Men's Health Australia October 2019

Earlier this year, on a boy’s trip to Queensland, I was sitting poolside with this month’s cover man, Lincoln Lewis. We’d just arrived back from a day on the golf course, and while the rest of our mates went for a dip to cool off, Linc and I sat on the deck, shirts firmly on. Two men in their 30s, both victims of slowing metabolisms and carrying the spoils of a decent festive season. Conversation went from sports, to women, to our desire to out-train the lads in the pool and get “ripped like Michael B. Jordan”. Linc’s face lit up. “If I get in Michael B. Jordan shape, will you put me on the cover?” It was in that moment, sealed with a handshake and witnessed by our much-buffer mates,…

SUNNY SIDE UP A University of California study suggests that those with high vitamin D levels, whether from supps or the sun, are five times less likely to become diabetic. IN THE ELEMENT Researchers in Mexico found that a high concentration of magnesium in the blood protects against the hardening of your arteries and type-2 diabetes. GET MOVING, MAN How to rack up those 150 minutes of exercise? Try walking in your lunchbreak. The new ECCO St. 1 Hybrid melds a formal upper with a sporty sole. From $299; au.ecco.com…

THE BIG QUESTION I’m carrying a little more weight than I used to. Should I be worried about diabetes? –SK Well, that depends on what you mean by “a little” – but you’re right to be thinking about it. The latest statistics indicate that we are edging towards a diabetes epidemic. Despite this, it seems that few grasp the severity of the condition. Diabetes causes glucose to build up in your blood, damaging your eyes, kidneys, sex life and, eventually, your heart. A slight increase in weight is no cause for panic, but carrying excess fat around your middle – along with poor sleep and high stress levels – will increase your risk. Sound like you? Get checked for pre-diabetes: elevated blood sugar levels that affect one in three adults in Australia. Once…

Today 02:03am It’s just gone two, and I need to be up for work in five hours. Can you help me nod off? OK. First, stop checking the time: studies show knowing how much sleep you’ve missed will make you feel more tired. Right. I’ve turned the alarm clock around. What now? Your brain needs to associate “bed” with “sleep”. Don’t spend too long lying there awake. So, you mean I should get up? Yes, for 15 minutes. Stop all that tossing and turning and read a book in the living room. Can I watch an episode of Killing Eve? No! Avoid screens and keep the lights dim. Good luck. Today 02:58am Um, are you still awake? Yes. Count down from 900 in sevens: dull tasks like this often work. And get off your phone! Alison Gardiner, Sleepstation cofounder…

ICE CREAM has now achieved superfood status. It began with low-kilojoule and high-protein options, but its most recent incarnation – a tub fortified with the mineral magnesium – has elevated the trend to another level. And if you’re hungry for progress at any age, take note. A study in the International Journal of Andrology found a link between high levels of magnesium and concentrations of testosterone. Blood cells well stocked with magnesium release fewer free radicals, which inhibit testosterone production. This becomes particularly important for men after they hit 40, when the hormone begins to decline by 1 per cent per year. Testosterone is crucial for maintaining energy levels and muscle mass, The solution is to eat like a kid. You could get the magnesium you need to boost testosterone from foods…

7AM: MORNING GLORY Add some mackerel to your morning eggs. Its omega-3 acids slow ageing at a molecular level. 8AM: LUCKY DIP Stay young at heart (and in your lungs) by improving your rate of oxygen consumption with a pre-work swim. 2PM: MIND MATTERS Follow your weights session with a creatine shake, linked with better memory. University of Chichester 10PM: PUT IT TO BED A solid night’s sleep (around seven hours) helps your skin recover faster from stressors such as UV rays. University Hospitals Case Medical Center…