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TOTAL-BODYTUNE-UP : HEART / BRAIN / BALLS FEBRUARY 2019

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THE #MHBEASTMODE COMPETITION IS OPEN! ENTER NOW! You could win an amazing SCITEC product hamper EVERY month, and be featured in Men’s Health magazine! Visit beastmode.mh.co.za to enter. HOW IT WORKS To enter your video (or someone else’s) into the #MHBeastMode competition, all you need to do is tag #MHBeastMode in the comments of any Instagram post. That’ll put it into the BeastMode feed on our site, beastmode.mh.co.za. We will choose our top three videos for the month, and then you vote for your favourite. The winner receives a SCITEC hamper. Then, at the end of four months and after four winners, we’ll choose an overall champion who will earn an epic SCITEC Winner’s Hamper!

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ALL THE FOOTBALL THAT MATTERS

MEN’S HEALTH FEBRUARY 2019

COVER STORIES & FEATURES ARMS + ABS: SCULPT YOURS IN 28 DAYS Go with the flow. 37 2019 PLAYBOOK Make this your best year. 42 SWAP FAT FOR MUSCLE How our Belly-Off guy lost 53kg! 50 BRAAI LIKE A CHAMP Your mates deserve better than charred meat. 52 OUTWIT STRESS TODAY! Get fitter and happier. 82

P.40 ACTION MAN Meet this month’s cover guy.

10 YEARS YOUNGER The new science on living longer. 86 START YOUR SIDE HUSTLE + fix your bank balance. 88 WHAT’S YOUR FITNESS AGE? Take the test, and find out. 94 TOTAL-BODY TUNE-UP Turn your life around with this total wellness quiz. 102

PHOTOGRAPHY JASON IERACE

THE ART OF THE BLUFF Success is no longer about what you know. 108 REVIVAL OF THE FITTEST Inspiring stories of men who came back stronger. 114 REFINE YOUR DINING Fine dining isn’t just for fancy foodies. 122

CONTENTS

P.24 DRIVE Our 2019 picks.

SHOPPING TROLLEY GOLD Read up and stock up on these 7 foods. 56 YOUR PERFECT DAY IN SNACKS Smash snacking by doing it right. Here’s what to eat – and when to eat it. 59

UPFRONT

BETTER MAN

MAN OF ACTION Bag the win. 10 ED’S LETTER Lift your levels. 12

BEYOND MEASURE Tap into the data for the real story of Dr. Riaan Conradie. 20

THE EXCHANGE Get all the answers from Michelle Obama. 14

THE CUT The best gear to hit MH HQ. 26

THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE You can choose: flight or fright? 16

SMART HOME 101 Hack your home. 28

GAME PLAN V-day victory. 18 8

THE NEW RULES OF VODKA 5 tipple tips. 30

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR PHONE Curb digital dependency. 32

WEIGHT BURNER The anytime, anywhere workout for staying on track. 44

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN... ...I start a new fitness plan? 33

BALLER MOVE Pummel your core with the A.J. Triple Threat. 46

FOOD FIGHT! Be a cool dad. 34

STAY STRONG IN THE LONG RUN Avoid bad posture by strengthening your stabiliser muscles. 47

MH WOMAN Dare to dance. 35

FITNESS THE BODY-

VERSUS Exercising indoors or outdoors: which one wins? 48

RELATIONSHIPS SO… WAS IT GOOD FOR YOU? Get a helping hand and up your game this year. 61

with altitude. 69 INVEST TO IMPRESS 15 items, 25 ways. Make this season your most stylish yet. 70 MAKEOVER This man went from stout to shredded. Now he needs a wardrobe to match. 80 WATER SCARCITY Fix the signs of holiday excess with the magic of hydration. 81

HEALTH

WHAT CREEPY LOOKS LIKE How to read the clues (and nonclues). There are no more excuses. 66

DO YOU NEED AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL? Get a second opinion. 87

ST YLE

WEALTH

INVESTMENT Forget the tickers with attitude – it’s all about the tickers

WEALTH REPORT Survive, thrive and climb to the top with these 6 tips. 93

IMAGES SUPPLIED

FOOD

MAN OF

ACTION

CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA

“As an athlete, training forms such a large part of my life that when the opportunity to test myself against the best comes along, I take it. Competing at events like FICT gives me the chance to see where I’m at competitively, and to catch up with friends from around the country. ” – ALAN FOULIS, CROSSFIT ATHLETE AND FICT MALE WINNER 2018

PHOTOGRAPH DANIEL STEVENSON

COMPETITION IS A FITNESS MULTIPLIER. Wonder why you’re able to push yourself harder when you’re in a competition than in normal training? It’s science. A 2015 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that participants had faster reaction times when they believed they were competing. The study also found that males may be more affected by competition in physical tasks. Men showed faster reaction times and greater sustained effort when in a competitive environment, and it translated into better results. This photo is from the 2018 version of the Fittest In Cape Town (FICT) competition, the 2019 edition takes place from 31 January until 2 February, and has become one of the country’s most popular fitness competitions – and as of this year, it’s the only officially CrossFit-sanctioned event on the continent. The winners of the male, female and team categories now earn a ticket to the CrossFit Games – so it’s become a target for plenty of international top-ranked athletes. Alan Foulis (pictured), was the male winner of FICT 2018, and he welcomes the added competition. “It excites me; the international athletes will bring a great flavour, and I can’t wait to throw down with them. Of course, it makes the challenge for the top spot even tougher, but the standards of the sport are going up all the time, and we need to rise with it. I love throwing down with great athletes in a loud and epic vibe, and I want to show my son that anything is possible when you’re willing to put in the work.” Time to harness your own competitive spirit. Your starting point? Sign up for FICT 2020, and train using Alan’s advice: “Work hard, keep it varied, and trust the process.” fittestincapetown.com.

LETTER FROM THE

EDITOR

Working On Your Levels REALITY CHECK: THE NEW-YEAR HYPE IS OVER, AND YOU’RE BACK ON THE GRIND. THE GOOD NEWS: WE’VE GOT THE SOLUTION TO GET YOUR UPWARD MOMENTUM BACK Yeah, we get it – February is really when the struggle gets real. Your bank balance is in tatters. Those well-meaning resolutions have come and gone. Work is back in full swing, and those holiday memories are becoming dimmer by the minute. But there’s hope: we’ve got you covered. This issue is filled with real inspiration to get your year back on track, and to upgrade the speed of your progress in all areas. We’ve got a potent mix of features: starting with some of the best health comeback stories (p114); a clever quiz (p82) to gauge how stress is affecting you, and another to make sure you’re physically and mentally ready for 2019 (p102); a smart guide showing you how to train yourself 10 years younger and a whole lot healthier (p94); a profile of one the most exciting local entrepreneurs (p20); an insider’s look at starting up your own side Twitter

Instagram

@arthurjonessa

@arthurjonessa

Email: tellmh@media24.com Twitter: @MensHealthZA Facebook: MensHealthSA 12

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

Clockwise from top: Getting a new, fresh-air perspective on Cape Town; rowing with one of the best gym views in the country; and training in a new gym with an old friend and great coach, Russ Swanepoel.

hustle to earn some cash (p88) – use it, along with our Wealth Report (p93), to help improve the state of your post-festive season finances. But that’s not all – we have a bumper fitness section (p37) filled with the latest science, trends and methods to sharpen both your body and your training techniques. Our nutrition section (p52) offers smarter eating plans to give you more bang for your buck, and we have an exclusive masterclass in creating Michelin-star meals for your friends and family, courtesy of arguably the best chef in the country (p122). But we’ve haven’t just covered your kitchen and gym goals – we’ve also put together a mix-and-match formula (p70) to rework your wardrobe (but keeping to a strict budget). Time to lift your levels. Make this month count, physically, mentally and financially.

ARTHUR JONES EDITOR

MH WORLD GUY SKILLS

PIWE ZULU PROVES IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO DREAM BIG Piwe Zulu started racing professionally at the age of 33, and already has multiple podiums under his belt. The off-road enduro motorcyclist hails from Gamalakhe, a township in KwaZulu-Natal, and has worked hard to get where he is today. Growing up watching the sport, his dream was finally realised in 2017 when he landed a full-time sponsorship. But when it comes to his knowledge on being an enduro-athlete, he’s a seasoned pro: “Mental fitness is so important; so I surrounded myself with mature and skilled riders who play a big part in my attitude towards the challenge,” he explains. Learn from him.

FEBRUARY

Download your digital copy at mysubs.co.za/ mens-health Works on iPad, Mac or PC.

#menshealthza Shout out to our Instagram followers! Smashing your fitness goals? Tag us in your pics (@MensHealthZA) and you could be featured right here.

@was__eem

MH.CO.ZA/GUY-SKILLS

DRIVE

WEIGHT LOSS

DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM, GETTY/GALLO IMAGES, UNSPLASH.COM

@kingwazofficial

THE MH MOTORING MINUTE From hatchbacks to SUVs, we give you our take on some of the latest cars to hit the South African market. The best part about it? We took a five-day test, and put everything you need to know into a one-minute read. Get the right ride for your rand by checking it out. MH.CO.ZA/DRIVE

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE EXERCISE Although no amount of exercise gives you a lifetime pass to eat whatever you want, MH writer Lou Schuler looks into why exercise matters more than diet. Did you know that researcher Bernard Gutin found that kids who ate the most were typically the leanest? Check out our debate. MH.CO.ZA/WEIGHT-LOSS @irvin.kk

HEALTH

I TRIED IV THERAPY AT A DRIP BAR With it being the latest celeb craze, we had to investigate the hype around IV therapy. We looked into whether these über-pricey booster shots really improve your overall wellness, replenish essential minerals, and boost your energy. MH.CO.ZA/HEALTH

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MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 13

THE

EXCHANGE

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

You even say [you and Barack] argue differently? Oprah Winfrey, O, The Oprah Magazine Oh God, yes. I am like a lit match. It’s like, poof! And he wants to rationalise everything. So he had to learn how to give me, like, a couple of minutes – or an hour – before he should even come in the room when he’s made me angry. And he has to understand that he can’t convince me out of my anger. That he can’t logic me into some other feeling.

THIS MONTH’S SPECIAL GUEST:

The Michelle Obama!

Who would you invite to your fantasy dinner party? Lucy Kaylin, O, The Oprah Magazine

The former First Lady fielded questions during a recent trip to the Hearst Tower in New York to promote her memoir, Becoming. A few floors up from the US Men’s Health offices, she took questions from a handful of editors and even sat for an extended interview with an up-and-coming journalist named Oprah Winfrey. The highlights:

Barack, my mom, Malia, Sasha, my brother. To sit and listen to our kids and to give them that space. It’s so important for us to make sure that our kids and our family know that Barack and I are there for them, and that when we have time, we give it to them. Because we had opportunities for those dream dinner parties. We opted for family.

WHAT’S YOUR DEFINITION OF STRENGTH?

As I grow older and busier, it’s harder to stay in touch with friends. Any advice? Michele Promaulayko, Cosmopolitan

Equal parts confidence, compassion, and a conviction about something outside of yourself. Because what does it mean to be strong if that strength is just inside and you don’t use it on behalf of anybody else? And what good is being strong if you don’t have empathy for someone else? You can’t get anything done if you’re not confident, if you don’t have security, if you don’t feel good in yourself.

I tell folks that I learned to plan my life like I plan my work. I started planning these boot camps at Camp David every three months. I would have my trainer, one of the chefs from the White House, go to Camp David and we’d set up, like, four days of really hard exercise. We worked out three times a day. I eliminated sugar and wine. And then people were like, I’m not coming back. I put the wine back on.

Liz Plosser, Women’s Health US Editor

14

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

Let’s say your husband is left home alone with a whole bag of crisps. What percentage of that bag is left when you and the girls get home? Richard Dorment, Men’s Health One hundred percent – that bag isn’t even taken out of the cabinet. His taste doesn’t even align with junk food. And it could be because of being raised in Indonesia, he even had different flavour palates, as far as I’m concerned. He likes bitter tastes. He doesn’t like chocolate. If it were up to him, crisps wouldn’t even be in the house. But I have a teenager, so sometimes they get in.

WHITE HOUSE PHOTO / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

ASK HER ANYTHING

Arthur Jones Editor Robert Cilliers Creative Director Nadim Nyker Digital Editor Kirsten Curtis Contributing Editor Megan Flemmit Multimedia Journalist Dave Buchanan Copy Editor Kelleigh Korevaar Content Producer Thaaqib Daniels Content Producer DESIGN Quasiem Gamiet Art Director FASHION Azeez Jacobs Fashion & Grooming Editor Nadia Windt Fashion Assistant PHOTOGRAPHY James Garaghty In-House Photographer ADMINISTRATION Amina Essop Office Administrator EXPERTS AND ADVISORS Adrian Penzhorn Nutrition Dr Dilshaad Asmal Dermatology Shona Hendricks Sports Science Jamie Elkon Psychology Albert Buhr Stress Expert Zane Stevens Endocrinology Elna Rudolph Sexual Health

CONTRIBUTORS Denham Hitchcock (COVER GUY), Jason Ierace (COVER PHOTOGRAPHER), +ISM, Alamy.com, Alex Doak, Allie Holloway, Andrew Hetherington, Ben Boudro, Byron Keulemans, Daniel Stevenson, Daniel Williams, Deposit Photos, Devon Hedley, Edward Lane, Elsa Young, Fersyndicate, Getty/Gallo Images, Gregor Rohrig, Infomen, Isabelle Kern, Jamie Kimm, Jason Ierace, Jeffrey Westbrook, Jessica Migala, Jill Waldbieser, Jobe Lawrenson, Jonathan Ancer, Jonathan Lovekin, Josee De Luc, Julie Vadnal, Kaitlyn DuRoss, Lauren Larson, Levi Brown, Luke Kuisis, Kieran Legg, Kyle Hilton, L-Dopa, Mauro Matalone, Matt Needle, Melissa Punch, Michael Easter, Michael Jennings, Moon Patrol, Mpumelelo Macu, Noel Camardo, Paul Kita, Paul Samuels, Philip Haynes, Rachel Meltzer Warren, Renee Rossouw, Richard Godwin, Safiyah Majiet, Sean Hyson, The Voorhees, Tom Ward, Tyler Kord, Unsplash, Will Hilgenberg. Unless previously agreed in writing, Men’s Health buys all rights to all contributions, whether image or text. ADVERTISING SALES Danie Nell Business Manager: Media24 Leisure Sales 082 859 0542 danie.nell@media24.com JOHANNESBURG Kylee Robertson 076 263 9114 kylee.robertson@media24.com Jeanine Kruger 082 342 2299 jeanine.kruger@media24.com CAPE TOWN Hannes Burger 076 152 4605 hannes.burger@media24.com

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CONTACT US Post Men’s Health, PO Box 16368, Vlaeberg, 8018 Tel 021 406 2121 Email tellmh@media24.com

Ishmet Davidson CEO: Media24 Rika Swart CEO: Print Media Minette Ferreira General Manager: Lifestyle Nerisa Coetzee General Manager: Monthlies Jameelah Conway Head of Finance: Lifestyle Muneeb Adams Financial Manager: Lifestyle CIRCULATION Ebrahim Jeftha Product Manager Riaan Weyers Circulation Manager Jenny Marinus Subscription Manager Kerry Nash Production Manager: Monthlies REPRODUCTION Media24 Repro Printing Paarl Media Cape DISTRIBUTION On the Dot Copyright © 1997 Media 24 (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission by Media 24 (Pty) Ltd.

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ADVOCATE

T H E D E V I L’S

SOMETIMES, YOU NEED A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE TO PUT YOU BACK IN CONTROL

As I approach the dinky two-seater plane, I suddenly remember something I really should have remembered earlier, when I was first invited to go on a flight around Cape Town – I’m petrified of flying. It takes everything in my power not to tell the pilot there’s been a terrible mistake, and to turn around. Actually, I have no problem with flying. It’s crashing that scares me silly. But I take a deep breath, and speak harshly to my fear; and in a few minutes we’re floating, 1 500 feet (aviator types always talk in feet) above the Mother City. The pilot asks where I live, and soon we’re over my house. I soak up the hum of the engine, the whirr of the propellers, and the picturesque skyscape. I may not be on Cloud Nine, but I’m certainly on a high. If only I could bottle this feeling. I look down at the houses, gardens and swimming pools of my suburb, and then we’re off to hug Table Mountain and continue around the coast. I’ve been feeling gloomy about the state of my country, and a flight around this breathtaking city is just the lift – literally and figuratively – that I need. But a few minutes later I come crashing down to earth (spoiler alert: this time, it was only figuratively). Not long after watching a rider on horseback trot peacefully along Noordhoek Beach’s pristine white sand, we fly over some of Cape Town’s informal settlements – shacks on top of shacks – and ganglands. I suddenly have an altogether different perspective on South Africa. It’s at this point that a powerful gust of wind causes turbulence, and 16

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

my heart leaps into my throat and my stomach does aerobatics. One eyebrow shoots upwards and the other shoots sideways. I feel helpless. The pilot gives a lever on his dashboard a tiny twitch, steers to the left, and my heart and eyebrows return to their rightful places – and everything is smooth once again. We land, and I reflect. Instead of feeling down, I feel… grounded. And not just because I’m back on the ground. I realise I’ve been despondent about my country because I feel helpless. But after watching the pilot take control, it occurred to me that I don’t have to be helpless. A few tiny twitches can play a role in helping to avoid turbulence. I can have a sense of purpose. Back on terra firma, I came up with Seven Small But Real Things I Can Do To Prevent South Africa From Nosediving And Tailspinning.

1. Be Kind. Be Kind. Be Kind.

I will carry fruit, make an extra sandwich, and ensure I have a pocketful of coins to give to people in need. I’ll greet everyone, make eye contact, and smile. I’ll say yes to every favour without expecting anything in return. I’ll listen to people (yes, even telemarketers – but not if they phone during a Springbok Test). I will let motorists in, and won’t hoot if someone cuts in front of me on

By Jonathan Ancer

the highway (and that will be a true test).

hospice or animal welfare group.

2. We All Need Some Education

5. Be Proper

I will buy books and stationery for a pupil whose family is struggling. I’ll embrace the old African slogan ‘Each One Teach One’, and pass on my knowledge and skills to others. I’ll chat to some friends about the possibility of us banding together to create an education stokvel – we’ll put in a small amount of money each month to fund someone’s studies. The more

I’m a product of my society, which for so long wasn’t based on mutual respect. I’m going to unlearn bad habits, and commit myself to fighting against any form of discrimination, even – and perhaps especially – if it’s my own.

6. See You Later, Donator

I’m going to donate blood, become an organ donor, and join the bone marrow registry. Donating

“I don’t have to be helpless. I can have a sense of purpose.” educated people we have in our country, the better it’ll be for all of us.

3. Going, Going... Green

I’ll reduce my impact on the environment. I will save water. I’ll pick up five pieces of litter every day for the rest of my life. I will buy local as much as possible, refuse the straw, avoid plastic bags, recycle, and cycle where I can to avoid travelling by petrol-guzzling car.

4. Hands On!

There are many organisations and charities that could do with an extra pair of hands. I’m going to volunteer at a soup kitchen, old age home,

blood takes half an hour every two months – that’s just three hours a year – and with these six annual donations, I can save up to 18 lives. And it’s painless. And by being an organ donor and joining the bone marrow registry, I can be someone’s hope for survival.

7. Have An OpenDoor Policy

I’ll open my door to people going through a rough time – no preaching, no advice. I’ll just be there. And if someone has suffered bereavement, I won’t say “If there’s anything I can do...” I will just show up – with a meal, a six-pack, or a shoulder to cry on.

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GAME PLAN THE MOVIE

FEBRUARY You have 150 hours of free time this month. Here’s what’s happening, and why it matters. BY KIERAN LEGG

THE CONCERT

THE PARTY 9 FEB

HEART CAPE TOWN MUSIC FESTIVAL

Newlands Cricket Stadium bails on the wickets for one night as DJs and music acts invade the pitch. The Heart Cape Town Music Festival is one giant party that’ll keep you dancing from opening act ‘til final encore. Buy tickets at computicket.com.

8 FEB

THE LEGO MOVIE: THE SECOND PART

THE GAME

2 FEB

LAURYN HILL WITH SPECIAL GUEST NAS Her shows are unpredictable, but in a world where some artists are happy to lip-sync for an hour before cartwheeling off the stage, a genuine vocal performance by one of the all-time greats is worth the price of admission alone. Plus, Nas is going to be there – enough said. Venue: Ticket Pro Dome, Joburg. Book your spot in the crowd at bigconcert.co.za.

22 FEB

ANTHEM

Step into a superpowered “exo-suit” and blast your way through waves of enemies in a giant open world. Anthem will let you customise every element of your mechanised outfit, from the attached arsenal of devastating weapons right down to the all-important “go-faster” stripes. The best part: you’re encouraged to team up with your mates (or random strangers) to take on the game’s endless list of tasks, collecting exotic loot along the way way. Available on PS4, PS4 XBOX ONE, and PC. O

18

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

THE DATE VALENTINE’S DAY

Be more memorable on date night with this MH-certified care package of kickass alternatives: THE OLD

9 FEB

BRIDGESTONE ROUTE 66 MTB EXPERIENCE This three-day stage race has grown to become one of Gauteng’s most popular off-road, saddle-bound capers. The sell: rollercoaster descents and stunning sights. Each day, you’ll rack up at least 60km of riding. If that sounds like your ceiling, you can opt to take on the two-day or one-day versions of the race. To find out more, visit route66mtb.co.za.

THE GAMECHANGER

Red roses: This dependable bouquet is destined to wither and die – plus, her exes already pulled the same trick.

Flowering potters: What she gets: an interesting plant she’s never heard of and a reminder of your brilliance and originality.

H Heart-shaped box of chocola ates: a popular romcom prop th hat’s about as forgettable as the sorry excuse for tasteless, caloric chocolate embalmed inside.

Dark chocolate: Studies have shown that it (at least 70% cocoa) can help improve your health. We like Afrikoa, a slab made using beans harvested in Tanzania.

Bottle of wine: Face it, forking out hundreds for a bottle of m merlot you’re both pretending to en njoy isn’t worth it.

Saison: This style of beer merges the best of burly brews and subtle wines for a surprising sip that’ll switch things up for her – and you. We like the Haybale Saison (R186 for six, yuppiechef.com).

THE DAY 2 FEB

EAT ICE CREAM FOR BREAKFAST DAY

While the origins of this fabled day have been lost, it’s an event that has snowballed into a rite of passage for gelato enthusiasts. Rebel against your parents’ totally unfair “no dessert until you eat your veggies” laws by kicking off your day with a bowl of delicious ice cream. But don’t let this get in the way of your healthy diet – opt for a high-protein scoop like MiWhey chocolate (17.3g protein per 100ml!).

GALLO/GETTY IMAGES (Lauren Hill); SUPPLIED (The Lego Movie, Bridgestone Route 66 MTB Experience, Anthem)

The humble building block of your childhood is all grown-up and animated. This second outing for the round-headed, square-legged LEGO crew sees the terrifying villains of the DUPLO universe invade the LEGO, um, verse. Yeah, you know, DUPLO, the giant cousin to your favourite multi-coloured bricks? What you can expect: incredible CGI, laughs, and Batman. Perfect.

THE RACE

From the editors of Men’s Health magazine

O N LY

R65

ON SALE NOW

BETTER MAN YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING SMARTER, HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER

Beyond Measure DR. RIAAN CONRADIE CO-FOUNDED LIFEQ, A WORLDLEADING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMPANY THAT AIMS TO PROVIDE PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WITH OPTIMAL HEALTHCARE AND IMPROVED WELLNESS. LIFEQ IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF HEALTH CARE, AND ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST EXCITING START-UPS. WE TAPPED INTO THE DATA TO GET THE REAL STORY.

20 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

THE MAN DR. RIAAN CONRADIE OCCUPATION

ENTREPRENEUR LOCATION

GREGOR ROHRIG

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

BY

KELLEIGH KOREVAAR

“Imagine an era in which cars didn’t have dashboards. If you were to drive such a car you wouldn’t know when your petrol tank is going to be empty, whether you’re cruising at safe speeds, whether your car is due for a service, or whether there’s something seriously wrong with your car. Today we’re still in an era in which we don’t have a dashboard for our bodies. A lot of companies are trying to provide a similar utility for our bodies, through a range of new products and services.” That’s where LifeQ comes in. That’s the dumbeddown version for the everyday South African. That’s the elevator pitch. That’s what they’re trying to do: build a human dashboard. In reality, though, what Dr. Riaan Conradie (co-founder of LifeQ) and his colleagues are doing is far more complex. They’re at the forefront of health care in South Africa, and changing the way wearables impact your life, beyond the free coffee or movie popcorn you get each week when you hit your fitness goal. NUMBERS GAME “Data without analysis and interpretation has limited to no value. The value that’s ‘trapped’ within the data can only really be unlocked after analysis and interpretation rooted in scientific methods,” explains Conradie. “Our bodies generate a multitude of physiological signals at any given moment in time. These signals change during the course of a day, but also as you age or during the onset of disease. We tap into the appropriate physiological signals to measure where someone is on their unique health journey. Other companies can use these measurements to alert someone to a specific risk or threat, for instance.” This technology has the opportunity to massively impact the price we pay for insurance. Previously, there were blanket penalisations for health markers. For example, if the data from a medical screening showed that you had high blood pressure despite you being in much better shape than other people and no one in your family having a history of high blood pressure, you would be charged a lot more and be deemed a MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

21

higher risk. Luckily, thanks to technology like LifeQ, risk analysis is becoming far more individualised; and the more data that’s captured and analysed, the better. They don’t just capture data like most wearables and health apps – they’re creating models and analytics that assist in assesing individual people’s health risks. It’s great for your wallet, and it’s even better for your health. Essentially, they can find out what the data your FitBit or Garmin watch gathers is actually saying. And the big names are starting to listen. LifeQ is in partnership with Garmin, Striiv and TomTom; and they are set to expand, with several global product launches in 2019 making using of LifeQ. Plus, in December LifeQ was named by Nedgroup Investments and Heavy Chef as one of SA’s Top 5 Most Exciting Start-ups. But LifeQ wasn’t always a top SA start-up with 120 team members across three (soon to be four) continents. It actually started years earlier: with a boy, and a piano. MECHANICAL MIND “I remember getting a toy piano as a birthday gift from my parents, only to take it apart a couple of days later. I was much more fascinated by understanding how the little toy piano worked than by actually

22 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

playing the piano.” Naturally, his folks weren’t happy with him when he took his birthday present apart; but fortunately for him they got to understand and embrace his passions. His parents were always there to give him the necessary support when he wanted to pursue something, and for that he is grateful. As a child, Riaan was drawn to understanding complex systems, whether it was the natural world we live in, how our bodies work or how people interact. As long as it required him to apply his mind to uncover the inner workings of things, he was game. “As a child, I used to sit for hours (well, at least, when I was a child it felt like hours) contemplating how things worked,” he jokes. “Inventing has always been something I do naturally.” But he wasn’t always indoors, puzzling over pianos and Pythagoras’s Theorem. He spent his days playing team sports, and loved it. “In retrospect, I realise this was much less about the specific sport and more about the joy of being in a team that had an aligned and difficult goal to achieve,” he reflects.

do naturally,” says Conradie.

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS BELOW

120/80 NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE

60-100

BEATS PER MINUTE NORMAL RESTING HEART RATE

17/100

SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE MEDICAL INSURANCE, ACCORDING TO STATS SA

Although he moved around a lot during the first five years of his life, he eventually settled for most of his childhood and teenage years in Durbanville. In school, his favourite subjects were biology, maths and physical science, which revealed his passion: the sciences. When it came to university, he didn’t fly far from the nest, choosing Stellenbosch University. There he did a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in biochemistry, genetics, human physiology and microbiology. From there, Riaan did his Honours in biochemistry, and then specialised in a field called computational systems biology. Finally, he got his PhD in biochemistry, with his core focus being computational systems biology. Throughout all of this his work was published in several international peer-reviewed journals. “I had always been drawn to business, but I thought I would most likely leverage my entrepreneurial qualities in academia as a researcher.” With such a demanding degree, it seems absurd that Riaan would still find time to build a start-up and develop revolutionary technology. But in actual fact, it was the degree that introduced him not only to the knowledge but to the people who would eventually play a vital role in the creation of LifeQ.

ROLE MODELS

LifeQ HQ in Stellenbosch. He predicts big things to come in 2019.

“LifeQ didn’t really start with a big ‘Aha!’ moment. Actually, we just dove in!” THE BIG BREAK LifeQ was founded by four people. Riaan met Kora Holm, co-founder and LifeQ’s organisational architect, during his undergraduate days at Stellenbosch University. He then met Dr Franco du Preez, co-founder and LifeQ’s chief scientist, at a bioinformatics course they both attended during his postgraduate studies. After that, Franco and Riaan met Laurence Olivier, co-founder and LifeQ’s CEO, at a business plan competition. “And, as they say, the rest is history.” “LifeQ didn’t really start with a big ‘Aha!’ moment,” he recalls. “Actually, we just dove in!” They started with four people, working from Riaan’s attic. Since then, they’ve added 116 team members, 3 continents, and a whole host of clients to LifeQ. For people wanting to build a science or tech start-up, Riaan advises one thing: don’t overthink the business. There are so many scientific, technological and business-

model question marks that planning can’t necessarily get you out of – in fact, they might give you a false sense of certainty and security. In the beginning stages, they focused on two things. They worked on building and validating their assets so that they were offering the best they could, and they surrounded themselves with extraordinary people who shared their vision and brought different skills to the table. So what exactly is LifeQ’s passion, and what drives them? They believe we are at the cusp of a global healthcare revolution, similar to the digital revolution that took place from the late 50s to the late 70s. But businesses need to use each other’s strengths in order to bring about meaningful change in health care. “Health care is a team sport,” says Riaan. Much like the team sports he played when he was younger, it’s all about aligning and achieving a difficult goal. Especially in South Africa.

