Men's Health South Africa - January 2020 PDF

JANUARY 2020
THE SUSTAINABLE ISSUE

Electric Cars, Eco-Trips,
HARD
ConsciousFashion,GreenGear
TONED
TheBestGymsinSAfor
Building Major Muscle
GGetRippedwithOur
tRi d ithO
LEAN
CoverGuy’s Secrets
H T E W ll
FAST
EveryQuestionYou
Ever Had,Answered.
THE MH
COVER GUY:
LERON
MOUMEN Th Ulti t 30 Mi t
DumbbellWorkout
GET BACK IN SHAPE

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From the editors of Men’s Health magazine
O N LY
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CONTENTS
MEN’S HEALTH
JANUARY 2020
COVER STORIES
& FEATURES
P.42
23 TONED
Get ripped – with our Cover
Guy’s secrets.
24 FAST THE NAKED TRUTH

The ultimate 30-minute Get with the fashion
dumbbell workout. of the future.
98 DEPARTURES
Break out of your holiday
rut, and head to rand-
friendly Thailand.
103 HARD
The best gyms in SA for
building major muscle.
112 LEAN
How to eat well: every
question you ever had,
answered.
118 BLACK MIRROR

Here’s how to stop your
pursuit of a brawnier body
from running – and ruining –
your life.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CARLO MIARI FULCIS. OUTFIT: T-SHIRT R799 TIMBERLAND.CO.ZA, CHINOS
124 7 WAYS TO AGE-

PROOF YOUR BRAIN
R679 ZARA.CO.ZA, PAMPA EARTH U BOOTS R1 349 PALLADIUMBOOTS.CO.ZA
Boost your brain power

today, and stay smart,
people.
CONTENTS
70 It’s time to split up the
chores and bores. Here’s
your parental plan.
74 “My wife turns me down
for sex 50% of the time.
How can I up the odds?”
76 Try out the 30/10 rule –
30g of protein, 10g of fibre.
78 Sip on Sangria all
summer long, thanks to
these upgrades.
79 We’ve got the ultimate
summer reading list.
80 Scream for these five
healthy ice creams.
81 Find out what happens
when you’re jet-lagged.
82 Meet the duo who
made a success story out
of sustainability.
86 Get back in the groove
and beat stress in 2020.
P.8
Unfiltered
Marvel at the motoring
MH MIND
87 The lowdown on how to
break your bad habits.
92 Reap the benefits of
masterpieces from the
BMW M Fest. saying thank you.
94 The ultimate guide to
daily(ish) meditation.
UPFRONT MHBODY MHSTYLE On the

12 Turn a new leaf in 2020. 26 Elevate your abs 38 This will be your best- Cover
COVER GUY
with these 5 moves. groomed summer yet; no Leron Moumen
14 Take a break from all the sweat or stink, guaranteed. PHOTOGRAPHER
heavy lifting and hit the pub. 28 Loosen up your Byron Keulemans
15 Get your game on . muscles to improve 52 Get ready with Sean

your fitness. McCollet.
29 Keep your six-pack
MH WORLD
in check while you’re on
holiday. MHLIFE
17 Look back at the top 30 The pre-workout you 57 Makeagreen getaway
trends from the past 10 years. should drink for better withtheseeco-friendly trips.
performance. 64 Couldyoureally have an
18 Model Kristina Gunther
on how to help the 32 Learn how Jaco Smit electricstarttothis decade?
environment. swapped fat for muscle. 69 This is the best
19 Find out how many guys 34 Eliminate these triggers sustainable gear to hit MH
have had sex on the beach. for better gut health. HQ this month.
6 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020

Photographer: Rudi Geyser/Hero Creative Management; Model: Moses H/Twenty Model Management;
Hair and make-up: Shahnaz Cola Wrensch; Fashion: Robin-Jade Carolus; Shirt, t-shirt and pants all Cotton On.
DOING SOMETHING NO ONE’S EVER DONE BEFORE”

GO BOLDLY MEANS: “TAKING A CHANCE,
The
UNFILTERED
A REAL, FILTER-FREE LOOK INTO WHAT MATTERS THIS MONTH.
Power
Of M
Motorheads from all across the
country were revved up when BMW
South Africa hosted their second
BMW M Festival at Kyalami Grand
Prix Circuit in October last year. BY
THAAQIB DANIELS
Beamer fanatics have been

looking forward to this since the inaugural
M Fest took place back in 2017, and they had
every reason to be stoked.
The German motoring powerhouse set
to dazzle all the attendees by giving them an
experience that car enthusiasts could only
dream of. Visitors could book test drives, do
hot laps around the track with BMW works
driver Sheldon van der Linde and take a walk
through a massive BMW showroom that
had exclusive offers for those interested in a
new set of wheels. A live music stage featured
Dutch DJ duo Zonderling on the decks and
food courts kept everyone comfortable
and entertained throughout the two-day
event. Festival goers also got to see the new
competition models including the X5 M, X6
M and the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe. Here’s a
closer look at what went down.
The newly restored
iconic white BMW 530
MLE makes its first
public appearance.
In the opposite lane,
the BMW M and M
Performance cars line
up for the track test.
BMW M FESTIVAL 2019
DATE
26-27 OCTOBER 2019
LOCATION
KYALAMI GRAND PRIX
CIRCUIT, JHB
PHOTOGRAPHS
SUPPLIED
1 At the age of
20, Sheldon van
der Linde became
the first South
African to compete
in the Deutsche
Tourenwagen
Masters. He now
lives in Germany,
but returned to SA
to do hot-laps with
guests at M Fest.
2 The stripped
down interior of his
Shell BMW M4 DTM
racing car.
2
3
3 The festival 4 It wasn’t

showcased the only the four-
evolution of the wheeled beasts
M series from the that were on
1978 BMW 530 display. The latest
MLE to the new BMW S 1000 RR
M8 Gran Coupe. also made an
appearance to
the excitement
of the bike lovers
in attendance.
The RR superbike
is celebrating
a decade of
excellence in
the world of
motorcycles.

5 Revealed for 6 The red BMW X6
the first time, xDrive40d being
the seriously shown off along
impressive X6 with other exclusive
Competition SUV offers in the pop-up
5 will reach SA in dealership.
May 2020, with the
5
breathtaking new
BMW 8 Series Gran
Coupe arriving 7 The BMW M135i
later in the year. xDrive, S 1000 RR,
M4 DTM and the
M4 GT4 meet at the
starting line of the
Kyalami Grand Prix
Circuit.
6
7
8 Visitors could
virtually get
behind the wheel
and test drive the
vehicles in the
simulation area.
8
9 9 A huge showroom displayed
a wide-range of exclusive deals
along with uniquely modified
vehicles – like the Bumblebee
Transformer model you see here.
There was also a Lifestyle M Shop
where guests could splurge on
M-inspired gear and merchandise.
MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 11

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Danielle Weakley Editorial Director
Robert Cilliers Editor & Creative Director
Turn Over
WANITA NICOL Deputy Editor
AZEEZ JACOBS Fashion & Grooming Editor
NADIM NYKER Digital Editor
a New Leaf
MARK ARENDSE Art Director
MEGAN FLEMMIT Multimedia Journalist
KELLEIGH KOREVAAR Features Writer
DAVE BUCHANAN Contributing Copy Editor
KIRSTEN CURTIS Contributing Digital Editor
The start of the year means hopeful promises,
THAAQIB DANIELS Content Producer
developing new habits, and becoming a better version of who NADIA EKSTEEN Fashion Assistant
you were the year before. And just like we promise to make Contributors: Kieran Legg
our readers better men, as a brand we like to live by that, too. Shared services: Kerry Nash (Production Manager)
James Garaghty (In-House Photographer)
That’s why our January 2020 issue is all about sustainability! Amina Essop (Office Administrator)
We start by giving you a practical guide on how to break the
bad habits you’re trying to kick (p.87); whether it’s
reducing your plastic consumption or giving
CEO MEDIA24 Ishmet Davidson
up the couch-potato, fast-food routine. ALSO IN CEO PRINT MEDIA Rika Swart
GENERAL MANAGER, LIFESTYLE Minette Ferreira
Then we ask a game ranger your burning STORE: GENERAL MANAGER, MONTHLIES Nerisa Coetzee
CFO, LIFESTYLE Jameelah Conway
questions about conservation, wildlife and The MH Diary FINANCIAL MANAGER Melanie Leeman
spotting animals (p.15). And we give you the
MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS CIRCULATION SALES AND SOLUTIONS
inside scoop on all the green gear that’s hit PUBLISHER Nikki Ruttimann 011 713 9147 CIRCULATION MANAGER
(nikkir@media24.com) Riaan Weyers 021 443 9964
our desks in ‘The Cut’ (p.69). COMMERCIAL HEAD OF EVENTS: SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Jenny Marinus
MONTHLIES Francois Malan 021 406 2376 (jenny.marinus@media24.com)
We also speak to the company that made (francois.malan@media24.com)
COMMERCIAL MANAGING EDITOR For any queries, please phone 021 406 2121
sustainability cool again: Sealand (p.82). Gerda Engelbrecht 021 406 2217 Subscription enquiries: 087 353 1300
(gerda.engelbrecht@media24.com) Fax: 086 457 5943;
And we look at the trend of eco-tourism, COMMERCIAL MANAGER Lise Coetsee
021 406 2358 (lise.coetsee@media24.com)
Email: subs@media24.com;
SMS: MensHealthSubs to 32511 (R1 per sms);
and where you can head this summer on DIGITAL CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR Lilitha Web: www.mysubs.co.za/magazine/mens-
Johnson 021 406 2320 health
(lilitha.johnson@media24.com) Call centre operating hours:
eco-friendly adventures (p.57). And if you’re BRAND COORDINATOR Andile Nkosi 8am-5pm (Monday to Friday)
021 406 2257 (andile.nkosi@media24.com)
wondering how you’ll get there, we’ve got all ALL SUBSCRIPTION PAYMENTS TO:
PUBLISHING SALES TEAM Men’s Health,
the information on electric vehicles in South Africa (p.64), BUSINESS MANAGER: MEDIA 24 LEISURE PO Box 16428,
SALES Danie Nell 011 322 0799/076 263 9114 Vlaeberg,
from the myths to the challenges and even the benefits. (danie.nell@media24.com) 8018
CAPE TOWN: Hannes Burger 076 152 4605
We’ll make sure you do all of this in sartorial style – our (hannes.burger@media24.com) REPRODUCTION Media24
Nick Fitzell 071 430 6311 PRINTING Novus Print
(nick.fitzell@media24.com) DISTRIBUTION On The Dot 011 402 1205
fashion feature (p.42) is all about the sustainable pieces you’ll Daniela Di Giovanni 083 709 7040
(daniela.digiovanni@media24.com) Copyright © 2009 Media24 (Pty) Ltd. All rights
want to add to your wardrobe this year. It has a powerful JOBURG: Kylee Robertson 076 263 9114 reserved. No part of this publication may be
(kylee.robertson@media24.com) reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be
message: rather go naked than destroy the planet. Jeanine Kruger 082 342 2299 transmitted in any form or by any means, elec-
(jeanine.kruger@media24.com) tronic or mechanical, without prior permission
To top it all off, we’re putting our money where our mouth is Lizel Pauw 082 876 8189 by Media24 (Pty) Ltd.
(lizel.pauw@media24.com)
by packaging this month’s issue in a biodegradable bag. Sharlene Smith 083 583 1604
(sharlene.smith@media24.com)
Men’s Health does not endorse the use of
chemical or related slimming products that
Yumna Rojan 072 399 5789 promise instant or long-term results. Slimming
Plus, we bring you the MH Gym Awards (p.103): we’ve (yumna.rojan@media24.com) products should not be used as a substi-
Yelanda Mitchell 074 897 576 tute for a healthy diet and/or exercise.
done the heavy lifting for you with our annual audit of venues, (yelanda.mitchell@media24.com) All prices recommended retail selling price.
DURBAN: Mariska Venter 082 898 4376
coaches and classes that will help you reach (mariska.venter@media24.com)
your full potential in 2020.

