten minutes of rest.”
Be Patient
He cut down on carbs and sugars, and
started working out in the home of his
beloved car – the garage. “Yes, there’s
plenty of help available for diabetics,
but the main ingredient for living with
it? Discipline. I’ve been working out in
my garage for the past five years.
Every morning I wake up at 4am; then
I have my insulin injections, before
hitting the garage (my gym) at 5am.
I then leave for work at 6:30am.”
Stick To It
Charl has managed to shed an
impressive 45kg since his diagnosis
and now weighs 99kg; but even
though he made it to below 100 on
the scale, he sticks to his fitness
regimen with maximum effort. He’s
also developed a rock-hard
resistance to negative energy, and
looks to inspire others to do the
same. “Don't let the opinions of
others determine who you are. Be
what you choose to be. I sure did –
without the help of a pancreas.”
ANY
AT
T
A
GE • FI
GE • FI
A
T
AT
ANY
CHARL STANDER
GOALS: Manage diabetes and lose
weight
AGE: 45
LOCATION: Port Elizabeth
OCCUPATION: Car Salesman
STARTING WEIGHT: 144kg
WEIGHT AFTER: 99kg
TIME TO GOAL: 4 Years
THE NUTRITION
“I don't have a dietician, except for
my wife, who prepares low-carb
meals,” says Charl. Here's some
advice on how diabetics can manage
a diet and lose weight – like Charl did.
Get Tested For Diabetes
Weight loss for diabetics is different
to that for non-diabetics. If you’re
diabetic, you have to pay particular
attention to carbohydrates,
especially empty carbs devoid of
fibre and stuffed with sugar. That
means replacing foods such as white
bread, white pasta, cooldrinks and
sweets with non-starchy vegetables
and fruit. Consult your physician, as
lower-carb nutrition plans may alter
your need for medication.
Eat More Cabbage
Additional words: THAAQIB DANIELS; Photographs: NICK ONKEN
This cruciferous vegetable offers a
ton of fibre, nutrients, and disease-
fighting antioxidants for minimal
kilojoules. For a simple coleslaw,
thinly slice and combine with a
splash of red-wine vinegar, and a
little salt and pepper. Or chop and
toss into a chicken stir-fry.
Fear Not The Pig
A lot of people skip pork and opt for
chicken because they think pork fat
is bad. Well, when you’re on a low-
carbohydrate diet, you need to make
up for the lost kilojoules (and avoid
being hungry all the time) with fat.

DRINK
LIKE A
GROWN-UP
BY ROSS McCAMMON
I USED TO BE a “drinker”. It was
part of my identity. I was and still
am very good at drinking. I have
a go-to order, depending on the
place. I know how to make interest-
ing cocktails from memory. I know
which gins are just great marketing.
I enjoy drinking, and from about age
25 to 42, I drank frequently.
Frequently means pretty much
every night. Sometimes those
nights were fun; but so many of
them weren’t fun, exactly. They were
sort of aimless. They were a way to
pass the time. And they were so not
worth the hangovers, which were
only getting worse as I grew older.
So I stopped being a “drinker”.
And I started being someone who
drinks occasionally. I started drink-
ing with purpose, and that purpose
is to socialise meaningfully with
other people who are drinking.
Like if my friends are meeting for
a once-a-month bar hang. Or if
someone's proposing a toast. Or
if it would mean a lot to a co-worker
if I grabbed a beer after work. Once
a week, tops.
I am now an intentional drinker.
It works like this:
Never drink alone. Because...
why?
Never drink anything that's bad:
cheap wine, some sort of beer/te-
quila/schnapps hybrid, or anything
you just don’t want to drink.
Always enjoy the people you’re
drinking with, too. If you find your-
self not enjoying these
people, then leave. And leave
the drink behind as well.
Water. Lots and lots and lots
of water. More water.
Otherwise, drink! But with purpose
and restraint. And the satisfaction of
knowing that in the morning, you’ll
remember all the fun you had.
Photographs: Getty/Gallo
SEX TIP
OF THE DECADE
WTF? Why
Do I Have Hair…
There?!
IT’SONEOF thegreatironiesofmanhood
thatwhenthehaironyourheadbeginsto
thin,thehaironotherpartsofyourbody
goeswild–yourears,yourshoulders,your
lefteyebrow,whichnowhasasinglestrand
threetimesaslongastherest.Andthese
twocommonhair-relatedstruggles,it
turnsout,arerelated.Bothoccurbecause
ofageneticswitchthattypicallyhappens
inyour40s,sayscosmeticdermatologistDr
PaulJarrodFrank.“Hairfolliclesappear
tochangetheirreactivitytoandrogenhor-
mones,particularlydihydrotestosterone,”
heexplains.Whilefolliclesonthehead
reacttoDHTbysheddingthehair,follicles
onthebodycanreactintheoppositeway:
increasinggrowth.“It’soneofnature’s
mysteries,”hesays.
Mostmennoticetheirchesthair
thickeningandnewgrowthontheirears,
>>> IT CAN BE TEMPTING to give your partner the same old shtick in the sack. After all, you could
probably find your partner’s hot spots blindfolded (and maybe you have). But at this age, novelty is
your friend. Try the We-Vibe Unite (R1 380, passionfruit.co.za), a couples’ toy. The narrow end goes
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YOUR
OTC
OPTIONS
DX Smooth Hair Removal
Lotion (R70, Clicks)
Targets the thick,
coarse hair that men get
all over their body.
Philips Nose, Ear and Eye-
brow Trimmer (R250,
Dis-Chem)
Strong but precise, for
problem areas.
Braun Multi Grooming Kit
(R1 200, Makro)
The ultimate all-in-one
head-to-toe groomer.
nose,shoulders,andback.Whenthis
happens,Dr.Franksays,therearethree
options:“Ownit,groomit,ordestroyit.”
Toexerciseyour“destroy”option,herec-
ommendstakingfinasteride,aUSFDA-ap-
provedtreatmentforhairlossthatalso
workstoregulatebodyhair,thankstothat
DHTconnection.ThedruginhibitsDHT,
whichhelpscontrolhairproduction.Butto
permanentlygetridofunwantedbodyhair,
thebestwayistozapit.“Laserhair-re-
movaltechnologyhascomealongway,”
saysDr.Frank.“ThenewMotusAXlaser
canremovehairpainlessly,andinhalfthe
numberoftreatmentsasstandardlasers.
Italsoallowsforthetreatmentoffineand
lighthair,andiseffectivefordarkerskin
tones.”(Lasersessionsvary,butmost
willrunyouaroundR400each)
–GARRETTMUNCE
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 119
 ANY
AT
T