Disease can severely compromise a person’s quality of life, and result in lots of suffering and pain. Sometimes this suffering can last for decades, and can impact your loved ones too. This compromised quality of life can have pronounced effects on most, if not all, aspects of your life. That’s why LifeQ is passionate about positively impacting health care across the globe, he explains. According to Statistics South Africa’s annual Mortality and Causes of Death report, the top six ‘natural’ causes of death in South Africa are tuberculosis, diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (strokes and aneurysms), HIV, and hypertensive disease. The fact that most of these are lifestyle diseases that South Africans can actively tackle by increasing or decreasing certain habits is worrying. “Why wait for something to break, and only then fix it? It makes way more sense to rather be proactive and prevent disease and promote good health, as this will not only decrease healthcare cost, but also result in less pain and suffering.” It’s no longer good enough to see our heart rate boldly displayed on our watch screens. We need to know what our heart rate should be, and whether there’s been an alarming change in our heart rate compared to, say, a few days before. That’s why LifeQ is geared towards disease prevention and improved wellness, early detection of disease, disease management, clinical and non-clinical interventions, and monitoring whether an intervention had the desired outcome or not. But this is just the beginnning for Riaan and LifeQ. “Imagine if you had an accurate digital version of your unique body at any given moment in time, and full control of who had access to this digital version of yourself. Imagine you could see the short- and longterm effects of hundreds of lifestyle changes (such as specific dietary changes) on your body before making such a lifestyle change. This is what we are working towards.”

Find out more about Riaan: lifeq.com or connect@lifeq.com

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 23

DRIVE

3

2

4

1

This is What's Driving 2019 The Well-Mannered Beast BMW M850i

2 The Rebirth of A Legend TOYOTA SUPRA

3 The Ring Leader AUDI Q8

Combine sculpted, muscular arches and a super-low-slung body with a sophisticated rear differential lock, a rear-wheel bias, and an absolute masterpiece of an engine (a 4.4l twin turbocharged V8 good for 390kW and 750Nm) paired with a slick eight-speed transmission, and you get a curvaceous coupé that can hurtle to 100kph in 3.7 seconds. And all in serious style. We're sold. Oh, and if you're so inclined, it's also available in a convertible version. The benefit of fresh air in your hair will cost you more than the coupé though – roughly R130 000 more. From R1 890 500 bmw.co.za

For a long time, Toyota was in the sportscar wilderness. That changed with the launch of the 86 in 2012, but that wasn't the end of the Japanese performance focus. The same man who created the 86 (Tetsuya Tada) is behind the return of the hallowed Supra, and Toyota and BMW have joined forces to create one of most exciting car collabs in history. The result – the Supra A90 – lands this year, along with its German counterpart, the BMW Z4. While they share some DNA, they'll still be wholly different. We're excited to drive both; but it's the keys to the lightweight, balanced Japanese scalpel we want first. Price TBA toyota.co.za

Audi is bringing the heat this year with no fewer than ten updates to the armoury: A1, Q3, RS4 (yes!), R8 facelift, e-tron, A6, A7, A8 and the TT. The local SUV market is going to be even bigger and better this year, and that's why we're very keen to get behind the wheel of this sharp-looking Audi flagship, which is set to launch in the first quarter of 2019. It's powered by a 3l V6 good for 213kW and 600Nm, but there'll be more engines available later in the year – including a quicker petrol, and maybe even a plug-in hybrid. However, it's a Q8 RS version that we're holding thumbs for. Price TBA audi.co.za

1

24 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

IIMAGES SUPPLIED

WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOUR-WHEELED REVOLUTION. THERE'S NEVER BEEN MORE CHOICE IN YOUR DAILY DRIVE, AND THE CHALLENGE NOW IS TO FIND THE RIDE THAT SUITS YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE BEST. HERE ARE THE 10 CARS LAUNCHING THIS YEAR THAT ARE REVVING UP OUR HEART RATE. / BY ARTHUR JONES

The Light Brigade

THE CAR WE MISSED IN 2018

The future is electric. So you need to get over any hang-ups you have about plug-powered machines. Quickly. They're fast and smart, and in time they're going to offer better value, too. The best news? 2019 is going to see a whole new selection of fully electric cars being added to the mix – it's no longer just between the BMW i3 and the Nissan Leaf. Here are our two picks from the cars leading the electronic charge in 2019:

KIA STINGER Technically, this launched in SA in August last year, though we weren't able to get behind the wheel, due to limited supply (there are only a few allocated to the country) – but we're going to fix that. Our goal is to get into the driving seat of this outlier as soon as possible. Not a brand you typically expect performance from, but this rear-wheel-drive beauty, with its twin-turbo V6 and carefully crafted chassis, promises 270kW and 500Nm, and properly dynamic driving. The looks? We're sold too. It's a lowslung, crafted beauty, with one of the best rears we've seen in a long time. We love underdogs, and this one looks set to be a doozy. From R849 995. kiastinger.co.za

The SUV with Claws: JAGUAR I-PACE We love where the famous feline is going, both in design and with regard to their engines – our favourite feline hits are the E-Pace and the F-Type. In similar form, this new all-electric performance SUV is making us drool. It offers 294kW and 696Nm, can do 0 to 100kph in under 5 seconds, and has a claimed range of 470km. And man, it looks good. From R1 687 200 jaguar.co.za The All-Wheel Winner: AUDIE-TRON Not to be outdone by the big cat above, this sleek looker will be powered by two electric motors and will have a new version of their famous Quattro all-wheel drive. Good for 265kW and 561Nm, it also has a Boost Mode, where the outputs rise to 300kW and 664Nm for 8 seconds. That's got us excited. You should be too. Price TBA audi.co.za

The Rolling Artwork RANGE ROVER EVOQUE 6

In our opinion, the Velar was one of the best-looking SUVs to grace our roads; so the fact that the new, second generation Evoque shares some of its visual DNA is a good thing. What's even better is the fact that this new version is bigger than the previous one (the wheelbase is 20mm longer), so it has better knee- and legroom for passengers, and more storage space in the boot (increased by 10%). So it's better looking, and more practical. There'll be a range of engine and spec-level options, and you can expect a plug-in hybrid to be available at a later stage too. Price TBA landrover.co.za

THE CLASSIC COMEBACK PORSCHE 911

Is there a more iconic performance model range than the 911? That's a trick question – there isn't. The 8th-generation version lands this year; and it's faster, thanks to a tweaked rear-mounted flat-six 3l twin-turbo engine. It'll do zero to 100kph in a claimed 3.5 seconds. It's also more dynamic, thanks to a wider track, and we're crushing on the new look – that rear with its 'light bar' was an inspired touch. First two models: 911 Carrera S and 4S. From R1 708 000. porsche.com

4

The Hardcore Hatch RENAULT MEGANE RS TROPHY

The Small Gamechanger VOLKSWAGEN T-CROSS

Sometimes... you need a measure of madness. A little unpredictability. The French excel at offering just that, and have a pedigreed history of crafting spectacular front-wheel-drive hatches. This track-focused machine packs 220kW and 420Nm on a relatively lightweight chassis, with a stiff suspension set-up, refinforced brakes, and mechanical limited-slip differential. All of this combines to outline a hot hatch that's a little lighter and faster than the 'normal' RS version. It has a 1.8l four-cylinder turbo-charged engine, and that's coupled with a potent exhaust sound. We've got one word: Vite! Price TBA renault.co.za

While we aren't a fan of the name, the looks and promise of this Polo-based crossover are hard to overestimate. It's entering a busy market, with plenty of competent rivals (Honda HR-V, Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Creta), but VW creates cars using a formula that ensures excellent build quality, refined interiors, and normally faultless driving dynamics – and with engines that offer plenty while only sipping fuel. So this could be a very important car in that category, and considering how well the Polo does here (and how well it drives), this small crossover looks set to achieve big things. Price TBA vw.co.za

5

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 25

GEAR

THE BEST GEAR TO HIT MH HQ THIS MONTH

STAFF CHOICE

UA HUDSON BACKPACK

CLUEDO – GAME OF THRONES EDITION UNDER ARMOUR H U D S O N B A C K PA C K You need a tough, loyal work partner? We got you covered. This 30l capacity water-resistant bag has a reinforced bottom and more storage options than a fisherman's vest. Rugged, durable, but still suprisingly good-looking – exactly what your work and play lifestyle demands. This sand colourway was our pick, but there are others. R1 573, underarmour.com/za

Board games are having a big comeback, and for good reason. Now you can get epic classics with a modern twist, just like this GOT version of Cluedo. Turn off the TV, and sit down to see who really rules Westeros (and to find out who's doing the murdering). A close second to this epic: Monopoly: the Lord of the Rings edition. Both are available from Musica. R539, musica.co.za

S N ü G M O U S E PA D W I T H WIRELESS CHARGER It's always the simplest ideas that are the best. This mousepad charges your phone through induction charging – all it needs is to be plugged into your PC or laptop's USB port. Your work desk just got smarter, and a whole lot less cluttered. R399, takealot.com 26 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

Forget resolutions – there's one goal we're sticking to: not having to replace a cracked screen or bent, broken phone. That just hoovers up hard-earned cash, and that's why we're a fan of these ridiculously tough phone cases with double military-spec standard and proven drop-test survivability. Invest in this armour now to save you cash and tech heartache later. R729, takealot.co.za

SUPPLIED

UAG MONARCH PHONE CASE

8,) &)78 3*

WIRELESS

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MH LIVING

Smart Home 101 HACK YOUR HOME

12

4

9

THIS IS OUR ULTIMATE LIST OF MHAPPROVED DEVICES, FROM LAWNMOWERS TO LIGHTS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

Most smart-home solutions are just plain dumb. If you’re not burning hours configuring, rebooting, or troubleshooting, you’re fumbling with your phone when the flip of a switch or turn of a key would’ve been twice as fast. But when a device delivers? Well, you feel like you’ve conjured up modern magic. Here’s the ultimate litmus test for any connected home device, along with our 15 top products in five areas. IS IT WORTH THE WORK? Smart devices shouldn’t just be parlor tricks. Is the ROI there? You shouldn’t spend five hours connecting a bulb, but laying an in-ground cordon to guide a robo mower isn’t bad next

DIFFICULT Y

EASY Plug, play, and swipe away.

MEDIUM You might need a drill or wrench.

HARD You’re basically on the Geek Squad.

7

1

5

14

2 15 3

6

11

13 10

to getting baked in the sun all summer. DOES THE APP SUCK? Can you pair quickly? Does the app actually do anything

SECURIT Y

A/V

other than grab your email for spam barrages? When was it last updated? Any dead ends? Hardware is half the battle. CAN YOU CHEAT?

HOME & GARDEN

Let’s say you change your mind about Alexa or Google Home – or any of the several hubs or standards. Will that fan bolted to your ceiling follow your lead too? Flexibility is key. FOOD & BEVERAGE

HVAC

1. NEST CAM IQ INDOOR Unfamiliar faces send a clip to your phone. R6 377, pclinkshop.com

2. SONOS ONE The gold standard in connected audio, now with Alexa. R4 695, geewiz.co.za

3. GOOGLE HOME MINI Learn, search, stream and interact. R850, digitalworld. co.za

4. MEACO AIRVAX Slays mould, dust, smells and bacteria with high-tech filters. R3 860, solencosa.co.za

5. ANOVA PRECISION COOKER NANO Sous vide used to be chef territory. Not anymore. R2 062, ubuy.za.com

6. MAXIMUS SMART SECURITY LIGHT A porch lamp with video and intercom. Genius. R7 783, pclinkshop.com

7. SCREEN INNOVATIONS SOLO Li-Ion powered, remote projection screen. R41 200 audioholics. co.za

8. LIFESMART BLEND CURTAIN CONTROLLER Control your curtains with an app. R2 849,takealot. com

9. NEST THERMOSTAT E Meet the next-gen learning thermostat. R5 227, pclinkshop.com

10. WEBER Q2400 ELECTRIC BRAAI The good oldfashioned, reliable braai master. R5 499, makro.co.za

11. KWIKSET OBSIDIAN Touchscreen door bolt with multiple codes. R4 075, importitall.co.za

12.iPORT LAUNCHPORT WALLSTATION A magnetic station houses and charges your tablet. R6 238, audicoonline.co.za

13. WORX LANDROID ROBOTIC MOWER No more lawnmowing. R32 647, importitall. co.za

14. HAIKU LUXE SERIES CEILING FAN Connected blades keep temp low; whir with a word to Alexa. R18 300, pclinkshop.com

15. PICOBREW PICO MODEL C Plug-and-play setup for aspiring brewmasters. R16 036, importitall.co.za

28 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

ILLUSTRATION BY L-DOPA

GEAR UP! Home upgrades can be satisfying – not because they’re so cool (well, there’s that), but because they make your home more fun to live in. These are the gadgets you need in your home this year.

FIZZICS BEER DISPENSER

Fizzics uses soundwaves to upgrade your shopbought lager, making it creamier and less bitter. R1 595, mantality.co.za

LIFESMART SMART HOME WI-FI CAMERA

Keep tabs on what’s happening in and around your home via the LifeSmart App. Simply view the live stream on your phone. R1 495, takealot.com

LIFESMART SMART STATION

The Smart Station can connect up to 500 smart devices to work seamlessly together. It’s the ultimate control station. R1 395, takealot.com

DYSON PURE HOT+ COOL LINK

A triple threat: a heater, a powerful air purifier, and a cooling fan you can control via an app. R9 499, takealot.com

LG PROBEAM LASER SMART HOME THEATRE PROJECTOR HF80JA

This little monster blasts a 305cm picture in full HD 1080p. R35 346, pclinkshop.com

VITAMIX A2500

A food-mashing 2.2-horsepower engine, plus smart sensors that can detect the container size. R8 453, ubuy.za.com

AWAIR AIR QUALIT Y TRACKER

This genius will alert you through an app when it detects toxins and allergens in your space. R6 365, wantitall.co.za

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 29

GUY DRINKS

The New Rules of Vodka “LOW-KILOJOULE”. “GLUTEN-FREE”. “FILTERED A BILLION TIMES”. HOW DID VODKA BECOME SO  UNCLEAR? USE THIS GUIDE TO WADE THROUGH THE COMPLICATED WORLD OF THE NEUTRAL SPIRIT. / BY ANDREW DANIELS

THAT VODKA MIGHT BE “VODKA”

1

Earlier this year, Ketel One launched Botanical, a vodka distilled with herbs and fruit “essence”. The brand says the spirit’s low kilojoule content (305 per 45ml) and lack of artificial flavours appeal to health-conscious imbibers. It’s still booze, says Rob McCaughey of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust; but technically it’s not traditional vodka, which must be 40% ABV, according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Ketel One Botanical is 30%. Drink it and enjoy it if you want to, but it’s not real vodka.

2

SUPER-FILTERING IS NOT ACTUALLY A THING

Terms like “ten-times-distilled” and “triple-filtered” describe the processing required to turn grain (or potatoes, or corn) into alcohol. “But the average consumer can’t taste how many times a vodka’s been distilled,” says Juyoung Kang, lead bartender at the Dorsey at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Anything beyond three distillations can be redundant, adds Kristine Bocchino, beverage director at Lunetta in Santa Monica. Pitbull’s brand, Voli 305, is distilled 17 times; which, like Pitbull himself, is excessive.

3

TEXTURE TRUMPS FLAVOUR

5

When You Do Mix, Opt for Fresher Flavours

“GF? GTFO”

Although base ingredients can be key, don’t blow your budget on a bottle that touts what isn’t inside. Even if a spirit is fermented with wheat or rye, the distillation process effectively removes all gluten from the vodka. Tito’s vodka, for example, uses a corn-mash base and proudly flies the gluten-free flag. Other cornbased brands, such as Deep Eddy, are also GF but don’t explicitly advertise as such. All vodka without any flavoured additives is gluten-free, so think twice about paying extra for anything that labels itself GF.

Vo Vodka cocktails, by way of varsity “punches” have acquired a piss-poor reputation. estore respect with simple add-ins that lend balance and lead to quenchers like Re the e one above. Shake 45ml vodka, 30ml Campari, and 45ml orange juice with ice. Strrain into a glass with ice. Top with soda water. Garnish with orange and cinnamon.

30 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

Photography: MELISSA PUNCH/STUDIO D

4

Treat great vodka as you would great whisky: without kilojoule-laden cheap mixers. “If you’re sipping it on its own, you’ll want something with at least some essence of its raw material,” says McCaughey. That means picking rye- and potato-based vodkas, which typically hail from Poland (Belvedere, Chopin, Debowa). Vodkas made with potato can have a creamier texture, while rye-based vodkas have a zesty, spicy character. Unsure of where to start? Gather a few friends for a blind tasting. It’s the best way to cut through all the marketing hype to find a taste and texture that you like, McCaughey says.

Take Control of Your Phone

NEW FEATURES FROM GOOGLE AND APPLE MAY HELP CURB DIGITAL DEPENDENCY. / BY WILL HILGENBERG

Used to be, the only time you’d hear the words “digital” and “wellbeing” together was in a proctologist’s office. But the term is going mainstream, as Google and Apple have integrated new digital wellbeing features into their latest operating systems. This is the biggest step yet by major Silicon Valley companies to acknowledge smartphone overuse and help fight it. Special tools in the new Android P dashboard enable tracking of total phone usage, time spent with individual apps, notifications received, and even how often you unlock your phone. The app timer sets usage limits on specific apps, and their icons grey-scale when you exceed them. (You can still use the app, but you’ll feel guiltier.) A “shush” feature silences the phone when it’s turned over. And Wind Down grey-scales the screen at a select time 32 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

each evening, so you’re less tempted to use your phone near bedtime. The updated Do Not Disturb mode blocks notifications (except from specified contacts) to avoid sleep disruptions. Apple has built similar functions into iOS 12. Screen Time delivers activity reports on iPhone and app usage. And a Do Not Disturb feature permits display dimming and notification muting at specific locations and for set times. Kids? Track their phone/app use and set limits via your family Apple ID. Tools promoting phone control are not new. Thrive and Space exist for Android, along with Moment and Night Shift for iOS. What’s unique is that operating systems now house this stuff. But will any of it make a difference? Or will tracking our daily usage become a new

addiction? At the least, it has the potential to make more people aware of when their digital habit is interfering with a balanced life. According to a 2017 study of Japanese high school students, smartphone use of more than five hours daily was linked to shorter sleep duration and insomnia. More alarming, smartphone use of only two hours or more per day for social networking was tied to an increased risk of depression. San Francisco State researchers found that study subjects who used their phones most often were also the most depressed, anxious, and lonely. Study co-author Dr. Erik Peper says, “The behavioural addiction of smartphone use begins forming neurological connections in the brain, similar to how opioid addiction is experienced.” Professor Daniel Kruger, who co-authored a study on phantom communication experiences (if you feel or hear notifications when none are there, you could be digitally dependent), welcomes the new tools and corporate attention. “They’ll probably help users better regulate their phone use,” he says, “and also give new opportunities for those with problematic cell-phone use.”

Photographs by Noel Camardo from the series “Cellphone”

MIND

BODY SCIENCE

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN

I Start A New Fitness Plan? TAKE THE STING OUT OF NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS WITH THESE REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL. / BY DEVON HEDLEY AND ISABELLE KERN

1. The Real Inside Job

Change does happen overnight. You just can’t see it. Sure, the six-pack will come in time, but your heart and brain will feel the first flush of benefits. A single workout boosts blood flow and oxygen to your grey matter, so hit the gym before taxing afternoon meetings. Meanwhile, a study by Nasa found blood volume – an accurate measure of cardio fitness – increases after just eight days of a new fitness regimen.

3. Appetite For Change

This sudden increase in your daily energy burn will boost production of the hunger hormone ghrelin. But trading tough graft for gentler effort won’t temper your appetite – push harder to channel blood away from your stomach and into your muscles, Loyola University Chicago advises. Underestimating your hydration needs is another key culprit: aim for 300-500ml before, during and after training to drown out cravings.

4. Grow In The Dark

Sleep is crucial for recovery. But if you find yourself wired come lights-out, it’s unlikely to be post-gym adrenaline that’s to blame. According to the National Sleep Foundation, only 3% of people find that their night’s rest is hampered by exercise, while 83% find it helps. Still restless? Try adding extra carbs to your dinner, which boost sleep hormone levels. Or double-check the caffeine content of your pre-workout supp…

PHOTOGRAPH: BYRON KEULEMANS

2. No Pain, More Gain

Pushing your body beyond its limits in these early days causes inflammation and microtears in your muscles. It’s the process of fixing said tears that makes you stronger, but it also hurts like hell. To stop you from wincing out of bed every morning, spend five minutes foam-rolling at the end of your training session. And skip the pre-workout static stretches: a University of Sydney study concluded they’re a waste of your time.

5. Power-up Progress

Initial days conquered, a goal of 2-3kg fat loss a month is realistic for a new starter. But seasoned gym-goers can benefit too. A College of New Jersey study found that adding plyometric moves to your workouts for two months – such as those in our Speed Shred workout plan – leads to quicker strength gains than resistance exercise alone. It’ll lift you out of your rut. Prove us right and share your progress.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 33

COOL DAD

+

COOL DAD

Food Fight! I’M A CHEF. MY DAUGHTER IS UNIMPRESSED BY MY COOKING. THAT CAN BE HARD TO SWALLOW. / BY TYLER KORD

I can take pretty much any ingredient you can throw at me, and – once I’ve picked it up off the floor, because I’m not great at catching things – I can make something delicious with it. I don’t need to look online to remember the ingredients for a chicken potpie, chicken cordon bleu, or even a chicken cordon bleu potpie. If you challenged me to make a soufflé, I would have to look at a recipe; but I wouldn’t necessarily follow it to the letter, and it would still be a pretty excellent soufflé. I’m a good enough cook that I could put a little twist on it – like if it was a tomato soufflé, I might add a splash of elderflower syrup, which would catch you off guard, but in a sweet and comfortable way that might make you say to my daughter, “Wow, Barbara, you’re so lucky to have a dad like Tyler to cook for you.” “No,” 22-month-old Barbara would say. And herein lies my challenge: to feed my child while trying not to feed my ego. Barbara is a toddler who knows how to say only one word but loves a wide range of foods, from blueberries to cheese to anything that is salty or crunchy, or that I am 34 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

about to put into my mouth. She especially loves when her mom gives her cooked pasta with nothing on it. What could be more delicious than dried pasta boiled in water, cooled to room temperature, and served with a glass of water? I’m sure that it tastes even more delicious when her father, who has spent the past 20 years of his life dedicated to the pursuit of a relatively high level of culinary understanding, stands by, observing as his daughter shoves fistfuls of plain shells into her mouth while watching Coco for the 64th time. I’m trying. I take her beloved pasta and I add cheese and milk and a bit of flaxseed meal, which thickens the sauce to a velvety consistency, turning good cheese and organic milk into fancy Melrose cheese spread, and she will take a bite, at which point I will set up FaceTime on my phone to show my wife what an incredible Chefdad I am. Barbara will take advantage of my lack of attention and dump the rest of the pasta on the floor. “Bon Appétit named my restaurant one of the best new restaurants in 2009, and I am pulling cat hair off pasta and

considering still feeding it to you!” I shout at a toddler who thinks I am a terrible cook, but also that my exclamations are hilarious. Recently I cooked her some broccoli – and yes, I get that kids don’t like broccoli, and it’s totally my fault, but I gently caramelised it in a touch of olive oil to give it that magical toasted-broccoli flavour, then gently poached it in garlic-laced chicken stock, emulsified with more butter than my wife would be comfortable feeding to our daughter, and Barbara wouldn’t even taste it. My broccoli has been mentioned in The New York Times; and she pointed at a box of whole-grain bunny crackers, because I suppose she can’t read The New York Times. My friends ask if she likes broccoli because it’s kind of my thing, and they’re only kidding, but I pretend that something else has caught my attention. I cooked jasmine rice in a combination of milk and chicken stock with some tiny pieces of carrot and a little butter, and after it cooked, I stirred in a very mild shredded mozzarella. It was a bunch of stuff she likes, fortified with some protein and fibre, but in a way that even a child could love, and of course she tried to push it off the table, shouting, “You’ve never even been nominated for a James Beard Award for cooking!” and I calmly told my little girl that at least I got a writing nomination and put her to bed and drank vodka while eating cheesy rice. And frankly, it’s okay. I will simply take the high road, as I do with my wife and parents, and hold on to the frustration so that years later I can throw it right back into the faces of the people I love most. Actually, I’m really looking forward to teaching my daughter how to cook. Right now, however, I must remain patient – a truth that I’ve found links cooking well and parenting well. Someday, I imagine that we’ll make a simple soup, one of the first things I learned to make, and together we’ll chop vegetables, gently sweat them in butter, add a little stock, and simmer them. I’ll let her season the soup and make sure it tastes just the way she wants it to. We’ll set the table and sit as a family, and I will try not to spit the soup all over the floor.

GETTY/GALLO IMAGES

Tyler Kord is the chef of No. 7 Sub in New York City and the author of A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches.

MH WOMAN

WHAT SHE KNOWS

Dare To Dance

Whatever You Do, Do It Well

Bagwandeen is a sapiosexual. “I’m very attracted to intelligent KAJAL BAGWANDEEN WAS OFFERED A POSITION AT A TOP ACCOUNTING FIRM – BUT SHE INVITED guys,” she says. “It happens so often in my life that I see a THE BOSSES TO WATCH HER DANCE INSTEAD. THE ACTRESS IN THE MOVIE 3 DAYS TO GO TOLD good-looking guy, but the moUS HOW TO TAKE CHARGE, AND WHAT TO DO ON VALENTINE’S DAY./ BY NADIM NYKER ment he opens his mouth... that attraction dissipates very quickly.” No one’s asking you to be Robin Sharma; just show respect for nicate openly about how you feel It Takes A Leap Of Faith those around you, and be pasand what you want. “At the end of Bagwandeen started dancing at sionate about what you do. “It the day, we’re different people but a young age, and that’s where could be whatever it is, you could we’re in this together, so if we can her desire to perform came from. be a tree feller – just be passioncommunicate with each other a Coming from a business backate about it. That’s attractive in little better – then that’s a winning ground, it was hard to be taken seanybody.” combination.” riously as an actress, Bagwandeen says. “Especially 20 years ago – if you say to your brown folks you want to be an actor, they’re like, ‘What are you going to do with that?’” At 35, she now owns production company Imagine Worx, and has starred in Netflix’s The Indian Detective alongside comedic giant Russell Peters.

Routine Always Wins

It’s essential to prioritise eating and family time. Bagwandeen wakes up with a freshly brewed cup of Terbodore coffee. “I then see to my family; my husband and my dogs.” She eats a high-fat, lowcarb diet – “but I’m headstrong about the fact that my food needs to taste good,” she adds. It’s functional training 5 to 6 times a week that works for her. And between her 12-hour film shoots, the warm Durban ocean helps her meditate.

Don’t Ignore Valentine’s Day

Bagwandeen says her idea of a great date is a windless night on the beach under the stars, with amazing food. But it doesn’t take perfect weather to woo a loved one. “You don’t have to go all out; it’s the little things she may appreciate. Even it means making her coffee in the morning – that still means something,” she says. “To be honest, Valentine’s Day’s not a big thing for me, it’s never been. But what you should not do is ignore it completely.” Make her feel special, no matter how small the gesture.

Say It Out Loud

Relationships are always two-way, so communicate every step of the way, she says. “As women, we have these expectations of the men in our life, and the men in our life have no idea that we are expecting these things.” Commu-

KAJAL BAGWANDEEN THE SOCIAL

@kajalbagwandeen on Instagram and Twitter THE SKILL

Photography: GARRETH BARCLAY

Life skills and relationships advice. T H E P LU G

Watch her in SA’s newest local blockbuster: 3 Days To Go

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 35

PROMOTION

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Skip the excuses and sign up now. www.speedshred.co.za

STRENGTH Go With The Flow Train In Fresh Air Use Your Body As A Barbell

The Perpetual Motion THE WAY TO DEVELOP STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, AND ABS ALL AT ONCE: LEARN THE ART OF THE “FLOW”. / BY SEAN HYSON

Remember your last burpee? To do that burpee, you essentially did a squat, then a push-up, then a frogger, then a jump squat, chaining all four movements together in rapid succession. That swift and seamless connection of a variety of exercises is known as “flowing”, and it’s an exercise style that can fry your muscles, stoke your metabolism, and make you more athletic with just a few reps a week. Flows can grow far more complex than burpees, and they can do far more than get your heart racing. Trainers like Get Primal’s Eric Leija (known better on Instagram as “primal .swoledier”, a flow expert) use powerful kettlebell flows to help you pack on muscle, while Mike Fitch, creator of Animal Flow, will have you flowing to improve your mobility.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALLIE HOLLOWAY

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 37

STRENGTH

When you flow, you’re poaching from yoga, gymnastics, martial arts, and breakdancing. Like those disciplines, flowing pushes you to do more than reps; your body must make small transitional movements to get in position to, say, do a push-up after the squat as part of the burpee. Few training programs cover those transitional movements, says Fitch. Flows can work in surprising ways. A recent study in Human Movement Science that followed subjects who performed training similar to Animal Flow for four weeks found that their ground-based movements improved proprioception (your sense of where your body is in space) and cognition.

Other trainers are focusing more on flows that build strength. Leija posts kettlebell flows you can do for multiple rounds for a short workout, or for one round as a finisher. “With moderate to heavy weight in your flows, you can stress your muscles to induce gains,” he says. Whatever you use them for, you can expect them to be more fun than counting to 20 on another set of curls, says John Wolf, chief fitness officer at Onnit Academy Gym in Austin. “Which is more popular: lifting or dancing?” he asks. “Dancing. So you end up doing that more often. People want to do things they enjoy.”

Ready, Set, Flow!

Get started with these two flows from Leija, who’s been creating kettlebell and bodyweight flows for the last six years. Do 3 to 5 reps of each flow. Do 3 to 5 rounds, resting at least two minutes between rounds.