PI LA N ES BE RG
MAGAZINES INTERNATIONAL
SVP/EDITORIAL & BRAND DIRECTOR Kim St. Clair Bodden

AND THE MEN’S HEA
ALTH TEAM
W IT H AD C O
DEPUTY BRANDS DIRECTOR Chloe O’Brien

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CONTENT SERVICES Shelley Meeks
CL EA NIN G UP THHEE RIV
C K IN G R AM
Global Editions / INTERNATIONAL EDITORS

AUSTRALIA Scott Henderson, CHINA Yuqing Feng, CROATIA Krešimir Šego, GERMANY Arndt
Ziegler, HUNGARY Zsolt Ribansky, ITALY Piero Bacchetti, JAPAN Kazushige Ogawa, KOREA
Seungkwan Baek, LATIN AMERICA Victor Martinez Ranero, MIDDLE EAST, NETHERLANDS Olivier
ER S WI TH AD IDA S
Heimel, POLAND Piotr Makowski, PORTUGAL Pedro Lucas, RUSSIA Max Semelyak, SERBIA Stefan
Tosovic, SPAIN Jordi Martinez, UNITED KINGDOM Toby Wiseman, USA Richard Dorment
nstagram
@robdcilliers
Email: e m @media24
d com Twitter:
Twit @MensHealthZA Facebook: MensHealthSA Instagram: @menshealthza Youtube: Men’s Health South Africa

Photograph: Rudi Geyser/Hero Creative Management; Model: Yannick @ Boss; Hair and make-up: Shahnaz Cola Wrensch;
Fashion: Robin-Jade Carolus; Shirt, Zara Trousers, Studio W @ Woolworths.
WEEJUN II LARSON MOC - WISKEY
THE
DEVIL’S
Skip the Gym

ADVOCATE KNOCK BACK rather reserve those extra hours for your social
YOUR GYM life, fit in a sprint session before work each
PLAN WITHOUT
& Hit the Pub

SINKING YOUR ABS day. Just 10 minutes is enough to keep your
ASPIRATIONS. fitness up, while studies also demonstrate that
high-intensity intervals release more growth
RIP UP YOUR PUNISHING WEIGHT- hormone than steady-state efforts.
TRAINING SCHEDULE. THE BEST THING The point is, achieving balance is about more
YOU CAN LIFT THIS MONTH IS AN
ICE-COLD BOTTLE OF BEER. than monitoring your macros. It’s about taking
care of your mental health, and that means
With the great ball of shining maintaining social connections 2 . Now, while
vitamin D in the sky doing its thing, embarking no number of sprints will compensate for passing
on the competitive sport that is building a the entirety of summer in a cider-induced stupor,
summer body can make your tired gym regimen moderate alcohol consumption is perfectly
seem outright impossible. Yes, it’s true that healthy, so there’s no reason to go teetotal. A
maintaining physical fitness has no finish line. recent review in Nutrition, Metabolism and
But here’s a suggestion for you: come 5pm this Cardiovascular Diseases even suggests that those
evening, ditch your training shoes and join your who average up to two beers a day are at lower risk
mates in the beer garden. of heart complications than those on the wagon.
This is no weary admission of defeat – far Which makes a group kickabout in the park,
from it. Contrary to what you may have been told, followed by a trip to your local watering hole, a
awarding yourself a “get-out-of-gym-free” pass summer evening well spent 3 . Good health is
for a few weeks won’t cause your biceps to shrivel supposed to be a pleasure, not a chore. Scheduling
in protest 1 . In fact, taking a well-earned break deliberate breaks – rather than those enforced by
could even improve your body composition. work deadlines or sprained ligaments – can stop
Overtraining leads to spikes in cortisol, which at you forming negative associations with the gym,
high levels has a negative impact on muscle and as well as relieving the pressure on your personal
fat loss. This isn’t only prevalent in pro athletes, life. Overtraining can even flatten your libido,
but also overtired 9-to-5ers who are battling their which is a real downer. Studies frequently show
blubber with a monastic diet of tinned tuna. that enjoyment is a crucial factor in sticking to
And there are further benefits to be had a fitness plan, so if yours starts to feel repetitive
by swapping the weights bench for the or punitive, you and the gym might need to
pub variety. A deficiency of that exalted nutrient, consciously uncouple for a bit.
vitamin D – which the When you do get back together next month,
body produces when you’ll be ready to commit to your six-pack goal.
exposed to sunlight But for now? Here’s to your good health.
– is surprisingly
common in SA, and
low levels can inhibit
both strength and
DEALS WITH THE DEVIL
OUR ADVOCATE
fat-burning. Good a
James Alexander- 1
Ellis is a strength reason as any not to BREAK THE CYCLE
In a University of Tokyo study, men
& conditioning waste away the longer who took three-week breaks within
specialist and pro a six-month gym plan saw similar
summer evenings in an
fitness model. He’ll improvements in muscle mass to
take an espresso air-conditioned gym. those who trained continuously.
martini, thanks. Of course, a hiatus
(jae-fitness.com)
WORDS: SCARLETT WRENCH; PHOTOGRAPHY: AGATA PEC
from the weights 2 GROUP WISDOM

room needn’t mean Social isolation is a health threat on
becoming a lager-swilling layabout. Use your par with smoking 15 cigarettes a day
– even worse than lack of exercise, a
month off to trial something new – tennis, golf, review by Brigham Young University
slack-lining, whatever you feel like. Or, if you’d Utah showed.
3 SMART SOLUTION
An International Society of Sports
Nutrition study saw no difference
between those who rehydrated with
water versus a low-ABV beer after
exercising in the heat. Seriously.

Ask The Field Guide
STRAIGHT-UP ADVICE FROM A STAND-UP GUY, EVERY MONTH. / BY KIERAN LEGG
WILD(ER)
TERRITORY
From ancient trees to
exotic wildlife, these
are Bruce’s top African
to the waterholes and chance to lead. You’ll have to escapes. Your move:
rivers. Water means life, figure out how to find the trail, pick a park, and start
AKA more sightings. and – hopefully – track down the planning your next
Finally, don’t lose animal you’re looking for. getaway.
hope if you don’t see It’s the only way to learn
much; you can be the ancient art of tracking. I’ve
surprised by an animal followed plenty of lion and
at any time. leopard tracks, but I’ve always
had an experienced tracker by
My wildlife pics my side, willing to teach me as
are… well, tame. we walk.
How can I improve
my snaps? Mastering the controls of
If you’re using a DSLR a 4x4 seems mandatory for
camera, using a faster-
than-usual shutter
the outdoors. Any tricks to
taming these powerful off-
1.
speed is always a good road beasts? Mana Pools National
idea. Animals are often Diff-lock is something many Park, Zimbabwe
moving, so you have a guys rarely use. But locking the “Situated on the banks
small window to grab differential is essential when of the mighty Zambezi
the perfect pic before you’re driving through sand or river, the wildlife and
they disappear. over rocks. You’ll definitely get landscape here are
You’ll need to up stuck in soft sand if you don’t unmatched.”
your ISO and drop have your diff locked. (Trust me,
that f-stop for a I’ve learnt the hard way.)
MEET BRUCE shallower depth of field (blurrier
background), which will make the
When you’re climbing steep
slopes (or rolling back down),
ARNOTT animal stand out.
And invest in a photography
put your vehicle in low range,
and carry on in the slow first or
bean bag, it’ll help you stabilise second gears to stay in control.
He helps bring visitors your camera, to score sharper
face to face with some of shots. We like the Bush Bag (R889, I’m going on a camping trip
the country’s most cameraland.co.za) in the bush for the first time.
Any outdoor hazards to watch
2.
sought-after wildlife. How do you deal with out for? Kgalagadi
Use his advice to keep mosquitos? There are a few. If you’re Transfrontier
Park, Botswana
mosquitos at bay, elevate Drink a G&T! Okay, just kidding – camping, keep an eye out for
“Straddling the
that’s a myth. Get yourself a DEET- animals coming close to camp
your animal snaps, and free natural mosquito repellent, at night (especially hyenas). Pack borders of three
turn your summer trek and apply in the evenings when away your cooking pots and countries – Botswana,
Namibia and South
through the veld into the these pests are more active. DEET anything else that smells like food,
Africa – this park’s
is a chemical that can cause skin as hyenas won’t think twice about
adventure to end all irritation. pilfering your supplies. diverse landscape is
adventures. Keep a fire going at night – dominated by giant
red sand dunes, and
What’s an essential piece animals tend to avoid fire and the
it’s teeming with awe-
of gear every outdoorsman people sitting around it.
inspiring mammals
I’m planning a big trip to should own?
The old man told me to and birds.”
Kruger. How can I scope out A Leatherman. This multi-tool is
as much wildlife as possible? a jack-of-all-trades that packs a pack a compass when I go
Take a moment to look. It sounds knife, saw, pliers, screwdriver, and trekking – but is it really that
like common sense, but most of an arsenal of even more tools into useful? And how do I use the
us get distracted on the trail and a sleek, durable package. damn thing?
forget to really look. You have to Your old man is right. It’s an
be present. The number of times How do you track wildlife? essential tool, especially if you’re in
I’ve driven by a leopard lying in Do I have to sniff dung? an area you don’t know all that well.
the grass… it’s probably very high. Tracking is a skill that takes Hold your compass at arm’s
But you’ll definitely see more years to master. You need an length from your body – this
wildlife if you start early, as
animals move around during the
experienced mentor, who you can
follow through the bush. As they
prevents metals you’re carrying
from messing with your readings 3.
cooler hours of the day (so dusk walk, they’ll point out tracks and – and check where the compass Tuli Block, Botswana
works, too). explain how the animal is moving points north. This will help “The area – known as
Managed to get up before the and what it’s doing. orientate you, and keep you from the land of giants – is
crack of dawn? Good. Now, stick After a while, you’ll get a walking in circles. made up of sprawling
IMAGES SUPPLIED
rocky sections,
massive seasonal
For next-level wildlife photographs and more reasons to start planning your rivers, and ancient,
next trip, follow Bruce on Instagram @brucearnott.
looming trees.