A
GE • FI
YOU’RE GONNA
GE • FI
A AT
T extraordinary strides over the years, as
ANY
whisky and a leather belt have given way to
anaesthetics and OxyContin. But in most
of the world, chronic-pain treatment is in
an ignoble shambles. The remedy is often
injections, surgery with a questionable
success rate, or what Stephens got after
his four tours in Afghanistan: potentially
addictive pills that dull the pain but ignore
the underlying problems.
Here’s the thing, though. We know how to
treat chronic pain. We’ve known how since
the ’70s. But chances are, you’re not about
to get the best treatment. With effort, you
can approximate it yourself; but to do so,
you have to know a little bit about the inner
workings of chronic pain.
The occasional creak – or something bigger – can
turn into chronic pain. Which is debilitating. Consuming. WHY IT HURTS
And with the advent of opioids, it could take you down a IF YOU INJURE your toe, the nerve endings
dangerous path. A better treatment is within our grasp. in your foot fire off electrical impulses to

S
BY DAVID FERRY
EANSTEPHENS, byhisownadmis-
sion,wasanoldmaninayoung
man’sgame.
In2006,at38,heenlistedin
theArmyNationalGuard,“alittle
bitolder,alittlebitused,”hesays,
buthedidn’tletitgetintheway
ofhisdutiesinAfghanistan.He
couldstillkeepupwiththe19-year-olds
double-timingthroughthedesertwith
50-kilogrampacks,stillstandfor12hours
straight in the back of a Humvee manning
the .50-cal. Sure, the pain at the end of the
day didn’t wash away with some ibuprofen
and a good night’s sleep like it used to, but
he could handle it.
By the time his fourth tour rolled around,
though, his labours were catching up
with him. He was 42, and the hours he was
spending on quad bikes training Afghan
police on the eastern frontier were taking
their toll. What started as a weird clicking
in his neck and a twinge in his back devolved
into a searing, debilitating sensation, and
soon his head no longer felt connected to
his spine. His hands began to fail him, too,
the result of 18 months of vice-gripping
that machine gun. By 2011, when he was
medically evacuated from Afghanistan,
he couldn’t even button his own shirts.
Pain – the earliest of our afflictions, a
state from which no man escapes – is a hell
of a thing. It’s one of our oldest inherited
traits, an evolutionary system designed
toprotectus:burnyourselfonce, and you
probablywon’tputyourhandinthe fire
again.Pain,inasickway,isgood for us.
Pain,annoyingly,makessense.
Butsometimes,againstallevolutionary
inclinations,thesystemgoeshaywire.
WhenStephensgothomefrom
Afghanistan,hispaindidn’tsubside.
Afraidofinjuringhimselffurther, he
limitedhismovements.Hisdoctors
prescribedtramadol,anopioidthat
brings sweet relief from the agony of, say, a
surgical wound; but it was at best a fleeting
escape from the constant companion that
his pain had become. He took three to five
pills a day, but still the headache at the base
of his skull blurred out the rest of the world,
still his hands wouldn’t work. He’d “lose his
shit”, he recalls, as the anger and stress and
anguish consumed him.
This is chronic pain – the tissue has
healed, the wounds have scarred over, but
the silent scream radiates. More than 1.5
billion people in the world suffer from it.
The experience is familiar: the bum knee
you blew out skateboarding in your 30s, the
back you can blow up just by getting out of
bed wrong, whatever it is you did 20 years
ago to make your shoulders hurt all the time
now. For people like Stephens, however, the
suffering is truly debilitating. This pain
costs jobs and relationships and lives.
For a patient with a broken leg or an
open wound, modern medicine has made
your brain: something bad happened down
here. Your brain works with specialised
nerve cells in your spinal cord to figure out
a response. Was that a burn? Better get that
leg out of the fire pit. Did we just break our
ankle? Let’s turn the pain dial up and make
it ache for a couple weeks so we’ll stay off it.
Once the injury heals, the brain turns the
dial down and stops sending these amplified
pain messages to your body. The hurt,
blissfully, dissipates. But with chronic pain,
the neural circuits stay amplified – your
brain has actually rewired itself – keeping
the pain dialed up to 11, even if the damage
has been repaired. “Chronic pain,” says Dr
John Loeser, former director of a legendary
pain-treatment centre at the University of
Washington, “means nature has failed.”
Dr John Bonica, the father of pain
medicine, knew none of this when he
started treating injured soldiers returning
from the Pacific at a military hospital south
of Seattle 75 years ago. There, apparently
healed patients or those with missing
limbs would confound their doctors with
complaints of unceasing pain. Dr. Bonica,
who would go on to write the first modern
text on pain, realised that something
complex – something not entirely physical
– was at work. He saw that anxiety,
depression, and PTSD were common
bedfellows of chronic pain, suggesting that
pain was affected by emotions as much as
by tissue damage. Much later on, research
would find that regions of your brain
associated with anxiety and depression are

120 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019

 “ THE APPROACH
WAS REVOLUTIONARY AND
ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING

”
NO OTHER TREATMENT DID:
IT WORKED.
alsolinkedtoyourfearandpainresponse.
Butbackthen,goingbyhisobservations,
Bonicadecidedthatchronicpainwassuch
acomplicated,multi-facetedanimalthatit
requiredallsortsofcaregivers.Twodecades
afterWorldWarII,heopenedthecountry’s
first“multi-disciplinarypainclinic”–that
famousoneattheUniversityofWashington.
“Itwasnotsomethingasinglepersoncould
solve,”saysDr.Loeser,whorantheclinic
afterDr.Bonicaretired.“Thebottomline
was,thiswasgoingtobeateamapproach.”
Thegoaloffullyeradicatingpainwasout,
andinsteadasquadwasformedtoteach
patientshowtomanagetheirsymptoms
andimprovetheirqualityoflifefromall
angles.Aphysicaltherapistshowedyouhow
tomoveagain,apsychologisttaughtyounot
tobeafraidofyourpain,anoccupational
therapisthelpedyoufigureouthowto DrMichaelSchatman, directorof clinics are mostly at big institutions – such
manageyourangstatwork,adietician researchandnetworkdevelopment as the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic
helpedyouloseweightandtakesomestress atBostonPainCare. – because, Schatman says, these places can
offyourjoints,anursecasemanagerkept By2015,therewere20millionopioid- afford to lose money on poorly reimbursed
everythingrunningsmoothly,and reliantpatientsintheUS.And56remain- pain care. But the VA doesn’t have to make
adocsupervisedthewholeteamand your inginterdisciplinarypainclinics. money. It’s responsible for treating its pa-
overallprogress.Thecombinedapproach tients for life, and over time, managing pain
wasrevolutionaryinchronic-paincare, TREATPAINWITHOUTPILLS is cheaper than endless pills and procedures.
anditaccomplishedsomethingnoother SEANSTEPHENS wasnervous.TheVeterans Dr. Seal happened to be the head of the
treatmentdid:itworked. HealthAdministrationhadgoneonthe VA’s integrated-pain team, and she was
Bythelate1990s,thereweremore sameopioid-prescribingbingeastherest now in charge of tailoring pain-treatment
than1000interdisciplinarychronic- oftheAmericanmedicalsystem,anda regimens that didn’t involve unlimited
pain-managementprogrammesacrossthe swellofveteranswithopioid-usedisorders refills of meds. Her message to Stephens
US.Theywereexpensiveplaces;treatment –68000 of them – filled the ranks by 2015. was no-nonsense: “Pharma tells you that
byafullcomplementofexpertscould Vets were twice as likely to die from an ac- you can take a pill to fix everything.” But not
runupto$30,000(aroundR430000). cidental overdose as other Americans, and here, she said. Here there would be goals to
Yetnumerousstudiesshowedthatthis a ruling came down from on high: opioids help manage pain without relying solely on
approachnotonlysucceeded,butalso were out of favour. When Stephens showed opioids. Here they would work with him to
paidforitself.Havinghealthyhumanswho up for an appointment at the San Francisco get his life back.
areabletowork,itturnsout,costssociety Veterans Administration Medical Centre Some of the treatments Dr. Seal
muchlessinthelongrun. in 2010, his doctor, Dr Karen Seal, told prescribed to Stephens sounded obvious
In1995,PurduePharmaintroduced him that they were going to start working to enough (physical therapy, non-addictive
OxyContin.Itwasanimmediatehit.A decrease his dose of tramadol. His pharma- drugs, simple goals like exercising for 20
fewearlystudiessuggestedtantalisingly ceutical crutch, the opioid he’d been relying minutes straight), but others were the kind
–andfalsely–thatOxyContincouldbe on to get through the days, was about to be that could make men squeamish (yoga,
aneffective,non-addictivetreatment pulled out from under him. “I was scared.” deep breathing, meditation, cognitive
Photograph: Jamie Chung

forchronicpain.Insurancecompanies In the two decades since Oxy, almost all behavioural therapy). Stephens knew,
recognisedaquick,less-expensivefixwhen of the interdisciplinary pain clinics have vaguely, that there were other ways to
theysawone.“Theysaid,justgive’emthe closed, and the VHA has become a surprise treat pain. He’d tried marijuana, but he
medication,theopioids,”sayspainexpert leader in keeping this approach alive. Other didn’t like it. He knew yoga was a thing,

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 121

but he didn’t think of himself as a yoga guy.
“I wasn’t interested in finding another
solution to pain,” he says. “But these people
talked to me about all the things we can do
to get past this point. It was this real “Aha!”
moment. I never put it together that stress
relief could be pain relief.”
Probably one of the hardest components
of interdisciplinary care for men to sign on
our most basic ideas about pain. Dr Tor
Wager, a neuroscientist at the University of
Colorado Boulder, found recently that if
the brain anticipates receiving more pain
from an injury, it will dole out more pain The
sensations – regardless of physical damage.
“When you expect more pain, you really do
feel more pain,” he says. And when you live in
Check-up
constant pain, you’re afraid of feeling more

to is seeing a therapist. Treating physical
pain with cognitive behavioural therapy
may sound like new-age BS, but the brain
is a strange thing. Show devout Catholics a
40s
ofit.Yougetinafeedbackloopthattruly
makesthepainworse.Learningtothink
aboutitdifferently can help break this cycle.
Paired with physical therapy, gentle