THE BODYWEIGHT RIPPER

START

END 1

2

3

QUADRUPED KICK-THROUGH

FROGGER

JUMP SQUAT

Get on all fours and raise your heels. Your hands should be in line with your shoulders and your knees in line with your hips. Twist to your right side, raising your right hand and extending your left leg out straight. Continue turning until your butt touches the floor and you’re sitting upright. Reverse the direction and repeat on the opposite side. Then return to all fours.

From that quadruped position, rock your weight backward just slightly, then jump your feet forward; lift your hands from the ground as you do this. Land in a squat with your feet just outside shoulder width and your toes turned slightly outward. Make sure to land with your knees bent and your weight in your heels. Work to keep your chest up and your core tight.

As soon as you complete the frogger, jump as high as you can, throwing your arms backward to generate maximum momentum and power. Land with your knees slightly bent, cushioning the impact, and then immediately lower back into another squat. That’s 1 rep. Return to quadruped position, ready to begin the next rep of the flow sequence.

38 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

THE SINGLE-KETTLEBELL CRUSHER

START

END

1

2

4

3

ONE-ARM DEADLIFT

ONE-ARM ROW

CLEAN

SQUAT TO PRESS

Place the kettlebell on the floor between your feet. Draw your shoulder blades together and down, and bend your hips back to reach down and grasp the kettlebell with your right hand. Your shoulders should be parallel to the floor and directly over the weight. Push through your heels to extend your hips and stand tall. Bend your hips to return the kettlebell to the floor.

Keep your back flat, contract your abs, and once again squeeze your shoulder blades. From this position, draw your shoulder back and downward as you row the kettlebell with your right arm to your right side. Pause for a moment, then lower the weight so your arm hangs naturally. Don’t let it rest on the floor, though, and fight to keep your back flat.

From that position, rotate your hand inward so your palm faces your shin. Perform the same deadlift motion explosively, and simultaneously pull your elbow back close to your body. The momentum will help you muscle the weight up to shoulder height. “Catch” the weight at your shoulder with the handle just under your chin and your forearm vertical.

From the clean position, turn your toes out slightly, then bend at your knees, lowering your torso until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Keep your chest up as you do this. Stand back up and press the kettlebell overhead explosively, keeping your core engaged. Return the kettlebell to the floor, then repeat the entire flow with your left hand. That’s 1 rep.

Location: Please Space Brooklyn, grooming: Josee De Luc/Odiele/Honey Artists

GET THE FLOW DOWN One of the best things about flows: you can build them yourself, combining a variety of exercises in ways that work for you. Always aim to do one leg exercise (such as a squat, deadlift, or lunge), a pulling exercise (such as a row or clean), and a pushing exercise (such as a push-up or shoulder press) in your strength flows. Follow the rules below to build your own. 1. Start with the basics. Don’t start flowing until you’re comfortable with some basic exercises, like squats, push-ups, and bear kick-throughs (start in a plank, then lift your right arm off the ground and kick your left leg through to your right side), as well as kettlebell moves like the row, press, deadlift, and clean. If you’re not comfortable with an exercise, don’t use it in a flow.

3. Be conservative. If you’re flowing with dumbbells or kettlebells, only use as much as you would with your weakest exercise in the flow. And in general, you should use half the weight you would use if doing an exercise by itself.

2. Keep it tight. As in never flow with more than 5 exercises, never do more than 5 reps, and never do more than 5 rounds of a flow. Flows build up fatigue more quickly than, say, a set of pull-ups, so your conditioning can improve even with just a few reps.

4. Don’t overflow. Flows are a change-up to your normal workout, not your workout’s foundation. Flowing daily can lead to sloppy form. Use them just once a week to prove to yourself that you own the exercises within them. Onnit’s John Wolf says, “You’ll walk away feeling like an animal.”

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 39

COVER GUY

Action Man WHETHER HE’S CHASING A STORY IN A DANGER ZONE OR A NEW FITNESS PB, REPORTER DENHAM HITCHCOCK IS A REAL-LIFE CLARK KENT / BY DANIEL WILLIAMS

Denham Hitchcock is the epitome of the intrepid reporter. It’s hard to imagine him getting out of bed for a story that didn’t, to some degree, put his life in peril, or at very least send his heart racing. He’s ridden a racehorse at full gallop across a paddock to highlight the dangers of being a jockey; flown a motorised paraglider over a national park searching for a crashed plane; taken a pounding over a few rounds from UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt; and twice gone to Iraq, where he was shot at by snipers and pursued by grenade-bearing drones.

DENHAM HITCHCOCK AG E

42

HEIGHT

176cm

WEIGHT

85kg

I N STAG R A M

@denhamhitchcock

40 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

PHOTOGRAPHY JASON IERACE

That’s just four examples of a fearless approach to his craft that could make other journos feel faint twinges of inadequacy. “The perfect story, for me, makes a difference,” says Hitchcock. “It goes beyond entertainment, beyond the cataloguing of events.” It’s a lesson for you and me to not just go through the motions. You spend half your life working. Strike a blow.

CAMERA READY Hitchcock’s dad loved fine writing, but first and foremost he was a newsman. “So we’d sit and watch the news,” he explains. “And then we’d watch the big current affairs shows. We’d talk about them, dissect them. And then he’d give me writing assignments. So there was really no doubt where I was heading.” You’ll have noticed that Hitchcock is in ridiculously good shape. Better shape really than any dedicated journalist is entitled to be in. Better shape, possibly, than any journalist in the history of journalism. That

THE WAR ZONE

Burn fat and build muscle when you’re under the gun

1 DIP

Support your weight on your hands and feet using whatever objects of roughly equal height you can find. Give at the elbows and slowly lower your body until your upper arms are parallel with the floor. Squeezing your triceps, explode back to the starting position. Perform 3 sets to failure.

3 BURPEE WITH PUSH-UP

may sound like rank, tabloid-TV hyperbole. Until you see him in the flesh. His secret? Well, he says, it’s part luck: it just so happens he loves doing the things that create a granite-hard physique. “Look, I’ve never had a personal trainer, never had someone guide me through routines or tell me what I should be doing,” he puffs between sprints at dawn on the beach. “I love being outdoors. I love physical exercise. And I do the workouts I do because I like the way they make me feel.” When at home, those workouts are a combination of heavy-duty weights sessions (dominated by tri-sets, the middle set a brutal cardio hit), soft-sand running and surfing. But the point to make here is that Hitchcock often isn’t at home. He spends up to six months of the year interstate or overseas on assignment, often with no access to a crummy gym, let alone a glorious shoreline. Right there would be his excuse to let the

Stand tall. Push back your hips and lower your body into a squat. Place your hands on the floor in front of you and kick back your legs so you’re in a plank position. Do one push-up, jump your feet towards your hands and spring up so you’re airborne. Do 12 reps, rest for 30 seconds; repeat for 5 sets.

2 WALL HANDSTAND PUSH-UP

Perform a handstand, resting your feet against a wall. Give at the elbows and slowly lower your head to the floor, stopping when you feel contact. Push back up. Do 3 sets to failure.

4 INVERTED ROW

Grasp a flat, horizontal surface with an underhand grip, feeling your bodyweight in your back and biceps. Keeping your body straight, squeeze the target muscles and pull yourself up until your biceps are fully contracted. Do 3 sets to failure.

exercise slide, but he never does. Don’t give him that ‘no time’ crap. Or ‘no space’. “If you have two square metres to work in you can do 12 push-up burpees every minute for 10 minutes, and I guarantee you that will be one of the hardest workouts you’ve ever done.” It’s the same with food: he craves the stuff (meat, eggs) that makes muscle, and has no interest in the sweet delights that your body will store as fat. “Even as a kid, my birthday cake was a roast lamb with candles in it.” The sprints done, Hitchcock plunges into the freezing surf. This is a winter’s morning. The air temp might be 8°C. But he strides out five minutes later looking reborn. “Your body’s drawn to the softest options – the most comfortable couch, the tastiest food,” he says. “But really it needs to be shocked now and then.” It’s obvious Hitchcock doesn’t want to dwell on the shape he’s in. For one thing, “I’m by no means a health nut. I still drink. Friday night is tequila night for me and my girl. We go out and party.” And besides, there’s so much more to life than the size of your deltoids. Perhaps as a result of being a frequent eyewitness to tragedy, Hitchcock’s overpowering drive is to make the most of his years on Earth. “Eighty minus your age,” he says urgently. “That’s roughly how long you’ve got left on this tiny, 14-billion-year-old planet in a corner of an infinite universe. So the clock is ticking. Make it count!” What does that mean? “It means approaching that girl. It means if there’s a job you want, go for it. It means surfing Teahapoo. Don’t die wondering. Because you don’t have time to fuck around.”

5 STAIR SPRINTS

Find a flight somewhere – when on assignment, Hitchcock will use the hotel firestairs. Sprint for 30 seconds, taking two steps at a time. Pause, then go again. Do 6-10 sets. Keep setting PBs, and who knows? Your feats could lead the news.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 41

STRENGTH

NOT EVERY SES SSION CALLS FOR LUNG-BURSTING EFFORT. TO GIVE YOURS SELF A MUCH-NEEDED ENDORPHIN BOOST, STEP OUTDOORS AND SLOW EVERYTHING DOWN. 2B

1B

1A

POSITIVEE VIBES ONLY In this outdoor w workout, you won’t be punishing a certain muscle group g or fixating on kilojoule burn. Instead, the emp phasis is on raising endorphin levels to reduce stress. “Don’t Don t rush through the reps. Go at a pace that doesn’t sacrifice your form,” says personal trainer and workout creator Faisal Abdalla. You’ll be more in tune with your body, and finish the session energised – not quivering on the floor.

42 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

1 PLANK T-ROTATION 4 rounds of 6 reps per arm

To open up your tight back and shoulders, set up in a high plank position, arms extended, hands under your shoulders and legs out straight (A). Let your eyes follow your right hand as you reach out to the side and upward (B). Bring it down and return to the plank before repeating on the other arm. To make it easier, set your hands on a bench, or to advance it, elevate your feet.

2 RUNNER LUNGE 4 rounds of 10 reps per leg

The buzz you’ll get from doing this move on the spot will be just as powerful as the “runner’s high”. With your feet hip-width apart, step your right leg back, tapping your knee to the floor and raising your right hand towards your face (A). Drive your knee to your chest as you jump your left foot off the floor, swinging your right arm back and left arm forward (B). After 10 reps, swop sides.

Words: MICHAEL JENNINGS; Pho otography: PHILIP HAYNES

2A

THE SPEC MUSCLES TARGETED EXPERT Faisal Abdalla EXPERIENCE Personal Trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp. Faisal will help you develop over 14 days with his bestseller The PMA Method, giving you true physical and mental fitness. CONTACT @faisalpmafitness

UT IN RESULTS IN 2 WEEKS LEVEL EASY

4B

3A

4A

3 PRESS-UP WALKOUT 4 rounds of 8 reps

3B

Boost your circulation and energy by activating muscles in both your lower and your upper body. From a standing position (A), bend at your hips, your legs g ,p gy straight, placing your hands on the floor under your shoulders. Walk them in front of you until you’re in a high plank, then drop your chest to the floor to perform a press-up (B). Walk your hands back and stand. That’s one rep.

4 SKATER 4 rounds of 10 reps per leg

With feet shoulder-width apart, jump to your right with your corresponding foot, lifting your left leg to bring it behind your right. As you do, swing your left arm forward and right g arm back to land in a sprint stance on your right leg (A). Switch sides, jumping with your left foot and raising your right leg (B). After 10 reps each side, rest for 90 seconds before round two of the circuit. Move well to feel great all day.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 43

OUR FAVOURITE WORKOUT EVER

The Bodyweight Burner THE ANYTIME, ANYWHERE WORKOUT FOR STAYING ON TRACK DURING THE LEAST PREDICTABLE MONTH. / TRAINER: BEN BOUDRO

DIRECTIONS Do this workout at least three days a week; for optimal results, try to do it six days a week. (Remember: It takes only 25 minutes!) Aim to go for a 10- or 15-minute run on days when you can’t find time for this workout.

THE WARM-UP Before you start training, loosen up your hamstrings and hips and relax your back with 2 minutes of quick drills.

1 Push-up to Downward Dog Start in push-up position, hands directly below your shoulders, core tight, then do a push-up. Return to the start, then raise your hips high, bending at the waist. (Shift your feet forward if you need to.) Keep your legs straight as you do this, stretching your hamstrings, and try to form a straight line with your arms and torso. Return to push-up position. That’s 1 rep. Do reps for 1 minute.

EB SAYS

“Don’t focus on the number of reps. Fewer is better in the warm-up; do each one slowly. Feel the stretch.”

You’re drowning in post-holiday debt. You’re tackling towering to-do lists. Your inbox is overflowing. We know you don’t have as much time to hit the gym this month. Instead, you’re doing a 25-minute, no-equipment-needed burner from Ben Boudro, certified strength and conditioning coach of Xceleration Fitness, who’s trained several famous athletes and specialises in crushing you with bodyweight workouts. Do it anyplace, whenever you can (hell, even twice a day if you need more of a break from the admin), to hit every muscle in your body, rev up your metabolism, and improve balance and coordination.

THE WORKOUT Do 2 rounds of this circuit. In the first, do each exercise for 40 seconds, rest 20, then do 40 more seconds. Rest 90 seconds. The next round, do each move for 30 seconds, rest 15, then do 30 more seconds.

1 Around-the-World Push-up Set up in push-up position, core tight. Do 1 push-up rep. Then, keeping your core tight, lift your right arm from the floor, rotating your torso as you reach your arm towards the ceiling. Continue rotating your torso so that your chest faces the ceiling (you can shift your feet as you do) and then place your right hand on the floor. Try to form a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Reverse the moves to return to push-up position. That’s 1 rep. Alternate directions with each rep. EB SAYS

“When your chest is facing the ceiling, squeeze your glutes to straighten out your body.”

Lie face-down on the floor, arms and legs extended. Tighten your glutes, raising your feet and thighs a few inches in the air. As you do this, squeeze your back muscles, lifting your arms and chest off the floor. Hold for 2 seconds, then lower back to the floor. That’s 1 rep.

EB SAYS

2 Spiderman Lunge with Overhead Reach Start in push-up position, hands directly below your shoulders. Keeping your left leg straight, bring your right foot forward so that it’s just outside your right hand. Pause, then lift your right hand from the floor and raise it towards the ceiling, reaching as high as you can. Reverse the movements. That’s 1 rep. Alternate sides for 30 seconds. 44 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

“If you have time for just one exercise every single day, make it this one. It’ll fire up your mid-back muscles – a key to helping improve your posture.”

Photographs by Phillip Haynes; illustration by Kyle Hilton

2 Superman Hold

STRENGTH YOUR MUSCLE MASTER

Ebenezer Samuel, Men’s Health’s US fitness director, is a certified strength and conditioning expert who has trained with professional and Olympic athletes. He’ll be your guide through this workout.

3. Lateral Bound to Push-up Start in an athletic stance, feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent slightly, then leap to your left as far as you can, landing on your left foot. Gather yourself as quickly as possible, then leap back to the right, landing on your right foot. Complete 5 total jumps back and forth, then immediately do 5 push-ups. Stand back up and repeat the pattern until time is up.

THE FINISHER Set a timer for 3 minutes. Do 1 push-up, then 1 Russian twist. Then do 2 push-ups and 2 Russian twists. Keep laddering up until time expires; rest as needed.

1 Push-up Get in push-up position. Bend at the elbows, lowering your torso until you’re a couple of centimetres from the floor. Pause, then straighten your arms and return to the start. Focus on keeping your core tight and keeping your elbows close to your torso on each rep. EB SAYS

“It’s easy to get lazy with push-up form, so here’s a way to avoid that: count your reps out loud.”

4 High-Knee Run Start standing, knees bent slightly, feet shoulder-width apart, arms relaxed, then begin running in place, concentrating on driving your knees up as high as you can. Aim to get your thigh higher than parallel to the floor on each stride.

EB SAYS

“Don’t let this only be a lower-body movement. Make sure you’re pumping your arms as if you’re really running; that’ll help you drive your knees higher, too.”

2 Russian Twist 5 Knee Tuck Lie on your back, then press your lower back into the floor. Raise your shoulders off the floor slightly, supporting yourself with your hands. Keeping your legs straight, raise your thighs a few centimetres. This is the start. Now pull your thighs towards your chest, bending your knees as you do; squeeze your abs. Return to the start. That’s 1 rep.

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet a few centimetres off the floor. Tighten your abs, raising your torso so it’s 30cm above the floor. Clasp your hands together just above your chest. This is the start. Keeping your legs as steady as possible, twist your torso to the right and touch your hands to the floor on the right side. Then twist to the left and touch the floor on the left. That’s 1 rep.

6 Burpee Broad Jump Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down and put your hands on the floor. Kick your feet backward into plank position, then lower your chest to the floor, as if doing a push-up. Reverse the movements to stand back up, then leap forward. Backpedal to your starting position. That’s 1 rep.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 45

STRENGTH

#TRYTHISNOW

BallerMove

1. GET YOUR MED D

With feet shoulder-w width apart, hold a light (2 2- to 3kg) med ball in front of your pelvis. Stand with your left side facing a wall. Lift the ball above your head, rissing onto your toes.

PUMMEL YOUR CORE WITH THE A. J. TRIPLE THREAT, BOXER ANTHONY JOSHUA’S TAKE ON THE CLASSIC MEDICINE-BALL SLAM. / BY EDWARD LANE

46 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

2. SLAM DUNK

From this position, engage every musscle and slam the ball into the floor hard hat it bounces. enough th Squat low w to catch it. Then as you come up, rotate o as far as you can your torso ht, away from the to the righ wall, activating your core.

4. POWER-FIST! 3. FULL SWING

Rotate back to the left as you throw the ball as hard as possible at the wall with both hands. Focus on the rotation. You should throw with your core, not your arms.

Catch the ball again, bringing it to your shoulder. Then, ass you rotate toward the wall again n, power-fist the ball like a cha aracter in Street Fighter, generating g the power from your pecs a and shoulders. (Shouting “Hado ouken!” is optional.) Take a deep breath and repeat the whole sequence on your other side.

4 THINGS YOU’LL GET FROM THIS MOVE Explosive power

Fierce kilojoule burn

Rotational core strength

Ripped abs

Photography: PHILIP HAYNES

The ball slam is a classic, total-body conditioning exercise. You raise a medicine ball over your head with two hands and then slam it down explosively. It targets your core, hamstrings and glutes, and works out your aggression. But as good as it feels, it’s a little basic; which is why world-champion boxer Anthony Joshua preps for fights with a new take on the slam, one that leaves your abs saying kannie meer nie. His move, dubbed the A.J. Triple Threat by his strength coach, Jamie Reynolds, starts with the typical ball slam, then adds a rotational challenge. You twist and throw the ball at the wall sideways, and then you lift the ball and fire it at shoulder height at the wall. (Don’t worry, we’ll explain how!) “Med balls are excellent tools to build up your power, especially when you’re rotating and throwing them upwards, and also downwards,” explains Reynolds. “Their versatility offers an effective way of ticking the boxes when you’re pushed for time.” Here those boxes are core strength, kilojoule burn, and upper-body power. That power will make you stronger while etching detail into your abs and obliques. Try the Triple Threat as a sevenminute finisher to a total-body workout, or do it for 20 minutes on its own for a crushing core session.

STRENGTH

Stay Strong In The Long Run RUNNING IS A BRILLIANT WAY TO LOSE SOME OF THOSE POST-HOLIDAY KILOGRAMS. JUST MAKE SURE YOU AVOID INJURY BY STRETCHING AND S INJURY, STRENGTHENING THE STABILISER MUSCLES IN YOUR CORE AND GLUTES – YOU’LL AVOID BAD POSTUR RE, AND PREVENT INJURIES. STRONG AND STABLE WINS EVERY TIME.

STRENGTHEN B

01

Dumbbell Box Step-Up 3 sets of 10 reps per leg Balancing on one leg will boost your stability for the “drive” phase of your run. With a dumbbell in each hand, place one foot on a box, your knee level with your hip (A). As you stand, leave your other leg hanging off the box (B). The extra weight will help you generate power in your glutes for the run. Hold for two seconds, lower, then change legs.

Strengthen your oftneglected lower abs and open up the back joints that can compress during long runs. On your b c , w h our hands flatt, lift y yo o le until your our knee n e es are a at 90 degrees (A A). Raisse them slowly to d hold for you ur chest u s and thre h ee seconds, kee e ing your hea ead still (B). Low Lo ower under control and holld again at hold ho 0 egrees for her three. n th A h t’ss one rep.

B

ABS

GLUTES

A

02

Reverse Crunch 3 sets of 15 reps

B

04

Ha H Halfalf lf-K Kneeling orso r o Rotation R 2 sets s ts ts of o 30sec per side B os th the e r n e f motion m in o prevent your yo ur abs ab a bss and an nd ips nd ps to sti f ss ss as the the race goes on o n d pt n. pt a l n e position, y ur rig right ht n e en nt in front ees. Place off y u t 0 e re o your head your y o our left left arm mo ove ver y ouch your s so ur bice ep to eps ear,r re e ng estin ng y ur righ ght arm on yo our leg g (A) A . Now w, ttwist your w torrso so you ur le e ar eft a m moves g up your ba ack open p ing chest (B). c Hold, switch ssides and eat. On to repe epe set two.

Words: MICHAEL JENNINGS; Photography: PHILIP HAYNES

B

0

Pi e n H l 2 sets sets of of 30s 30sec ec p r l g On your hands d and d kknees, bring b your lleft f knee k to your left wrist, sliding your rightleg out behind you (A). You’ll feel the stretch in your left buttock and right hip as they loosen for a smoother stride. To deepen the stretch, walk your hands forward and drop your elbows (B). Hold, then swap legs. That’s one set.

STREETCH MH.CO.ZA/ Februa ary 2019 47

STRENGTH

Are You In or Out? OVER A LONG, HOT SUMMER, THE GYM CAN BECOME A HELLISH SWEAT BOX – BUT CAN GREEN SPACE AND SUNSHINE MATCH THE PHYSICAL OOMPH OF A SQUAT RACK? WE ASSESS THE SITUATION

OUTDOORS

INDOORS

VS

2.7m

567 860 The number of runners signed up to Parkrun SA, the nationwide 5K held on Saturdays in local parks across 158 locations.

The number of South Africans who attend the gym at least once a week, according to the All Media and Product Survey conducted by Eighty20. Brain Training

Time outdoors, whether you’re walking or working out, has a longer-lasting impact on your mental well-being than a pay rise or promotion

Taking a workout class at gym improves your mood and reduces stress. The group format also helps to fight fatigue University of New England

Environmental Science and Technology

Failed Reps

The World Health Organisation has warned that many towns and cities are failing their pollution tests – which could lead to a rise in heart-disease risk for runners

The average dumbbell has 362 times more germs than a toilet seat. Over 70% of gym bugs – including E. coli – are harmful to humans, according to FitRated

Personal Bests

GREEN SPACE

DOGS ALLOWED

NO QUEUES

Power Moves

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

2500 R0 10-20 AVERAGE SUNSHINE HOURS PER YEAR IN SA

THE MH VERDICT

OUTDOORS IS ABSOLUTELY FREE

MINUTES IN SUN TO MAKE VITAMIN D

SHOWERS

MORE PTS

Working on your bench press and increasing upper-body strength is linked to a 33% fall in cancer risk Cancer Epidemiology

Big Numbers

WEATHERPROOF

POWERLIFTING

Using gymnastic rings in the park will turn any upper-body exercise into a six-pack workout, too

HEAVY WEIGHTS

137 R12.5bn 16

NUMBER OF VIRGIN ACTIVE GYMS IN SA

ANNUAL REVENUE – ALL GYMS IN SA

% CROSSFIT STUDY SUBJECTS WHO DROPPED OUT INJURED

OUTDOORS WINS! The gym is the foundation of most training plans, and for good reason. But the scientifically corroborated benefits to your mental and physical fitness, as well as the opportunity to swap wilting programmes for fresh challenges, all at no extra cost, mean it’s the season for change. It really is great outdoors

48 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

+ISM (illustrations)

VITAMIN D

Take better photos in Botswana!

PHOTO

TOUR

Join us on a photography tour that kicks off at Kubu Island on the Makgadikgadi Pans in central Botswana and ends at Kasane/Chobe in the north. Along the way you’ll visit the Zambezi Region in Namibia and see the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls.

DATES? 15 – 25 March 2019; 14 – 24 July 2019 DURATION? 11 days, 10 nights COST? R15 750 per person (accommodation in tents)

BOO NO K

W!

WHAT TO BRING

THE RATE INCLUDES

• A 4x4 (fuel and border fees

• A tour leader and a

are for your own account) • Bedding and towels • A camera • Drinks and snacks • Personal items

professional photographer • All accommodation • All park fees • Three meals a day • Use of two-way radios

BUT I’M AN AMATEUR… Whether you have a big D-SLR or a point-and-shoot, these tours will improve your photography irrespective of your skills.

To reserve your place, call 044 535 9033; 082 724 0442 e-mail bookings@bhejane.com

WEIGHT LOSS Run it Off Like Ryno

LOST 53KG!

It’s A Marathon, Not A Sprint / BY THAAQIB DANIELS

In a world filled with getripped-quick plans and Insta-fitness trends, it’s hard not to want to lose weight in the shortest time. But there are those who don’t aim for rushed results, and believe firmly in steady progress. Ryno Marx had been on the bigger end of the scale for most of his life; as a child he was made fun of because of it, which made the Cape Town kid turn to food for comfort. Now the 24-year old has lowered his weight and raised his confidence. This is his story. 50 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

1

RYNO MARX

BEFORE

LOCATION Cape Town OCCUPATION Systems Analyst AGE 24 HEIGHT 1.8m WEIGHT BEFORE 135kg WEIGHT AFTER 82kg TIME TO GOAL 2.5 years

THE PROBLEM

“I’ve been a big eater all my life and as a result I’ve been overweight for as long as I can remember. Lack of exercise and overeating was a devastating combination. Being mocked by other kids while growing up didn’t help either. This shattered my confidence, leading to my need for comfort food. It’s quite ironic – I felt bad for how I looked and so I would eat more, which in turn made me feel even worse about my appearance.” THE LESSON It’s easy to comfort yourself with bad habits, but it’s not going to make your problems disappear. You have to work towards a positive outcome. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAURO MATALONE

We want to hear your weight-loss and personal success stories! Email us at tellmh@ media24. com.

SIDELINE SQUAD

Nicholas Riva

Ryno’s colleague and running partner has had a frontseat view of Ryno’s progress over the past couple of years. Here are the 5 factors that led to Ryno dropping 53kg.

1. Slow and steady progress all the way: “When we started training together, we set goals that we knew we’d be able to achieve in a decent length of time. At first, he could barely walk 2km without getting tired. But he kept at it, and made gradual progress.”

READY TO LOSE YOUR BELLY? USE OUR PLAN TO TRANSFORM YOUR BODY – START TODAY AT BELLYOFF.CO.ZA

2

THE CHANGE

“When I weighed about 135 kilos, a good friend told me that I have the potential to be better. He said that I could focus all my energy and motivation towards a healthier lifestyle, and the benefits would be astonishing. It was a simple vote of confidence, but it made all the difference. I decided that I would improve my lifestyle, lose weight, and be an inspiration to those who find themselves in similar situations.” THE LESSON Surround yourself with the right people. Knowing that he had the support of friends and family made Ryno believe in his success story before he’d even started.

3

THE STRATEGY

“I wanted to lose weight, but not by using any weight-loss products. By doing it this way, I would inspire people to believe in themselves instead of some product. I started by eating more healthily and limiting my portion sizes, while going to gym at least twice a week. I developed a love for running. I started small, by doing my first park run to set a benchmark. Then I set realistic goals to work towards every week and every month.“ THE LESSON Take baby steps. Start small – just as long as you start. Be consistent, be disciplined, and the results will speak for themselves.

4

THE RESULT

“I am very blessed to have lost about 53kg, and have boosted my confidence. I also have a lot more energy. I did my first half marathon run in November 2018, which is a great achievement for me. A few years ago I would never have thought I’d be able to run such a distance. I’d say the greatest result for me is to be able to share my story with others and hopefully inspire and motivate them to believe in themselves.” THE LESSON Slow progress is still progress. Don’t rush your results. No matter how slowly you’re going, you’re lapping everybody who’s still sitting on the couch.