From the editors of Men’s Health magazine
O N LY
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than sculpt an incredible
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speed, power and stamina
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most athletic version
of yourself. Let’s go!
ON
SALE
NOW
WORLD
Protect The Planet
Stop Smoking In 2020
Time To Hit The Beach
COMPILED BY THAAQIB DANIELS
Decoding a Decade of Fitness

In SA, we ended 2019 with the first Ministry of Fitness,
in Joburg. Here are 10 of the most popular fitness trends
of the 2010s.
CrossFit HIIT Functional Training

Although CrossFit High Intensity Interval This form of training
was created by Greg Training has been on puts purpose first. The
Glassman in 2000, nearly every fitness exercises increase
the fitness regimen junkie’s list of workouts mobility, strength,
gained a massive for most of the decade. and of course,
boost in popularity Although it seems fairly functionality. Think
in 2011, when ESPN new, HIIT has been of it as fitness for
began broadcasting used by many athletes everyday activities.
the annual CrossFit since the early 20th
Games. century.
Clubbercise Keto
A workout… and a The fat-burning diet
jol? Made popular that’s been buzzing
first in the UK, over the past few
Clubbercise® is years has actually
a fitness class been around since Online Personal
that takes place the 1920s. However, Training
in a dance club it wasn’t used for Fitness experts are
environment, where weight loss at first, now producing
the trainer – along but to help people digital guides
with a DJ – takes who have epilepsy. and making them
you through an available to their
intense workout audiences as
while listening to downloadable
electrifying beats. purchases. Check
out SpeedShred,
developed by
MH with trainer
Trevor Lagerwey
(speedshred.co.za).
Sustainable
Fitness Gear
Keeping in top Cannabis Oil Intermittent Fasting Plant-Based
shape and saving CBD (cannabidiol) When you eat seems Everything
the environment oil has come under to be just as important From nut butters
at the same the spotlight in as what you eat. Enter to vegan protein.
time – that’s the fitness after it was IF, the diet that sees People are now
goal with eco- discovered that its followers fasting eating more
friendly fitness it can aid muscle for a period of the day, consciously, and
gear. Check out recovery and fight and allows them to eat making sure what
the adidas Parley post-workout only during certain they eat is animal-
range on p 44. inflammation. windows. friendly.

WORLD
MH
Global
WOMAN
Citizen
KRISTINA GUNTHER HAS LIVED AND WORKED ALL
OVER THIS PLANET OF OURS; WHICH IS WHY SHE
FEELS THAT WE SHOULD PROTECT IT – EVEN IN THE
SMALLEST WAY. / BY THAAQIB DANIELS
Earth Child of cheaper ‘fast fashion’

pieces. For example, I
Born in Azerbaijan and really love my Levi’s jeans,
raised in Germany, Kristina and I’ve been wearing
started working as a them for many years.
professional model in 2009 And Levi’s have made
and has spent most of her strong commitments
career in Milan, Los Angeles to sustainable denim
and Cape Town. We’re production.”
happy to have her as part
of our sustainable fashion
feature, where we create The Rising Youth
looks that are good for the According to Pew
environment and for your Research Centre’s 2019
wardrobe (see page 42). survey on Gen Z and
Kristina feels strongly millennials, the younger
that anyone can make a generation are more
difference when it comes interested in human
to helping the Earth, rights, equality and the
whether through eco- environment than their
friendly clothing, reusable predecessors were.
straws or recycling. Kristina supports the fact
KRISTINA GUNTHER
“I think even little things that younger people are
can help,” she says. “I try speaking out and actively
THE SOCIAL: trying to solve many
Instagram: to always take a big bag
@iamkrisgunther when I go shopping, to global issues.
avoid buying a plastic bag. “I think it’s good that
I like to wash my clothes people have become more
THE SKILL: aware and cautious about
when the washing machine
International model
is full, and not for only a our global problems. The
couple of items.” children being raised now
T H E P LU G : will be the future leaders of
Kristina also advises
Find her in our
PHOTOGRAPH BY CARLO MIARI FULCIS
against fast fashion. our countries.

sustainable fashion
feature on page 42 Instead, she invests in “We should make
longer-wear items, and sure that they care about
supports brands that humanity, the environment
have more sustainable and the development of
practices in place. economically friendly
“I’d rather buy one technology even more than
piece of quality clothing, mankind did in the last
instead of buying a lot decades.”

THE (Above)
AVERAGE GUY
HOW DO YOU RATE?
THIS
MONTH
TheBeach
76%
WHAT MAKES A
GOOD BEACH
The top five factors
most important to
beachgoers:
of men worry
most about how
their stomach
looks when they
hit the beach.
67%
of men cover up
when they’re in a
Sand quality
swimming costume.
28.7% Water quality
14%
of people have had
OF MEN REGULARLY APPLY sex on the beach.

42.8% haven’t, but
SUNSCREEN ON THEIR FACE AND

would like to.
OTHER EXPOSED SKIN WHEN THEY’RE Inexpensive
OUTSIDE FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR. parking
Which compels us to ask: Seriously?
YOU SHOULD APPLY BROAD-SPECTRUM SUNSCREEN WITH AN

SPF OF AT LEAST 15 EVERY TWO HOURS OR AFTER TOWELLING OFF.
Restrooms
THE MANKINI
DAD The most
BOD
disapproved-ofpiece
of beach attire for men.
The second
MONAMAKELA/GETTY IMAGES
most preferred
male body type
(20%) after
“athletic” (54%).
(This is the drink, Rubbish bins
not the act, FYI.)

WORLD JANUARY
M E N ’ S H E A LT H B E Y O N D T H E P A G E Download your
digital copy at
zinio.com
Works on iPad,
Mac or PC.
QUESTION: It’s the New Year

HEALTH – how do I give up smoking? GET LOOSE
Don’t cramp up trying to hit your
There are loads of ways to quit, says medical
2020 fitness goals. Try these
researcher Dr. Michael Fiore; but there are stretches for immediate relief.
no magic bullets. Don’t set yourself up for Head to mh.co.za/tag/stretch
for more
failure. It may be okay for sandwiches the day
after Christmas, but cold turkey probably HEAD-TO-KNEE
won’t get you far when it comes to kicking Stand with your back
to a wall. Rest your
your butts, says Fiore. Neither will hypnosis, bum against it and
acupuncture or aiming lasers at acupuncture fold over at the hips.
points. “Those are probably the three worst Straighten your legs
and lower your chest
ways to stop smoking.” towards your thighs.
LEARN TO QUIT: MH.CO.ZA/HEALTH Hold for 1 min.
12
SEX DOWN DOG
ON WALL
Plant your hands
The number of shoulder-width apart
new sex on a wall and step
back until your body
positions you is bent at the hips.
should try this year. Spread your fingers
evenly, pressing your
Prioritise your happiness in 2020. hands and wrists
Researchers from the University of against the wall.
Colorado found that people who had Hold for 2 min.
sex at least once a week were 44%

more likely to be happy than people
TWISTING
who didn’t get down at all. So add CHAIR
our 12 new sex positions to your Place your right foot
on a seat. Grab your
to-do list. HAVE FUN: MH.CO.ZA/SEX
right ankle with your
left hand and extend
your right arm in the
air. Rotate your chest
SOME OF OUR FOLLOWERS ARE ENDING THE YEAR STRONG. TO BE FEATURED HERE, POST YOUR to the right. Repeat
MH-INSPIRED PHOTO ON INSTAGRAM AND TAG US @MENSHEALTHZA
on the other side.
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@menshealthza
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GETTY/GALLO; IMAGES SUPPLIED (INSTAGRAM)
Hendrik See all the stories

Rob Smith Jack Devina Hoogenboezem featured by scanning the
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@robsmith_wbffpro @jack_devina @hendrik_hoogen

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Elevate Your Abs Sessions
Improve Your Mobility
Take Your Best Shot
COMPILED BY MEGAN FLEMMIT
Use battle rope

exercises to Plan your meals.
improve muscle “To eat healthily,
endurance. routine is key. In the
“If you swing the gym you focus on
ropes repeatedly, your workout plan,
your heart rate and you’re building
rises rapidly, a routine. The same
and forces applies to nutrition. It
your core to takes me two weeks
remain stable. without cheating to
A perfect build a routine. After
challenge for this period, I’ve built a
your muscle system that helps me
fatigue.” to reach my fitness
level more easily.”
Cutting
Edge
Leron Moumen has
several weapons in his
arsenal to help him
live a healthy balanced
lifestyle. Before
becoming a fitness coach
for the Swiss Armed
Forces, the 24-year-old
was a chef. Upgrade your
life with his advice.
Build muscle with

the incline dumbbell
bench press.
Rowing is the “It’s great for overall
superior cardio chest development,
exercise. while also hitting the
PHOTOGRAPHY BYRON KEULEMANS
“It hits just about delts and triceps. In

everything in the addition, the core is
upper and lower body, activated at any time
as well as the core. of the exercise to
Unlike running, rowing create stability.”
is low-impact, and
redlines your engine in
a short time.”

BODY
(b)
THE MH ULTIMATE SERIES
The
CIRCUIT A (a)
Do 4 rounds of this circuit.
Smartest Way
to Use a 1 Single-Arm Standing
Shoulder Press
Stand holding a dumbbell at
Dumbbell
your left shoulder, feet shoulder-
width apart, knees slightly bent,
glutes squeezed, and core tight (a).
Keeping your chest level, straighten
your arm to press the dumbbell
overhead (b). Pause, then slowly
lower the dumbbell back to your
Yes, you can work every muscle in shoulder. That’s 1 rep; do 8 per arm.
your body with one piece of old-school gear. We love
kettlebells, med balls, and d resistance bands, but if we
had to choose one piece off equipment, it would be a
single dumbbell.
The game plan this month: three times a week,
you’ll grab the simplest toool in the gym and use it to
build muscle and banish fat f in a superdense half-hour (a)
workout. It’s the most effeective way to fry body fat, and
it’s the perfect way to train during the holidays. It’s also
exactly how Hollywood-based trainer Ben Bruno guides
time-strapped A-listers liike Justin Timberlake and
NBA star Klay Thompson n. “They want quick, efficient
workouts that hit everyth hing,” Bruno says. “So we need
to move fast.” (b)
It doesn’t get more efficcient than this light-speed,
one-dumbbell workout. – Ebenezer Samuel
2
Gob
blet
verse Lunge
Rev
Sttand holding a
dummbbell at your chest
(a). Tighten
T your core
DIRECTIONS: Do thiis and step back about
workout three times a week, three feet with your
resting at least one dayy right leg. Keeping
between sessions. Com mplete your chest up and the
each circuit, resting ass little as dummbbell high, bend
GROOMING: NATHAN ROSENKRANZ/HONEY ARTISTS. KYLE HILTON (SAMUEL).
possible between each h your knees and lower
exercise. Rest 90 seco onds your torso until your
between rounds. Before each left tthigh is parallel to
the floor
f (b). Your right
workout, warm up by doing
d 30
knee e should be a few
jumping jacks, 15 body yweight centimetres from the
squats, 10 Superman holds,
h floor. Pause, then push
and 10 push-ups. off your
y right leg and
stannd back up. That’s 1
rep; do 10 per leg.
EB SAYS:
Squeeze your glutes
whe en you stand up.
Thiss will help you avoid
loweer-back pain when
doinng lunges.
24 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAT WIRSING