picture of the Virgin Mary during lab-
controlled pain studies, and they’ll report
less pain. Give people a placebo to make
them believe they’re about to receive pain
relief, and the brain will actually release
natural opioids to block the pain. New brain-
imaging studies are consistently upending
TAKE CHARGE OF
YOUR PAIN
“The best way to address
chronic pain is to treat it
like a team sport,” says
Dr Sean Mackey, chief
of pain medicine at
Stanford University. You
need different players
to manage different
positions. If you don’t
have access to an
interdisciplinary pain
clinic, here’s what to do:
• Talk to a social worker
or therapist. “The strain
in pain lies mostly in the
brain,” Mackey likes to say,
and a psychologist who
specialises in pain can
help you understand this
in a relatively short time
period. It’s not mumbo
jumbo, either. “Your
beliefs, emotions, and
thoughts about your pain
play a huge role in your
experience of pain,” he
says, and he has the brain
scans to prove it. Chronic
pain rewires your brain,
and therapy can help undo
that rewiring. It may not
eliminate pain, Dr. Mackey
says, “but it can improve it
and give you back control.”
• Consider PT. “What do
you think the first thing
team doctors for a rugby
team do when a guy blows
exercise and emotional support, this
holistic approach has had dramatic
results across the VA. So far, the agency
has reduced the number of vets addicted
to opioids by about 40%, and a study by
Dr. Seal showed that patients in inter-
disciplinary clinics were 50% more likely to
cut their dosages significantly. “I’ve become
out his knee and needs
surgery? The answer
is physical rehab,” Dr.
Mackey says. Although
it may hurt, “you need
to get those muscles
strengthened and support
that area that’s painful.”
Studies show that PT
reduces pain in the long
run, and insurers often
cover it.
• Don’t deal withitinsi-
lence. Managing your pain
is a long-term effort, and
some insurers may offer
support groups. In or near
big cities, there are often
free meet-ups where you
can find out how others
handle pain.
• Take steps to relax.
Reducing stress reduces
your pain, Dr. Mackey says.
Apps pps like Headspace
can guide you through
mindfulness lessons, and
yoga, meditation classes
and acupuncture provide
relief to plenty of people.
Your pain may never fully
disappear, Dr. Mackey
says, but that’s not the
point. By putting all this
together, you can take
control and stop pain from
dominating your life. You
win; pain doesn’t.
➧
This is the age of checking:
Find out what’s really
going on in your arteries,
your brain, your guts
and your skin, so you get
on the right preventive
maintenance plan.
almost evangelistic about this,”
she says. “When you’re off opioids,
you get your life back.” One more loneliness, and a
For Stephens, the approach new number lacklustre feeling
about life, says
helped him take control. “The You should be
keeping good track Dr Edward M.
pain is still there,” he says. “My of your heart-health Adams, president
wife still has to button my shirt numbers. But also of the American
for me.” But now he’s in charge make sure you get Psychological
a blood-glucose Association’s
of his pain – not the other way test, since some Society for the
around. Today he does deep evidence indicates Psychological
breathing throughout the day. that about a third of Study of Men and
people over 45 are Masculinities. Don’t
He has a therapy dog that keeps pre-diabetic – even gloss over this: South
him calm. And he gives himself if they’re at a healthy African men are five
ten-minute breaks to de-escalate weight. times more likely
than women to
anytime he feels the pain rising A colonoscopy die by suicide.
and his fear cresting. “That will already?
Used to be you could “I’ve got
get me past whatever pain there
put it off till age 50, this thing on
is,” he says. but the first screen my back...”
For the tens of millions of non- should now be at 45 Forty is when sun
damage starts to
– or earlier, if you have
vets who are suffering, there’s
a family history of col-add up, says Dr
a similar way to find relief, but orectal cancer. Martin Miner, of the
it takes some effort (see “Take Miriam Hospital in
Am I depressed? the US, so ask about
Charge of Your Pain”, on the left).
Primary-care docs any weird-looking
Another thing it takes, Stephens
are now tasked marks that you
says, is guts. The guts to be the with inquiring notice, and see a
about your mental dermatologist for a
“old guy” at your first yoga class,
health, but it’s not full-body skin check.
to be willing to try something
their first language. Melanoma – the least
that sounds unrelated to your If your doctor common but most
asks the unhelpful deadly skin cancer
pain,likedeepbreathing.
“Any depression?” – is more likely to
Becauseintheend,feelingself-
question, ask how hit men by age 50
consciousatayogaclass or being you would know. than women, largely
embarrassed about going to a In men, depression because men haven’t
often looks more been as good about
therapist is a lot less painful than like anger, aggression, prevention. – R. S.
a life in constant pain. drinking too much,
 ANY
AT
T

A
GE • FI

GE • FI
A
T

FINANCIALLY
AT
ANY

FIT AT 40

NO, YOU can’t stop saving for

retirement just because you
have kids.

FUZZY, FLABBY, AND Having children will certainly

increase spending, and you might

CAN’T GET IT UP
think you need to save for them
right away (because university!).
“But really, the best thing you
can do for your kids is continue
saving for your retirement,” says
Do you need testosterone therapy? NerdWallet finance journalist
Arielle O’Shea, “because there

E
ither we’re in a low-T
epidemic, or an epidemic
of falling for persuasive
ads. Testosterone-
replacement
prescriptions have soared –
they quadrupled in guys aged
18 to 45 between 2003 and
2013 – as ads for the therapy
have become widespread. So
if you’re tired or losing muscle,
have ED, can’t concentrate,
feel irritable, or just never feel
all that great, could T therapy
really help? How to find out:  have begun to question the
 
Get Tested
Sounds obvious, but as many
as a quarter of men receiving
T therapy do it blindly – that is,
they start a regimen without
testing whether they actually
have low T. Supplementation
won’t help if your T levels are
normal. In fact, “it will turn off
your own production,” says
Dr Brad Anawalt, chief of
medicine at the University of
Illustrations: Edmond de Haro & Marta Signori
once, with the second a day
or more after the first. Two low
morning readings indicate
testosterone deficiency.
Readings can vary from day
to day and even hour to hour,
and they can be lower if you’re
sick. So don’t test when you’re
under the weather.
 
Cancel Out Other Causes
If your levels are a little low,
don’t just blame it on your
age. Lately, some doctors
idea that testosterone starts
dipping by about 1% a year
around age 35. “If that were
true, it should happen in all
men, and it doesn’t,” says
Dr Ranjith Ramasamy,
director of male reproductive
medicine and surgery at the
University of Miami Miller
School of Medicine.
“A healthy, fit 40-year-old
will have testosterone
levels like a 20-year-old’s.”
which problems with the
testicles or the pituitary gland
– or both – prevent your body
from producing enough
T. Far more common than
either of these? Extra kilos.
“If you’re overweight and
lose 7% of your body weight,
testosterone could increase 10
to 15%, which would put you
squarely in the normal range,”
Dr. Anawalt says.
 