2. Having a strong and postive mindset: “Ryno saw people jogging daily along the Sea Point Promenade, and wanted to be at that level. His head was in the right place from the start.” 3. Consistency is king: “He trained as much as he could. I can’t remember there being a work week when he didn’t hit the gym or go for a run. That’s real dedication.” 4. Celebrate the small victories: “Ryno’s self-confidence has skyrocketed. He doesn’t need baggy jeans anymore, and now he wears his clothes with his head held high.” 5. Challenge yourself: “He’s always been very selfmotivated. He’s currently training to take on the Two Oceans Half Marathon that’s happening soon.” MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

51

FOOD Braai Better Now Shop Like a Pro

Upgrade Your Sports Viewing BECAUSE YOUR MATES DESERVE BETTER THAN INCINERATED MEAT. / BY PAUL KITA 52 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

Enough with buckets of greasy delivery wings. Stop with the neon-orange “cheese” and the tasteless bag o’ chips. And the next person to bring a plastic platter of shop-bought veggies and dip is forever benched. This rugby season (and for all other sports), elevate your pre-game or at-home spread with the help of great chefs who also happen to be sports fanatics. Learn the skills, get the ingredients, invite your friends. Dig in. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY WESTBROOK

STRAPPED FOR TIME? MAKE THESE. DESSERT: Figs with Ricotta and Wildflower Honey Take 12 large, fresh figs (they’re in season now and should be available at well-stocked grocery stores), slice each one into quarters, and arrange them on a serving plate. Add 1 or 2 spoonfuls of full-cream ricotta cheese and a generous drizzle of wildflower honey. From The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook

FEED THE MASSES

“BIG TEX” PROTEIN PAELLA This recipe, adapted from San Antonio chef Jason Dady, bumps up the protein with brisket. Dady serves his in a 100cm paella pan, but a 46cm pan will work. Best part? Prep it before, and you can take it with you to a party. Assemble it live and watch everyone do the wave. And then tuck in. W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D 2 .7 KG W H O L E S M O K E D B R I S K E T, C H O P P E D 1 LITRE BARBECUE SAUCE 4 BAGS MEXICAN CORN CHIPS 1 . 5 KG S H R E D D E D CHEDDAR CHEESE 1 . 5 KG C H E R RY TO M ATO E S, H A LV E D 450 G JALAPEÑOS, DICED 2 BUNCHES SPRING ONIONS, CHOPPED 1 LARGE RED ONION, DICED SMALL 3 BUNCHES CORIANDER, R I N S E D, C H O P P E D 1 LITRE SOUR CREAM

1. Combine the

brisket with half of the barbecue sauce and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside. 2. To serve, pour in the corn chips and then top with the brisket, cheese, tomatoes, jalapeños, spring onions, red onion, coriander, sour cream, and remaining barbecue sauce. Scoop the Frito pie into a cup, and eat with a spoon. Feeds 30 to 40

ABOUT THAT BRISKET . . . You can probably hit up a deli and buy the whole pre-cooked brisket. Or you can smoke it yourself. The best method: in a bowl, mix 4 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp garlic flakes, and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Rub the brisket all over with this mixture and refrigerate until ready to cook. Preheat your smoker or Weber to 150°C. Set the brisket on the grid, fat side up. Maintain that temperature, adjusting vents or adding fuel, until the brisket reaches 70°C, 3 to 4 hours. Wrap in foil to transport or rest 15 minutes, then serve.

SNACK: Greek Feta-Cheese Dip In a serving bowl, mix 340g feta cheese, 1 cup Greek yoghurt, 230g softened cream cheese, ¼ cup olive oil, and the juice and zest of 1 lemon. Season with salt and crushed red-pepper flakes. Stir in 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill. Finish with ½ cup chopped cucumber, ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes, and extra dill and olive oil. Serve with pita chips. From Delish: Eat Like Every Day’s The Weekend

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 53

FOOD

SATISFY THE DIEHARDS

BEEF AND RICOTTA MEATBALL SUBS If you’re just feeding a few, there’s no need to go wild. Just make the best version of a meal they already love, like these meatballs, adapted from a recipe by Linton Hopkins, chef of Restaurant Eugene. Bring plenty of serviettes. W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D 450 G MINCED GRASSFED BEEF (90/10) ¾ C U P R I C OT TA C H E E S E , DRAINED 2

E G G YO L K S

5

TBSP FINE WHITEBREAD CRUMBS

1

TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

½ T B S P KO S H E R S A LT

½ TSP FRESH OREGANUM, M I N C E D, P LU S M O R E FOR GARNISH 1

LITRE MARINARA SAUCE

4 H OT D O G R O L L S , SLICED ¾ THROUGH LENGTHWISE, P R E F E R A B LY TO A ST E D ½ C U P G R AT E D PA R M E S A N

½ TBSP FRESH GROUND BLACK PEPPER 1

S M A L L G A R L I C C LO V E , MINCED

1. In a large bowl, mix

by hand everything except for the sauce, rolls, and Parmesan. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 2. Roll 16 meatballs, placing them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 3. Preheat your oven to 230°C. Bake the meatballs till golden, 7 to 10 minutes. 4. Transfer the meatballs to a large

pot. Coat with the sauce, place over medium heat, cover with a lid, and cook till heated, about 10 minutes. (You can chill the meatballs now; reheat later.) 5. To make a sandwich, put 4 meatballs into a roll and finish with sauce, Parmesan, and fresh oreganum. Feeds 4

THE BEST BEERS FOR OUTDOOR SPORTS & BRAAIS

These low-kilojoule brews team up well with hearty food.

Darling Brew

Sungazer Light Lager (335 kilojoules) Low in alcohol (2.6% ABV), but not in flavour. An easydrinking beer with a dry finish, and a subtle malt-andhops flavour, this light lager is perfect for hot summer days.

Mad Giant Electric Light Weiss (385 kilojoules) You’ll get bready notes accompanied by a citrus aroma and fruity taste from this Joburgbrewed beer. At 4.5% ABV, it has the highest alcohol of the lot. Drink up!

Dragon Fiery Ginger (397 kilojoules) We’re not ones to refuse a decent ginger beer, especially when it’s alcoholic, gluten-free, and both crisp and tingly. This will be the most refreshing drink you taste this summer.

Castle Lite (427 kilojoules) You can always count on good ole’ faithful to start a party. This any-occasion beer is low in sweetness, and gently bitter. But we don’t need to explain the taste to you: go ahead, crack open a cold one.

54 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

KICK BACK ON GAME DAY

GRILLED CHICKENAND-TOMATO SOSATIES WITH PITA AND HARISSA HUMMUS Maybe you love lugging your skottel to a prematch outdoor spot. If so, grill the sosaties pregame. If not, these wraps taste great cold (so you can relax, instead of worrying about prep). This recipe comes from Michael Brannock, executive chef of PDQ Restaurants.

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D

1. In a food

4 TINS CHICKPEAS, DRAINED

1

TSP SMOKED PA P R I K A

¼ CUP HARISSA

2

TBSP FRESH OREGANUM, DILL, OR PA R S L E Y, M I N C E D

½ C U P TA H I N I ½ CUP OLIVE OIL JUICE OF 2 LEMONS 4 G A R L I C C LO V E S 2

TSP CUMIN

1

KG C H I C K E N ST R I P S , C U T I N TO B I T E SIZED PIECES

1

KG C H E R R Y TO M ATO E S , I D E A L LY M I X E D C O LO U R S

¼ C U P V E G E TA B L E O I L 1

TSP GARLIC FLAKES

FOR GARNISH: 2 TBSP OLIVE OIL, LEMON WEDGES, ¼ C U P L I G H T LY TO A ST E D P I N E N U T S , 1 CUP CRUMBLED F E TA 2 0 W H O L E W H E AT P I TA S , GRILLED

processor, puree the chickpeas, harissa, tahini, ½ cup olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, and 1 tsp of the cumin. Transfer to a serving bowl. Season to taste with salt. 2. Preheat a grill to medium-high. In a bowl, mix the chicken, tomatoes, vegetable oil, garlic flakes, paprika, the rest of the cumin, and 2 big pinches each of salt and pepper.

On 20 wooden skewers, alternate chicken pieces and tomatoes. 3. Grill the skewers until the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 75°C, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Arrange the skewers on a platter around the hummus. Drizzle 2 Tbsp olive oil over the skewers. Top with the herbs, lemon, pine nuts, and feta. Serve with pitas so fans can build sandwiches. Feeds 20

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 55

FOOD

IF YOU’RE SIMILAR TO THE AVERAGE GUY, YOUR SHOPPING TROLLEY IS A MIX OF THINGS LIKE FROZEN PIZZAS, CHICKEN BREASTS, BLOCK CHEESE, AND A CASE OF COOLDRINK, ACCORDING TO USDA RESEARCH. BUT IF YOU ADD OR SWOP IN THESE SEVEN FOODS ON YOUR GROCERY TRIPS, SCIENCE SUGGESTS YOU’LL CONSUME THE NUTRIENTS YOU NEED TO FIGHT DISEASE, HAVE MORE ENERGY, AND LIVE LONGER. SO READ UP. THEN STOCK UP. / BY JILL WALDBIESER

1. WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD

A.k.a. not the white-as-GwynethPaltrow kind. WHY IT’S GOOD FOR YOU:

Contrary to what carb haters would have you believe, there’s evidence linking whole grains to a longer life span. A Harvard study found that people who consumed whole grains had a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, a lower risk of diabetes, and a lower risk of hypertension than people who did not. HOW TO EAT MORE: For a smart snack, toast or grill one slice of bread and top it with a heaping helping of halved cherry tomatoes, marinated mushrooms, or avocado with sliced radishes.

56 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

2. LENTILS

These little UFO-shaped “pulses” are the edible seeds of legumes. At the supermarket, you’ll most likely find brown, green and red lentils dried in bags. WHY THEY’RE GOOD FOR YOU:

Lentils are so fibrous, they make prunes worried: half a cup of cooked lentils has eight grams of fibre. Plus, the fibre in lentils may blunt spikes in blood glucose – so much so, that swopping lentils for half a serving of instant white potatoes leads to a 35% decrease in blood sugar after a meal, a 2018 study in The Journal of Nutrition found. HOW TO EAT MORE: Deploy them

as a fortifier to burgers or meatballs. All lentil varieties have a mild, nutty flavour. Red and yellow types develop a softer texture when cooked, so save those for slow-simmered dishes, says Ginger Hultin, registered dietician and spokesperson for the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Brown and black lentils retain their texture better, which means they work best in heartier meals.

3. BEETROOT

Commonly blood-red, beets also come in candy-cane and golden varieties. They’re subtly sweet and hearty. WHY THEY’RE GOOD FOR YOU: Eating nitrate-rich foods like beetroot may be linked to increased exercise endurance and lower blood pressure in older adults. Now there’s growing evidence that beetroot juice might keep your mind fit, too. In 2017, scientists at Wake Forest University found that beetroot juice may enhance the effects of exercise on the brains of older adults with high blood pressure. HOW TO EAT MORE: Roasted beetroot is great with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper as a simple side dish to steak or lamb chops. One downside: they can make your kitchen look like a crime scene. So buy packaged, pre-cooked beetroot. You can also try pickled or golden beetroot to avoid the mess. (The golden variety has beneficial compounds like its red brethren.)

Food styling: Jamie Kimm; prop styling: Kaitlyn DuRoss/Honey Artists

Shopping Trolley Gold

4. SEAFOOD

Salmon, shrimp, mackerel, sardines, crayfish, trout, cod, yellowtail, crab – whatever the variety, you probably aren’t eating enough of it. WHY IT’S GOOD FOR YOU: Seafood, especially seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids, is a powerful force in fighting cardiovascular disease. Plus, in a 2018 study, Harvard scientists found that 92% of couples trying to conceive who ate seafood more than twice a week were pregnant by the end of one year, compared with 79% of couples who ate less. One explanation: the fishier couples had sex more often, possibly due to elevated hormone levels from a high-seafood diet. Score! HOW TO EAT MORE: If you hate cooking fish, then don’t cook it, says professor Carolyn Williams, a dietician in Alabama. Tinned tuna, salmon, sardines, and mussels are ready-to-eat. Just add mayo or sour cream, lemon juice, chives or parsley, and salt and pepper. Or raid the freezer aisle for heat-and-eat options. Just remember to check SASSI to make sure that whatever you’re eating is on the right side of sustainable.

5. WATERCRESS

The perennial underdog may not have as many believers as the more trendy kale or spinach, but it’ll deliver. Watercress has stubby, ear-shaped leaves that top long, curved stems, and it tastes peppery. WHY IT’S GOOD FOR YOU: Watercress is nutrient-dense, meaning it offers a large payload of nutrients per kilojoule. In fact, a 2014 study published in Preventing Chronic Disease ranked this leafy green the most nutrient-dense fruit or vegetable. Credit its high concentration of vitamins and minerals. HOW TO EAT MORE: Think of watercress as a “zestier spinach”, says Hultin, and use it accordingly. Chop a handful and stir it into frittatas, stir-fry, or marinara sauce for pasta. It’s also delicious as a swop-in for basil in homemade pesto. You can enjoy it in a salad, but balance its bite with mellower greens, like romaine, butter, or green leaf lettuce.

6. KIMCHI

Kimchi is a traditional Korean food made with cabbage, chilli peppers, salt, and sometimes other vegetables, all of which undergo fermentation with lactic-acid bacteria. Its taste can range from mellow and tangy to pungent and spicy. WHY IT’S GOOD FOR YOU:

Your gastrointestinal tract, filled with billions of tiny microbes, may play a big role in your immune system and overall health. Good bacteria, called probiotics, may counterbalance disruptive bad bacteria. Found in foods such as kimchi, probiotics may also help fight obesity, cholesterol and cancer, though further research is needed. HOW TO EAT MORE: “Kimchi makes a great swop for coleslaw, but you can also try it as a sandwich or wrap topper, or scrambled into your eggs,” says Brigitte Zeitlin, registered dietician and owner of BZ Nutrition in New York City. Aim to have one cup at least twice a week. Just make sure you’re buying your kimchi unpasteurised, the kind found at a good supermarket or Korean grocery store. Pasteurisation can kill probiotic bacteria.

7. BERRIES

Fresh or dried, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and gooseberries are small-butmighty nutritional powerhouses. (Yes, gooseberries are a real thing.) WHY THEY’RE GOOD FOR YOU:

They’re a great source of fibre (one cup of fresh blueberries has almost four grams; one cup of blackberries has more than seven), but they may help you breathe easier, too. People who reported eating three to four servings of fruit daily were 57% less likely to have airway restriction, a signal of lung dysfunction, than those who reported eating little to no fruit. Fruits (especially berries) are high in antioxidants that may help tamp down the chronic inflammation that can lead to lung disease. HOW TO EAT MORE: Berries aren’t just great for breakfast. Mix sultanas or raisins into a quinoa grain bowl, scatter raspberries over a greens-and-balsamic salad, or place sliced strawberries atop a homemade ricotta, spinach and olive-oil flatbread.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 57

FOOD

MID-MORNING WHEN YOU NEED IT: A pre-n noon slump. Breakfast jumpstarts your m metabolism, but you may m run outt of fuel before lunch h.

Ad dding chia to yoghurt may cut hunger and sugar cravings. Enjoy with cubed sweet melon.

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SNACKING: WE LOVE IT. 94% OF THE GENERAL POPULATION EAT AT LEAST ONE SNACK A DAY, ACCORDING TO RESEARCH FIRM MINTEL. (AND WE’RE SUSPICIOUS OF THAT OTHER 6%.) THE RIGHT CHOICES CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT AND BUILD MUSCLE. THE WRONG ONES WON’T. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. / BY RACHEL MELTZER 0: WARREN 0 –

A PB-andbanana halfsandwich hitts your pre-gym m needs withou ut wn weighing dow your workoutt.

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Try a mixture of cottage cheese, sliced banana, and roasted walnuts for a sleep-aiding combo.

BEFORE BED WHAT TO EAT: Having trouble sleeping? A serving of fruit may help your body produce sleep-promoting hormones.

Hummus suppliess steady energy rather than a blood-sugar spike e followed by a plummet. Carrots love it, too.

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Your Perfect Day of Snacks

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Mix cooked quinoa with canned salmon and black-olive spread for protein and omega-3s.

Red peppers are high in H20. (A 15% fluid loss can affect your ability to think clearly.) Dip in guacamole.

0P

Oat O porridge fills you up due to its viscosity. Stir in peanut butter and sliced banana for protein and fibre.

WHEN YOU NEED IT: Siesta time. Your body temp drops between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m., triggering the release of melatonin.

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Test subjects who had a berry snack ate less at dinner. Add nuts for good fats to help fill up.

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Protein and fibre may help you eat less lunch. Do 1 boiled egg and ½ avocado with seasoning.

WHAT TO EAT: Turn to produce, not a second cup of coffee. Most vegetables are low in nap-inducing empty carbs.

.M.

WHAT TO EAT: A breakfast balancer. Woke up with oats? Pick protein. Eggs for breakfast? Sneak in some fruit.

MID-AFTERNOON

WHEN YOU NEED IT: You’re trying to increase your total muscle mass. Note: not if you’re bored or stressed.

(5:

00

Premeasure a serving of crackers (check the box) rather than munching from the bag. Schmear with spreadable cheese.

Tahini is a good source of protein and healthy fats. Drizzle it on a small, fibre-rich baked sweet potato.

AFTER WORK WHAT TO EAT: Good carbs lend your body quick, easy-to-digest energy that your muscles need when you exercise.

WHEN YOU NEED IT: If you’re headed to the gym to run or lift for an hour or longer and haven’t eaten since lunch.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 59

From the editors of Men’s Health magazine

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Don’t Be A Creep

So... Was It Good For You?

WOMEN AREN’T HAVING ORGASMS. MEN ARE CONFUSED. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT IT. / BY JULIE VADNAL

Sexcanberomantic.Animalistic. Shouldbepleasurable.Egalitarian. Messy,butinagoodway.Fun.Often,it’s straight-upconfusing. Whenitcomestoaguy’sclimax,the routineisfairlysimple:yougetalittle turnedon,there’ssometouchingorrubbingorpartneredstimulationofsome kind,andthenwhenyou’vereached the point of no return – a release!

Q

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 61

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But women’s orgasms can be as confounding as a Westworld plotline. First we have to feel generally comfortable around you, then remember whether or not we left our curling iron plugged in this morning, reassure ourselves that we unplugged it, then remind ourselves that we’re making out with a guy we really like. The blood eventually rushes to our genitals, and the touching from then on has to be juuuuust right – not too hard, not too soft, and usually on the exact right spot. Things are going well! We’re feeling it! And even then, sometimes when an orgasm is ascending like a firework – poof! – it turns out it was just a dud. So it’s not exactly shocking to read new research in The Journal of Sexual Medicine that says that men have a difficult time telling when (or even if) women climax during a sexual experience. In the study, which looked at a nationally representative sample of nearly 1 700 newlyweds, researchers found that 43% of husbands misperceived how often their wives orgasm, in most cases overestimating their wives’ O’s. Remember, these weren’t random hookups but people who put rings on it and, barring any 90 Day Fiancé-type situations, had had a few years or so to explore each other’s bodies. “The general lack of men’s awareness was surprising,” says Nathan Leonhardt, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto and lead author of the study. “We were expecting some [gap in awareness], but such a high percentage tells us this is a very prevalent issue.”

Why the Confusion – and Why It Matters If you look around, you’ll start to see similar data in other less, um, scientific places. A recent survey of 1 000 men by sex-toy startup Cunni – they make an oral-sex simulator, obviously – asked if men gave their partners orgasms during oral sex. Fifty-seven percent of men answered yes. But when asked if they knew what their partners liked during oral sex, 59% of guys said they didn’t. And then 67% said they sometimes weren’t even sure what they were doing during oral sex. Maybe it’s true that all those men really did give women orgasms. But they also could use a lesson in what women actually want in bed – even if they don’t think they need it. Another recent survey found that 42% of men 62 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

gave themselves an A rating in bed. Nice, guys. So what’s really going on here? Why the disparity between what men think is happening and...reality? (Before you go there – yes, faking happens, but you can’t fake it forever.) Not all men are clueless around a vagina. But that’s not to say some of you lot couldn’t use a refresher. Understanding the female orgasm takes some practice, but it’s important to school yourself on your partner’s pleasure, says sex therapist Ian Kerner, the man who literally wrote the book on it, 2004’s She Comes First. “In my practice, there are a lot of orgasm gaps and imbalances,” Kerner says. “And I can tell you that if any partner is not consistently enjoying sex and orgasm, it can have a big negative impact on a relationship.” Of course, most guys in a committed relationship want to please their partner during sex. “In the vast majority of cases, a husband wants his wife to be pleased with the sexual experience and wants her to have an orgasm,” Leonhardt says. “Sometimes

men just need to have the courage to bring up the subject, talk it through, and be willing to adjust the things that they’re doing to make sure she’s having a good experience as well.”

What She Says Because how a female gets to orgasm can be as complicated as trying to understand blockchain (seriously, what is it?), we asked real ladies and experts to tell us what women want more of in bed – and why it matters that you get it right. First things first: women definitely want to orgasm, probably just as much as you do. “There’s a big, culturally propagated misunderstanding that women don’t care as much about having orgasms during sex as men,” says Kerner. “And that does an injustice to women.” In fact, in Leonhardt’s study, a wife’s sexual satisfaction was directly linked to the frequency of her orgasms. The more often she orgasmed, the more content she was sexually. But there’s more to good sex than a

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bed-breaking climax. As tempting as it is to rush to P-in-the-V action as the clothes are still hitting the floor, spending some time to warm up her nether regions is worth it. Most women, up to 77% in some research, say foreplay is necessary for a good orgasm. “The best kinds of sexual experiences I’ve had are when it isn’t all about the sex,” says Zoe, 21. “So often I feel men are in it just for the act of penetrating and finishing, meaning they skip the foreplay, and as soon as they finish, it’s over. Chances are if you finished, she hasn’t yet.” According to Kerner, most women need at least 15 to 20 minutes of pre-penetrative acts (kissing, touching, and sexy talk) to get aroused. “I think the mistake that a lot of men make is thinking, ‘Oh, we got into bed, we got undressed, I kissed her for 30 seconds, and now I’m going down on her for two minutes, and then I’m going to insert my penis,’” Kerner says. “There’s a whole Act I that’s missing.” Female arousal takes time, but it’s worth the wait. When it comes to oral, do it. “It’s refreshing when men go down on women,” says Elizabeth, 21. “And it’s better if it’s not a tit-for-tat exchange but an unexpected move, without the assumption of ‘returning the favour.’” Once you’re down there, women want you to be mindful of your technique, too. “There’s a difference between a poking tongue and a flat tongue,” says Grace, 32. For the record, she’s a flat-tongue fan – it creates a softer touch.

The Moves That Get Her There Suggestions from individual women are subjective, of course, but they aren’t just anecdotal. There’s serious data to back up what kinds of touches are most likely to make women orgasm. Unsurprisingly, most techniques involve the clitoris, that nerve-packed area at the top of where her labia meet. It’s about the size of an eraser head and packed with thousands of nerve endings – similar to the amount in a penis. Last year, the Kinsey Institute partnered with OMGYes, a research-based website that educates users on female pleasure, in a groundbreaking study that found exactly what kind of clitoral action gets women to 64 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

climax. Of the 1 055-strong sample, 37% of women said they needed clitoral stimulation to orgasm during intercourse, while another 36% said it isn’t necessary but that it enhances the whole experience. The researchers went even deeper and asked what kind of clitoral touching women liked most, and two thirds of respondents said they enjoyed direct clitoral touching. When asked about the shape and style of touching, women responded that they like, in this order: up and down motions, circular, side to side, pulsating (rapid pushing in one spot), pressing, then flicking. For patterns of touch, nearly all women in the study said they preferred repeated, rhythmic motions. An almost equal number said they liked circular motions around the clitoris. May your fingers and tongue never get lost again.

How to Talk About It – with Confidence Even when you know exactly what most women crave, the truth is every woman is different. One woman’s orgasmic heavy

breathing could be another woman’s signal that she’s just, well, tired and out of breath. And not all women whimper and howl as they’re about to climax, even if that’s what porn taught you as a teen. There’s only one way to truly find out what the woman you’re sleeping with likes: you have to ask her. Foreplay can be a great way to get the conversation started, says Kerner. “Arousal actually releases a neurochemical cocktail that disinhibits you a little bit, so use that time as an opportunity to begin communication,” he suggests. As a pre-sex makeout sesh begins, start to describe a fantasy of yours, then ask her hers. Or describe the parts of her body you love the most – and then kiss her there. If you can’t tell if she’s feeling it, stop for a second and take stock by asking her, “Does that feel good?” If the answer is no, redirect. And don’t worry about it messing with the flow, which can be resumed. “Being attentive is hot,” Elizabeth says. “It shows you’re into me and into having a great time.” Plus, Kerner says, the way you communicate early in a sex session (and in a relationship) paves the way for future talks. And much less confusion.

DO BETTER How to please her during every moment.

Before

During

After

Early in the game, spend time caressing and kissing her less obvious erogenous zones: the insides of the wrists, behind the knees, the earlobes. Soft touches in unexpected areas create hot intrigue – and give you the chance to check in with her along the way.

Most women need clitoral stimulation to orgasm – it’s science! When you’re doing it doggy, slip a finger between her legs and move it from side to side, like a windshield wiper. Giving her C-spot some attention is an almost guaranteed way to make sure she’s satisfied.

Some experts say that “afterplay”, the time you spend cuddling and recapping a job well done, is as important as the deed itself because it strengthens your bond. Spend time in each other’s arms after you’ve both orgasmed – after you’re done high-fiving.

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What Creepy Looks Like EVEN THE MOST INNOCUOUS BEHAVIOUR CAN BE UNSETTLING IF IT’S NOT WELCOME— ESPECIALLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA. MEN’S HEALTH COLUMNIST LAUREN LARSON (IT’S HER FIRST COLUMN!) SHOWS YOU HOW TO READ THE CLUES (AND NON-CLUES).

66 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

ILLUSTRATION BY MOON PATROL

YOUR EXPERT

In this column, Lauren Larson will be writing about the evolving dynamics between men and women – from hooking up to working together to... everything else.

I was sweating profusely on the subway platform on a sticky summer day when I spotted a man I knew from varsity. I hadn’t particularly liked him back then, but I remembered that only later. In the moment, the surprise of a familiar face in New York’s stinky underworld caused me to greet him with an enthusiasm I usually save for Uber Eats deliveries. We exchanged brief, friendly chit-chat and what I assumed were insincere promises to hang out “someday”. I immediately forgot about the conversation. I am incapable of delivering disappointment to men. I say, “Let’s hang out someday” when I have no interest in hanging out, and I say, “Sorry, I have a boyfriend” when I really mean “Leave me alone”. And when the man from the subway sweetly reached out to me on Facebook a few hours after the fact to make plans to hang out – I had, after all, said we should – I replied that I would be out of town for a while. I would be out of town for a while, and I hoped his invitation would wither in my absence. It did not. Over the next two months, he kept reaching out, sending me messages every week. Each began with “Yo yo!” followed by an inquiry into my schedule. At first I responded with excuses (“weird time at work!”), but then I stopped responding. The “Yo yos!” kept coming. The dynamic hadn’t started out creepy, but when he began to ignore the clues that I wasn’t interested in hanging out, as friends or otherwise, it started to feel sinister. I can understand how a guy might wonder why I didn’t just tell the man from the subway that I wasn’t interested, why I didn’t just block him on Facebook, and why I expected him to be able to hear “No” when I’d said, “Yes, definitely!” But I don’t think I should have to explicitly reject a man I chatted with on the subway. If a guy were to tell me he was “too busy with work” or if he failed to respond when I texted him three times in a row, I’d consider that an explicit enough rejection. Very little separates a creepy man from a non-creepy man beyond the ability to tell when a woman isn’t interested in what he’s putting out there and to back off accordingly. But since sex-education teachers spend more time instructing kids how to suit up a banana than they do on the subtleties of non-verbal

cues, we all hit adulthood totally unfit for social survival, predisposed to creep and be creeped on.

We have no radar for creepiness. Which is why I dated a man who thought he was a prophet. SO HERE ARE SOME GUIDELINES: That women can tell a guy is creepy just by looking at him is a myth perpetuated by “incels” and other “men’s rights” proponents online. We have no radar for creepiness, which is why I once went on three dates with a man who thought he was a prophet. Creepiness has nothing to do with appearance (although a pencil moustache suggests a certain alienation from civilised society). Michael Shannon, for example, may look like the personification of the dark basement in The Conjuring, but he’s still a low-key sex symbol because he’s so polite. Shannon has, in 2019 parlance, “big dick energy.” BDE, the opposite of creepiness, is characterised by quiet confidence. I bet that if a woman didn’t message Shannon back right away, he would be very cool about it. He would not send her a 300-word message tirade about how women are teases, and he would not continue to fire off invitations just in case she changes her mind. Likewise, a guy can be objectively attractive and wholesome looking and still come off very creepy. James Franco may look like Firefighter Jesus, but it was still unsettling when he repeatedly booty-texted a 17-year-old girl.

Creepiness has very little to do with specific behaviours and a whole lot to do with context. With the exception of criminally creepy behaviour, like upskirt photography, very few actions are inherently menacing. While I might be thrilled to get a dick pic from a boyfriend, receiving one from a stranger on Tinder is always unwelcome. And I’d be

perfectly comfortable with a guy sitting on my side of the booth on our second date, but it was creepy when a guy once boxed me into a booth on our first date. The trick is knowing where you’re at on the intimacy spectrum. There are circumstances when that’s really straightforward – a 17-year-old girl cannot legally be interested in James Franco in the US, so that’s an easy one – but in most cases you have to pay really close attention. It’s rare that a woman will tell you when you’re being creepy. Women are nice to men for the same reason you don’t eat blowfish every day: each bite might be the one that kills you. I’ve seen a lot of those daylight TV crime classics, so when a man starts talking to me, looking at me, or standing too close to me, I’m always aware of the chance that he may stalk me relentlessly until I’m forced to move to a remote ranch in Louisiana, where he will find me years later in the embrace of a swole local and go insane with jealousy, killing us both. So instead of explicitly rebuffing a man’s creeping, I try to passively deflect it. Nicely. But there are degrees of niceness. If a woman is interested in you, she will be very, very nice. She will make eye contact when you’re talking. She will answer your texts. She will ask you questions about your life. If you’re getting anything less than extreme niceness from a woman – even if she’s still being base-level nice – you should take a metaphorical and literal step back. If a woman is even a little bit rude to you, she’s probably extremely uncomfortable. Failing to respond to the man from the subway’s messages is as un-nice as I get. (As at the time of going to press, he seems to have finally got the point.) If you’re at all worried you’re creeping on a woman, you should back off and see what happens. If she starts to pursue you, she’s interested. If she takes no action, she’s probably relieved that you’ve stopped bothering her. In this era, women aren’t “playing hard to get” anymore. If I’m interested in a man, I text him back immediately. I tag him in memes. I miss work and skip funerals to hang out with him. Sometimes I can be a little bit creepy. MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 67

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The stopwatch, or chronograph, is a wristwatch’s most popular function – after telling the time, of course. But what on earth are they used for? Well, not as much as they are in the air. In the early-to-mid-20th century, pilots depended on chronographs to help them calculate their fuel reserves. The manufacturer that most aviators placed their faith in was Breitling – specifically, the brand’s Huit Aviation division.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOBE LAWRENSON

“Since 1884, Breitling has pioneered chronograph development,”says Mark Toulson, head of buying at Watches of Switzerland. “But in the 1930s it added a second button to reset the timer, providing the blueprint for howthewatchlookstoday.Giventhis pedigree,itmakessenseforthemto continue setting the standard.” Which is precisely what it has done. Under the direction of new CEO Georges Kern, Breitling has

launched the Navitimer 8 B01, a beautiful, beefy chronograph with an aesthetic reminiscent of the Huit team’s glory days. What’s going on beneath the dial, however, is anything but retrospective. “The B01’s in-house movement is a solid piece of modern engineering,” says James Buttery, editor of QP magazine. “Its column wheel design makes the pushers smoother to operate than standard movements.” MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 69

15 ITEMS 25 WAYS UPGRADE YOUR FASHION RÉSUMÉ WITH THESE NEW STATEMENT PIECES

15

There are a lot of ways that a guy can dress. And so many of them are just wrong. But dressing right isn’t very hard, and it starts with the staples: with these 15 essentials you can create 25 looks or more, all of them fit for a king. These 25 looks will feel just as cutting-edge when you’re serving up ideas in the boardroom, charm on a date or swagger at the club. Time to remix your wardrobe.