YOUR MUSCLE MASTER
Ebenezer Samuel is a certified strength and
conditioning expert who has trained with
professional and Olympic athletes.
(b)
3
(a) Single-Arm Chest-Supported EB SAYS:
Batwing Row This is more than
Set a bench to a 45 degree angle a back move; your
and position yourself so your chest glutes and abs should
is against it; squeeze your abs and be into it, too. Tighten
glutes. With your left arm out at them up so your torso
shoulder height, hold a dumbbell doesn’t tip down to the
in your right hand, arm hanging side of the weight.
naturally. Squeeze your shoulder
blades. This is the start (a). Keeping
your shoulders and hips steady,
row the dumbbell to your right hip
(b). Pause, then return to the start.
That’s 1 rep; do 10 per arm.
CIRCUIT B
Do 3 rounds of this circuit.
2
Single-Leg Bodyweight
(a) EB SAYS: Hip Thrust
Struggling with Lie on your back, knees
the position? Bend bent and feet flat on the
your knees to make floor. Lift your right foot
it easier. off the floor and tuck your
right knee toward your
(b) chest (a). Tighten your
core. Driving your left heel (b)
into the ground, push your
lower back off the floor (b);
squeeze your left glute as
you do this. Pause, then (a)
return to the start. That’s 1
rep; do 10 per side.
1 Hollow-Body Single-Arm Press

Lie on your back, holding a dumbbell in your left hand,
arm straight, directly over your chest. Press your lower
back into the floor and lift your legs slightly off the floor;
lift your shoulder blades slightly, too. This is the start (a).
Bend at the elbow and shoulder, lowering the dumbbell
to your chest without loosing
i torso position
i i (b).
(b) Press
P
back to the start. That’s 1 rep; do 8 per arm.
(b)
3
Plank Row
Set up in push-up position, glutes and abs tight,
right hand gripping a dumbbell (a). Squeeze your
shoulder blades. Pull the dumbbell off the floor,
rowing it toward your rib cage but keepin ng your
hips and shoulders square (b). Pause. Retturn the
dumbbell to the start. That’s 1 rep; do 8 peer arm.
EB SAYS:
Focus on flexing the
oblique on the rowing (a)
side as hard as you can
to keep your hips level.

BODY
A
FORM MASTERCLASS
Gain and A
Maintain
ELEVATE YOUR ABS SESSIONS WAY B
ABOVE THE CRUNCHERS WITH THIS
FIENDISH TOES-TO-BAR MOVE. LEARN
THESE FOUR PROGRESSIONS, AND B
YOU’LL RAISE THE STANDARD OF
YOUR CORE WORKOUTS FOR GOOD.
01
SCAP RETRACTION
02
HOLLOW AND SUPERMAN
3 SETS OF 8 REPS 5 SETS OF 20SEC ON, 20SEC
It’s vital to get to grips with the OFF EACH POSITION
GET THE correct shoulder position when
attempting the full toes-to-bar.
The stages of the swinging
motion (known as kipping) will
HANG OF THINGS Grab the bar and start in a dead
hang, shoulders by your ears (A).
harness your momentum for the
full movement. Start on your
This is on the trickier end Switch into an active position by back with your arms straight by
of bodyweight moves, so depressing your shoulders away your head, then tense your core
(
from your ears (B). Keep your to raise your shoulders and feet
traiining and strengthening
arms straig g . (A).
(A) Flip over and lift yo
your hands
each position of the rrep will
ill and feet off the floor (B).
clea
an up your form when
w
theyy’re put together. It
I can
alsoo serve as a warm--up
oncce you’ve masteredd it.
B B
03 04
WORDS: DAVID MORTON; PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES
S
BEAT SWING STRICT KNEES-TO-ELBOW

3 SETS OF 2-5 REPS 3 SETS OF 3-6 REPS
Now, recreate those same positions Finally, you need to build some
but while suspended from the bar. extra strength. Hang from the bar
Hang with active shoulders and start in your active shoulder position (A),
by performing the hollow, with your then raise your knees (B). Hold for
head back and your feet in front a second, then lower slowly. Strict,
(A). Then, switch straight into the controlled reps, with a steady
superman, with your head forward tempo in the negative part of the
and your feet back (B). Create movement, will build the strength
WORKOUT BY as much tension in your core as you’ll require for the full toes-to-
RICHARD BROCKHURST possible, and swing back and forth. bar. Speaking of which…

WE HAVE LIFT-OFF
Now that you’re solid in all the phases, the
moment has come to perform your first full rep.
Use Brockhurst’s ti
moves together. High-five yourself at each
milestone, and be the envy of other gym-goers.
PHASE 3
JOIN FORCES
Linking reps together
requires a good exit
down from the bar.
Once you’ve hit the bar
with your toes, move
your heels towards
PHASE 1 your glutes and
extend through the
ACTIVE START bar into the Superman
Start off with beat PHASE 2 position. Now, pull
swings, then go into back into the hollow
a full kip swing. The PULL YOUR WEIGHT position for the next
difference between When you go for the rep. Start with short
the two is the range first rep, you want to sets and build up, but
of motion. With the feel like you’re pulling stay in control. As you
kip swing, aim to the bar down. This will get stronger, you can
move further back move you further back skip the kipping and
and through the bar, (reducing the distance start doing them more
while maintaining solid between your feet strictly.
midline tension. and the bar). Once in
the rear of the swing,
think knees-to-elbows,
then kick your feet to
touch the bar.

BODY
Regain Youthful Flexibility

YEARS SPENT SHACKLED TO A DESK AND SHIFTING HEAVY METAL AT LUNCHTIME HAVE CONSPIRED TO
TIGHTEN UP YOUR MUSCLES AND JOINTS, LIMITING YOUR FITNESS POTENTIAL. THESE FOUR MOVES WILL
TARGET YOUR BACK, SHOULDERS AND HIPS TO FREE UP MOBILITY LOST TO FATHER TIME. GET MOVING.
UPPER BODY
01 02
Dead Hang Banded Y-Angel
5 sets of 20sec 2 sets of 10 reps
Employ this bar-training Strengthen your posture
staple to release by “switching on” the
the tension in your muscles in your upper
shoulders. Jump and back. With a band tied
grab a pull-up bar and around a fixed object,
hang from it with an hold the other end in
overhand grip (A). front of you at shoulder
Completely relax your height with your palms
back and shoulders (B). facing each other (A).
Keep your legs together Retract your shoulders
and your core tight as and pull the bands
you hold this position down with straight
for 20 seconds. Jump arms, so they’re by
back down, rest for 10 your sides (B). Hold
seconds, then repeat for a second; then, B
four times. maintaining tension,
straighten your arms up
to a “Y” position. Hold for
another second before
reversing the move.
ISOMETRIC
DYNNAMIC
03 EXPERT 04
As a specialist in mobility Med Ball Hip
Deep Goblet Squat and functional range
4 sets of 10sec holds conditioning, Harvey 90/90 Transfer
Loosen up your hips, Lawton knows how to 2 sets of 10 reps
knees and ankles to help you move pain-free. Take your hips through
A
counteract the damaging their full range of motion
effects of a sedentary to offset any tightness.
lifestyle. Standing tall, Sitting on the floor with
hold a light kettlebell feet wide and knees bent,
to your chest (A). Drop squeeze a med ball to
down into a deep squat, your chest (A). Initiate the
maintaining a neutral transfer by moving your
spine with your chest knees down to one side,
up, knees pushed out pivoting on each heel until
and your elbows inside both knees hit the floor at
your knees (B). Hold this a 90º angle (B). Reverse
WORDS: MICHAEL JENNINGS; PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES
position for 10 seconds. to the opposite side and

Feel free to shift from side repeat for 10 reps.
to side while keeping
B your heels on the floor.
LOWER BODY
28 MH
MH.CO.ZA/
CO ZA/ J
January 2020
THE MH FINISHER
01
Sweep SIDE NOTES
Up More
Clear a space on your
02
hotel-room floor and
sit with your left leg
Holiday extended to your

right. Ensure your
GOING UP
Use your right leg
Gains
right foot and both to push upwards
hands are flat and immediately
on the floor, as engage your abs
they’ll provide to twist and slide
NO GYM? NO PROBLEM. the platform for your left foot to
KEEP YOUR SIX-PACK AND take-off. the left. Keep your
SHOULDERS IN BEACH-
hands flat on the
READY SHAPE WITH THE
floor, and engage
SIDE-SWEEPING PIKE
your shoulders as
you lift your glutes
up until you’re on
your tiptoes.
Picture the
scene: the hotel doesn’t have a
gym, your running shoes are
1 400km away and you just saw a H B S
hungover rugby player throw up
in the pool. As the glow of your
03
DO THE TWIST
X RCISE
YOU’RE
WHAT YOU’LL
GAIN...
hard training at home begins Continue to rotate NOT DOINGG
to fade, where are you meant to through your core and
twist your lower body
get your holiday fitness fix? The to face the opposite
answer is: absolutely anywhere. direction. Lower your
The side-sweeping pike will glutes, flatten your left
foot on the floor and
wipe away y any
y fears you
y have Gymnast’s
slowly slide your right
Mobility
about your six-pack becoming leg out to the left. Keep
a barrel. “This move works all your hands flat and
bend your left leg.
the abdo ominal muscles, hitting
your inteernal and external
obliques,” says trainer James
Stirling, Instagram’s London
Superhero
WORDS: MATT EVANS | PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES | MODEL: CHRISTOPHER WHITLOW AT ANDI PETERS MODELS
Fitness Guy.
G It’ll also target
Shoulders
your shoulders to maintain a
broad sillhouette and keep your
joints moving – justifying the
next 12 h hours you spend on a
sunlounger.
“It’s im
mportant to drive the
movemeent with your core,” 04
CLEAN SWEEP
Gym-Free
Muscle
says Stirling. “Initially focus on
Back on the floor, you
quality reps,
r but then work up to should be mirroring
longer seessions, and test yourself the start position.
with an AMRAP.”
A Challenge Push off with
your left leg and
yourself to Stirling’s 90-second slowly reverse
core burn ner before breakfast the move. That’s Ripped
every day for near-instant one rep. The only Core
thing left to do for
results. Talk
T about room service. a clean sweep? Hit 15
reps in 90 seconds.