Weigh the Risks
You don’t want testosterone
therapy if you do want kids:
in healthy men, it can make
the pituitary shut down
sperm production. Possible
side effects of T therapy also
include an increased risk
of sleep apnoea, blood clots,
and prostate cancer.
 
Then Pull the Trigger
Your doc still may write
you a script. In men with
verifiably deficient levels
are no bursaries or grants for
that.” Instead, ramp up your
retirement annuity contributions
and use online tools such as Old
Mutual's retirement calculator to
determine your progress.
Your bond should carry a low
interest rate, so don’t accelerate
those payments to the detriment
of your retirement savings.
Working longer should never be
a Band-Aid for not saving enough,
but looking for a new job that feels
fresh and provides a higher salary
may help motivate you to work
longer, should you have to.
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Washington Medical Centre.
“The pituitary recognises
there’s plenty of testosterone
in the blood, and stops
producing hormones that
stimulate the testicles to make
more.” To be sure, get a fasting
testosterone test from your
doc, preferably in the morning,
when the hormone’s levels
peak. Repeat the test at least
Poor health is more likely to
cause low T than the other way
around. If your levels are right
around 300 ng/dL, which is on
the cusp of being low, and you
have symptoms, “look first at
other conditions”, Dr. Anawalt
says. Medications such as
opioids lower testosterone.
So does a condition called
male hypogonadism, in
– generally below 300 ng/
dL – and low-T symptoms Fibre can taste delicious, but
(fatigue, decreased sex drive),
if food sources aren’t handy,
replacement can ratchet
up desire, sexual activity, psyllium-husk supplements
physical function, and vitality. may work for you, too.
But not this weekend: it Eat more: Guavas,
takes three to six months for
supplemental testosterone
raspberries, blackberries,
to have an effect. mangoes, pears, butternut,
– RICHARD LALIBERTE asparagus

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 123

 Your
Fifties and beyond

Yes, you can still be active.

In fact, you should be – just don’t
push it. Most elite guys in their
50s are moving more and taking
more steps than in their 40s. Eat
plenty of bananas. And hustle to
retirement. Keep in touch with old
friends. And enjoy sex more
than ever now that the kids are
(hopefully) out of the house.
THE NUMBERS
What Fitbit tells us about the average man in his 50s.

BODY MASS RESTING DAILY DAILY ACTIVE HOURS OF

INDEX: HEART RATE: STEPS: MINUTES: SLEEP:

28.1 64 9993 65 6.33

124 Photographs by RAMONA ROSALES

 Light 4.75/5
Graphikk L

GRAPHIK REG 6.5 GRAPHI

P S EMIBO 110
0 0>
>

COVER GUY PROFILE!
Maintain Your
Health in Your
50s and Beyond
ANTON NILSSON isinincredibleshape.The
56-year-old started modelling in his late
twenties, making it essential for him to take care
of his health. By following the simple formula of
eating well and exercising often he’s been able to
maintain his well-being throughout his career.
The Challenge: As a model who works for
international brands, Anton spends a good
portion of his time travelling the globe. Having
a schedule that differs week on week forces the
model to be flexible in his approach to health
and fitness. “I see that as a good thing, and it
keeps me on my toes,” he says.
His healthy eating habits and gym routine
go beyond the aesthetic pressures of being a
model. He believes that he's honouring his body
by taking care of it. “No matter where you live in
the world – Stockholm, Cape Town or New York
– your home is your body. You have to look after
it, and do whatever it takes to keep it in the best
possible condition.”
Part of what keeps him in shape is doing
slower exercises such as Pilates. "I've been faster
and stronger, but I've never had better balance."
126 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
THE FITNESS
While Anton needs to stay in shape
for his job, he’s learnt that exercise
doesn’t need to be boring.
Make Exercise A Priority
When he’s at home, Anton likes to
follow a schedule that includes
working out and exercising in the
morning. When he’s travelling, he
trains when he can. “If the hotel
doesn’t have a fitness centre, I try
to be creative about it. There’s a lot
of things you can do in a hotel room,
the stairs or the surrounding areas.”
Find What Interests You
Aside from sculpting his physique in
the gym, Anton stays active during
his spare time. “Tennis, skiing,
kayaking, hiking and cycling are all
activities I enjoy doing and try to do
as often as possible,” he explains.
There’s no reason to sweat it out
in the gym if it brings you no joy.
Listen To Your Body
As he’s aged, Anton has stopped
concentrating on results. Instead,
he focuses on how exercises make
him feel – both physically and
mentally. “I think a strong body
consciousness is a good thing. If
you’re in tune with your body, you’re
less likely to abuse it.” The model has
struggled with a weak back
throughout his life, so now he makes
sure to include gentle exercises that
strengthen his core and back.
ANTON NILSSON
AGE: 56
LOCATION: Stockholm
OCCUPATION: Model
HEIGHT: 186cm
CURRENT WEIGHT: 84kg
THE NUTRITION
Whether he's travelling the world or
spending time at home working on
other projects, Anton makes sure he
eats as healthily as possible. Fill up
on his advice.
Make A List
Over the years, Anton has made a list
of food that’s good for him. When he
travels he uses this list to guide him.
“It’s usually not complicated to find
a combination of food that works for
me.” Most of his meals consist of
chicken or fish with veggies.
Take Care Of Your Gut
A healthy gut contributes to proper
digestion, a strong immune system
and good brain health. Anton looks
after his gut by eating something
fermented every day. “I’m a big
Additional Words: MEGAN FLEMMIT; Photographs: DAVID VENNI
consumer of sauerkraut,” he says.
Appease your gut by adding Greek
yoghurt, fruit, legumes and grains to
your diet.
Prep Your Snacks
The hours between meals are where
most people’s healthy habits stray.
To avoid reaching for unhealthy
snacks while he travels, Anton carries
his own. “My friends laugh at me when
they see me bringing out a bag of
lettuce and pretending it’s chips.”
If lettuce doesn’t appeal to you,
create a snack pack of nuts or
homemade granola.
 ANY
AT
T