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1. J E A N S R 69 9 Z A R A , 2. B L A Z E R R 2 499 C O U N T RY R OA D, 3. L I G H T W E I G H T K N I T R 1 699 CA LV I N K L E I N , 4. E W I N G H O O D I E R 1 8 9 9 A D I DA S, 5. O N I TS U K A T I G E R G S M S N E A K E R S R 1 499 T R E A D & M I L L E R, 6. P R I N T E D S H I RT R 69 9 T R E N E RY, 7. H E N L E Y K N I T R 59 9 Z A R A , 8. T- S H I RT R 69 9 CA LV I N K L E I N , 9. P H I L SA N DA LS R 2 9 9 O L D K H A K I , 1 0. S H O RT S L E E V E ST R I P E D S H I RT R 1 5 0 M R P R I C E , 11. W YAT T C H I N O S H O RTS R 7 0 0 S E R G E A N T P E P P E R, 1 2. B R O G U E S R 8 49 B R O N X AT B O LTO N FO OT W E A R, 1 3. D E N I M JAC K E T R 8 9 9 O L D K H A K I , 14. T R AC K PA N TS R 1 80 M R P R I C E , 1 5. C H I N O S R 37 9 H & M , AC C E S S O R I E S: T I E R 2 9 9 P O LO, B E LT R 5 49 C O U N T RY R OA D, E DW I N P O C K E T S Q UA R E R 1 9 9 T R E A D & M I L L E R 70 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

Photography: JAMES GARAGHTY

1

FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING A solid blazer is the most versatile. But it can also be solidly boring. Enter patterns, which can look sharp – as long as you don’t get carried away. Keep them easy, like a prince of Wales check blazer, which is suitable for any occasion. This blazer will go with a number of shirt styles, ties, jeans, and chinos. 2+10+15+12

INVEST TO IMPRESS BY AZEEZ JACOBS PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUKE KUISIS

LET YOUR SHIRT TO THE TALKING Casual button-down shirts are a staple for every man’s work and weekend wardrobe. But if your closet is mostly check shirts, it’s time to branch out. There are tons of solid, floral, striped, and geometric patterns you should reach for when a T-shirt is too casual. 6+8+11+A

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THE CONVERSATION STARTER This bright and lightweight crewneck jersey is plenty versatile. The bold, fresh tone adds interest to a Tuesday at the office look or a weekend festival with friends. The traditional shape makes it an essential for every wardrobe. Wear it under a leather jacket or over a collared shirt for added warmth and dimension. 3

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DO THE DOUBLE TO ACE DATE NIGHT To get double denim right, contrast is key. The two denims should be different hues. For this specific jacket, make sure the jeans are dark and not distressed. Try your denim jacket underneath a blazer – a look that works well in colder months, and you’re sure to impress her on date night too. 2+8+13+1+12+A

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 75

PRE- AND POST-GYM VIBES Your trackpants should be tailored and comfortable. Wear them with a T-shirt or even with a blazer, and your off-duty look will have style written all over it. Navy trackpants will coordinate well with the white sneakers and the white hoodie. The stripe detail along the side of these pants makes ithe look fresh. 4+14

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Where to Buy ADIDAS ORIGINAL 021 421 8272 BEN SHERMAN 021 425 8996 BOLTONFOOTWEAR. CO.ZA CALVIN KLEIN 021 418 1185 COUNTRY ROAD 021 405 4300 H&M 021 826 7300 MR PRICE 0800 212 535 OLD KHAKI 021 464 5800 POLO 011 258 7600 SERGEANT PEPPER WWW.SPCCSTORE.COM TREAD&MILLER 0860 665 533 TRENERY 0860 022 002 ZARA 021 446 8700

The key is to mix texture, fabric and colour. A knitted tie with a striped short-sleeved shirt looks modern and not too formal, and the dark denim jeans keep the look office-ready. This outfit works if you’re in a creative industry or on casual Friday. Lose the tie, and you’re ready to hit the bar after work. 10+1+5+A

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Model: Orlando at Dmanagement; Groomer: Claudine at Gloss Artist Management; Fashion assistants: Nadia Windt and Safiyyah Majiet

GO PREPPY TO CHEAT THE OFFICE DRESS CODE

SMART AND EASY GOING Both cool and classic, denim jackets are your best bet; and slim silhouettes lend themselves to a social environment. A sleeker-looking denim jacket paired with a shirt and polished chinos shows that you know a thing or two about style. Finish the look with crisp white sneakers. 13+10+15

STYLE

Make Over B L A Z E R R1 999 ZARA G O L F S H I RT R699 BEN SHERMAN WOV E N B E LT R499 ZARA T R O U S E R S R3 199 CALVIN KLEIN MONK STRAP S N E A K E RS R799 ZARA

Wardrobe Overhaul AFTER LOSING AN ASTONISHING 70KG, TONY NEEDED US TO SHOW HIM HOW TO DRESS FOR HIS LEANER FRAME. HERE’S HOW WE SHARPENED UP HIS STYLE / BY NADIA WINDT

Tony had always been a big fella – right up until he decided to take on a bet that changed his life. After sticking to his goals and losing half his body weight, he was ready to take on the next step in his transformation – a new wardrobe.

BEFORE

Lose The Lip Rug Sporting a moustache used to be cool in the eighties, but being in aviation doesn’t excuse it these days. If you want to rock some facial hair, rather go for stubble; or if your genes allow it, a beard (but keep it well-groomed). We gave Tony a cleaner, shaven look to show off his sharper jawline and features. As he has thicker hair, we kept it short and neat on the sides and left some length on the top. This way he has a lot of texture, giving him options to style it in different ways with a pomade or wax.

Invest in Your Foundation A basic golfer-and-chino combo works in most situations. Play around with colour and fabric to get the ultimate look and comfort out of them. For Tony’s new build we opted for slim-fit chinos in navy with added stretch; giving him a tailored look, but still offering leg room. We also added a contrasting-colour golfer that’s fitted and fresh, but still acceptable for client meetings or weekend city vibes. Mission accomplished.

80 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

TONY HARALAMBOUS LO CAT I O N

Cape Town O C C U PAT I O N

Pilot

THE CHANGE

From stout to shredded

STYLE TIP Collect the right wardrobe elements, combine them with flair, and your personal sense of style will take flight.

Photography: Byron Keulemans; Groomer: Renée Rossouw

Blaze A New, Lighter Trail Being overweight can put a limit on your style choices. After shedding over 70kg, Tony finally has the time to really nail down what works for his body (and what doesn’t). An easy way to dress up a look is by throwing on a blazer. Bonus: a check blazer adds a little personality. For versatility, choose navy, as you can wear it in every season, and it can easily be dressed up for work or casually paired with jeans for date night.

GROOMING

Water Scarcity EXCESS OIL, DEHYDRATION, SENSITIVITY AND STRESS HAVE LEFT YOUR SKIN FEELING IRRITATED. THAT COULD BE THE RESULT OF PARTYING LATE, BEING OUT IN THE SUN TOO LONG, OR LACK OF WATER. THESE WATER-BASED PRODUCTS WILL FIX THE SIGNS OF HOLIDAY EXCESS. / BY AZEEZ JACOBS

1 2

1. LOCK IN MOISTURE It’s no secret that booze dehydrates you. What’s less well known is that your skin clings on to water as a result. Reduce puffiness with a facial ice bath, says Jack Smithies, grooming expert at Mankind. Apply this water-based serum to revitalise skin. KIEHL'S HYDRO-PLUMPING RE-TEXTURIZING SERUM CONCENTRATE 50ML R800 EDGARS.CO.ZA

2. CHECK YOUR OIL It might feel weird to add moisture to oily skin, but bear with us: Oil and hydration aren’t the same. Use a water-based gel to increase hydration and minimise extra oil. This one is packed with glycerin and apple extract which hydrates the skin, and Cactus Pear Extract helps soothe sensitive skin.

3

DERMALOGICA WATER GEL 50ML R899 DERMALOGICA.CO.ZA

3. SHAVE THE DAY Who needs razor burn on top of sunburn? Slap on this cooling, alcohol-free treatment after you shave to instantly reduce irritation, relieve redness, and soothe your skin. It’s not greasy, either, so you won’t have to fear excess shine.

4

MACA ROOT & ALOE CALMING POST-SHAVE WATER GEL 160ML R170 THEBODYSHOP .CO.ZA

4. TAME YOUR MOP This hair spray makes your hair damp, and creates texture and height. Use it on its own or combine it with your usual styling product.

5

MVRCK BY MITCH GROOMING SPRAY 215ML R420 RETAILBOX.CO.ZA

5. STAY HYDRATED Lack of hydration leads to dryness and tightness. You need a refreshing moisturiser – like this one, powered by mountain water to provide 48 hours of intense hydration. The lightweight gel instantly turns to a loose lather on application. LOREAL MEN EXPERT HYDRA POWER MOISTURISER MOUNTAIN WATER 50ML R135 CLICKS.CO.ZA

6

6. POWER UP YOUR SHOWER You can chop these shower jellies up and use them in the bath or shower. Just squish them around in your hands, and then onto your body. Once these gym-friendly jellies get wet, they lather up like soap.

Photography: JAMES GARAGHTY

LUSH SHOWER JELLY 250G R175 LUSH.CO.ZA

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 81

HEALTH Live For 3 Digits Make Your Decision

Does Your Life Need A Lift? WITH DISMAL ECONOMIC FORECASTS AND WORK STRESS TO NEGOTIATE, YOU’D BE FORGIVEN FOR FEELING A LITTLE LOW ON CHEER. LET OUR QUIZ PUT THE PEP BACK INTO YOUR STEP / EDITED BY LEAH CRAIG

82

Q1

A calm life is a happier one. A

TRUE

Q4

You’re feeling down and have your phone in your hand. What do you do?

B

FALSE  A

B Bear this in mind the next time you’re faced with a mountainous to-do list. The Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology found that countries with a faster pace of life had citizens with a greater subjective sense of well-being. Learn to interpret your hammering heart as excitement, not anxiety, to instantly reframe your “fight or flight” response.

CALL IN SICK FOR WORK

Q2

Which is better: R10 000 or eight hours’ sleep?

C

TAKE A SELFIE

B

A

THE CASH

CHECK FACEBOOK

B

THE SLEEP

B Let’s put this one to bed. While a bonus will make you feel good, the happiness boost is short-lived. Sleep quality is a far stronger predictor of well-being, according to the National Centre for Social Research.

Q3 What makes your football team’s victories most satisfying?

A

SUSPENSE B

C While we don’t recommend chasing social-media validation, there might be something unexpected that you can learn from the fitspo stars you’re following on Instagram. According to researchers at the University of California Irvine, the simple act of smiling for a photograph – as well as the resulting online interaction you’ll receive from sharing it – has considerable mood-improving effects.

Q5 A bad mood affects your physical health.

Q6 Which of these lunchtime treats will cheer you up the most?

OBVIOUS SUPERIORITY C

*Commissioned, admittedly, by The Happy Egg Co

IT’S AN AWAY GAME

A Uncertainty is the key to enjoyin ng a game, game says Ohio State University. Universit The negative emotions you experience during a tense match, such as fear and unease, amplify your feelings of joy when your team is victorious. Root for the plucky underdog, basically.

A

TRUE

B

FALSE

A According to a study by Erasmus University Rotterdam, contentment can protect you from illness. The results suggested that unhappiness is as bad for your long-term health as smoking. For a boost, take your training outdoors. The American Chemical Society found that just five minutes of “green” exercise a day significantly boosts mental health.

A

CHEESE OMELETTE

B

AÇAÍ BOWL

B ON

AS ST

A & C And it’s not because of their health-boosting nutrients. A study by neuropsychologists at the Mindlab* found that yellow foods make you feel good, most likely as a result of your brain’s childhood associations: you’re wired to think the colour yellow symbolises sunshine and positivity. Meanwhile, your brain tends to link blue foods with sadness, ultimately sinking your mood. Blue cheese presumably confuses.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 83

HEALTH

Q7 What should you splurge on come payday?

Q9 Which of these is the

Q10 “Happy hour” looks like…

most rewarding?

A

THE PUB AFTER WORK

A

A

BEATING YOUR PB

THE IPHONE X

B

MASTERING A NEW MOVE

B

GIG TICKETS

C

CLEARINGYOUR CHEAT-DAYPLATE

C

B

A WEEKEND-LONG BLOWOUT C

A BOTTLE AT YOUR DESK A According to an Oxford sstudy, your pint at the local boosts your well-being, due to its role in strengthening social bonds. But Harvard rated harmful drinking as the appiness, more biggest risk factor for unha damaging than loneliness. Just a quick one, then.

Q11 How much of your

THE FIRST ROUND

happiness is genetic?

B Take a day off from the bench and tackle a fresh challenge. Research published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that the frustration of struggling with a new skill is outweighed by the long-lasting mental lift felt when you finally succeed. #NailedIt.

Q12 Which of the

A

following is the key to a good relationship?

10%

A

A NETFLIX BINGE

B

B

30%

Q8

Will reaching your body goals really make you happy?

BUDDY WORKOUTS C

HUMBLE BRAGS C

C While we recommend all three, a Society for Personality and Social Psychology study found that couples who share positive details about their day experience closer bonding, less anxiety and even better sleep, compared to less keen sharers. Just remember to let your partner get a word in.

50% B

NO

C Up to half of your mood is inherited, the University of Zurich found. Beyond this, 10% is circumstantial, while 40% is down to your habits – such as drinking two cups of coffee a day, which can reduce your depression risk by 77%.

Q13 Which was the happiest day of 2018? A

YES A But it’s not because of vanity. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity revealed that losing body fat can reduce symptoms of depression, particularly in those who are overweight. Take up skill-based workouts that challenge your mind as well as your muscles – think rock-climbing, for example, or parkour – both to elevate your mood and to ground your chances of boredom.

84 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

FRIDAY

WEDNESDAY

SATURDAY

MAY

JUNE

DECEMBER

04

A

21

B

22

C

C The national mood hit its peak on 22 December, the summer solstice. This was attributed to summer’s longer, warmer days. Tied to your desk? It doesn’t take much: the World Health Organisation found that exposing your arms, hands and face to 15 minutes of sunlight twice a week is enough to raise your levels of mood-lifting vitamin D. That’ll brighten your outlook.

Words: LEAH CRAIG AND NICKY WILLIAMS; Photography: SUN LEE, ROWAN FEE, GETTY, PETER CROWTHER

B & C The drinks are on you. Treating others makes you feel better about yourself, according to the University of British Columbia – especially if someone else offers to get the next round in, we imagine. But researchers found that treating yourself also does the trick, so long as you opt to spend your money on an experience, rather than on material items.

Q17 Q16 Which of the How many hours a day

Q14

Running is the only way to achieve the famed “high”.

following will give your job the most meaning?

should you spend socialising?

1

A

HIT

A

A

B

HITTING YOUR TARGETS

3

B

PRAISE FROM YOUR BOSS  C

C

B

MYTH

CHOOSING YOUR PROJECTS

6

C Frontiers in Psychology found that having control over your routine offers a deeper sense of satisfaction than success. Don’t focus on what you can’t control, such as traffic, but on what you can – like ditching the car to cycle, which East Anglia University revealed is the most stress-free mode of transport.

C Ditching lunch plans with your colleagues to tackle your in-tray could leave you more stressed in the long run. A US study found that those who spend six hours a day with friends or family are 12 times more likely to report feeling happy than anxious.

B It’s not your chosen method of exercise – it’s how hard you push yourself. According to research by the University of Turku in Finland, an hour of interval training releases significantly more endorphins than steady-state cardio. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that for those who struggle too much, it can have the opposite effect. Don’t be a martyr: identify your limit and work up to it.

Q18 Which Friday night order will perk you up the most?

Q15 People are happiest at which ages?  A

*Association For Psychological Science; †Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology

20-34 B

A

35-59

GIN AND TONIC  C

60+ C The US Office for National Statistics found that over-sixties have greater life satisfaction and, according to one study*, are better able to regulate their emotions and prioritise well-being than those who are younger. While you wait, take comfort in the fact that a little stress actually keeps your brain sharp as you age. You’re playing the long game.

How did you score?

0-6 CHIN UP No matter what’s killing your mood, forcing yourself to feel better is not the solution, and can adversely affect your health†. Try to accept your emotions without judgement and you’ll relieve the pressure, Cognition and Emotion found.

B

LAGER

C

RED WINE

B That beer makes you feel good is hardly news – but it’s not just for the reasons you may think. A German study found that malted barley stimulates the brain’s reward centre, inducing a rush of pleasure chemicals. That’s one way to down a bad mood we can get on board with.

7-12 HAPPY MEDIUM When life’s stresses are weighing you down, give yourself a lift with some resistance training. Going heavy in the gym crushes anxiety as well as building muscle, according to a study published in Sports Medicine.

13+ GLAD HAND It seems you have your own life on course – so why not help out someone else? Altruism not only makes you feel better, but research has found it also helps you live longer, lowering both your cholesterol and your Alzheimer’s risk.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 85

HEALTH

Live Longer & Prosperer HEED THE LATEST SCIENCE ON AGING, AND YOU’LL ADD YEARS TO YOUR LIFE! (JUST DON’T DO 3 AND 4 AT THE SAME TIME.)

INTERMITTENT FASTING

ROCKET

1. Cramming all of your allotted daily kilojoules into a shorter period of time may help slow the cells’ aging process, promoting a longer life span. Just make sure those kilojoules don’t come from chips. Cell Metabolism

2. Eating dietary nitrates, found in leafy greens and beetroot, has been linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Try fresh rocket on pizza. It has more nitrates than any other veggie. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

1

4

2

3

9

7

10

SWIPING

11

RUNNING WITH THE PACK

7. Taking part in group exercise – whether it’s social 5-a-side soccer or swimming – helps maintain social connectedness into your later years, and may contribute to a longer, healthier life. Scientific Reports

86 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

ACCEPTANCE

8. As you pass those major milestones, having a positive self-perception of aging can up life expectancy by seven and a half years. Look on the brighter side. The Gerontologist

12

ALCOHOL

9. A study found an association between having two glasses of wine daily and an 18% lower risk of premature death. But don’t cross the line from benefit to binge. UC Irvine

STAYING SILENT

10. Ditch the male stereotype. Experiencing even low-level anxiety and depression correlates with higher mortality rates. It’s time to talk, gentlemen. BMJ

11. A life of endless dating may take a toll on your health. People with high cholesterol were 16% more likely to be alive at the end of a 13-year study if they were married rather than single. European Heart Journal

COMMUTING

12. Long hours on buses, on trains, and in cars may shorten life spans. Cycling to work, even part of the way, can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Has exercise ever done us wrong? BMJ

Illustration by INFOMEN

ORAL HYGIENE

5. People who had lost five or more teeth by age 65 were more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Brush, floss, rinse, repeat. Periodontology 2000

6. Families (of ages 40 to 80) who owned a dog were 30% less likely to die within a 12-year period than their canine-free peers. Good boy! Scientific Reports

SEX

4. Research shows that sexual activity may decrease heart-disease risk by imitating the effects of mild to moderate exercise. True, there’s an increased risk of heart attack, but only for those less physically active. Circulation

6

5

8

DOGS

STUBBORNNESS

3. A study of Italians aged 90 to 101 found the following commonalities: optimism; stubbornness; a domineering streak; and a bond with God, family, and land. You wanna argue about that? International Psychogeriatrics

SECOND OPINION

Do You Need an Annual Physical?

NO

(if you’re a healthy self-starter)

By Dr Thomas L. Miller, practising clinician and chief medical officer, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City

The annual physical exam has been a hallowed get-together between patients and physicians for years, but there’s no good data to show you’ll live longer or be healthier if you keep that appointment. Major guideline groups such as the U. S. Preventive Services Task Force don’t recommend how often a healthy man should see his physician, but they do suggest when some screenings and immunisations should occur. Traditionally, you receive recommendations (cholesterol tests, colonoscopies, tetanus boosters, etc.) in conjunction with your annual physical. But with the advent of electronic medical records, health-insurance companies and hospitals are creating new ways for patients to get personalized recommendations online. For healthy men who are proactive about their care, have the resources to make informed decisions, and are willing to schedule their own screenings and vaccinations, an annual physical may not be necessary. There are caveats, though: receiving prompts online may not be enough to get some guys in for screenings. If you’re that type, seeing the doctor every year, or every three years for those under age 50, is smart. Plus, if you have high blood pressure or diabetes, if you smoke, or if you’re obese, then once a year may not even be enough.

THE VERDICT LEVI BROWN

YES

(if you need and value a personal health coach)

By Dr Allan H. Goroll, professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, and physician, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston

An annual physical shouldn’t be a perfunctory ten-minute exam that concludes with ordering a bunch of screening tests. It’s a personal-health review and a way to maintain a meaningful relationship with your physician. That’s a crucial distinction. Doing it right involves having a conversation about your overall health, and the things that affect it. How stressed are you? What are your coping strategies? How do you make sure you’re getting adequate rest, sleep, and exercise? How are your relationships? Part of the debate has grown out of the fact that it has become more routine than it used to be. That’s because payment for primary care has lagged for decades, and primary practices could only break even if they scheduled many short visits. But this is changing. Practices are being restructured with a team-based approach that frees up doctors to focus on what is most meaningful for patients. For example, the nurse can give a flu shot, and tests can be ordered administratively. In this way, you’ll have 15 to 20 minutes to discuss what’s important to you, plus an extra five or ten minutes for a customised exam. The relationship-building that comes from that conversation and the laying-on of hands is very important. By forgoing it, you would essentially be doing away with personalised medical care.

If you routinely leave your doctor’s office feeling your annual physical was a waste of time (and your cash, in terms of co-payments), then ask yourself: “Am I healthy? Do I have a solid relationship with my primary-care doctor? Am I willing to do the homework (and legwork) to get the screenings and immunisations I need?” If you can answer yes to all these questions, check with your physician to make sure it’s okay to skip a year or two. If you answer no to any of them, then become more proactive. Request more time with your doctor, ask to have routine blood tests done beforehand so you can discuss the results in person, and come prepared with questions about specific health issues you’re confused or concerned about. Treat it as you would an annual meeting with your financial planner or accountant, and see if you don’t get more satisfaction and helpful information out of it. MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 87

WEALTH

Percentage of South Africans working two or more jobs to make ends meet.*

Start Your Own Gig

IN THIS TURBULENT ECONOMY, RELYING ON A SINGLE INCOME SOURCE IS RISKY AND IMPRACTICAL – SO AN INCREASING NUMBER OF GUYS ARE TRYING TO EARN A LITTLE EXTRA ON THE FLY. THE PHENOMENON EVEN HAS A NAME: THE SIDE HUSTLE. BUT HOW EASY IS IT TO START UP A SECOND GIG? MH CLOCKED IN TO FIND OUT./ BY RICHARD GODWIN AND KIERAN LEGG

Ross Taylor T l r’ss side hustle be began by y accident. Five years ago, he treated himself to a butterfly taxidermy course, just because it looked fun. “I found it very relaxing,” he says. “I’m an impatient person, and it forced me to slow right down. It’s intricate, delicate and demands a lot of concentration. Then I thought: you know what? No one does butterfly taxidermy in a creative way. It’s all quite standard. So, I decided to mount them on limited-edition gold prints.” The 33-year-old Taylor is now one of the pre-eminent mounters of lepidoptera. At first, he made pieces of butterfly art for friends. Then he raised a few thousand on Kickstarter 88 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

to make some for strangers, after which h he went into business with his partner Chris McShane. They branched into homeware, and their company, the Currious Department, now sells plates and pillow ws online and in 20 shops across Europe. Taylor manages this in about 15-20 hours a week. For his “day job”, he is the crea ative director at ad agency Iris Worldwide. “It’s an amazing job,” he says. “But with w advertising, you’re only creative within n the constraints of a brand that already exissts. The reason I started my side hustle wass for creativity that is led only by what I wan nt to do.” It supplements his already health hy income by about 20%. The term “side hustle” has been around a since the 1950s. It’s a venture outside of y of your main gig. Perhaps it’s your way ps making a bit of extra cash, or perhap it’s the dream you can’t let go of; perrhaps ay’s it’s how you spread your nets in toda fast-moving economy. I first heard the Angeles term a couple of years ago, in Los A in the US. There, everyone seemed d to have a side hustle: the Uber drivers were screenwriters, the rappers sold streetwear, and the yoga instructors couldn’t wait to tell you about their bone broth start-u . Like many Americanisms, the term has spread to South Africa. The side hustle tells us thing about the way we work – or want h romance to work – today. It combines the of the struggling artist with the hard graft of the entrepreneur –and a 21st-century flakiness. I mean, it’s not like you have to commit fully, is it? It’s just a bit on the side. It’s the Tinder date of career moves.

Illustrations: FERSYNDICATE; *Source: Old Mutual 2017 Savings and Investment Monitor

Invest In Wisdom

SIX STEPS TO LAUN CH Turn a smart idea into a prof ofitable start-up, with Skye Robertsson of career advisers Escape thee City. 1 BEGIN WITH A PROBLEM ey are fixStart-ups fail when the problem the gh about ing isn’t one that people care enoug who you to pay for a solution. Know exactly w are helping.

“Technology has made a varied work life a reality.”

2 TEST YOUR ASSUMPTIONS List the conditions needed for success – that no similar products exist, and so s on. g Test your assumptions by speaking to your target market.

Now he works from 7am to 7pm at Origym, putting in a couple of hours of poker afterwards to unwind. “My mom will be happier now that I’m investing a bit more in my future,” he says. “Still, it was the poker that allowed me to fund my business in the first place.”

3 DRAW UP A SCHEDULE If your hours are consistent and no on-negotiable, you won’t be derailed by social engagements – or your day job. 4 DON’T BE TOO AMBITIOUS It’s all too easy to overestimate how much ow much free time you’ll have – let alone ho ck success energy and mental capacity. Quic is rare, so focus on building momentum. Aim for marginal gains. 5 MAKE YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE h ring Ensure that you remain on track by sharing your targets with a friend, or pledging money though sites such as gofuckingdoit.com. Make external pressure an ally. 6 KNOW YOURSELF If you’re struggling to make things work, ask yourself why. First, are you honestly excited about your idea? Or perhaps you’re afraid of failing. To tackle your doubt, you need to know precisely what is causing it.

TESTING THE WATER “I began to hear the term a lot with the rise of the sharing economy,” says careers adviser Mike Lewis. Lewis is the author of When to Jump and an advocate for using a side hustle as a way to prepare the ground for a career change without carelessly risking your livelihood. (He’s an advocate for “hustle” in general: “No matter what field you’re in, you need to hustle.”) The way he sees it, companies such as Uber, Airbnb and eBay have opened up new possibilities for those in search of extra income, while crowd-funding sites such as the homegrown Thundafund and Kickstarter offer access to investment. Hobbies can become businesses. Got a passion for woodworking? You can sell your handcrafted kitchen utensils on Etsy. Any skill you possess or asset you own can now

LEAPS OF FAITH be monetised. At the same time, jobs have become less secure. “Fifty years ago, people worked one job all their lives, got the gold watch, then retired,” he says. “But just as there are more ways to source information now, there are also more ways to construct a career.” As a result, we no longer “have to play by the rules”. When I ask around, I find side hustle everywhere, even if not everyone calls it that. I know many people who are trying to launch music careers while holding down a day job: how else are you supposed to pay the bills? In some cases, the “side” and “main” hustle can become interchangeable, each acting as a financial buffer for the other. Luke Hughes, 31, is the founder of Origym, which provides courses for personal trainers. He employs 25 people and last year paid himself a salary of about R2.6m, including dividends. “It’s going pretty well,” he says. In the mid-2000s, Hughes made his living from online poker; at his peak, he was earning about R450,000 a month. But he realised this better suited the side hustle: if you play during the day, all of your opponents are professionals. If you wait till the evening, they tend to be less savvy.

For those without an obvious passion to purrsue, the hustle can mean taking a gamble off a different kind kind. James Dunworth, 41, got into his present line of work while working as an English teacher in Qatar. His mother tried an e-cigarette at a trade show and immediately saw the potential. Dunworth designed a website so she could sell them online and soon found himself staying up until 2am each morning organising shipments from China. “I had no idea how big it was going to be,” he says. “The idea was simply to make a little bit of extra money on the side.” It soon became a side hustle for everyone in the family. His wife began to help out with the postage and packaging; his sister came on board as a legal director and human resources manager. The company, E-Cigarette Direct, is now a successful family business, employing 90 people. Liam Tyler, 25, is at the beginning of that road. He spends his 9-to-5 doing digital marketing for a gaming platform, and all other waking hours devoted to Yusa, an energy drink company he co-founded with two schoolfriends. “One of my mates came across this leaf that’s found in Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. We couldn’t believe how many health benefits it had.” Rather than anything legally dubious, the leaf was guayusa – recently approved by the European Union – which Tyler and his MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 89

WEALTH

LABOURS OF LOVE The side hustle has its detractors, too. “So many people feel the need to justify their job in the creative industry by talking about the other even more creative things they’re doing,” says Ben Middleton, who works at ad agency Creature. “I appreciate that a lot of people do this to generate money, or because they’ve always dreamed of running a whisky-marmalade conglomerate, or whatever. But I think it’s better to commit to one thing and make it the best you can rather than dabbling in a pipe dream.” He blames TV shows such as Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice, as well as Silicon Valley, for romanticising the entrepreneur. 90 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

BUSINESS OR PLEASURE Be it painting, performing or working out, assess whether your hobby can become a side hustle You use your hobby… a) To challenge yourself

What would it mean to go pro? a) Working the odd Sunday

b) Changing my office hours

b) For stress relief

If your hustle became more chore than pleasure… a) I’d feel the loss b) Work is work, right?