BODY
vs P R E - WO R KO U T
ESPRESSO
Take Your Best Shot

TRENDING PRE-WORKOUT DRINKS PROMISE A PURER HIT OF PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING JUICE, BUT CAN
THEY BEAT THE ORIGINAL BOOSTER: THE HUMBLE ESPRESSO? HERE’S THE PEP TALK
The caffeine in
na The caffeiine in a
double shot of 500ml can of
Devil Mountain n, Monster energy
the self-proclaiimed
d drink. That’s
T a
“World’s Stronngestt le less from a lot
Coffee” – more more liqu u but
uid,
than half your RRDAA ill plenty to fire
in 60ml up your ssession
MUSCL
53%
On top of caffeine’s benefits, the University
20%
One very robusta meta-analysis* found
that the caffeine in your pre-gym shot of Córdoba found the citrulline added to
can boost muscle strength by a fifth, pre-workout drinks helps you add up to 53%
speeding up your route to a squat PB more bench press repetitions per workout
**INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS NUTRITION AND EXERCISE METABOLISM | †US NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE | ††UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
WEIGHT LOSS
Coffee helps you use up more fat during The beta-alanine in many pre-workouts helps
WORDS: BEN WELCH | PHOTOGRAPHY: STUDIO 33, DAVID NEWTON | *JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF SPORTS MEDICINE
exercise: the caffeine releases adrenalin, you train at high intensity for 13% longer**.
which stimulates your fatty tissue to break This helps you melt more kilojoules every
down and release fat into your blood time you don your HOVR Rises
HIT OR MISS?
Better erections Improved memory Heartburn Coffee breath Bigger muscles Laser focus Face tingles Weakened teeth
HEALTH
In a 10-year study†, coffee drinkers cut their Newer pre-workout brands have cleaned
risk of premature death by as much as 16%. up the act, but scientists have linked the
Curiously, the positive effects weren’t linked original class of energy drinks to diabetes,
to caffeine: decaf drinkers benefited equally mental health problems and kidney damage
PERFORMANCE
Whether it’s the gym or the rugby pitch, Your citrulline-packed pre-workout can
downing an espresso half an hour before
go time will boost performance by 11%,
according to the University of Luton 11 % 12 % provide a potent boost. In one study††,
cyclists could cycle 12% longer before
exhaustion – a tasty edge over the peloton
PRE-WORKOUT WINS!
THE MH …with one major caveat: this fight took place in the gym. To kick-start your day and improve your health,
espresso wins easily. But when your training needs extra fizz, the micros in pre-workouts have an
VERDICT undeniable edge. Drink them more than that, though, and you’re opening a can of worms.

LOST
8KG!
The School of
Hard Gains 1 THE PROBLEM
“At school I was always the
small guy, the scrawny boy
/ BY THAAQIB DANIELS who was picked on and bullied, time
JACO SMIT and time again. But I never fought
back. This went on all through primary
You’ve heard the story LOCATION: school and high school. I first stepped
plenty times before: skinny Mokopane, into a gym while I was at university. My
lad, picked on at school BEFORE Limpopo
main goal was to get as big as possible
simply because of how small he is. The OCCUPATION: – I wanted to lose the image of the
bigger boys target him, and label him Primary school small, skinny kid, and to become the
“wimp”. Jaco Smit was that kid; but in teacher and
sports coach guy people didn’t want to mess with. I
true triumph-of-the-underdog style, didn’t want to be the target anymore. It
he didn’t let the bullying get him down. AGE: 35
took a while for me to adjust to training
Years later, he returned to the classroom WEIGHT BEFORE:
90kg because I had never done anything like
– not as a scrawny teen, but as a strong that before, but I knew it would benefit
and confident teacher his learners WEIGHT AFTER:
82kg me if I gave it my all.”
could look up to. He lost 8kg; but
more importantly, he transformed his TIME TO GOAL
5 years THE LESSON: Take a step outside your
previously out-of-shape body into solid comfort zone; you’ll be amazed at what
muscle along the way. This is his story. you’re capable of.
32 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTIN DE KOCK

BODY
Jaco’s photoshoot was done at EMET Gyms in Johannesburg.
EMET is a private gym owned by Nic Ingel.
The
Muscle
We want to
hear your
weight-loss
and personal
Manual
success It’s a new year, a new decade,
stories! and a new chance for
Email us at you to crush those fitness
tellmh@
media24. goals – just like Jaco, and
com. the many other MH reader
transformations we’ve
featured in the past. But none
of these men made it happen
overnight; everyone had to
start somewhere, and grind
it out every day. So don’t
put too much pressure on
yourself, expecting quick
results. Start simply and
slowly, with these three
bodyweight moves. They’re
a great way to build muscle
and increase fitness without
the heavy lifting. Do 3 sets of
10 reps for each move.
Air squats
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2 THE CHANGE
“By 2014, going to the
gym had become such a
3 THE STRATEGY
“I’m a dad, and I believe in
setting a good example for
4 THE RESULT
“I live a healthy, balanced
life, while enjoying food and
Bench dips
big part of my life, I needed a new my kids, especially when it comes all the food groups in moderation.
challenge. I started looking for to staying healthy. I believe that the I have built the body I’ve always
something new, and found it in the way I live every day speaks of hard dreamt of, but I’m still pushing
form of competitive bodybuilding. work and dedication, and this will myself to do better. I believe you Scissor kicks
That’s when my transformation inspire my children to work hard should always set new goals, to make
really started. I had a new mission too. With the help of my coach, sure you stay motivated. The result Once you’ve mastered
to pursue. It changed my outlook Dave Watkeys, I’m tracking my of this journey is most definitely a these moves and you need
something more challenging,
on life, my relationship with food, kilojoule intake and exploring a great balance between being a dad,
check out Speed Shred –
and the way I looked at myself – few new things. His guidance helps achieving personal goals, and setting the 12-week bodyweight
and the way I set goals for myself. me make responsible choices in an example of hard work, dedication programme we’ve created
I realised that I could do anything terms of feeding my body properly and balance to my family. And that’s in collaboration with trainer
I set my mind to. Prepping for the to achieve my goals.“ all I could ever hope for.” Trevor Lagerwey. For more,
bodybuilding stage is one of the visit speedshred.co.za.
toughest mental and physical things THE LESSON: Fitness is not one size THE LESSON: Never lose sight of the
I’ve ever had to do.” fits all. Adapt your strategy to important things in life. Having
THE LESSON: Your mind is the most achieve the goals you’ve set for the ones you love at the finish with
powerful tool you have. Train your yourself; be the best version of you, celebrating those goals you’ve
mind first. yourself, not someone else. smashed, is priceless.

BODY
Your Golden Gut

INTESTINAL PAIN AND BLOATING ARE OFTEN A RESULT OF HOW YOU EAT. . . AND
SLEEP. . . AND EVEN BREATHE. GET ON YOUR GUT’S SCHEDULE BY ELIMINATING
THESE TRIGGERS. / BY ALICE OGLETHORPE
Between the billion-dollar gut. Eat a fibre-filled salad, and they produce Experts are beginning to see that gut
probiotic-supplement push, probiotic helpful waste products that speed digestion trouble tends to spring from a fairly simple
additives in food (probiotic chips!), along. Narrowly miss a car crash, and your concept: an imbalance of helpful and
and recent studies linking gut health body unleashes hormones with a cascade unhelpful bacteria. “The gut contains over
to everything from mental well-being of effects that can alter the microbes’ a trillion different bacterial organisms,
to cancer, the gut – those 7.6 metres of environment and cause digestive distress. which play a much bigger role in how your
intestines sitting inside your core – seems Microbes are like the office managers of your body functions than we used to think,”
to be the seat of all good health. Despite gut, involved in all that happens inside you says Dr. Kara Gross Margolis, an associate
what manufacturers would have you in a day. Nothing goes well if you piss them professor at Columbia University Medical
believe, getting your insides in shape isn’t off. If your gut isn’t happy, nobody’s happy. Centre and spokesperson for the American
as simple as ingesting a bunch of products. It gets grumpy – in the form of gas, bloating, Gastroenterological Association.
Everything you eat – and plenty that you do constipation, general discomfort – and Here are six top triggers that can make a
(even sleep) – can affect the microbes in your nothing good flows from there. healthy gut go awry.
34 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 ILLUSTRATION BY MAX-O-MATIC

“ The gut
contains
over a trillion
NOT ENOUGH FIBRE
different
EGGS FIRST THING, roast chicken
sandwich for lunch, sushi for
dinner; sure, this sounds like a
bacterial healthy diet. But where’s the fibre

(as in fruits, vegetables, beans)?
organisms,
You should get 38 grams daily; all
those foods have almost none.
“Good bacteria eat fibre – it’s
which play a
like sweets to them – and when
they consume it, they produce
much bigger
short-chain fatty acids, which
prevent inflammation and help
nerve endings in your intestine
role in how
move things along,” says Gilbert.
Without fibre, expect an intestinal
your body
traffic jam. And constipation can
bring on bloating, since it gives
waste more time to ferment and
functions
produce gas.
You may also be missing out on
microbes that help regulate mood.
than we used Not only does your gut produce 95

per cent of your body’s serotonin,
to think.
but brand-new research links
depression and lower amounts of
two types of gut bacteria. Scientists
don’t yet know exactly how to feed
these two and are sticking to the
THE and co-founder of the American

Gut Project, an investigation into
“eat more fibre” mantra, since it’s
a good idea no matter what.
TRIGGERS: the human microbiome. For your
intestines, morning food is critical.
“The bacteria in your intestine have
their own circadian rhythm,” he WHEN GUT
says. This makes their balance shift
dramatically throughout the day.
TROUBLE WON’T
For example, microbes that produce
GO AWAY
MORNING COFFEE tryptophan to help you feel sleepy
(AND NOTHING ELSE) flourish in the evening. A fibre- SOMETIMES, the issues in your
filled breakfast feeds the bacteria gut can’t be fixed with a few
lifestyle tweaks. If the problem is
BREAKFAST HAS come under you require during waking hours,
accompanied by weight loss, blood
fire lately for not being “the causing them to multiply and release in your stool, or vomiting, or if you
most important meal of the day”, the chemicals you need to power find that you can’t carry out normal
activities due to your GI woes, see
as some want you to think. But through the day. “When you disrupt
your doc to check whether you have
your gut begs to differ, says Dr. their circadian rhythm, it can lead to a disorder that needs more intense
Jack Gilbert, a professor at the the production of chemicals that can attention, such as irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS).
University of California San Diego make you feel sluggish,” says Gilbert.