A
GE • FI

GE • FI
A
T

FINANCIALLY
AT
ANY

The
FIT AT 50
Check-up

SO YOU’RE NEAR the
finish. Most retirement
accounts permit catch-up
contributions, so if you
haven’t been hitting that 15%
contribution goal over the
past couple of decades, you
have higher contribution
limits once you reach 50.
Take advantage of these.
"The tax laws around
retirement savings in South
Africa have changed in
recent years to encourage
investors, especially the
ones starting at a late age,
to drastically increase
their contributions. The
government now allows
investors to contribute up
to 27.5% of their annual
salary, (with a limit of R350
000) towards retirement
50s+
savings. They've also made
it easier, in that pension As with home repairs, health
funds, provident funds fixes are much easier to make
and retirement annuities before trouble gets out of
are now taxed in the exact
same manner," says Geo
hand. Give special attention
Botha CFP, a director and to these four areas.
wealth manager at Bovest.
Start keeping a few years’
worth of income in cash, Maintenance! cancer in men, ask early sign of heart
or something that isn’t In addition to getting your doctor if you disease, but could
volatile – like a fixed-income monitored regularly need the test starting also be a red flag for
investment, says Arielle (including a second at 50 (earlier, if you're treatable problems
O’Shea, from online financial colonoscopy and black or have a family such as lack of sleep,
platform NerdWallet. So, if blood-glucose history), says UNC hormonal imbalances,
the markets go south, your tests every three to fertility urologist depression and
money won’t go with them. five years), flag any Dr Matt Coward. anxiety, says the
But don’t cash everything in changes in your body – Miriam Hospital’s
too early: you still need your acute aches and pains, How’s your Dr Martin Miner.
money to grow. Dial back worsening vision. dipstick?
the risk a little, but continue Small signs may mark Bring up urinary A renewed look
to invest in stocks and bigger problems that symptoms – a weak at your heart
growth investments. are common in your stream, getting up Considering that heart-
50s, such as arthritis or multiple times a attack risk climbs after
age-related macular night to pee, even 45 and peaks at 65, get
degeneration. incontinence – as your blood pressure,
they’re common cholesterol, and blood
PSA or no PSA? markers of benign sugar measured. Don’t
The PSA blood test is prostatic hyperplasia, be surprised if these
the only way to catch or BPH, a treatable numbers are suddenly
prostate cancer, but enlargement of the not as stellar as you
the test is far from prostate that affects thought they were:
perfect – it misses around 50% of men guidelines for treating
some cancers and between 51 and 60. hypertension and
“catches” others that Also mention if you’re lipids are now much

BIG BANG
aren’t really there. But having fewer, softer more aggressive than
considering prostate is erections. Erectile they were just a few
the second-deadliest issues are often an years ago. – R.S.

THEORY
In two studies involving women 18 to 59, compared with THE NUTRIENT YOU NEED NOW///
younger women, the older women were more likely to
orgasm. The likely explanation is that mature women may
have become more comfortable with their sexuality and Potassium “Your risk of hypertension increases
learned over time what works to get them off. But guys every year,” says Dr Mike Roussell. “Potassium balances
have to do more than just lie there! There are other factors sodium in your diet and supports healthy blood pressure.”
at play, says Dr Debby Herbenick, director of the Centre
for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University. Orgasm As a bonus, greens that have potassium also tend to be
Illustrations: Studio-Takeuma, Marta Signori & Getty/Gallo

frequency and relationship satisfaction work hand in hand.
Couples who are more satisfied with their relationship are
more likely to engage in intimate practices (think romantic
texts, gestures, mood-setting, etc.) that enhance orgasm
frequency, and more frequent orgasms enhance positive
feelings about the relationship. Win-win.
rich in fibre, which will help with blood-sugar control.
Note: potassium supplements can be dangerous,
because too much of the nutrient can lead to heart issues.
Eat more: Apricots, artichokes, butter beans, mince,
beetroot, Brussels sprouts, clams, potatoes

>>> YOU CAN STILL get it on without worrying about losing an erection or your ticker giving out
SEX TIP mid-thrust. First, Viagra is readily available; and second, research shows that sex rarely increases
OF THE DECADE heart-attack risk. So, please – have the sex. What better time to challenge yourself to complete
the myriad positions in the Kama Sutra (or the ones in the Men's Health Big Book of Sex)?

MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 127

 ANY
AT
T
A
GE • FI
GE • FI
A
T
AT
ANY
A maverick new germ theory could help keep
your ageing mind intact. BY JEFF BERCOVICI
IN JULY 2000, as the World Alzheimer Congressconvened
in Washington, DC, there was a moment – a“dawning
sense that scientists could be on the verge ofstemmingthe
epidemic,” Time magazine put it – when a treatmentfor
the disease seemed imminent. Science waspouringminds
and money into solving this devastating problemthat
creates total neurological meltdown and canbreakapart
and bankrupt families.
Spoiler alert: nope. Almost two decades later,the
heartbreaking and costly illness first identifiedbyAlois
Alzheimer in 1906 is more prevalent than ever.According
to Alzheimer's South Africa, approximately 750000South
Africans have the disease. While Alzheimer’softendoesn’t
show up in a tangible way until your 70s or later,thebrain
changes associated with it begin decades earlier.Thesurge
of money that inspired that optimism has failedtoproduce
a drug that brings anything more than a modest,temporary
improvement in symptoms once they showup–ifthat.
The dearth of progress has some researchersrethinking
“
everything they’ve been taught about whatAlzheimer’s
disease is and how it works. Although the ranksof
these scientists are small, the idea uniting themisa
big one: that Alzheimer’s is caused by germs.Andnot
some exotic new germs, but the same microscopic
organisms that cause things such as gum disease
and cold sores. Most brains accumulate pathogensas
they age – blood vessels become leakier, makingthe
blood-brain barrier more porous. These scientists
128 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019
thinksomeofthegermsthatinfiltratethebrainmaybethe
instigatorsofthechangesthatbecomeAlzheimer’s.
Ifthisso-calledmicrobialprotectionhypothesisproves
true–andsupportingevidencehasbeenpilingup–itwill
pointthewaytoanewandradicalapproachtostopthe
build-upofaproteincalledbeta-amyloid.Theseproteins
accumulateinthebrainsofAlzheimer’spatients,making
uptelltaledepositscalledplaquesthatareassociatedwith
dementia.For30years,scientiststhoughtbeta-amyloid
wasafunctionlessrogueprotein,andtriedtohaltits
accumulationbydegradingitorblockingitsproduction.
Thebug-huntingnewguardthinksthisoldhypothesisis
knockingonthewrongcellulardoors.Maybebeta-amyloid
isn’ttheactualproblemafterall;maybeit’sasymptomof
somethingelse.
THENEWCULPRITS
INHISCAMBRIDGELAB, HarvardMedicalSchoolprofessor
Dr RobertMoirhashelpedpinpointthatsomethingwith
experimentsshowingthatbeta-amyloidcanactas
anantimicrobial–itkillspathogensinpetridishesand
inthebrainsofmice.Beta-amyloid’spresenceinthebrains
ofpeoplewithAlzheimer’s,then,suggestsit’s theretofight
someunderlyinginfection.Totargetbeta-amyloidwithout
addressingtheinfection,Moirsays,“isliketryingtoputout
aforestfirewithoutblowingoutthematchthatcausedit.”
Moirhasmanagedtomakeheadwaydespitelimited
supportfromtheNationalInstitutesofHealth,which
hasfavouredinvestigationsthatviewbeta-amyloidasthe
exclusivecauseofAlzheimer’s.SincehisfirstandonlyNIH
grantranoutin2014,Moir,despitehispioneeringwork,
hasstruggledtolandasecond.Thislackoffundingcould
changesoon,thankstotheeffortsofindividualslikeDr
LeslieNorins,aretiredpublisherofmedicalnewsletters
whoisofferinga$1millionprizetotheperson(s)whocan
provearoleformicrobesinAlzheimer’s.
Aformerinfectious-diseasesresearcher,Norinsticksoff
someoftheclues,scatteredaroundthemedicallitera-
ture,thatconvincedhimthemicrobeideaneededmore
research.Neurosurgeons,whoroutinelyhandlebrain
tissue,havebeenreportedtodiefromAlzheimer’satan
unusuallyhighrate.Onestudyindicatedthatmarriedpeo-
pletakingcareofspouseswithdementiasufferedsimilar
cognitiveimpairmentmoreoftenthanthosetakingcare
ofspousesforotherreasons.Autopsieshavedetectedviral
DNAinamyloidplaques.Variousstudieshaveassociated
noticeableimprovementsinsymptomsoroutcomeswith
antibioticsorantivirals.
ALZHEIMER’S MAY
Illustration: Edmon de Haro
BE CAUSED BY THE SAME
MICROSCOPIC ORGANISMS
”
THAT CAUSE THINGS LIKE GUM
DISEASE AND COLD SORES.