Do you really think you’re good enough? a) I’m hotter than the pros

Make A Start But beware of overconfidence. First, tick off all of the “unsexy” steps, says careers adviser Mike Lewis: refine your brand identity, read up on industry news and itemise your costs. First impressions linger, and you’ll only get one shot at the big launch.

b) Honestly, not always

Gain Conviction What you need is persistence, not perfection. “You don’t have to be the best,” says Lewis. “That logic will only deter you.” But you need to be sure your product is worth investing in. Research your competitors, and you’ll better understand your own market value.

Hang Tight “Not all hobbies translate neatly to full-time pursuits,” says Lewis. He advises shadowing people within that industry and engaging with them until you’re certain your fantasy matches the reality. “things can be very different from how they appear at surface level.”

“The truth is, there are a huge number of people claiming to be entrepreneurs who just aren’t,” he says. “You see 16-yearolds selling Supreme streetwear on Instagram with ‘CEO’ on their profile. Real entrepreneurs just get on with it. Generally speaking, the more people talk about their side hustle, the less likely it is that it’s real.” A level of integrity and conviction is crucial. Profit won’t always come quickly, so it helps if you love what you do. Matt Chocqueel-Mangan, 46, spends most of his time building websites for corporate clients. Periodically, however, he resigns from whatever he’s working on to run his non-partisan political site. His side hustle takes up a few months every couple of years, working one day a week. It began with a realisation that he had “no idea” about politics. “I knew about left and right,” he says. “But I found the way it was presented was tedious, and many of my friends felt the same.”

“Your hobby can become your side hustle. Almost any skill can be monetised.” So, he read every single manifesto – a “dumbfounding” experience that left him “a little obsessed” – to figure out a way to “gamify” the differences between the parties. His site presents you with each party’s manifesto promises on, say, health care or taxes; you select the option that sounds best without knowing whose policy it is until afterwards. Millions of people have now used his site, while ChocqueelMangan has launched versions in other countries, as well as Policy Tracker, which tracks the manifesto promises when the party is in power. “It’s crazy. I’ve put thousands of hours into it. We do raise some funds, but overall it still loses me money. And yet, it’s the most successful thing I’ve ever done. People really got behind it, and it makes me very happy.” The ideal side hustle, it seems, is one that contrasts with your main job but complements it too. Take Graham Jones, a hairdresser and radical political theorist.

**Source: Bankrate 2017 Survey

friends have made into a carbonated tea they market as a health-conscious alternative to sugary energy drinks. Hustles don’t come without sacrifice. To make his project financially viable, Tyler sleeps on the floor of a shared flat with his friends. “We work evenings and weekends. Because we’re living together, we’re constantly talking.” Many of his friends are doing similar things, he says. “People 10 or 20 years ago were more career-centred – they had this idea that if you work hard, you can get where you want to be. But with my generation, there’s so much freedom.” Emma Gannon, 28, author of The MultiHyphen Method: Work Less, Create More, and Design a Career that Works for You¸ echoes this point: “I’m glad I started my side project when I did,” she says. “I began by taking one day off a week. Then I realised I was earning more in that one day off than my main job. Over time, it’s evolved into the multi-hyphenated career I have now.” Gannon’s status as an author-podcasterconsultant isn’t just a spot of millennial marketing, but a pragmatic means of survival. She started her career at online publication The Debrief and then Glamour magazine, both of which have since closed. For her, this was a sign of how little you gain by staying in one place. “The narrative of what’s risky has been reversed,” she says. “People used to say, ‘Don’t you feel insecure working for yourself?’ Actually, I feel more secure. I have eight income streams. In any company, you can’t be sure if it will even exist in a few years.”

He spends most of his time cutting hair at Open Barbers, and performing home visits for people with disabilities. But around this, he made time to write and publish a book called The Shock Doctrine of the Left, in which he explains that emancipation might arise from economic, political and technological uncertainty. His two jobs offer a rewarding mix of cerebral and hands-on. “I’ve never thought of either job as a career,” he says. “They’re both just things I like to do.” Before he became a hairdresser, he worked a succession of administrative jobs, mostly doing audio typing. “It used to be a reliable earner, but it got to the point where the jobs were very short-term, as it began to be automated. That’s why I made the transition to hairdressing.” Jones’s mother is a hairdresser and had long sung its praises. “it’s the classic job that can’t be automated,” says Jones. “You can do it anywhere, and it’s people-focused. With office jobs, it often feels like you’re not really doing anything – but with hairdressing, you’re creating something people can see, which makes them feel better. It’s satisfying.”

1 in 4

The number of millennials running their own side hustle right now.**

TOOLS OF THE TRADE There’s more to launching a business than Kickstarter appeal. These platforms will help you 1 SET UP SHOP Logging on to a site like shopstar.co.za is the easiest way to build an online store. The site offers a variety of packages to suit your needs, whether you want to open up a small storefront to sell your small-batch craft brew or need to expand up to an inventory of 200 different products. Experiment with site designs and payment methods, with a free 30-day trial. 2 CONSULT YOUR MARKET Want to find your target audience? Track down like-minded people using sites such as meetup.com. Look for local events relevant to your product – or better yet, host your own. 3 SELL YOUR BOOK Forget courting publishers, and pitch to crowd-funding platform unbound.com. If you’re successful, pros will help to edit, publish and ship your book. 4 GET PAID Xero.com is an accounting app that helps small businesses chase payments. You can also record your expenses, and later on, approve staff requests. 5 GO LOCAL While Kickstarter is the king of crowdfunding sites, you might have a better chance finding backers on local site Thundafund. The site lets you set up customisable milestone rewards for investors. The only catch is you only get to keep the money if you reach your funding goal. Our advice: temper your ambitions, and start small – you can always double dip if your baby steps lead to success.

BALANCING ACT Karl Marx lamented how industrial capitalism fragments the labour market, forcing each person to specialise in one role for their entire lives. He dreamed of a society that “makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow; to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, and rear cattle in the evening – (and) criticise after dinner”. Thanks to the digital revolution, something resembling this is now a reality – just not in the way Marx envisioned. We have gone from one job being enough to support a family to two jobs often being not quite enough to support one person. When jobs were more secure, people spent their weekends doing sociable activities such as building model train sets, windsurfing, or attending swingers’ parties. Now, we assess every free moment for its profitability. Perhaps that is in part a return to how things used to be before the Industrial Revolution; anyone might have done a little weaving, a little cidermaking, a little pork butchery and a little market-hawking in the course of the day. We contain multitudes, after all. Surprising as it may sound, the more enlightened employers are embracing the idea. Kayleigh Smart works as “talent lead” at creative agency Adaptive Lab. Her firm tries to be amenable to what its employees want. In essence, she says, the company has to accept that people’s life am mbition might not be to work for the compaany. “It’s absurd to think that would be the case,” she says, laughing. “W We’ve experimented with different types of employment contracts,” says Smartt. “Some people want to work fourday weeeks; others want to take lots of unpaid leave in the summer. One of our design ners runs a magic school on the side. We W have a part-time professional chef on the team who works four days a week ffor us, then takes time off to work in resttaurants. We don’t perceive it as sometthing negative.” Neither do the people I spoke to. They view itt as an unalloyed positive, a source of fulffilment as well as extra cash. What are you waiting for? MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 91

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WEALTH

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1

WEALTH REPORT

Many of us dream of starting a business, but fear holds us back. It’s not an intense phobia about failure, or the stress of added admin – we’re scared of losing our coveted work-life balance. According to a survey conducted by Gallup, 47% of participants said they were scared that steering their very own enterprise might endanger this hallowed ground. However, setting off on your own doesn’t have to mean burning the midnight oil. Researchers at Catalyst recommend reframing the way you see your various roles in life – think: employee, mate, 5-a-side striker – as allies rather than rival personas vying for a slice of your precious time. In this way, your work and personal life can work together to help enhance your well-being.

6 GETTY/GALLO IMAGES

3

STRIKE A BALANCE

RAISE THE STAKES

2

TUNE OUT FOR AN INCREASE

You clock in, cue your playlist, and start tapping away. But does it help you stay focused? In a study in Psychology: Music, Mind, and Brain, researchers observed the effects of different types of music on participants completing a memory exercise. The songs were divided into four categories, based on criteria such as tempo and mood. The results: participants performed best while listening to slow songs dominated by minor (sadder) chords. The kicker: silence is still golden. For many participants, listening to a song had no effect on their performance. However, for others, listening to tracks resulted in a dip in performance. Why? Researchers claim that your brain is reallocating resources necessary for staying focused to process those tunes. Save them for the commute.

Rise and grind – you should be right back in the work year by now. Here’s how to survive, thrive, and climb to the top.

RISK ANALYSIS

In a study published in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers looked at 5.2 million tweets and the sales of lottery tickets. This roll of the dice discovered that on sunny days – and after home-team victories – people felt both more positive and more inclined to hedge their bets on a lottery ticket. In combination with other studies, this research shows how people are more inclined to take risks when they are happier (or they have more stability). But what does this mean for you? You should

5

FINANCIAL BURDEN You’re nurturing your investments, bolstering your pension, and saving spare change – but you still feel anxious. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s annual survey, 35% surveyed reported feeling “extremely anxious” about paying bills. Financial anxiety is a very real – and understandable –

You deserve a raise, right? But the thought of broaching that question with your boss leaves you sweating. You’re not alone – 14% of employees in Robert Half’s Confidence Matters survey said they’d rather find another job than talk digits. But these talks are often your only way to a fatter paycheque. If you’re worried you might not be worth the increase, ask yourself this: outside of the e cicash, are you satisfied with your work? According to PayScale, 44% of partic pants who reported feeling content with their positions were rewarded with an increase when they asked. Of the dissatisfied workers, only 20% cashed in.

COMPILED BY KIER AN LEGG

FEBRUARY

4

leverage the power of positivity to enable the risky moves necessary for success. Your game plan: Put more stock in your personal pursuit of happiness, and the rest will start to fall into place. Yep, that means you won’t have to feel guilty about playing videogames.

issue faced by many globally. However, left unchecked, these worries can manifest as severe conditions, such as depression. While eating well and sticking to a solid workout routine have been shown to help keep anxiety at bay, the only real buffer against financial anxiety is to plan for the worst. A plan (and a back-up plan) are your best bet in the face of bleak projections and uncertainty, helping to anchor you when times are good, and protect you when everything goes south.

WORD SEARCH Hunting for a job is hard work, especially once you start dissecting the mind-boggling requirements for even a basic position. But most of those terms are just copy-andpaste jargon designed to deter unenthusiastic candidates. Website AdView analysed thousands of job ads, and compiled a list of most popular terms (also known as “fluff”). We’re here to translate. Fast-paced – Don’t miss deadlines, even when you’re assigned a last-minute project. Dynamic – Adapt, overcome, rinse, repeat. Team player – Talk to your damn colleagues (and know when to contest and when to compromise). Proactive – Pitch ideas and don’t be scared to take the reins, but don’t jump the gun and shoot yourself in the foot. Can-do attitude – No one likes a cynic, but constantly agreeing makes you a doormat. Find a middle ground. Detail-orientated – Sweat the small stuff, or simply put: don’t screw things up. Deliverables – They’re not talking about your lunch order (unless you’re applying at a pizza place) – be clear about what you’re working on and when it’s going to be done. Simple.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 93

WHAT’S YOUR FITNESS AGE? PHOTOGRAPHS BY

BY

ANDREW HETHERINGTON

MICHAEL EASTER

That’s right: “fitness age”, which researchers believe can be a lot higher or lower than your actual age – depending, of course, on how you exercise. Here’s how to calculate how old you really are, and how you can stay stronger, longer.

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MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 95

It’s 38 degrees in my Las Vegas garage gym as I crank through another round of squats and all-out air-bike intervals, trying to block out the creeping pain in my legs, lungs, and – well, hell – everywhere else. Just keep moving, I tell myself. Faster, faster. When the reps are done, I’m destroyed: I hit the hot concrete floor and begin hyperventilating and punching my legs to flush the pain. My German short-haired pointer tilts his head and gives me a baffled look that crosses mammalian distinctions. “Dude, what are you doing?”

exercise worth it? And if it isn’t, then what does training for more, better years look like? Thanks to research, we know that a person’s heart can have a different age from that of, say, his kidneys or his brain, which is to say different organs within a single human body can show varying degrees of stress and strain. (Which, if you think about it, is really all age is: a manifestation of how much stress or strain your body has endured and exhibits.) But we also know that for the average guy – let’s call him “you” – lung health and mental speed peak around your mid-20s. Beginning at age 30, your muscle strength and size start decreasing by about 3 to 8% per decade, and cardiovascular endurance dies off by about 1% a year. By 40, you’re I began training like this, five hard hours a slower on your feet. Once you hit 50, your brain is shrinking and your bones are week, nearly two decades ago. Roughly 4 500 softening. From 60 on, it’s Murphy’s Law: what can go wrong will go wrong, all hours of my life have been spent in a state of aches and pains and doctor visits. Then you hit age 76, and if you’re like the exercise-induced discomfort, and I’m not average male, you die. always sure why. Men have a lot of reasons for Theories on why this happens abound: your telomeres, caps on the ends of working out. Vanity and performance are the your DNA, shorten and prevent your cells from dividing; free radicals cause big ones. But I quit giving a damn about my abs your cells to accumulate damage; your endocrine system loses its ability to after I got married, and I really don’t care who I regulate hormones; and so on. Yet I couldn’t tell you the length of my telomeres, can beat in a push-up competition or organised or what free radicals have done to my body, or the efficiency of my endocrine footrace. The most recent line I’ve fed myself is system. That shit’s too abstract for anyone not in a lab coat. that all this time sweating is good for my There might be a more basic answer. The US National Institutes of Health health. It’s going to give me more, better years recently bet R2.5 billion on a programme called Molecular Transducers of on earth. But as I lie on the garage floor Physical Activity in Humans. Researchers from around the country will gasping, I ask myself: why do I exercise so collaborate in a consortium within the programme, known as MoTrPAC. The hard, and so often, at age 32? Is all this manic goal: to better understand the health benefits of exercise at the molecular level. These researchers will investigate the biology-altering phenomena that may not only slow your aging clock but even turn it back, helping you feel and perform as if you were decades younger than what’s on your birth certificate. Scientists have a name A glimpse into the ways that getting (and staying) fit can help you for it: fitness age. And its primary metric is beat back the aging process – and even death. something even a meathead can and does I F YO U ’ R E F I T, YO U ’ R E . . . quantify: fitness. “Exercise is medicine. We know that when you exercise, your muscle produces beneficial compounds that circulate and communicate with the liver, bone, heart, brain, and more,” says professor Scott Trappe, director of the LESS LIKELY LESS LIKELY LESS LIKELY LESS LIKELY T O DIE OF TO TO TO Human Performance Laboratory at Ball CARDIODIE DEVELOP GET State University, who leads one of the 23 VA S C U L A R OF DEMENTIA LU N G research sites involved in MoTrPAC. DISEASE CANCER DISEASE And so a few months ago I set out to find

THE ULTIMATE DE-AGER

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96 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

my true fitness age, working closely with Doug Kechijian, cofounder and owner of Resilient Performance Systems in New York City, and Michael Fredericson, professor and director of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation division at Stanford University, to invent a fitness-age formula that would incorporate all different kinds of metrics. Would I be younger or older than the 33 candles on my next birthday cake? Have those 4 500 hours of fitness-related discomfort all been for nothing?

GETTY?GALO IMAGES (Guy with mask)

DISCOMFORT IS SOMETHING that Ulrik Wisløff, knows intimately. He's a professor of exercise physiology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and his speciality is cardiac fitness, specifically VO2 max, which measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. Wisløff, 50, has measured the VO2 max of 5 000 Norwegians, and his research has made him sceptical of time: tell him about your habits, and he’ll tell you why your birth certificate is bullshit. In 2006, he coined the term “fitness age” and created the fitness-age calculator. Go to worldfitnesslevel.org, plug in some info – age, waistline, resting pulse, how hard and often you exercise – and his algorithm spits back your fitness age, which, he claims, is your true age. “So you could be 50, but if you have the fitness age of a 30-year-old person, you are really 30 years old,” he says. The reverse is true, too. Wisløff’s algorithm estimates your number by comparing your age, heart rate, and activity level with the data he’s collected. If the calculator tells you your fitness age is, say, 40, it means you have the VO2 max of the average 40-year-old. His papers have been cited more than 20 000 times (most exercise studies are lucky to be cited twice), and Garmin now incorporates fitness age into its activity metrics. The calculator has a legit health utility: “VO2 max has been shown to be the single best predictor of current and future health,” says Wisløff. The American Heart Association agrees. It also says that cardiorespiratory fitness forecasts impending death better than established risk factors like smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. The higher your VO2 max, the bigger your dose of age-bending medicine, Wisløff explains. The point at which you optimise health by exercise and significantly drop your fitness age is when you are able to generate 10 to 12 metabolic equivalents of tasks, commonly known as METs. Based on oxygen consumption, METs are a measure of exercise intensity. Sleeping is one MET. Walking 6.5km/hr earns you five METs. Running about 13km/hr or cycling 25km/hr scores 12 METs. Building the fitness to hit 12 METs is where it gets tricky. Wisløff found that standard aerobic-exercise advice – 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 of vigorous activity weekly – is flawed. Forget that only half of male society meet the aerobic-activity recommendations. He says that even if you do exercise “enough”, the exercise you are doing may be insufficient to make you truly fit. “The problem is these numbers don’t account for intensity and don’t reflect how your body responds to a certain activity,” Wisløff says. If you’re not challenging yourself, building an ability to hit or exceed 12 METs, you’re not optimally protected against disease. This notion led Wisløff to study the impact of high-intensity interval training. His research indicates that intervals are ideal for spiking your VO2 max and challenging your heart, which in turn adapts by increasing the amount of blood each beat pumps, boosting oxygen delivery. Wisløff created the calculator because, like telomere length, VO2 max is a figurative and literal pain to measure directly – a fact I would learn for myself. To put his theory to the test, I head to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I enter the physical-education complex, a 13 000-square-metre cold-war-era research compound just a couple of kays from the casinos of the Strip. PhD

VO2 max is often measured with a mask that tracks oxygen uptake. It’s considered the gold standard for determining fitness age.

student Nathaniel Bodell is waiting for me in the exercise-physiology lab. He stoops over a computer that’s flanked by treadmills, erg bikes, and squat racks. After making small talk, he straps a mask onto my face, gets me to stand on a treadmill, and punches a few buttons that initiate a VO2-max test. The belt kicks. I start stepping. “Just so you know,” says Bodell, “this won’t be the most comfortable thing you do today.” The first four minutes of running are easy – slowly ramping from a flat 3 to 8 kilometres per hour – but soon I’m running 12km/hr and Bodell is increasing the incline. The mask clamped to my face is calculating how many oxygen molecules I breathe in and out. The fewer oxygen molecules I breathe out relative to those I breathe in, the better my body is at shuttling oxygen from my lungs to blood to working muscles. Bodell increases the incline by 2% every minute or so, making the test progressively more difficult. The longer I run before tapping out, the higher my VO2 max, and according to stacks of medical literature, the further I am from the most popular ways men die. The treadmill has been spinning for 15 minutes, and I’m running 12km/hr per hour on a 12% incline. I tap out. Bodell cuts the speed, then walks to his computer to analyse my numbers as I remove my mask and heave for air. “Uh, are you a runner?” asks Bodell. “I trail run a day or two a week and can hold a sub-21 minutes for 5km pace.” “It shows,” he says. I register a 64.9, and I MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 97

can hit 19 METs. According to Wisløff’s fitness-age protocol, my fitness level is aligned with someone under 20 years old. Maybe those thrice-weekly HIIT workouts are really worth it. Wisløff’s idea for deriving fitness age – stratifying a person’s “true” age based on cardiac capability – is intriguing, but I can’t help thinking there are other variables that have to be factored in. Look at serious endurance athletes. Sure, their VO2 max is off the charts, but they look like they’re on the tail end of a hunger strike, and they’re weak as heck. Some researchers disagree with Wisløff and think he’s overemphasizing VO2 max. Many experts I spoke with – people who study other fitness markers and work with average guys day in and day out – argue there’s more to understanding the aging process than what you can find out from a treadmill run. That the most important data requires no complicated masks or lab software – just old-school iron and a little grit.

“MUSCLE IS KING,” says professor Andy Galpin, a muscle researcher at California State University, Fullerton. “It causes, controls, and regulates your ability to move. If you lose muscle quality and can’t move, everything else fails quickly.” Healthy muscle controls blood-sugar levels and mitigates overinflammation, which is implicated in pretty much all the diseases that’ll kill you. Powerful muscles may be just as important as a powerful heart regarding mortality: Swedish researchers found that the strongest among a group of men of all ages were the least likely to die over two decades compared with those with the least muscular strength. And in creating a formula to calculate my fitness age, Kechijian and Dr. Fredericson insisted that I test my strength in four key areas. First up: a trap bar (a barbell shaped like a hexagon with two handles). I step inside the bar, which weighs 77kg (also known as my body weight), grab its handles, then stand, lifting the weight. I walk with it 30m across the floor. This task, a deadlift to farmer’s carry, tests three qualities: handgrip, lower-body strength, and the ability to carry weight over ground. Men with the strongest handgrip and greatest muscular strength reduced their risk of death by 31 and 14%, respectively, according to a recent review. Next I go for 135kg, 1.75 times my body weight, an optimal metric for health. I stand inside the trap bar, grip it, rip it – and it rises. I 98 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2019

BUILDING MUSCLE BECOMES HARDER WITH TIME. BUT EVEN 70-YEAR-OLDS WHO LIFTED THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS IMPROVED THEIR STRENGTH AND MUSCLE MASS. stroll the 30m. Pass. On to strength test two: push-ups. The classic exercise tests whether you’re strong for your body weight. Further evidence that relative strength is linked to mortality is revealed by the obesity paradox: obese people are more at risk of various ailments, like heart disease. But unfit, obese men with heart disease had a lower 13-year mortality risk compared with their normal-weight counterparts, according to a study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. One possible reason: obese people tend to have more muscle and strength, due to carrying their own weight. Build adequate strength without the fat and you’ll probably avoid disease and be in better shape to beat it if you get it. I drop to the ground and crank out my reps, reaching 40, which is 12 more than the target number for optimal aging for guys in their 30s, according to Dr. Fredericson, citing recommendations from the Mayo Clinic. Time also changes the very composition of your muscles, which comprise an array of fibre types. At the most basic level you have Type I and Type II fibres, and hybrids of the two. Pure Type I fibres drive slower, everyday movements, while pure Type IIs power explosive movements. Time plus inactivity shifts the balance to Type I fibres, one reason older people tend to move more slowly. The smaller your Type II fibres, the seemingly older your muscle. Doing only VO2-max-enhancing activities – cycling and running – tips the balance no matter what your age to Type I fibres. The worst exercise approach is doing nothing, but you’re massively compromising your health if you’re doing only cardio. Consider the findings of a study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. The researchers compared two identical twins, men with the exact same DNA but 30 years of different exercise habits; one was not a regular exerciser and the other was an endurance athlete. As you’d expect, the endurance twin had a healthier cardiovascular system – better blood pressure and lipid panels, higher VO2 max. “But he had no better strength or muscle quality,” says Galpin, who led the study. He actually had far more Type I muscle fibres than his sedentary twin. The lesson: chasing one form of exercise at the expense of all others improves some health metrics, but it weakens other critical links in the aging chain. For test three, I grab a skipping rope, which I’ll use to assess my Type II fibres. I begin skipping, bouncing off both feet, then transition to jumping on only my right. “1, 2, 3, 4 . . .” This tests my coordination, too. Falls kill roughly 33 000 Americans a year.

I CALL KELLY STARRETT – a physical therapist and mobility guru who works with people ranging from Navy SEALs to elite athletes to Silicon Valley CEOs – and ask him what I’m still missing. “So many people chase infinite cardio or strength capacity,” he says. “You need just as much movement capacity. Many people go months without taking their joints through a full range of motion.” That not only sets you up for disaster in the long run, but it also makes you more likely to experience aches, pain, and injury each workout. Starrett suggests a final test in my aging assessment, an overhead squat with a broomstick. How hard could it be? Forget strength and cardio. This test challenges total-body mobility, which many experts believe could be a key to preventing age-related degradation. Populations in Asia and the Middle East who do many activities in the squatting position, for example, see little to 100 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

CHECK YOUR FITNESS AGE

Do this six-step workout to assess whether you’re younger or older than your calendar age.

TOTAL STRENGTH

VO 2 MAX/CARDIO

DIRECTIONS:

Takethefirstfive tests,notingthe agesassociated withyourresults. Addthoseages anddivideby5, thenaddyour mobilitytest scoretofindyour fitnessage.Not happywiththe results?Spend extratimeeach weektraining in the areas in which you struggledmost.

TEST RESULT

FITNESS AGE

1)

2)

1 600M / 1 MILE RUN

TRAP-BAR DEADLIFT AND FARMER’S WALK

Yourquesttoknowyour fitnessagestartswithVO2 max,butwhohastimefor thecomplicatedtestour writer took? Not you, so here’sasimplertesttomeasureyouroxygenuptake: crushaone-milerun.Do thisoutdoors,ifpossible.

Now measure your overall strengthand your grip strength.Standinsidealoaded trapbar,grabitshandles, andlift.Walk30mwithout droppingthebar.Don’thave atrapbar?Useheavydumbbellsorkettlebells.

TIME

% BODY WEIGHT CARRIED

<7:20 <7:40 <8:00 <8:40 >8:40

175% 150% 125% 100% <100%

25

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65

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no hip and lower-back diseases. Elsewhere, the number of hip and back surgeries performed continues to increase each year. I stand with my feet under my shoulders, raise the stick overhead, push my hips back, and begin to descend. My goal is to lower into a full squat, feet flat on the floor. Things go smoothly until I hit parallel; I can’t go deeper without peeling my heels from the ground or tipping my torso and arms forward. This is old-man movement, but it’s not uncommon among guys my age, even those who work out. Starrett says that’s because we see the gym as a great place to build strength and capacity, but we don’t care to just move. That’s a mistake. Research in the Journal of Evolution and Health suggests movement creates both localised and whole-body changes. Furthermore, moving through full ranges of natural motion – for example, a full squat with your arms overhead – may jump-start dormant cells that fight aging. The data suggests that people who move in a variety of ways have significantly longer telomeres than less active people. Your movement capacity is only as old as you’ve made it, says Katy Bowman, a physical therapist, biomechanist, and author of Move Your DNA. Kids have full command of their joints and can easily squat, lunge, lift overhead, and more. But mobility is a use-it-or-lose-it proposition. Those kids eventually sit at school desks, then join average citizens at work, sitting roughly six to eight hours a day. When adults do move, it’s typically through a few repetitive motions, like

+ISM (illustrations)

“Let’s say you trip,” says Kechijian. “Your ability to recover has little to do with balance and everything to do with your ability to quickly shoot your foot or arms out to stabilise yourself.” That’s all coordination and Type II fibres. “. . . 48, 49, 50.” I hit 50 skips on my right foot, then repeat on my left, optimal numbers for each side. Strength is varied, though, and we need to measure more. The final strength test is the Turkish get-up, which focuses on my movement and ability to rise from the ground. People who were unable to get up using only their legs were five times more likely to die over a six-year period, according to a study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. I grab a 24-kilo kettlebell and lie on my back, bell overhead. The task: get up while keeping the bell overhead. I ace it. Not everyone can. “No matter your age, you want to build a reserve of strength and muscle,” says Trappe, the Ball State researcher. That becomes harder with time, but his research discovered that even 70-year-olds who lifted three times a week for 12 weeks improved their strength and muscle mass. The men who stopped lifting saw strength drop quickly, while the ones who kept up a once-a-week routine maintained their gains. My fitness age is starting to come into focus. I’m definitely younger than my 32 years. I have the VO2 max of a 20-year-old, and I overachieved on all my lifts. Except my back screams otherwise.

THE MINDS: Doug Kechijian, co-founder and owner of Resilient Performance Systems in New York City; Dr. Michael Fredericson, director of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation division at Stanford University.

RELATIVE STRENGTH

FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH

3)

4)

COORDINATION

MOBILITY

5)

6)

PUSH-UPS

TURKISH GET-UP

SINGLE-LEG SKIPPING

OVERHEAD SQUAT

Totalstrengthisone thing,buthowwellcan youmanageyourbody weight?Findoutbyfiring offasmanypush-upsas youcan.Note:Yourbody mustremainstraight andyourchestmusttouch theflooroneachrep.

You have to be able to get up from the ground. Lie with your back on the ground and a kettlebell in your dominant hand, then hoist it overhead. Your challenge: reach a standing position while keeping the kettlebell overhead at all times.

Fitpeoplehavecoordination, whichcan’tbetrainedwith runningandbicepscurls. Grabaskippingropeanddoa coupleofskipstowarmup. Thendoasmanyconsecutive single-legskipsasyoucan. Repeatonyourotherleg. Yourlowestnumberisyour finalscore.

The final piece is often the most forgotten. Grab a broomstick and stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed at a slight angle. Hold the stick directly overhead. To pass, squat to parallel while keeping your arms straight and your feet planted, not leaningyourtorsoforward.