BODY
USELESS FATS NERVES TOO LITTLE SLEEP

WHEN YOU FILL UP on sugar and “WHEN YOU’RE anxious or MISS A GOOD night’s sleep and
unhealthy fats – doughnuts, say, nervous, you may breathe you might wind up constipated
or a double cheeseburger – you’re more rapidly and swallow or bloated in the morning.
feeding your unhelpful bacteria. They more air, distending your Your digestive system needs a
then excrete chemicals that lead to intestines and making you solid snooze as much as you do.
inflammation, which can trigger feel bloated and gassy,” says “When you don’t rest for long
diarrhoea, bloating, and constipation. Men’s Health advisor Dr. Felice enough through the night,
A steady diet of those fats also messes Schnoll-Sussman. “Plus, you your body might not have
with a key job of your gut wall. Normally, may clench your abs, which can enough time to digest the food
that wall is lined with a layer of mucus. affect bowel motility.” Break the you ate throughout the day,”
All that unhealthy fat may thin this tension with whatever it takes – a says Dr. Schnoll-Sussman.
protective layer, allowing bacteria to few deep breaths, a step away Don’t hinder your gut from
sit right up against the lining of your from your desk, a set of push-ups. working its third shift.
intestines, according to Gilbert. That
unleashes your immune system and
sets you up for chronic problems such as
heart disease and diabetes.
of home test kits
claiming they can
determine whether
WAIT: you’re intolerant to
certain foods. But
WHAT IF I save your money,
HAVE FOOD says Ramesh. They
measure an antibody
ALLERGIES? in your blood
(immunoglobulin G,
or IgG), he explains.
The problem: after
YOU PROBABLY DON’T. Then what’s making you eat, you’ll have
EATING TOO FAST A little more than you so uncomfortable some antibodies to
half of the adults in after you eat? It could those foods whether
a large recent study be a food intolerance. you’re intolerant to
who thought they had That means for some them or not. So the
GAS CAN BE caused by the food you
a food allergy (19% reason your body is test might be able to
eat and the air you swallow if you eat of those examined) unable to digest a tell you what you ate
quickly. Some starches and sugars – actually did. If you certain component (which you probably
do, you’re probably of a food, says Dr. already knew) but
often good-for-you ones, like those
aware of it: a food- Manish Ramesh, not whether you’re
in beans, broccoli, and onions – are allergy reaction director of the Food intolerant. If you
poorly digested. So they make it to the typically happens Allergy Centre at really can’t figure out
within two hours, Montefiore Health why your GI tract
colon without being fully broken down.
often in minutes. System. That leaves complains, see a
The bacteria there get something to eat Symptoms can be the food component – gastroenterologist.
but are also more likely to produce gas life-threatening say, lactose from milk The trouble may
and include hives, – for the colon to deal not even be food
(more so in some people than others).
swelling, difficulty with, which is a messy related. “Most of
Of course, gum chewing and swallowing, throat affair that can result the time,” Ramesh
LESLIE XIA, SARAH LEITUALA (ICONS)
carbonated drinks can cause gas tightening, trouble in bloating, diarrhoea, says, “we can get
breathing, wheezing, and cramps. a pretty good idea
as well. If you’re really puffed up,
vomiting, rapid Unlike with a food of what’s going on
consider an OTC gas-relief product. heartbeat, and a drop allergy, symptoms just from talking to
They’re thought to reduce the surface in blood pressure. So of intolerance are people about their
we’re not just talking confined to the GI symptoms.”
tension of air bubbles in your system,
about an angry gut. tract. There are plenty – Brittany Risher
so they dissolve.

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need an adaptable laptop that doesn’t weigh you down as you
go from meeting to meeting. HP’s new Spectre x360 with
Microsoft Windows 10 has undergone a 13% size reduction
since the last model, and has an industry-leading 90%
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only 1.27kg. But smaller size doesn’t mean less functionality;
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STYLE
Get Through The Hot Months
Step Out In Style
Fit For Purpose
COMPILED BY AZEEZ JACOBS
Summer
SUMMER GROOMING IS LESS ABOUT LOOKING HEAD:
GOOD THAN ABOUT PREVENTING SWEAT, STINK AND AnEasyClean
n
GENERAL GROSSNESS. HERE’S HOW TO GET THROUGH
THE HOT MONTHS – FROM YO
YOUR HEAD TO YOUR FEET. Try this shampoo bar, which
is water-free, plastic-free
and cruelty-free. Good for
your hair and good for the
CHEST: environment.
StopBodyAcne Zero Shampoo Bar R75
zerobar.co.za
Pimples below the neck usually
aren’t acne but folliculitis –
inflammation of the hair follicle
caused by bacteria that thrive in
FACE:
moist environments. If you’re
prone, be sure to shower after you
De-Oil Your Face
work out, and use a spot treatment
cream to treat inflammation. Shiny skin looks sweaty,
Noreva Exfoliac Drying Lotion even if it’s not. Use Oil-Free
125ml R200 absoluteskin.co.za Moisturiser in the morning to
soak up oil throughout the
day. Jack Black Oil-Free
Sun Guard SPF 45 118ml
R440 absoluteskin.co.za
BODY: Maximise
Your Manscaping
PITS: Deodorant vs.
Antiperspirant
The downside of manscaping
(besides “manscaping”): itchy
A deodorant like this one stops you
stubble in weird places, like
from stinking, but not sweating –
your shoulders and back. Using
which we’re told is an important bodily
Shave Relief Balm after and
function. If you’re into naturals, resign
between shaves will help
yourself to a little shvitz. Dr Hauschka
soften the regrowth and
Rose Deodorant 50ml R296
prevent ingrown hairs, bumps,
woolworths.co.za
and razor burn. Woody’s
Shave Relief Balm 177ml R230
clicks.co.za
FEET: Sweat, But

Smell Great
NETHER REGIONS: People are going to see your feet

Don’t Ignore Them whether you want them to or not. Be
sure to cut your toenails (regularly)
with a straight-edge clipper (to help
Swamp ass. Ball sticking. Thigh
prevent ingrown nails), and exfoliate
chafing. Rather than using a
your calluses with a pumice stone on a
messy powder, opt for this
regular basis. Follow that up with a foot
quick-drying talc-less formula,
balm to keep your feet from looking
which goes on like a gel but turns
dry, cracked and flaky. And when all
into a dry, protective finish. Fresh
else fails, get a pedicure. Heel Balm
Body Fresh Balls 100ml R460
250ml R150 matsimela.co.za
takealot.com

YOUR
SUMMER
EMERGENCY
KIT
KEEP A FEW extra
ABOUT SUNSCREEN undershirts and button-
downs in the office, and
have some strategic
products at the ready to help
Suddenly the heat is on sunscreen. Hawaii has banned the sale of sun-protection you dry out, chill out, and
freshen up at a moment’s
products containing certain chemicals, such as oxybenzone, that some say contribute to the
notice. Consider this your
deterioration of coral reefs. Others, especially natural-health advocates, have claimed that these grooming to-gobag.
same ingredients may even cause cancer. (There is no medical evidence to support this.) That’s
why there has been a resurgence of mineral sunscreens, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide,
which some people believe are better for both the environment and our bodies.
The bottom line is that when it comes to our health, sunscreen is one of the most powerful
(if still imperfect) tools we have. “The biggest reason to wear sunscreen is skin-cancer
prevention,” says dermatologist Dr. Evan Rieder. “Men tend to get more aggressive skin
URIAGE AGE PROTECT
cancers, because we neglect ourselves. But sunscreen is also the number-one anti-ageing MULTI ACTION CREAM
medication we have available.” Provided, that is, you use it correctly. And using it correctly For when your face looks
involves ignoring a few common myths. Like these: too shiny. SPF30 40ml
R585 dischem.co.za
H E RE’S A WHOLE LOT OF BSPF!
MYTH #1: Darker skin doesn’t MYTH #4: If you don’t burn
need sunscreen. easily, SPF 15 is enough. Try a sprinkle of this at the
While it’s true that darker skin has natural protection “The American Academy of Dermatology roots of your hair to absorb
against the sun because it produces more melanin guidelines say that SPF 30 is the minimum you excess oil.
than lighter skin, that doesn’t mean those with dark should be using,” says Rieder. “Most people don’t DRY SHAMPOO POWDER
skin don’t have to wear sunscreen. “If people are apply it like they’re supposed to, so you do get 50g R105 lush.co.za
going to be outside and going to have their skin additional benefit from going to SPF 50 or higher.”
exposed, I don’t care what their skin looks like; they
should be wearing sunscreen, because everybody
can get sun damage,” says Dr. Rieder. No matter
MYTH #5: Coconut oil has a
what your skin colour, skin cancer is a risk. In fact,
natural SPF.
the darker your skin, the harder it is to detect certain It’s a common claim in our increasingly “natural”-
kinds, such as melanomas. Regular skin checks obsessed world, but the reality is that a sunscreen’s DETTOL ORIGINAL WIPES
are essential, and wearing sunscreen is your best SPF undergoes testing and is standardised by Get as close to a shower as
defence. various official bodies, whereas that of a natural oil possible. 40’s R53
such as coconut is not. Even if it does have natural clicks.co.za
MYTH #2: Mineral sunscreens protective qualities, they’re probably too weak to
don’t block the sun as well as make a difference.
chemical sunscreens.
Chemical sunscreens work by converting UV MYTH #6: Wearing sunscreen
rays to heat. Mineral sunscreens form a physical means you’re not allowing your
layer to block them from even getting into your skin to get enough vitamin D. LAB SERIESS FOR
F MEN
skin, and many believe they work just as well. “I BB TINTED MOISTURISER
“Most people get an adequate amount of
recommend a physical sunscreen. It offers more The universal tint cuts
vitamin D from just 15 minutes in the sun a couple
robust protection,” says Rieder. down redness. SPF35 50ml
of times a week,” says Rieder. It’s unlikely that
wearing sunscreen would cause a normal adult R515 woolworths.co.za
to become vitamin D-deficient; and even if it did,
MYTH #3: If you wear a high “the best way to get vitamin D supplementation is
SPF, you don’t have to reapply actually from a pill,” he adds.
it as often.
“SPF just means it takes longer for you to burn, MYTH #7: Layering SPF 30 and
as opposed to not having sunscreen at all,” Rieder
SPF 20 is the same as wearing
explains. Wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of BELOW THE
T BELT
50 will keep you from burning 50 times longer
SPF 50, right? GROOMING FOR MEN
than wearing no sunscreen, but you still have to Your protection is only as strong as the highest SPF A gentle cleanser for gentle
reapply it every couple of hours. you’re wearing. “It’s not cumulative,” says Rieder. places. Fresh & Dry Balls
75ml R129 takealot.com

What this Means
THE SUNSCREEN AWARDS

It’s organic, so perhaps
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REN Clean Screen

Mineral SPF 30 Face Kiehl’s Activated
Sunscreen The recycled Sun Protector
plastic packaging makes SPF50
this sunscreen clean Don’t like the
inside and out. Ren uses feeling of funk on
50% recycled plastic your face? This
to create the tube and lightweight facial
100% recycled plastic sunscreen feels like
for the cap. 50ml R660 nothing, and still packs a
renskincare.co.za protective punch. (150ml
R730 edgars.co.za)
Everysun
Everyday
Moisturising
Lotion SPF 20.
Some sunscreens
can make your
face shiny or chalky. This
one doesn’t. (200ml R50
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Vichy Ideal Soleil

SPF50 Invisible
Hydrating Mist
Sunscreen is
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WORDS BY GARETT MUNCE AND AZEEZ JACOBS, PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES GARAGHTY

tattoo protection.
This spray contains
broad-spectrum SPF
and skin-hydrating
ingredients. (200ml R335
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WHAT TO DO IF YOU DIDN’T READ THIS STORY IN TIME

W
Skin reacts to UV rays by producing melanin (the pigment that gives you a tan) to protect itself, but there are
limits to what it can do that even sunscreen can’t change. Once the maximum amount of melanin has been
produced, a burn sets in. Sunburns are itchy and uncomfortable, and can be very serious. (If you start seeing
blisters, head to the doctor.) The good news is that they’re treated fairly easily: use burn-soothing ingredients
such as aloe and colloidal oatmeal (try Nivea Sun After Sun Moisture 200ml R63 clicks.co.za, or Totally Wild
Organic Aloe Gel 100ml R99 faithful-to-nature.co.za); keep the burn moisturised, so it doesn’t dry out and
peel; and target inflammation under the surface with a drug such as aspirin or lidocaine.