ToNorins,itallfitthepatternofacertainkindofgerm
–thekind,liketuberculosis,leprosyorHIV,thatflourishes
onlyunderveryparticularconditions,helpingitelude
detection.Competingresearchteamspointtodifferent
suspects,withtheshortlistincludingherpessimplex
1,chlamydia,andToxoplasmagondii.SiliconValley
isn’twaitingaroundforconsensus.Onestart-upcalled
Cortexymeiscurrentlyrampingupenrolmentofsubjects
foraphaseIIstudyofadrugthattargetsapathogencalled
Porphyromonasgingivalis.Betterknownforcausing
gumdisease,P.gingivalishasbeenfoundinthebrains
ofAlzheimer’spatientsandcausestheuniquepathology
ofthediseaseinmice.Inapreviousstudy,membersof
the(verysmall)treatmentgroupshowedatrendtoward
improvementonseveralmeasuresofcognitivefunction
afterjust28days.
HEALTHYGUT,HEALTHYBRAIN
THERESEARCHLINES onmultiplemicrobesaren’t
mutuallyexclusive.“Theremaynotbeone‘Alzheimer’s
disease’.Itcouldbetherearefive,”saysDrGeorgePerry,
whoeditstheJournalofAlzheimer’sDisease.Butthey
mayberelated.MoirsuspectsAlzheimer’sbeginswitha
dysbiosis,adisruptionthatoccurswhenthebody’snormal
microbiomefallsoutofbalance,lettingonebugoranother
runwild.Inoneintriguingexperiment,disruptingthegut
microbiomesoffruitfliesdesignedtodevelopAlzheimer’s
aggravatedtheirneuronloss.“Ifyouwanttostop
Alzheimer’sbeforeitoccurs,itmayinvolvetreating
microbialimbalances,”saysMoir.Gutdysbiosiscould
increasethepermeabilityofthegutwallsomicrobes
makeitintothebloodandeventuallythebrain.
Figuringouthowtotametherightmicrobescould
makeitpossibleforyoutostaymentallyfitasyouage,
undamagedbythisprogressivedisease.
Theknowledgethatanyoneofhalfadozencommon
germsmightcausecognitivedeclineisn’texactly
reassuring.Butthetoolkit’snotemptyofoptionsthat
mightreduceyourrisk.(Stayingawayfrompeoplewith
Alzheimer’sisn’toneofthem,bytheway.)Anumberof
studieshaveshownthatfrequentexercisecandelaythe
progressionofAlzheimer’sinpeoplewhohavegenetic
variantsthatputthemathigherriskforthedisease.
Maintaininghighfitnesshelpswithmostaspectsof
ageing,ofcourse,andkeepsvascularwallshealthy.Poor
dentalhygienehasbeenlinkedtoheartdiseaseaswellas
dementia,somakeanextraefforttokeepyourteethand
gumshealthy.
Howeverthemicrobehypothesisturnsout,you’llwantto
keepyourgutmicrobiomeinbalance,sinceit’sconnected
tobetterhealthoverall.“Eatahigh-nutrientdietthat’srich
infibre,”saysPerry.Fibrehelpshealthybacteria flourish,
andadietlowinjunkfoodhelpskeepvesselsstrong.
Andwhileit’snotgerm-related,expertslikeMoirloveto
remindyoutofeedyourmind.“Interactingwithfriendsis
emergingasthekeyprotectivefactorforabunchoflate-life
diseases,”hesays,“includingAlzheimer’s.”
AM I
T ?
HI
*
LD OR
S H
OO
Facing an existential question, we
look for answers. BY CHRIS DIXON
Dr. Shane Woolf is a 46-year-old father of two and
a mountain biker who currently works as a sports-medicine
guru. Ron Miller, 51, leads the team at Sawtooth Physical
Therapists. He subjects himself to brutal mountain-bike
competitions. He’s also a father of two kids. It turns
out both of these fine gentlemen had been giving a lot
of thought to exactly the sort of existential dilemmas
the ageing dad athlete faces. Both warn that injuries to
athletes in their 50s are fiendishly common, especially
those involving connective tissue. There’s also declining
bone density. All of this, frankly, is pretty damn depressing.
See a sports-medicine specialist.
An expert can identify issues with your posture,
muscle imbalances, bone density, motor skills, and
even diet. Also ask that specialist to help you develop
a personalised fitness programme.
Don’t pursue any sport hard right out of the gate.
A high level of cardio fitness and flexibility is especially
vital as you age. An easy yoga programme at least twice
a week that ratchets up in intensity over time can be
hugely beneficial.
To maintain bone density,
introduce some load-bearing exercise like running or
strength training twice a week. You’re in it for the long haul
now, so start out slowly – 15 minutes a couple of times a week.
Rest and recover.
When he was younger, Miller trained on the bike, hard,
every other day. Now he does very high-intensity
workouts only twice a week. Many experts recommend a
polarised training approach: 20% high intensity and 80%
low intensity.
Visualise the activity.
“Our brain doesn’t know the difference between us
imagining something and doing it,” says Miller. “Practise
those runs in your head, so you get them down. You
can’t train 24 hours a day, but you can work in some skill
sessions in your head multiple times a day.”
Give your proprioception a prod.
Regularly practise standing on one leg with your eyes
closed for 15 seconds, then 30. Make it more challenging
by extending outwards in a yoga pose. Even stand on one
leg, eyes closed, while brushing your teeth. Taking your
eyes out of the equation helps keep your balance honed.
Get regular.
“Try to maintain a consistent level of activity,”
says Dr. Woolf.
MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019 129
 WHAT’S YOUR MORBID
FASCINATION?
THIS
MONTH
Death! DEATHINSA TV SHOWS ABOUT

88.8%
SERIAL KILLERS

Conversations With
A Killer: Ted Bundy

DEATH BY
NATURALCAUSES
Statistics South Africa released a
report in 2018 on the top-10 leading Dexter
causes of death in SA, covering data
from 2016 (based on death notifica-
tions maintained by the Department
of Home Affairs). In our country,
people die mostly from natural causes
– they account for 88.8% of all deaths, Hannibal
with non-natural deaths making up the
other 11.2%.

126
TOP 5 KILLER
DISEASES THE NUMBER OF TIMES KENNY DIES IN SOUTH PARK Bates Motel

TV SHOWS WITH

1
THE HIGHEST BODY
COUNT
TUBERCULOSIS 1 Game Of Thrones

2
DIABETES MELLITUS “OMG “A PHRASE USED TO DESCRIBE ONE’S INTENSE PLEASURE/
EUPHORIA TOWARDS SOMETHING, USUALLY MUSIC OF THE
2 Supernatural

I DIE ”
ELECTRONICA GENRE. THIS PHRASE MAY BE CONSIDERED The Walking
3
3
OVERUSED AND ANNOYING BY SOME PEOPLE.” Dead

LIFE EXPECTANCY
– Urban Dictionary

OTHER FORMS OF
HEART DISEASE

4
CEREBROVASCULAR
DISEASE

5
HIV
According to the latest World Health Organisation data published in 2018, the life expectancy for South African males is 60.2 years
(67 for females). SA is currently 153rd in the World Life Expectancy ranking.

A DYING ART
SOME OF OUR MOST CHRISTOPHER LEE JOHN HURT SAMUEL L. JACKSON SEAN BEAN LIAM NEESON
POPULAR MOVIE 60 ON-SCREEN DEATHS 45 ON-SCREEN DEATHS 28 ON-SCREEN DEATHS 25 ON-SCREEN DEATHS 24 ON-SCREEN DEATHS
STARS HAVE You may know him as The late veteran’s most AKA Nick Fury, Jules Who knew that the actor “I will find you, and I will...
RACKED UP RATHER Count Dooku from Star memorable moment is Winnfield, John Shaft, playing Eddard Stark be killed on screen.”
LARGE NUMBERS OF Wars, or as Saruman arguably from the movie Frozone, etc. Jackson is (Game of Thrones) was It seems that when
DEATHS ON SCREEN. from Lord of The Rings, Alien, in which his chest one of the few actors really good at dying? Liam Neeson’s not
HERE ARE SOME OF but the late Christopher explodes and an alien ever to die in a video Sean Bean has acquired tracking down his
Getty/Gallo

OUR FAVOURITES Lee holds the record for emerges. He also game, after voicing a reputation for the daughter’s kidnappers,
(ALONG WITH THEIR most on-screen deaths portrayed Ollivander in Frank Tenpenny in Grand almost inevitable demise he’s playing dead in
DEATH COUNTS). by an actor. the Harry Potter movies. Theft Auto: San Andreas. of his characters. other movies.

130 MH.CO.ZA/ July 2019


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