TOTAL REPS

MAX WEIGHT (KG)

CONSECUTIVE SKIPS

REACH PARALLEL

28

21

16

12

11

24

20

16

12

0

50

45

35

25

10

Yes

No

25

35

45

55

65

25

35

45

55

65

25

35

45

55

65

-1

+3

walking and getting in and out of a chair, says Bowman. A standard workout of cycling, running, some bench-pressing, and curls is beneficial, yes, but we aren’t moving enough or with enough variety to slow the loss of movement, says Bowman, or avoid injury, says Starrett. That’s my problem. My cardio engine is huge at the expense of mobility. Movement is my weak link, the “oldest” part of my fitness. My lack of complete movement may have caused cellular maladaptations, making me more likely to have shorter telomeres, according to a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Cellular maladaptations? Yikes. I need to start doing significantly more mobility training.

THROUGH ALL THE RESEARCH AND TESTING, I can’t help thinking of something Starrett told me. “There is no more complex system than a human being,” he said. “So many factors can predict health and longevity. We should move away from trying to choose a single silver bullet.” Believing you have that silver bullet can cause you to miss the target on overall health. “I think we need to step back and challenge what we’re doing exercise for,” says Galpin. “What you really want for general longevity and wellness is to stimulate, challenge, and stress the body internally, in multiple ways. What you actually do to get there – your actual workout – it’s just noise.” After all the testing, I run the numbers laid out by the experts and discover my

fitness age is 28, even with subpar mobility. I’ve bought my body almost half a decade. I still do five weekly workouts, but they’re different. Most are no longer an exercise in the art of suffering. Sure, I still occasionally push the intensity – it helps relieve stress. But it’s no longer a compulsion. All out all the time, I now understand, won’t give me as big a return on time and effort invested as I once thought. What will? I’ve traded a running session for a workout in which I forget the numbers on the stopwatch and barbell and focus entirely on improving my mobility. I’ll even count a long walk through the desert with my dog as a workout, a moving meditation that improves my health, my mind, and the quality of my years. Has my fitness slipped? Doubtful. Push me and I can do all the things I could before. But those hip and back pains that used to come alongside the doing? They’re long gone. MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 101

ILLUSTRATIONS BY

MATT NEEDLE

YOUR

HEALTHIEST

YEAR

EVER Sagging energy, climbing cholesterol, mounting worries, and gut trouble are so last year. This is the year to turn your health around. While your friends will be eating overpriced salads and working out for three hours a day, you’ll be taking the smarter, easier route to total wellness. This is how to get there, no DNA test or whole-body scan required.

BY

JESSICA MIGALA MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 103

YOUR BRAIN

SUPERCHARGE YOUR FOCUS TEST YOURSELF

HOW DID YOU DO?

Go somewhere you can talk out loud. Then read the words in colour twice:

Compare your two times. If there’s little difference between them, you can focus well and think quickly. Your attention, processing speed, and flexibility are all high. If you stumbled over the second reading and it took a lot longer than the first, your overtaxed brain may just need some tweaking.

Red Green Yellow Blue Orange Yellow Green Red Purple

Yellow Blue Orange Purple Yellow Orange Blue Green Red

104 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

Green Blue Orange Yellow Green Purple Yellow Red Orange

First Read:

Say the names of the colours aloud (so you’d say the word red as “red”) and record your time.

Second Read:

Read the list aloud again, but this time say the colour each word is printed in. So if the word red is printed in green, you’d say “green”, not “red”.

THE TUNE-UP Flex your concentration muscles with brain-training games like those from Lumosity and other sites, says Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist at Columbia University. Or try giving a conversation all of your attention, says Chris Bailey, author of Hyperfocus. That means focusing less on what you’re going to say and more on what the other person is trying to express.

YOUR HEAD

LIGHTEN YOUR MOOD TEST YOURSELF

HOW DID YOU DO?

Ask yourself this: Over the past two weeks, how often have I had the following problems?

An answer of several days or more on both items means you may be experiencing clinical depression. 20% of South Africans suffer from depression during their lifetime. Depression can be sneaky. It can lie to you and tell you that your boss’s bad management style or your partner’s mood is causing what you’re feeling. (Anger and

1. Had little interest or pleasure in doing things T Not at all

disorganisation can be signs of depression in guys.) When men think there’s something else to blame, they “feel like they only need to endure or compensate, which explains why they’re less likely than women to seek help,” says psychiatrist Dr. John Sharp, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and author of The Insight Cure.

THE TUNE-UP

T Several days T More than half the days T Nearly every day

2. Felt down or hopeless T Not at all T Several days T More than half the days T Nearly every day

We won’t sugarcoat it: you may need to talk to a therapist or other professional. Depression is a treatable medical problem, and like a leaky pipe, the earlier you address it, the easier it is to manage. You’re not always in for meds or years of therapy – some forms of counselling involve only several weeks of concentrated work. But for a lot of men, “that first step into therapy is kind of a doozy,” Dr. Sharp says.

If it’s easier to talk yourself out of it than to go, try the gym: exercise can help lift mood. If that’s not going to happen, either (not easy, we know), the digital world may offer some reprieve via apps like MoodMission (moodmission.com) or This Way Up (thiswayup.org.au). Or search for others on Psyberguide.org, a non-profit affiliated with Northwestern University that reviews mental-health apps.

YOUR BLOODSTREAM

STEADY YOUR BLOOD SUGAR THE TUNE-UP

TEST YOURSELF

Check the box next to each item you consume in a given day and add up the points. T 330ml (nondiet) fizzy drink (+10 points)

T Packet of instant flavoured oatmeal (+3 points)

T Energy drink (even an organic one) (+9 points)

T 30ml container of flavouredyoghurt (+3 points)

T 1/2 cup of ice cream (+3.5 points)

T Tablespoon of tomato sauce (+1 point)

T Three biscuits (like Oreos) (+3.5 points)

T Packet of sugar in coffee (+0.75 points)

T Flavoured latte (+4 points)

T Two tablespoons of bottled salad dressing (+0.5 points) T Energy bar (+5 points)

HOW DID YOU DO? If you scored: 0–9 points: Nice. That’s where you’re supposed to be. 10+ points: Overload! But you probably knew that already.

Each point represents about one teaspoon of sugar, and the upper limit of added sugar for guys is nine teaspoons a day. (That’s 36 grams of added sugar, or 600kJ. So, not a lot.) Our quiz may not substitute for a blood-sugar test at the doctor’s office, but can be a major eye-open-

er. Even when you’re generally eating what you think you should, too much sugar may still affect your body, says exercise physiologist and dietician Jim White. Beyond adding kilos, sugar overload can devastate your insides, raising heart disease and diabetes risk.

Nix the sugary drinks first. “These are the number-one source of added sugar in the average person’s diet,” says White. Fizzy drinks are a prime target, of course; a single tin contains 89% of a day’s sugar. But there are so many other ways you may be downing sugar, such as in sweetened coffee (eight grams in two teaspoons of sugar) and bottled Frappuccinos (as many as 32 grams per bottle). You don’t have to go into taste-bud deprivation and shift straight to tap water. Flavoured waters have really upped their game, says White. Get a sweet taste with zero sugar from those kinds of bottles (just check the labels). MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 105

YOUR HEART

BUILD A HEALTHIER HEART TEST YOURSELF

Grab a tape measure and locate your waist. (It’s at belly-button height, not the undergut spot your belt may have migrated to.) Pull the tape measure around you, exhale, and get the digits. HOW DID YOU DO? There’s only one right answer: less than 102cm. No matter how tall you are. “More than that is associated with a whole bunch of problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure and cholesterol – if you don’t already have those,” says Dr. John Higgins, a sports cardiologist with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston.

THE TUNE-UP Don’t just reflexively reach for a baby aspirin. If you don’t already have heart disease, says Dr. Higgins, its benefits probably won’t outweigh the risks. Of course, your waist (and risks) shrink when you eat well and exercise; but try sleep, too. People who went from six to between seven and eight hours a night gained less abdominal fat over six years than short sleepers, says a study in Obesity.

BONUS TUNE-UP: L E N G T H E N YO U R L I F E Sit on the floor, then get back up. People aged 51 to 80 who could do this without using their hands or knees for help, without having to place their hands on their knees, and without losing their balance had lower death rates over an average of six years than people who had to give themselves help. Practise!

106 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

YOUR BLOOD VESSELS

TUNE UP YOUR ARTERIES TEST YOURSELF

Sit on the floor with your back flat against a wall, legs straight out in front of you. Place your hands on top of your legs and slide your fingertips towards your toes. (Bending your knees is cheating.) T I can touch my ankles and/or toes T My ankles are too far away

HOW DID YOU DO?

THE TUNE-UP

If you can reach your ankles or beyond, it means good things for your arteries. People with more flexible bodies probably have more flexible arteries, according to a 2017 research review in The Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine. “This might uncover someone who has untreated cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure,” says Dr. Higgins, as stiff arteries are related to both issues.

The test is the cure. The act of stretching may actually help your arteries become more elastic, Dr. Higgins explains. If you want to do more than just reach for your ankles, you can reliably increase flexibility with a couple of minutes of foam rolling before and after a workout, says Michael Conlon, coach and owner of Finish Line Physical Therapy in New York City. But there’s more to it than simply rolling up and down on a muscle a few times. Ideally, you should roll in two different directions. So, if you’re working on your quads, don’t just move the roller up and down them; move your quads side-to-side on the roller, too.

YOUR INTESTINES

SOOTHE A GRUMPY GUT TEST YOURSELF

HOW DID YOU DO?

THE TUNE-UP

Do the turn-around test – look before you flush. Where would your poop land on this chart? (Not literally.)

The “type” you fall into “is a reasonably accurate predictor of colonic transit rate,” says Dr. Michael D. Brown, director of the GI/Hepatology Fellowship Programme at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Centre. That’s the time it takes for food to move from bite through bowel, and it’s an indicator of your gut’s health. The longer it takes, the more time bacteria has to feed and create harmful byproducts, says researcher Tine Rask Licht of the National Food Institute in Denmark. And those by-products, she says, may be associated with colon cancer.

Eat more fibre. Most guys consume less than half their quota of 38 grams a day. Getting fibre from foods like whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables is preferable to taking supplements, says Dr. Brown, as real foods contain a host of vitamins and phytonutrients that are also good for you. To hit your daily mark, you’ll probably need to work for it. A cup of oats has three grams; an apple has five – but that gets you only about a fifth of the way there. To pile it on, turn to legumes for help. For instance, a salad bowl with black beans, fajita veggies, guacamole, and fresh salsa delivers 16 grams.

Types 1, 2: Separate, hard

That means:

Types 3, 4, 5: Sausageshaped, but with cracks on the surface (3); sausage- or snakelike, smooth surface (4); soft blobs with clear-cut edges (5).

That means:

Types 6, 7: Fluffy with

That means:

lumps, like nuts or sausages.

ragged edges or mushy (6); entirely liquid (7).

Constipation. (Transit time: 55 hours or more.)

It’s all good – any of these is ideal. (Transit time: about 24 hours or less.)

Diarrhoea. (Transit time: about two hours or less.)

YOUR GOODS

PROTECT YOUR PENIS TEST YOURSELF

Sit on the couch. Open up the browser on your phone. Order an STD kit. Pee, drip some blood from your fingertip, or swab. Send in the sample. Wait for the results. HOW DID YOU DO?

THE TUNE-UP

The year 2016 was a record-breaker for all the wrong reasons: rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were at all-time highs, with more than 2 million cases, according to figures from the US CDC. “If you’re sexually active, you should get an STD test once a year,” says Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, a urologist at Orlando Health. (Testing after every partner is even better.) “Don’t assume you’re fine if you don’t have signs. Not every guy will have symptoms like burning with urination, discharge, or pain.” With at-home STD testing kits like UDoSTDTest (www.udotest. com), there’s no excuse not to check. “You may not like spending cash now,” says Dr. Brahmbhatt, “but you’re avoiding problems like scarring in your urethra, and fertility issues.”

Glove up. Cool condom companies are changing the game, with nicely packaged products you can order from your sofa. Some to try: • The LELO Hex has a premiumvodka-style logo and a superthin feel (matildas.co.za). • Manix Play Assorted Condoms offers you 6 types of condoms in one box. (matildas.co.za). • Sustain Condoms are fair trade and vegan. Honestly. The company markets its condoms to women – but they’re vagina-friendly, and you get bonus points for being vagina-focused (evitamins.com/za).

BONUS AT - H O M E C H E C K : D O YO U G E T MORNING WOOD? Yes? Good. Start your day. No? Well . . . something’s going on. This is one of the first questions urologists ask guys with erectile dysfunction, says Dr. Brahmbhatt. If you’re hard upon waking, everything’s working under the hood. If not, there may be a lifestyle problem – ”things like stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, and relationship issues factor in,” he explains – or a medical problem. “Even if you have the biggest penis, it still has some of the smallest blood vessels in the body.” Heart disease can affect blood-vessel function all over your body. If there’s not enough blood flow, you’ll be limp. “We found early heart disease on a couple of guys this year because they came in with erectile dysfunction,” Dr. Brahmbhatt says.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 107

IN A TIME DEFINED BY FAKE NEWS AND SELF-STYLED EXPERTS, SUCCESS IS NO LONGER ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW – IT’S ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE THINK YOU KNOW. NOW, WE’RE NO FANS OF FALSEHOOD, BUT WE DO RECOGNISE THAT A LITTLE PERSUASIVE SKILL CAN TAKE YOU FAR. SO THIS IS OUR GUIDE TO BLUFFING, BS-ING, AND WINGING YOUR WAY TO THE OUTCOME YOU WANT.

TH P H OTO

GR APH

BY T H E VO O R

HES

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 109

THE

ART O F T H E BLUFF

HOW DID a celebrity billionaire with no previous political experience persuade a nation to elect him leader? Or the makers of fidget spinners convince the public that a toy could combat ADHD? Or countless Instagram influencers become profitable “lifestyle authorities”? The simplest answer: they all know how to bluff. It’s a skill that, seemingly, many of us would like. According to a recent report, 89% of employers have caught candidates editing the truth on their job applications, up from 74% five years ago, while more than

two-thirds of adults admit to bending the facts on social media and dating sites. In short, a lot of us are making stuff up a lot of the time – and if you’re not, the guy sitting next to you probably is. But there is an upside to this torrent of nonsense: it means that self-assurance and quick thinking carry more cachet than ever before. So if you’re going to play their game, make sure you’re doing it better than anyone. To that end, we consulted a team of (legitimate) experts to help you present your best self in any situation. – Tom Ward

PA R T

2

1

SURVIVE A CONFERENCE-ROOM

AMBUSH

Caught unprepared for your next “ideas meeting”? You needn’t resort to surreptitiously Googling under the table. Take control of the proceedings and you can fake your way through them. THE INSIDER: OLLIE OLLERTON IS A FOR MER SP ECI A L-FORC E S SOLDIE R A ND T HE FOUNDE R OF BR E A K-P OIN T, A UK-B A SE D MIND-BODY P E A K- P E R FOR M A N C E T R A INING ORGA NISAT ION.

INSTANT IMPACT!

Dominate the field

It’s vital that you open the meeting, not them: this is your chance to set the agenda. As an icebreaker, bring up a recent controversial news story. While debate ensues, it’ll buy you more time to think.

Engage on your terms

Within the first five minutes, suggest a date for a follow-up meeting to finalise any decisions. This reframes today’s talk as more “exploratory”, and reduces the odds that you’ll have to make any real commitments.

Initiate interrogation

Finally, always invite an irrelevant staff member so you can ask questions on their behalf. (“Could you run through Project X, just so Mike’s clued in?”) You’ll soon be fully briefed, without giving the game away.

“Step out of a meeting occasionally for an ‘important phone call,’” says Sarah Cooper, author of 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings. “Everyone will see you as busy and in demand.”

110 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

THE INSIDER: TED S TA F F O R D IS MEN’S HE A LT H U S ’S FA SHION DIR EC TOR .

ALTER YOUR SUIT A proper fit denotes good quality. The bottom of your suit jacket should be even with your knuckles (cup your hands to check); your pants should kiss the top of your shoe tongues for a clean break; your shirtsleeves should end just above the wrist, with suit sleeves about a centimetre higher. A trimmer, slimmer fit works on men of every size.

BRUSH UP Shoes with broken laces and worn soles instantly devalue your look. Both can – and should – be kept up. It will save you money in the long run, and have you consistently looking a step ahead of everyone else.

LIFT THE BUTTONS Plastic buttons are the marker of a cheap suit. Get smart and change yours out for horn buttons. And get to know your sleeve buttons. If they’re functional, put them to good, stylish use: open a couple and flip the cuffs for the right occasions. Having working buttons is a luxe advantage that comes with less expensive suits these days too, so acquaint yourself with them and how they can improve your look.

WEAR LESS Too many layers and messages can appear messy if not done right. Keep things simple and focused. Similar colour tones together is a great formula for looking upscale and stylish. Don’t overaccessorise: Two is often better than three. A well-chosen watch makes a powerful statement. Pair that with a slim belt and you’re golden.

GETTY/GALLO IMAGES

PA R T

2/3

OF MEETINGS LACK A PREPLANNED AGENDA, MAKING PREPARATION, FRANKLY, A WASTE OF YOUR TIME.

DRESS LIKE YOU MEAN IT

PART

3

THE INSIDER: M I C H A E L U L L O A IS A N ONLINE P ERSON A L T R A INER (@MIC H A E LUL LOA P T ).

1. Hands flat

Place your hands 20cm from the wall. Much closer and you’ll struggle to balance; further away and you won’t be able to complete a proper rep.

2. Broaden out

Keep your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. A wide base will shorten your range of motion, making things easier.

3. Kick it up

As your heels touch the wall, squeeze your abs, glutes, and thighs to stabilise, and maintain a slight bend in your fingers to distribute your weight evenly.

4. Lower down

Slowly lower your body until your head is just above the floor, then exhale hard as you push back up. Suppress a smug smile.

SHOWBOATING MADE EASY Use these tips to master the wall handstand push-up, a move that looks pro but is (shhh . . .) deceptively simple.

7

NO. OF HOURS THE AVERAGE SOUTH AFRICAN SLEEPS PER NIGHT.

YOUR

PART

4

7 HOURS 10 MINUTES IN

Looking rested and refreshed makes you seem smarter, but you don’t need to bother with the early night. Use these tricks instead. Cleanse

THE INSIDER: N I C K B AT E M A N IS A N AC TOR A ND MODEL (@NIC K _ _ B AT E M A N).

You don’t want to overwash your face or scrub too hard. Redness can be an issue. Use Niver Men Protect & Care Refreshing Face Wash. It’s effective but not harsh. R66, takealot.com

Shave After shaving, use Bulgari Man Wood Essence Aftershave Balm. It will soothe irritated skin, and its built-in fragrance will leave you smelling good. R750, edgars.co.za

Moisturise Begin with a moisturiser from GlamGlow: Volcasmic Matte Glow. It keeps your skin hydrated, rather than simply being absorbed, and will help brighten your face if you’ve been up all night or working all day. R800, woolworths.co.za

Primp Good hair can help take the focus away from puffy eyes. Try Kevin Murphy Hair Resort Beach Texturizer to fight bedhead and keep hair in its rightful place. R430, everythinghair.co.za

Phillip Haines

Energise Coffee can lead to a crash. I like drinking green tea to give me that much-needed boost.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 111

THE

ART O F T H E BLUFF PART

62%

OF GYM MEMBERS NEVER ACTUALLY GO, ACCORDING TO THE BRAIN RESEARCH INSTITUTE.

6

CHARM SCHOOL

You may not be the most important person at the party, but there’s no harm in letting the guests assume otherwise. Here’s why the key to charisma is knowing that it isn’t all about you.

5

OUTPLAY

ANY GYM “GURU”

Unsolicited fitness advice is nearly impossible to avoid. But drop one of these lines next time you’re confronted by a self-appointed coach, and he’ll know you’re no fool.

1 THE INSIDER: J O N AT H A N J A C O B S IS A STRENGTH AND C ONDI T IONING C OAC H A ND T HE OW NE R OF E V E RY DAY AT HL E T E P E R FOR M A NC E .

INSTANT IMPACT!

“I’m mostly focusing on my Olympic lifts right now.”

In hipster terms, Olympic lifts are a step above your regular deadlifts and squats. If he’s undeterred, mention how being strong in the push-press has helped with your jerk.

2 “Have you ever tried going keto?”

The ultra-highfat ketogenic diet tends to be divisive among those in the know. There’s a risk that he may run with this question for at least five minutes.

3

4

“I had to really work on my false grip before nailing my muscle-ups.”

“I actually think steadystate is making a comeback.”

This is a good snapback should anyone ask what your weak points are. Muscle-ups are hard. Referencing the false grip suggests you’re not all talk (even if you are).

As a general rule, this is an excellent shutdown anytime someone tries to baffle you with an acronym (AMRAP, EMOM...) that’s just a fancy term for high-intensity training.

“Introduce people as if they should already know each other,” says Cooper. “It’ll make them feel like they’ve missed many great opportunities by not meeting sooner, and they will thank you profusely.”

112 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

If you remember nothing else, remember this: charismatic people make others feel good about themselves. So the more you think charisma is about impressing the room with your wit and anecdotes, the less likely you are to achieve this aim (and the more likely you are to be perceived as a self-centered tool). Our attention spans are short, so you need to make the right impression quickly. And you can do this by moving slowly. Don’t rush as you enter the room. Take your time to find a spot to settle in, and you’ll appear totally in control. The more nervous you are, the more effort you should put into helping others feel at ease. Approach the person who’s standing alone and have a good opening question lined up; they’ll be delighted that someone has made it easier for them, and others will notice their delight and want to speak to you, too.

Phillip Haines

PA R T

THE INSIDER: LY N N S C O T T IS A N E X EC U T I V E L E A DE R SHIP A ND T E A M C OAC H.

PART

7

THE DATE-NIGHT CHEAT SHEET Forget trying to pass off OrderIn purchases as your handiwork. Follow this recipe to display convincing culinary flair, even with the most rudimentary of skill sets. Pan-fried salmon with pine-nut salsa

THE INSIDER: Y O TA M O T T O L E N G H I IS A C HE F A ND T HE AU T HOR OF OT TOLENGHI SIMP LE , F ROM W HIC H T HIS R EC IP E IS A DA P T E D.

2. Coat the salmon with

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D

1 Tbsp of the oil, ¼ tsp of salt, and a grind of pepper. Set this aside, too.

⅓ CUP RAISINS 2

TBSP + 1 TSP LEMON JUICE

2

SALMON FILLETS, SKIN ON AND PIN BONES REMOVED

3½ TBSP OLIVE OIL 2

M E D I U M C E L E R Y STA L K S , D I C E D, L E AV E S R E S E R V E D

2

T B S P P I N E N U T S , R O U G H LY CHOPPED

2

T B S P C A P E R S , P LU S 1 T B S P OF THEIR BRINE

2½ TBSP LARGE GREEN O L I V E S , P I T T E D, D I C E D 1

GOOD PINCH SAFFRON THREADS, MIXED WITH 1 T B S P H OT WAT E R

T S P L E M O N Z E ST

1. In a small bowl, cover

raisins with 2 Tbsp of lemon juice and 2 to 3 Tbsp of boiling water and set aside to soak while you prep everything else.

8

YOUR PHYSIQUE

Jonathan Lovekin

IRL

Impending vacation? Bluff your way to a better beach body with our 24-hour plan.

return it to medium-high heat, and add the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, add the salmon, skinside down, and fry until the skin is crisp, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, flip the fillets, and cook until done, 2 to 4 minutes. To serve, put a fillet on each plate and spoon over the salsa.

THE INSIDER: L U K E G R A H A M E IS A P E R S ON A L T R A INE R AT ROA R F I T NE S S.

PHOTOSHOP

PA R T

heat, add 1 ½ Tbsp of oil. Add the celery and pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts begin to brown (watch closely so they don’t burn), 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the capers, brine, and olives, the saffron and its water, and a pinch of salt. Drain the raisins and add parsley, lemon zest, and 1 tsp lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4. Wipe the pan clean,

½ C U P PA R S L E Y, R O U G H LY CHOPPED 1

3. In a large pan over high

T-MINUS

24HRS

23HRS

20HRS

10HRS

2 HRS

Cut out all carbs now. It takes your body about 16 hours to run down its glycogen stores, leaving you looking temporarily leaner.

To really drain your body’s carb stores, forget the heavy lifts and perform a highrep, low-rest workout. There’s no time to hang around now.

Pop a 500mg magnesium capsule 30 minutes before bed to help you sleep. A restful night will reduce inflammation, for a tighter physique.

Skip the side dishes and just eat eggs and steak for breakfast. You don’t want to risk fibrous foods bloating you out.

For a final pump, work on your arms, back, and shoulders. Use high reps (13 to 15) again to drive blood into the muscle. Now pack your trimmest white T-shirt and go.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 113

Photographer: PAUL SAMUELS

Martinique du Preez Kidney transplant survivor

REVIVAL OF THE

FITTEST Taking care of your health should always be your top priority. But what happens when you’re diagnosed with an illness that no amount of healthy eating and fitness will cure? These guys have learned that when life throws you a curveball, you need to catch it, train with it, and come back stronger than ever. BY

MEGAN FLEMMIT

THE

RECORD

BREAKER In the small town of Haarlem, in the Southern Cape, primary school children have the option of participating in two sporting codes: rugby or athletics. Being the overachiever that he was, Martinique du Preez participated in both. It was while playing rugby as a young boy that he realised his potential as an athlete. By the time he turned eight, he could already outrun most kids his age. The first time he noticed his legs swelling, the then13-year-old attributed the snug fit of his clothes to his growing muscles as a result of all the training he was doing. “Rugby kept me very occupied. We would have training after school five days a week. Then I would go home and do bodyweight exercises.” When he woke up with his face swollen, his father thought he might have been stung by a bee. A week later Martinique’s face remained puffy – it was time to visit the clinic. The doctor realised that Martinique’s blood pressure was too high for a young teenager. His abnormally high blood pressure coupled with his swollen features signified that there was a problem with his kidneys. When doctors in the area couldn’t find the source of the problem, Martinique was transferred to Groote Schuur Hospital. The results of a biopsy performed on his kidneys indicated that the organs were failing. Martinique was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease. Fearing for the life of her son, Martinique’s mother donated one of her kidneys to him. He had a rare blood type, and she was the only match that could be found. But a few hours after the surgery, his body began rejecting the organ. “I don’t know what went wrong,” he explains. “But I blamed myself for the pain and suffering she had to endure for six months after she donated her kidney.” Martinique’s deteriorating health placed an enormous burden on the family. Prayer was the only thing that kept them going. “I was dying, and we lived life day by day,” he says. “We never stopped hoping that a miracle would happen.” That miracle occurred when Martinique was 18. A teenager who had died from a gunshot wound turned out to be a match for him. “I was really saddened by his death, but I’m so incredibly grateful at the same time that his 116 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

mom donated his kidney to me.” His recovery from the transplant was painful. At times, even walking proved difficult for him. Only after three months could he start doing light exercises. Six months after his transplant Martinique was on the athletics track once more – something he hadn’t dreamed of ever being able to do again. “The doctors were sceptical at first, because a person who undergoes a transplant is only allowed to participate in sport a year after the transplant.” But Martinique had always been one to exceed expectations. Athletics was his passion. Nothing would stand between him and his ability to do the sport he loved. A few months after he started training, Martinique took part in the National Transplant Games. Despite his best efforts, his times weren’t enough for him to qualify for the World Transplant Games. Martinique didn’t let this stop him. He’d already beaten the odds when doctors told his mother he wouldn’t live beyond 18. “I learned that anything can happen at any given time in my life; hence, I need to live as though each day is my last.” With this sentiment in mind he continued to participate in the National Transplant Games each year. He trained five days a week, three hours a day, to ensure he was the best he could be. In 2016 his hard work paid off. At that year’s competition he broke the South African record for the 100m, 200m, long jump, ball throw and javelin events. This meant he automatically qualified for the World Transplant Games, held in Malaga, Spain. Here Martinique continued to defy the odds when he won a gold medal in the ball throw, a silver medal in both javelin and long jump, and a bronze in the 100m sprint. Martinique is thankful for the second chance he’s been given. “I feel amazing. Looking back and knowing what I have been through – I’m just grateful to be healthy, and living out my dream.” The 22-year-old has big plans for the future. There’s no doubt in his mind he can achieve anything he sets out to do. “I made a promise to God. If he healed me, I would share my story. God healed me through my second transplant. Now I love more, trust more, and totally rely on God.”

Photographer: PAUL SAMUELS

MARTINIQUE DU PREEZ | KIDNEY TRANSPLANT

“I’ve learned that anything can happen at any given time.”

THE

DAREDEVIL J U D D VA N D E N B E RG | T E ST I C U L A R CA N C E R

Photographer: MPUMELELO MACU

A dull ache in his lower back and abdomen was the first sign something was wrong. Shortly after the pain started, Judd Van Den Bergh found a lump on his left testicle. He didn’t think too much of it at first. But after a week the pain worsened and the lump grew. He could no longer ignore it. “I had a serious chat with my father. He said that I have to go to the doctor, and that the worst-case scenario, which was testicular cancer, is not something I want to take chances with.” A trip to the doctor confirmed his worst fears. He had testicular cancer. Having no history of cancer in the family, the news came as a shock to Judd. Sitting in the doctor’s rooms, he couldn’t process anything the doctor said. “When I got home and told the news to my parents, before I could utter a single syllable, I burst into tears. I wept uncontrollably.” Nothing his parents said or did could console him. But Judd was fortunate. His cancer was still in its early stages. He underwent surgery to remove his left testicle and epididymis. “My oncologist recommended two rounds of B.E.P chemotherapy. His advice was that I was young and strong, I was in optimal condition to recover well from such a treatment.” In 2015, Judd started chemotherapy. His sessions lasted for four hours a day every day for the first week. This was followed by three-hour sessions every Monday for the next two weeks. Doctors advised him to eat healthy food and drink plenty of water to help with the side effects of the chemo. But the treatment was rough. No one could have prepared Judd for how excruciating it would be. “By the end of the first round, I wanted to throw in the towel. I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t eat anything.”