IN FULL VIEW
On the soccer pitch, in the office or on the road, bright light can put a strain on your eyes. Keep
your eyes on the prize with ACUVUE® OASYS with Transitions™ Light Intelligent Technology™
Every day, our eyes are conditions throughout the

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AT A GLANCE…
- These lenses continuously balance the amount of light entering the eye, One of TIME’s
helping the wearer manage a range of light conditions throughout the day.2 Best Inventions
- They’re built with Transitions™ Light Intelligent Technology™ to adjust
from clear to dark and back again based on intensity of changing light conditions.2
of 2018
© 2018 TIME USA LLC. Used under license.
- For daily wear with a two-week replacement time.
*© Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Ireland) T/A Vision Care Ireland RSC; †Defined as the ability to see comfortably in bright light; ¡Compared to ACUVUE® OASYS with HYDRACLEAR® PLUS; 1FDA Press Release: FDA clears first contact lens with
light-adaptive technology https://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm604263.htm April 10, 2018; 2JJV Data on File 2018: Definition of ACUVUE® OASYS with Transitions™ Light Intelligent Technology™;
3JJV Data on File 2018: ACUVUE® OASYS Contact Lenses with Transitions™ Objective Clinical; 4JJV and FH TRUE Global Intelligence™ 2019 Global Survey; 5American Academy of Ophthalmology. What is Photokeratitis. Available at: https://www.
aao.org/eye-health/diseases/photokeratitis-snow-blindness. Accessed 22 Jan 2018; 6American Optometric Association. UV Protection. Available at: https://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/caring-for-your-vision/uv-protection. Accessed 22
Jan 2018; 7Walls HL, Walls KL, Benke G. Eye Disease Resulting From Increased Use of Fluorescent Lighting as a Climate Change Mitigation Strategy. American Journal of Public Health. 2011;101(12):2222-2225. §Helps protect against transmission
of harmful UV radiation to the cornea and into the eye. ‡All ACUVUE Brand Contact Lenses have Class 1 or Class 2 UV Blocking to help provide protection against transmission of harmful UV radiation to the cornea and into the eye. UV absorb-
ing contact lenses are NOT substitutes for protective UV absorbing eyewear such as UV absorbing goggles or sunglasses because they do not completely cover the eye and surrounding area.
The third-party trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
ACUVUE OASYS is a trademark of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Ireland) T/A Vision Care Ireland RSC. Transitions is a registered trademark, the Transitions logo, Transitions Light Intelligent Technology and Transitions Light Intelligent Lenses
are trademarks of Transitions Optical, Inc. used under license by Transitions Optical Limited. © Johnson & Johnson Vision Care ©Johnson & Johnson Medical (Pty) Ltd. 2019. MOS130_19
By Azeez Jacobs • Photographs Carlo Miari Fulcis
One of the smartest ways to update your wardrobe in 2020 is

to invest in sustainable fashion. That means supporting brands
committed to sustainability through using recycled, eco-friendly
fabrics that feel as good as they look.

You don’t have to go
naked to save the planet.
Here’s our favourite
sustainable gear to kick-
start the new year. −>

i
sustainable and eco-friendly all

round. In 2017 they sold one million
pairs of Parley trainers, made from
intercepted ocean waste, and
have since introduced a line of
Parley recycled clothing. They’ve
also committed to reducing waste
production, energy consumption
and water usage by at least 20%
by 2020, and are reducing their
environmental footprint at all
consumer events. Workout gear
that works for the planet, too.
W.N.D. Parley jacket R1 499, Parley

shorts R999, Alphabounce Parley
shoes R1 599, all at adidas.co.za

Trends Of The Earth
Hemp is trending, and fashion brands are jumping
on the bandwagon. Case in point: the fibres in these
Sealand Gear T-shirts are made from a blend of hemp
and organic cotton. The back logo is also made from
55% hemp and 45% organic cotton. Some of the
many benefits of hemp include durability, low water
and zero chemical usage, natural protection from UV
rays, breathability, and great insulation, to keep you
cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Hemp and Organic T-shirt for men R550 each at

Sealand Gear

Eco Cred
“Environmentally friendly”
doesn’t have to mean
exorbitant. H&M releases its
Conscious Exclusive collection
annually, made with sustainable
materials, and fashion brands
such as Country Road, Zara and
Woolworths are committing
to eco-conscious casual wear.
That’s a win for the planet, your
style and your bank account.
Left: Organic Cotton Top

R329 H&M, Linen Shorts R899
Country Road
Right: Denim Shirt R499,
Cotton T-shirt R150, Suit Pants
R599, all at Woolworths

Ethical Choices
Buying ethically means
you’re empowering others. A
number of brands are working
on ethical manufacturing,
finding innovative ways to
reduce emissions and waste,
and creating better quality
of life for the workers who
pull it all together. Check the
“about” section on a brand’s
website, or stalk their social
media channels. Brands that
have sustainable practices are
generally expressive about
their production methods.
Left: T-shirt R799

Timberland, RE: Skinny Jeans
R499 Woolworths
Right: T-shirt R399,
Chinos R679, both Zara

Biodegradable
Investments
One of the oldest known fibres, linen comes
from the flax plant, which grows naturally
and requires no additional water other than
rainwater – making it the most eco-friendly
fabric. When untreated (i.e. not dyed) it’s
also fully biodegradable, as are silk, wool,
organic cotton and hemp fabrics. Add linen
to your wardrobe – a shirt, a pair of shorts
or a suit – with environmentally conscious
brands like Country Road and Timberland,
who don’t skimp on style.
Bio-base Sunglasses R2 860 Timberland

at SDM Eyewear, Linen Shirt R899 Country
Road, Linen Shorts R1 599 Timberland,
Sunset Flops R325 Samba Sol

Bottles To
Boardshorts
Love the beach? Then you’ll
appreciate what these surfer
brands are doing for the
environment. Billabong and
Quicksilver have a collection
of boardshorts made out
of recycled plastic bottles.
Most plastic bottles are made
from something called PET
(polyethylene terephthalate). PET
also makes polyester, which is
used in these boardshorts. Very
simply: the bottle is broken down
into chips. These become a fibre,
which in turn becomes a yarn.
And that gets sewn into your new
favourite pair of boardies –
a wearable reminder to keep the
ocean plastic-free.
Left: Cotton shirt R375

Conscious Collection at H&M,
Sunday shorts R900 Billabong,
Shoes R350 Woolworths.
Right: Union Heather Amphibian

Shorts R900 Quicksilver at
boardriders.co.za, Alphabounce
MODELS: ROCHÉ, BART AND SEID AT BOSS MODELS, VICTOR AT BASE MODELS, KRISTINA AT ICON MODLES, NINI AT COVER MODELS. GROOMER: SAM
Parley Shoes R1 599 adidas.co.za

SCARBOROUGH AT ONE LEAGUE. FASHION ASSISTANT: NADIA EKSTEEN. PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: STEPHANIE VILJOEN.
Wear and Care
From the pesticides and Raw unveiled a different
insecticides used to grow project, called the “Most
cotton, to the massive amounts Sustainable Jean Ever”. This
of water, energy, and chemicals featured the creation of the first
used to process the materials ever Cradle to Cradle Certified
and turn them into denim, Gold denim fabric. And
jeans are among the least eco- Woolworths RE: Denim is made
friendly items to make. But as using BCI cotton – sustainable
responsible consumers, we cotton that’s produced using
can do our part by shopping farming methods that protect
brands that value sustainability. nature, conserve water and care
In 2010, Levi’s launched the for the people who produce it.
Better Cotton Initiative, which
trains farmers to use less Left to right: Slimfit Jeans
water, pesticide, insecticide R599 H&M, RE: Jeans R499
and synthetic fertiliser when Woolworths, Sustainable Jeans
growing cotton plants. G-Star R2 299 G-Star Raw, Sustainable
Jeans R899 G-Star Raw,
Recycled Denim R629 H&M

STYLE GETTING READY
Sean McCollet
THE MODEL AND TV PRESENTER ON SABC1’S INSTAPRENEURS TALKS US THROUGH HIS
MORNING ROUTINE. HERE’S HOW HE SETS THE TONE FOR A GOOD DAY – PLUS THREE STYLE TIPS
TO CONQUER ANY OCCASION. / BY NADIA EKSTEEN
02
05
7am 7:45am
Every man needs a Just before heading
good start to his day. out the door, I take a 10.40am
The best way for me is muscle protein shake It’s time for my second
with a cup of green from Supplements SA breakfast. I make a
tea and honey. It’s Creatine and grab my quick muscle-building
packed with JBL wireless brekkie, consisting of
health-promoting headphones. Music egg whites, a beef
compounds that are increases my stamina patty, mushrooms,
good for the body and and puts me in a good toast and orange juice.
mind. mood. 02. JBL
wireless on-ear
headphones 11.10am
7.15am R1 200 takealot.com No look is complete
I grab a quick bowl of without accessories –
muesli and yoghurt I never leave the house
before I get ready for 8.30am without my watch and
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDILE MTHEMBU

