Men's Health Australia March 2022

Rock On DESPITE THE DIVISION you see splashed across your myriad of devices, there are still things in our shared human existence that spark joy in almost everyone: puppies, cancelled meetings, Matthew McConaughey saying “alright, alright, alright”, that first sip of a Friday afternoon beer, your screen remaining intact after dropping your phone, receiving a negative COVID test, a ripe avocado, Julia Roberts’ smile, Julia Roberts with a puppy, a Friday afternoon beer with Julia Roberts and a smiling puppy... and, perhaps most unanimously of all, music. Sure, even in this purest of pleasures, taste is subjective. But it’s undeniable that even the biggest cynic can find joy in the thumping chorus of their favourite song. Music provides the soundtrack to our lives, punctuating our most important and memorable moments. There’s the first…

THE BIG QUESTION Q Is my middle-age spread due to slow metabolism – or am I just overeating? – SG IT’S TEMPTING TO view midlife weight gain as an inevitability – like greying hair or the clothes you wore in your twenties becoming ‘retro’. But it’s empowering to think you have more control over your long-term health than you know. And you do, according to a new report in the journal Science. Researchers found that our metabolisms peak when we’re babies, then decline until we hit 20, when things plateau. It’s not until we reach 60 that it starts to drop again, and then only by around 1 per cent a year. Study author Herman Pontzer says this calls into question whether we’re really impervious to weight gain in our twenties – or…

Q. My girlfriend is addicted to Netflix bingeing. Not sure I can get past it. A. We fall in love with each other’s strengths, but love deepens towards permanence when we fall in love with each other’s weaknesses. Socrates; b. 470 BC Ask the MH girls the questions you can’t ask anyone else. They’re three women who speak their mind, so don’t expect sugar-coated answers ASK THE GIRLS IN THE OFFICE Q I’m getting back into the dating game. Any tips on what’s appealing or off-putting in a dating profile? – JB Becky: Firstly, welcome back to the game, JB. Jess: I think it’s a case of show don’t tell. Choose images that show what you like doing – they’ll be a good conversation starter. Nik: Trying to be someone you’re not is a huge no. This person…

Why is all the food I buy now fortified with vitamins? – AY Tuesday 6:47pm My bread, my juice, my protein powder, my breakfast cereal. Is this necessary? Vitamins A, D and B-group, as well as iron, calcium and omega-3, are often added to foods – how useful they are depends on your needs. So, which should I keep in my shopping basket? Vitamin D3 is the big one. And if you’re over 40, you might benefit from extra B vitamins in food if you don’t take a supp. Added omega-3 is good if you don’t eat oily fish. Any risk that I’ll end up taking too much? From fortified foods alone? No, but avoid high-dose vitamin or mineral supps, which provide far more than your RDIs. A lower-strength multivitamin, with 50-100% of your RDIs, is fine. Any…

RAISE THE STEAKS OVER BREAKFAST Research suggests a beefy morning meal can boost muscle growth. We carve into the meat of the matter UNTIL THE ADVENT of enlightened attitudes to plant-based diets, eating meat was seen as a national duty for the Aussie man – an expression of masculinity and virility. Think of all the food options traditionally associated with an afternoon at the footy – meat pie, hot dog, steak sandwich – and we’d bet you’ll struggle to come up with anything that wasn’t once animal flesh. Sterotypical baggage aside, steak night has long been a highlight of the week’s culinary calendar. But why is it steak night and not steak morning? Especially since a recent study by Japanese scientists* suggested that subbing in a rib-eye for cereal and toast is your…

YOU DON’T NEED Freud or Bob Hoskins to remind you that it’s good to talk. Last year, the disruption to our social lives caused by COVID led to more than two-thirds of adults with mental health problems experiencing a deterioration, and experts warned that the atomisation of life in a pandemic could cause many who were previously well to develop conditions such as depression. For some illnesses, the vaccine isn’t a jab, but social connection. A new study published in Jama Network Open spells out the importance of regular conversation to our long-term brain health. US scientists analysed MRI scans and self-reported data on the interactions of 2171 adults over the age of 45. They found that those who answered positively to the question, “Can you count on anyone to listen…