“Without my support structure, I can confidently say I wouldn’t have made it through chemo.”

Judd took a break between his two rounds of chemo. His white blood count was zero, and he was at high risk of infection. The second round was hell all over again. “Quite simply, without my support structure, I can confidently say I wouldn’t have made it through chemo.” Five months after being diagnosed Judd went into remission. With the cancer behind him, he started focusing on eating whole, natural foods to replenish what his body had lost. While his physical health slowly recovered, his mental health was in shambles. The chemo had left him depressed. Like many people experiencing emotional turmoil, he turned to food for comfort, and stopped caring about what he ate. As a result his weight surged to 136kg. Judd knew he needed help to get his mental state back on track. “Through speaking with counsellors, and confiding in friends and family, I was able to get back to positivity.”His journey to better health started with a parkrun in September 2016. “I started off slowly. I finished in 44 minutes; but I was getting active, and that’s all that mattered.” He realised he’d been given a second chance at life. He’s now a converted runner, running three or four times a week and doing strength training or hitting the gym on days his feet don’t hit the tarmac. The frequent exercise coupled with a healthy eating plan allowed him to lose 40kg. “I still have further goals I want to achieve, one of them being getting down to 90kg. I still make mistakes, and I still have my faults. But to me, what counts is knowing what I have to do and knowing right from wrong, and being able to change that when it comes to my lifestyle.” To raise awareness about testicular cancer, Judd entered the Daredevil race in 2018. “I wanted to show everyone that you can recover from testicular cancer, and that one should heed the warning and do your preventative checks. It could save your life.” Surviving testicular cancer made Judd think about his life and the way he lived it. Other than engaging in healthier behaviours, he has become more spontaneous. “I have a hunger to experience all life has to offer, from travel to learning about other cultures. I learned that you should never concede on anything that you want to do – just go out and do it. Because you never know when life is going to throw you a curveball.” MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 119

THE

COMPETITOR LLOYD JACOBS | OPEN-HEART SURGERY

120 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

Photographer: MAURO MATALONE

When Lloyd Jacobs approached the finish line of the Two Oceans Half Marathon, everything around him became quiet. He could no longer hear the deafening sound of the cheering crowd. This was his fifth time completing the race, but it was his toughest yet. For the first time, he questioned whether he would make it to the finish line. Just eight months prior, he was lying on an operating table having open-heart surgery – a procedure that was deemed necessary after doctors discovered he had a severely regurgitated mitral valve. “One Saturday evening, I had an elevated heart rate while trying to rest, and then I coughed up blood.” Lloyd rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed a multitude of tests to determine what the problem was. Based on their diagnosis, doctors decided his mitral valve would need to be replaced with a ‘St Jude’ mechanical valve. Lloyd felt blindsided by the diagnosis. “I thought, am I going to die? I’m young and fit and capable – how is this happening to me?” The competitive runner followed a healthy and active lifestyle. Growing up he participated in baseball, soccer, dodgeball and CrossFit, before moving on to road and trail running. No one in his family had experienced heart problems either. Recovery from the surgery was slow. For a short time after the surgery any form of movement caused him pain. “It was a massive learning curve in being calmer and more sedate, and not just bullishly charging into everything in front of me,” he explains. Gradually he found his feet. Lloyd started walking short distances at a time, and resting when he became short of breath. “It’s weird, it was an awfully humbling experience. From being above average – fast, strong, athletically competent – to being weak, wheezy and only being able to walk 200- 400m a day post-op.” Despite the trauma Lloyd faced with his surgery, he was itching to start running again. Before his surgery it had been a big part of his life; he would run at least four times a week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Besides participating in the Two Oceans Half Marathon, he had also completed multiple Cape Winter and Sum-

mer Trail Series races. Lloyd loved the freedom running provided. “[I also enjoyed] the physical self-expression, the views, the community, the friends I made, and being able to constantly challenge myself against my previous efforts.” Four months after his surgery, he began running again. His desire to get back to his former self motivated him to train continuously. While others offered their help, he knew the journey was one he needed to complete without assistance. That’s why, eight months after surgery, he was crossing the finish line at the Two Oceans Half Marathon by himself. “I intentionally ran alone, because it was an internal battle for me.” While he was grateful to be able-bodied enough to complete the race, he felt a twinge of sadness and anger. “The competitive pack I used to train with finished a good 40 minutes before I did. It was my slowest half marathon to date. At that point, I still had to reconcile myself to the fact that I was now ‘post-operative me’.”

“It was a massive learning curve in being calmer and more sedate.” Lloyd’s lifestyle now is similar to what it was before his surgery – the only difference is the intensity of his training. “It’s down a few notches. I’m also less gung-ho with activities.” He constantly thinks about how his activities will affect his health. But while he is cautious about his movements, the competitive runner shows no signs of stopping any time soon. Since his first Two Oceans Half Marathon post-op Lloyd has run three more, and plans on completing his ninth one this year. His goals for the future include maintaining a healthy lifestyle and being competent in his physical activities. “I also want to assist others on their journey – maybe coach a sporting code. Be the best husband to my wife. And have a general ‘Don’t be kak, be lekker’ outlook on life.” MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 121

REFINE YOUR DINING

here’s no excuse for sticking to making one tired old meal every time you want to impress someone. While we’re obviously fans of muscle meals, we also believe in having a balanced lifestyle. That means sometimes indulging in good wine, good company, and – most importantly – good food. This month, indulge in learning a new skill or upgrading your recipe repertoire. And that’s where David Higgs comes in. Higgs is one of SA’s best known chefs, owner of some of our top restaurants and co-presenter on My Kitchen Rules. These recipes from Higgs’ cookbook, Mile 8, are a challenge – but they will change the way you cook. And don’t get bogged down because you’re a beginner. “When Garth Stroebel – then Head Chef at the Mount Nelson – spoke to students from my School of Good Cooking many years ago, he said something that really stuck with me. He said that cooking is 90% common sense, and 10% skill. It’s so true,” says David. So use that sense (and a tiny bit of skill) to up your game and plate up a winning meal.

Ribeye, Beef Heart Tomato, Porcini And Peppers MARBLE

FUNDAMENTALS

BASTING SAUCE SHERRY DRESSING BEEF JUS

RIBEYE 1 . 8 KG R I B E Y E , O F F T H E B O N E

Skip the overcrowded hotspots and impersonal restaurants this Valentine’s Day, and cook a 5-star meal at home. Chef David Higgs will take you from sloppy to skilled. WORDS BY KELLEIGH KOREVAAR

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELSA YOUNG

B A ST I N G S A U C E M A L D O N S E A S A LT F L A K E S 4 L A R G E B E E F H E A R T TO M ATO E S , A B O U T 4 0 0 G OLIVE OIL 8 LARGE PORCINI MUSHROOMS, ABOUT 400G 24 L E AV E S R O C K E T 8 GREEN PEPPERS 2 L I M E S , T H E Z E ST 4 0 G PA R M E S A N C H E E S E , S H AV E D

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 123

1 2 0 M L S H E R R Y D R E S S I N G, 1 5 M L P E R SERVING 120ML BEEF JUS, 15ML PER SERVING F R E S H LY G R O U N D B L A C K P E P P E R 8 S P R I G S F R E S H PA R S L E Y

1. Trim the ribeye of excess sinew and cut into eight 200g portions. Brush the steaks with basting sauce and season with sea salt flakes. Place on the grill over hot coals to colour. Move the meat over medium coals and cook slowly to the desired temperature. Remove the steaks from the heat and rest for 10–20 minutes in a warm place. Flash back over the coals as the meat is needed, and finish with more sea salt flakes. 2. Top and tail the tomatoes and cut in half on the round side. Dress the tomatoes in olive oil and sea salt flakes. Roast in a 180°C oven until just soft and slightly blistered. Keep warm, but not for too long, as their texture deteriorates quickly. 3. Peel the stems of the porcini mushrooms. Remove the gills. Slice the mushrooms into 3 and score the inside flesh. Brush with olive oil and grill, and then set aside. 4. Wash and refresh the rocket in ice water, and reserve for serving. 5. Brush the green peppers with 30g olive oil and grill whole until the flesh is soft and blistered. Slice in half and remove the seeds and stem. Finish by mixing with lime zest and sea salt flakes to serve. Keep hot. 6. To assemble, cut each ribeye steak into 5 slices and pair on a plate with a roasted tomato half. Separately, on each plate, make a salad with 3 leaves rocket, 40g porcini mushrooms, 7g peppers (kept hot), and 5g parmesan shavings. Dress each plate with 15ml sherry dressing and 15ml beef jus, and garnish with a sprig of parsley (washed and dried on paper towels) and some freshly ground black pepper. Serves 8 main course portions

FUNDAMENTALS BASTING SAUCE

SHERRY DRESSING

BEEF JUS

50–100G BUTTER

90ML OLIVE OIL BLEND

1 6 0 G S H A L LOT S

1 C LO V E G A R L I C , C R U S H E D W I T H S K I N O N

40ML SHERRY VINEGAR

6 C LO V E S G A R L I C , C R U S H E D

SPRIG OF THYME

1 ⁄ 2 L I M E , T H E Z E ST

30ML OLIVE OIL BLEND

Heat the pan on the stove until warm to the touch, and add the butter. As the butter melts, add the garlic and thyme. Allow the butter to start bubbling before using as a basting sauce.

S A LT A N D W H I T E P E P P E R TO TA ST E

150G MUSHROOM TRIMMINGS

Mix all ingredients together and drizzle as needed.

300G PORT

124 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

500G RED WINE 3 L I T R E S B E E F STO C K

Ostrich, Watermelon, Pickled Golden Beetroot, Anise

TIP Be careful with the star anise. It’s a particular flavour, and can easily overpower.

RUST EN VREDE

FUNDAMENTALS BASTING SAUCE RICE WINE VINEGAR PICKLE SHERRY DRESSING STAR ANISE POWDER 8 0 0 G O ST R I C H FA N F I L L E T B A ST I N G S A U C E M A L D O N S E A S A LT F L A K E S ½ S M A L L WAT E R M E LO N , A B O U T 1 KG 2 0 0 G ( 1 6 ) Y E L LO W B A BY B E E T R O OT 30ML WHITE WINE VINEGAR S A LT A N D P E P P E R 25G BUTTER 1 0 0 M L WAT E R 2 WHOLE FENNEL BULBS 8G FENNEL SEEDS 6 B A BY G O L D E N B E E T R O OT 50ML RICE WINE VINEGAR PICKLE 2 F E N N E L B U L B S , P E E L E D A N D C U T I N H A L F L E N G T H WAY S 1 2 0 M L S H E R R Y D R E S S I N G, 1 5 M L P E R S E R V I N G TO D R I Z Z L E STA R A N I S E P O W D E R , TO S P R I N K L E 8 F E N N E L P O L L E N TO P S , TO S P R I N K L E

1. The fan fillet is a cut from the upper inner thigh of the ostrich. It’s the most tender and the easiest to work with. Trim excess sinew and portion the fillet into 80g portions. Brush with basting sauce and season with sea salt flakes. Place on the grill over hot coals to colour. Move the meat over medium coals and cook slowly to desired temperature. Alternatively, cook in a pan. Remove from the heat and rest for 10–20 minutes in a warm place. 2. Cut the watermelon lengthways and place

In a pot, cook the shallots and garlic in the olive oil until the shallots are soft and caramelised. Add the mushroom trimmings and sweat for 5 minutes. Add the port and red wine. Simmer the liquid until it is reduced by two-thirds. Add the beef stock and simmer for 45 minutes until the liquid has reduced to 1 litre. Strain the liquid through a muslin cloth without forcing any liquid through. The jus should have a coating consistency as it is poured over the back of a spoon.

RICE WINE VINEGAR PICKLE 350ML RICE WINE VINEGAR 7 5 M L WAT E R 7G BLACK PEPPERCORNS 7G CORIANDER SEEDS 7G FENNEL SEEDS

face down on a chopping board. With a sharp knife, slice 8 × 1cm-thick half-moons. Lightly grill the slices on both sides for serving. 3. Wash and scrub the 16 baby beetroot and wrap them together in foil. Just cover the base of an oven tray with water, and add the vinegar. Add the foil parcel to the tray. Cook in a 200°C oven until the beetroots are soft – about 30 minutes. Unwrap the beetroot and return to the oven to colour and roast, then remove from the oven and peel while still warm. Halve for serving. 4.Melt the butter and water and whisk until emulsified. Cut the fennel bulbs in half and place on an oven tray. Pour over the emulsion and sprinkle with the fennel seeds. Cover the tray with foil and bake in a 180°C oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the fennel in the liquid. Once cooled, remove from the tray; cut the halves in half once more, and colour in a non-stick pan or on medium heat over the coals, as needed for serving. 5. Heat the rice wine vinegar pickle on a stovetop. Peel the 6 golden beetroot and shave 24 thin slices on a mandolin. Place the slices in a vacuum bag and cover with hot rice wine vinegar pickle. Vacuum seal, and allow to cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using. 6. Shave 24–32 slices of the fennel bulbs on a mandolin or gravity slicer on setting 1. Place the shavings in ice water until needed. 7. To assemble, arrange each plate as you wish or as per the photo. Place a grilled watermelon disc on each plate with an 80g portion of ostrich next to it. Top the watermelon with 4 halves of hot baby beetroot, a quarter of a fennel bulb, 4 slices golden pickled beetroot and 3-4 slices of shaved fennel. Dress with 15ml sherry vinegar and finish with a sprinkling of star anise powder and fennel pollen. Serves 8 starter portions

75G SUGAR 3 0 G S A LT

In a pot, combine all the ingredients. Heat until the sugar and salt dissolves. Allow to cool, then refrigerate until needed.

STAR ANISE POWDER

1 B AY L E A F

1 0 0 G STA R A N I S E

1 STA R A N I S E

Dry-roast the star anise in a woodburning oven.

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 125

Seabass, Lentil Curry, Pickled Cucumber RUST EN VREDE

FUNDAMENTALS

VEGETABLE STOCK RICE WINE VINEGAR PICKLE

6 4 0 G S E A B A S S , F I L L E T E D, S K I N O N L E M O N Z E ST , F O R S P R I N K L I N G 1 O N I O N , F I N E LY C H O P P E D 1 C A R R OT, F I N E LY G R AT E D 2 C LO V E S G A R L I C , G R AT E D O N A M I C R O P L A N E 5G GROUND CUMIN 3 G M U STA R D S E E D S 2 TO M ATO E S , S K I N R E M O V E D A N D F I N E LY C H O P P E D 8G WET SEAFOOD MASALA 5G BROWN SUGAR 350G BROWN LENTILS, CLEANED 2 0 0 M L TO M ATO J U I C E 2 5 0 M L V E G E TA B L E STO C K S A LT A N D P E P P E R LEMON, FOR SQUEEZING 200ML RICE WINE VINEGAR PICKLE

TIP

2 CUCUMBERS, PEELED AND SEEDED 32 SPRIGS MICRO CORIANDER, 4 PER SERVING 7 2 S M A L L F E N N E L B LO S S O M S , 9 P E R S E R V I N G

1. Cut the filleted seabass into 80g portions; do not remove the skin. Grill the fish skin side down first, and turn when the flesh begins to change from translucent to white. Season with salt and pepper and finish with lemon zest. 2. Fry the onions, carrot and garlic until translucent. Add the spices and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add the finely chopped tomatoes, seafood masala, brown sugar, lentils, tomato juice and vegetable stock. Cover with a cartouche (paper or silicone lid). Simmer slowly for 1 hour until the curry sauce thickens slightly, but be careful not to overcook the lentils – they should be soft but remain whole. Adjust seasoning if necessary and finish with a squeeze

until it starts to change colour, then blend it in a blender or spice grinder to form a powder. Seal in an airtight container to use as needed, and don’t make too much, as this flavour is lost as the days go by.

This is a dish I have done often. I love a lentil curry, and it’s great paired with the fatty seabass.

of lemon. Allow to cool, and then refrigerate for a day before serving – curries develop flavour as they stand. Warm the curry gently in a pot as needed. 3. Pour the cold pickling liquid into a vacuum bag. Add the cucumber and vacuum seal. Refrigerate and leave for 24-36 hours. Remove the cucumber from the vacuum bag and slice

into ribbons on a mandolin, or use a peeler. 4. To assemble, arrange each plate as you wish, or by following the photo. Spoon 45g warm lentil curry onto each plate. Place the seabass on top of the lentils. Position 2 ribbons of the cold cucumber pickle beside the curry, and garnish with 4 sprigs micro coriander and 9 fennel blossoms. Serves eight starter portions

1 2 0 G C E L E R Y, D I C E D

utes. Leave to cool and infuse. Add the parsley stalks to the liquid. Refrigerate for 2 days until the flavour has developed. Strain before using.

20G THYME 1 B AY L E A F 3G WHOLE BLACK PEPPERCORNS 3G FENNEL SEEDS

VEGETABLE STOCK 450G ONIONS, DICED 2 5 0 G C A R R OT S , D I C E D 150G LEEKS, DICED

126 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

2 . 5 L I T R E S WAT E R 3 0 G PA R S L E Y STA L K S

Place all the ingredients in a pot, except the parsley. Bring the contents of the pot to a simmer and skim continuously, simmering for 45 min-

WHITE BEAN PURÉE 1 2 5 G D R I E D C A N N E L L I N I B E A N S , O R OT H E R W H I T E B E A N S 2G GARLIC, SLICED 1 SPRIG THYME 30ML OLIVE OIL 1 2 5 M L H OT V E G E TA B L E STO C K

FUNDAMENTALS

BASTING SAUCE WHITE BEAN PURÉE BEEF JUS PICKLED MUSTARD SEEDS

Sirloin, White Bean Purée, Leeks, Pickled Mustard Seeds

TIP The white bean purée is quite something. Velvety and rich, with the white pepper adding a great finish. It’s a lovely addition to most wintery dishes.

RUST EN VREDE

1 .4 KG S I R LO I N B A ST I N G S A U C E M A L D O N S E A S A LT F L A K E S 1 6 B A BY L E E K S 40G BUTTER 1 SPRIG THYME 4 MEDIUM WHITE ONIONS 5 0 0 M L C H I C K E N STO C K 2 0 0 G B U T T E R , M E LT E D SEASONING 200ML WHITE BEAN PURÉE, 25ML PER SERVING 24 0 M L B E E F J U S , 3 0 M L P E R S E R V I N G 4 0 M L P I C K L E D M U STA R D S E E D S , 5 M L P E R S E R V I N G

1. Trim excess sinew from the sirloin and cut into eight 160g portions. Brush with basting sauce and season with sea salt flakes. Place on the grill over hot coals to colour. Move the meat over medium coals and cook slowly to desired temperature. Remove the sirloin steaks from the heat and allow to rest for 10–20 minutes in a warm place. 2. Trim the baby leeks and ensure that they are all uniform in size. Wash thoroughly. Place in a vacuum bag with the butter and thyme. Vacuum seal and sous vide (cook in a water bath) at 89°C for 45 minutes. Remove the leeks from the vacuum bag and grill over medium coals before serving. 3. Peel the onions and cut each in half horizontally – keep the onion intact. Place the onion halves over hot coals or in a dry pan, face down, to colour. Transfer the onion halves onto an oven tray and add the stock and melted butter. Place in the oven at 180°C and cook until soft. Once done, almost all the stock and butter should be absorbed and the onions will be a beautiful deep brown colour. Remove from the pan and keep warm. The onions are best served immediately, or you can reheat them before serving. 4. To assemble, slice each sirloin steak and place on a plate. Arrange two baby leeks and a braised onion half on the plate. Spoon 25ml of the white bean purée onto the plate, and finish with 30ml beef jus and about 5ml pickled mustard seeds per plate. Serves eight main course portions

S A LT A N D W H I T E P E P P E R

Soak the white beans overnight in cold water, then strain the beans and transfer to a pot. Cover the beans with water and boil until they are soft. Once cooked, strain the beans and transfer to a Thermomix jug or use a blender. In a separate pot, lightly fry the garlic and thyme in the olive oil without colouring. Strain the oil and discard the garlic and thyme. Pour the oil into the blender with the beans. Blend the beans until smooth and begin adding the hot vegetable stock. Add the stock until it

begins to hold its shape. Heat the Thermomix to 70°C and continue to blend until the purée is smooth. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

PICKLED MUSTARD SEEDS 250ML WHITE BALSAMIC VINEGAR 1 0 0 M L WAT E R

In a pot, combine the first 4 ingredients and heat until the sugar and salt has dissolved. Pour 150ml of the hot pickling liquid over the mustard seeds. Refrigerate the remaining pickling liquid for later use. Cool the seeds to room temperature and refrigerate until needed.

PUMPKIN PURÉE

75G SUGAR

1 . 5 KG W H O L E P U M P K I N

1 5 G S A LT

2 5 0 M L WAT E R

1 0 0 G Y E L LO W M U STA R D S E E D S

S A LT A N D W H I T E P E P P E R

MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 127

Lamb Rump, Mebos, Pumpkin Fritters FIVE HUNDRED AT THE SAXON

FUNDAMENTALS PUMPKIN PURÉE MEBOS PURÉE BEEF JUS

2 L A M B R U M P S , A B O U T 1 .4 KG 2 SPRIGS ROSEMARY I C E B AT H , TO C H I L L OLIVE OIL S A LT A N D P E P P E R 1 3 5 G F LO U R 3G BAKING POWDER 1 EGG 50ML MILK 60G PUMPKIN PURÉE 2G WHITE SUGAR 2 G S A LT OIL, FOR DEEP FRYING 5G GROUND CINNAMON 6 0 G C A STO R S U G A R 25G BUTTER 1 0 0 M L WAT E R 4 LARGE FENNEL BULBS, 200G 8G FENNEL SEEDS 1 6 B A BY C A R R OT S 5 0 G U N S A LT E D B U T T E R 8 L A R G E S P R I G S F L AT L E A F PA R S L E Y 24 P I P E D D OT S ( 5 6 G ) M E B O S P U R É E , 3 P E R S E R V I N G 24 0 M L B E E F J U S , 3 0 M L P E R S E R V I N G

1. Colour the rump on the grill or in a pan. Place the lamb into sous vide bags with the rosemary. Cook at 68°C for 90 minutes, then chill in an ice bath. To serve, reheat in the water bath for 30 minutes and finish on the grill with olive oil and seasoning. This rump can also be cooked slowly on the fire to the desired temperature, but for ease of service we find that the sous

Slice the pumpkin in half and place face down in an oven tray before adding the water. Cover with foil and roast in a 180°C oven for 40-60 minutes until soft. Remove from the oven and scoop the flesh from the skin, removing the seeds. Place the pumpkin flesh in a Thermomix jug and blend until completely smooth and firm enough to hold its shape when plated. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

128 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

vide method works best. 2. Combine the flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry and add the purée. The mixture should be a thick dropping consistency. Adjust if necessary by adding a little extra flour or liquid. Scoop 15ml of the mixture at a time into a deep-fat fryer set at 190°C. Fry until golden. Alternatively, fry in hot oil in a pot – test heat by adding a bread cube, which should become golden after a few seconds. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and roll the fritters in the mixture after removing them from the fryer. 3. Melt the butter in the water over low heat and whisk until emulsified. Cut the fennel bulbs in half and place on an oven tray. Pour over the emulsion and the fennel seeds. Cover the tray with foil and bake in a 180°C oven for 45 minutes.

MEBOS PURÉE 7 0 0 M L WAT E R 250G MEBOS

Bring the water to the boil and add the mebos to rehydrate. Allow to soften completely with the pot off the heat. Strain and reserve water. Place the rehydrated mebos in a blender with 200ml water to start, and blend. Add water as needed, and blend until completely smooth and a thick purée consistency has formed. Spoon into a plastic piping bag and refrigerate until needed.

Remove from the oven and cool the fennel in the liquid. Once cooled, remove from the tray and colour over hot coals or in a dry non-stick pan. 4. Scrub the baby carrots in cold water to clean. To achieve a lovely sweet flavour together with that charred smokiness, it’s best to cook the carrots straight over the coals – be careful with the temperature. 5. To make the dried parsley sprigs, wrap a microwaveable plate in plastic wrap and lay the parsley on top. Cover in more plastic wrap and microwave at 30 second intervals until dried. 6. To assemble, arrange each plate as you like or as per the photo. Place a 160-180g portion of the rump on each plate. Arrange 1 fritter, half a fennel bulb, 2 baby carrots and 3 medium dots of piped mebos purée on each plate, and finish with a dried parsley sprig and 30ml beef jus. Serves eight main course portions

You will find over 90 dishes and 150 recipes in David Higgs’ cookbook Mile 8. It’s not just a cookbook that brings together the unique and interesting flavours of Southern Africa – it’s a culinary adventure that will teach you valuable skills, and tells the story of Higgs’ journey to success. (R559, exclusivebooks.co.za)

Spiced Pumpkin Brûlée, Granadilla MARBLE

FUNDAMENTALS PUMPKIN PURÉE

250G PUMPKIN PURÉE 1 5 G C A STO R S U G A R

TIP Use ripe pumpkin with good colour. SMELL it. It must smell like pumpkin for it to taste like pumpkin. This goes for all fruit and vegetables you want to eat or use in a recipe.

125G CREAM 3 E G G YO L K S PINCH GROUND ALLSPICE PINCH GROUND CINNAMON WHITE PEPPER 1 P U M P K I N , C U T I N TO 8 × 6 5 G W E D G E S OLIVE OIL, FOR DRIZZLING 4 B A BY L E E K S , C U T I N H A L F L E N G T H WAY S A N D T H O R O U G H LY WA S H E D I C E WAT E R 80G GRANADILLA PULP 20ML OLIVE OIL/CANOLA BLEND M A L D O N S E A S A LT F L A K E S 5ML HONEY F E W D R O P S WAT E R 4 0 G P U M P K I N S E E D S , D R Y- PA N TO A ST E D U N T I L P O P P I N G

1. To make the brûlée, line four ring moulds with cling film and foil, ensuring that the base is properly sealed. Place the pumpkin purée in a Thermomix jug or blender. Add the sugar, cream and egg yolks, and blend. Add the allspice and cinnamon, and season with salt and white pepper. Pour the blended mixture into the prepared moulds (45g individual servings). 2. Place the moulds in a bain marie and add water until halfway up the side of the moulds. Bake at 165°C for 35-40 minutes until the custard is just set. The brûlée should have a slight wobble when shaken. Refrigerate to set completely. Remove from the moulds, cut each in half and return to the fridge. Remove the brûlée an hour before serving, to serve it at room temperature. 3. Remove the seeds from each pumpkin wedge. Place the wedges onto an oven tray and wrap in foil. Cook in a wood-fired oven until cooked but still slightly firm, or use your oven at 180°C. Remove the foil and drizzle with olive oil. Put the tray back into the wood-fired oven until slightly blistered and soft. Remove from the oven and season. 4. Remove the outer leaf from the baby leeks and finely chiffonade the remaining leaves. Place in ice water to curl, and reserve. 5. To make the granadilla dressing, whisk the ingredients together until homogenous and season to taste with salt and pepper. 6. To assemble, place a hot wedge of pumpkin on each heated plate. Place a half-moon of pumpkin brûlée in the cavity of the roasted pumpkin. Top with 10g chiffonade baby leeks and drizzle with 15ml granadilla dressing. Sprinkle the pumpkin with 5g pumpkin seeds. Serves eight MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019 129

THE (Above) AVERAGE GUY THIS MONTH

Television

HOW DO YOU RATE?

19%

14%

How much longer a man’s binge session lasts, compared with a woman’s

South African consumers who bought a TV on Black Friday 2018*

3 TO 4 EPISODES

3 in 5

Typical length of a binge-watching session

Fall asleep watching TV. Listen to Dr. W. Christopher Winter, who wrote The Sleep Solution. He says keep the lights on in the TV room while you’re watching; it’ll depress melatonin production and improve wakefulness.

98%

HOW WE WATCH NETFLIX

Percentage of lost remotes found in the fridge or in the freezer. (Half of them are stuck between the couchcushions.)

Tablet

Phone

Television

Source: Recode.net

54% 26% 13% 10%

The more stingy your bingeing, the more you’ll enjoy a show. That’s the researchbased conclusion of Jeffrey Galak, an associate professor of marketing at Carnegie Mellon University. Savouring a show boosts your appreciation. He notes that HBO shows are written for weekly consumption – giving you time to talk and think – while Netflix scripts tend toward cliff-hangers to keep you watching. Any break, even walking the dog, helps disrupt the binge. Tip: turn off autoplay in Netflix.

2 hours, 3 hours, 37 minutes 45 minutes Average guy’s tube time on a weekday

On a weekend day (hey, the game was on!)

4 in 5 Use their phone or tablet while also watching TV.

Your 60-second TV calibration: turn down brightness in a dark room, up in a bright one; choose Cinema mode for films and quality series; Motion Flow smooths out the action. 130 MH.CO.ZA/ February 2019

GETTY/GALLO IMAGES, IMAGES *Source: MyBroadband Survey

4

Laptop

37%

DROP IN THE ODDS OF OBESITY IF YOU NEVER WATCH TV DURING FAMILY MEALS, COMPARED WITH THOSE WHO ALWAYS DO

Higher likelihood that binge viewers sleep poorly, compared with non-binge viewers

This Valentine’s Gift Is A Winner!

PHOTOGR APH: SEAN L AURÉNZ

? y a D ’s e n i t n e l for Va r e n t r a p r u e st , o g y g i t b e g ’s o A t S t , a t h u ht O g i N t N o cl ue w i F o t s t e k t ic Spoil her with hottest workout party!

This could be HER!

Celeb trainers! Live DJs! Awesome goodie bags! Loads of amazing prizes to be won! An experience she will never forget!

Scan now to book!

Cape Town 16 February 2019 Joburg 17 August 2019 Don’t be that guy who missed out. Book now at Quicket.co.za!

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