gym. My work requires me sunglasses. Guess has
to look fit and stay a variety of great
healthy, so I hit the gym casual watches, and
7.30am three times a week, 03 10.26am m my aviator Persols are
10.25am
My gym gear consists doing weight training. I do my owwn styling for my go-to for any look.
I’m a sucker for a
of tights and vest. I And I’ve recently started the show, and keep my 05. Blue & Gold tone
good fragrance, and
do a lot of weight with boxing, because looks casual and cool. I watch R3 595 guess.
a current favourite is
training, so wearing a I’m not a fan of cardio. love wearing my co.za Persol aviators
Carolina Herrera CH
vest allows me to see My workout lasts for leather jacket with R3 190 Luxottica
for men. It’s a great
the result while about 60 to 90 minutes black slim
m-fitted jeans
summer scent.
working out. Nike has before I head home. and a T-shhirt. Add some
03. Carolina
some great Herrera CH for Chelsea bboots, and you
compression tights men EDT 50ml have a combo that
that give you support 10.00am never disaappoints.
R1 150 woolworths.
throughout your My grooming routine is 04. Leath her jacket
co.za
workout. fairly simple. After a R2 699 Z ara
01.Nike Pro Sport tough workout, I hop
Clash R700 nike.com into the shower and
scrub away with a
Protex soap bar, and 06
follow with a Nivea
shower gel. The two
cleansers are different,
but they get the job
done better together.
10:20 am
04
I have sensitive skin,
and wearing make-up
on set for work does
put some strain on it.
Step Out In Style
Sean’s tips for looking effortlessly cool.
I wash my face twice
daily with Oxy Face
Wash gel, and use Size It Up Colour Pop No Limits
organic coconut oil to Know how to dress for See what works we ell with Don’t stick to the
moisturise. It’s your frame. A simple, your skin tone. I’m lucky rules. When wearing
naturally anti- good-quality T-shirt with fitted enough to be able to pull off a suit to an event, try taking
bacterial, and jeans and Chelsea boots is a bright colours, and try to bring risks by leaving the tie at
contains lauric acid, winner in my book. That, together that to the red carpet. Why wear a home; or better yet
yet, swap
which kills acne- with confidence, is sure to look black blazer when you can go out your shirt for a printed
01 causing bacteria. good on anyone. bold in gold? T-shirt.
020
C
T H E W I N N E R:
T R E VO R L A G E R W EY
FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE

Toyota Fortuner 4×4 Challenge: This is what it took to win
the main prize – a Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 4x4 6AT!
After months of build-up and anticipation, How the action unfolded out fashion, the last competitor standing
finalists in the Toyota Fortuner 4×4 Challenge The contestant/hero pairing took place at received a starting advantage in the lagoon
were put to the ultimate test. Pezula Resort in Knysna, by means of drawing paddling challenge. Trevor Lagerwey earned
colour-matching ping-pong balls, and the this advantage; and as he was paired with
What is the Toyota 4×4 teams were announced: Olympic rower Kirsten McCann, the two
Challenge all about? • Trevor Lagerwey & Olympic rower made light work of the cold Knysna lagoon,
Four participants (chosen by the four Kirsten McCann; and earned first place in Round One.
media partners: Media24, Highbury Media, • Michelle Meyer & Dakar racing champ In the second task – the Pezula Night
Independent Media and Tiso Blackstar) Giniel De Villiers; Duathlon – the contestants set off on a sprint
teamed up with four celebrities (or “heroes”, • Jacob Maboja & dancer/choreographer run, with navigational instructions from their
in challenge-speak), to compete in a range of Nkateko (Takkies) Dinwiddy; Garmin Fenix 6 Plus Smartwatches. After the
super-challenging tasks. The grand prize? A • Dieter Pey & Cheetahs rugby player run they had to to identify 15 African countries
Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 4×4 6AT! Oupa Mohoje. on a map spread out on the bonnet of each
The 2019 event marked the fourth Cool and wet conditions added an team’s Toyota Fortuner.
instalment, incorporating elements from extra element of challenge to each of the Day Two brought with it five competitive
previous years as well as all-new challenges. competitive tasks. Ouch! tasks, kicking off with the Salomon Trail Run
This year’s edition required a combination of along the cliff paths of Cairnbrogie, located
mental and physical fitness skills. And thanks Tackling the challenge on the outskirts of Plettenberg Bay. After the
to the sponsors – Garmin, Specialized and The first challenge – aptly named the Garmin run each team had to answer a Fortuner-
returning sponsor Salomon – who provided Lifesaving Flags Eliminator – consisted of a related brainteaser, and hit the hooter to lock
the necessary gear, the contestants were lifeguarding-inspired beach sprint elimination in their time. Meyer and De Villiers managed
ready for battle. on the shores of Leisure Isle. In a knock- to claw back valuable time here.
PROMOTION
Ramping it up
Then came the Specialized Epic Pump Track
Challenge – and as the name implies, the task
involved some state-of-the-art Specialized
mountain bikes, and a challenging pump track.
While the contestants pedalled furiously, their
hero partners had to call out navigational
instructions from the viewing deck.
Enlisting navigational, endurance and
level-headed thinking, the Toyota Obstacle
Challenge required the teams to set off
and find key raft-building components,
using their Garmin Fenix 6 watches to find
predetermined coordinates. After gathering
all the elements, they had to assemble a raft
(capable of transporting themselves across
the dam), and make their way to the check-
point. Strong head-on winds made paddling
an almost impossible chore. In the end only
two teams – De Villiers/Meyer and Lagerwey/
McCann – reached the checkpoint, with the
remaining two teams earning DNFs.
The Toyota Blind Drive Challenge saw
blindfolded contestants navigating an
obstacle course behind the wheels of
their Fortuners, guided by their partners’
instructions – but the task came with
a penalty system. After many anxious
moments, all four teams (and their Fortuners)
emerged unscathed. Although the individual
results and leaderboard were not disclosed at
H I S T E A M M AT E : the time, Dieter Pey and Oupa Mahoje made
O LY M P I C R OW E R quick work of the maze, earning the pairing
well-deserved points.
K I R ST E N M C C A N N
The final challenge saw a shift in gear,
presenting a unique test: Clay Pigeon
Shooting. The trick Garmin Xero S1
Trapshooting Trainer was used to evaluate
each of the eight shooters’ accuracy and
score. With the wind buffeting, temperatures
dropping and grey clouds looming, it was
the contestants’ time to shine. All four teams
gave it their all, and put in valiant efforts.
After two days of duking it out, Trevor
Lagerwey (who entered via Men’s Health
magazine, along with teammate Kirsten
McCann) was crowned Fortuner 4×4
Challenge champion for 2019. Teamwork and
consistency earned him the keys to a brand-
new Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 4×4 6AT.
But the three runners-up did not leave
empty-handed: all contestants received a
Specialized Epic Comp mountain bike and
cycling gear, Garmin Fenix 6 Plus smartwatch
and Salomon apparel, valued at over R60 000.
TOYOTA FORTUNER 2.4 GD-6

4X4 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC
Price: R556400
Full leather interior
Electronic 4x4 shifting on the fly
SA’s best-selling SUV
Power: 110 kW @ 3 400 rpm
Torque: 400 Nm @ 1 600 rpm
Full suite of safety & convenience features
New 8" infotainment system
LIFE
Supercharge Your Salmon
Power Up Your Ride
Survive The Battlefield
COMPILED BY KELLEIGH KOREVAAR
M A K E A
HO W T O
N G E TA W A Y
G REE
i s eco-friendly
, what exactly focuses on
all it ies
First of ? Well, mainly ring communitall,
tourismation, empowe bly. Second of th-
conserv elling sustaina head for an ear n a
v o
and tra earth can you your only opti hat’s
n T
where o oliday? And isgging hippies? R
saving hne with tree-hu E LLE I G H KO RE VA A Turn the page for more.
commu e come in. / BY K
where w

LIFE
- T EC H
THE T R AV E L
H
S U STA I N A B LY
IG
Off the grid doesn’t
A N D I N ST Y L E :
H
have to mean off the
beaten track. Enjoy
this high-tech,
low-impact escape.
HOUSE
DO YOUR BUSINESS
Güdsheet 2ply
“ECHO, MAKE ME A CUP OF COFFEE.” Imagine having your BICYCLE AND Sometimes nature
coffee prepared before you set foot out of bed. At theLAB E-SCOOTER HIRE calls. But no one needs
guesthouses, you don’t have to imagine. Each room is to see the white flags
In theLAB’s picturesque
of you and everyone
fitted with the LivinAfrica Box, which is a sophisticated settings, there’s plenty to before you. This 100%
and locally designed room-automation system. Ask Echo explore around each of biodegradable TP is
to turn off the lights, turn on the music or open the blinds the houses. Minimise fuel made from sugar cane
from the comfort of your bed. You might be tempted consumption by hiring one fibre and wood pulp.
not to leave. But theLAB’s innovation goes beyond its of their bikes to experience
high-tech facilities. Each guesthouse operates with an the neighbouring farms
eco-conscious ethos. Your room’s automation system in Franschhoek and
switches off heat, lighting and power when people leave, Robertson, or take in the
minimising the amount of power used. Roofs are adorned sights of Hout Bay.
with solar panels, decreasing the facilities’ reliance on
non-renewable power sources. And the guesthouses are PHILIPS HUE LIGHTS
all situated in picturesque towns away from the bustle of Each room is fitted with
Philips Hue lightbulbs. STEP OUT IN STYLE
the city; choose between Franschhoek, Robertson and
Not only are these smart Timberland ReBOTL
Hout Bay. Regardless of your choice, these features will This range uses durable
bulbs energy efficient,
turn your visit into a memorable one, all while decreasing material made from
they provide the perfect
your carbon footprint: ambience, regardless of recycled plastic bottles.
Plus, they’re supportive –
what you’re doing. The
SOLAR-POWERED, p64). If you’re one of the eco- and stylish, too.
lights can be controlled
FREE ELECTRIC CAR conscious few who owns one, with your voice or hooked
CHARGING STATION you can charge up at any of into an alarm system that
Electric cars are becoming theLAB guesthouses before will brighten and dim them
increasingly popular (see moving on. to mimic the sunrise and
sunset. Plus: change the light
colours to suit your mood.
POWER UP
NATURE-FRIENDLY
Red-E RS80
PRODUCTS Solar Powerbank
The eco-friendly ethos With a rugged shock-
extends to the products proof and water-
used in their spas. Each resistant design, you
guesthouse is stocked can take it anywhere
with TheraVine and Owl’s and charge multiple
products, which are both devices
friendly to nature. simultaneously.
NO PLASTIC WATER
BOTTLES
In an effort to curb
plastic consumption, the
guesthouses use only glass
bottles. Stay hydrated, all while
helping the environment.
Book at: thelab.africa
G R E E N G E TAWAY R U L E S NO. 11: Book direct flights. Take-offs and landings create a lot of carbon emissions.

THE
CARBON-
NEUTRAL
CITY
ESCAPE
CITY SLICKERS REJOICE,
you don’t have to head into
the great outdoors in order to
get on the clean green
wagon. Hotel Verde Cape
Town Airport was the first
hotel in Africa to offer 100%
offset carbon-neutral acco-
modation. And you’ll get a
certificate to prove it, too!
These are just a few of their
famous sustainable features:
1
THEY’RE
LU XU RY
CHARGED UP.
Between the 220
photovoltaic roof pan-
els, three wind turbines
This is your natural, no-BS, ECO-RESERVE and energy-generating
gym equipment, you
hippie-free hideaway. can leave dirty energy in
the dark.
2
THE CREATORS OF GROOTBOS NATURE RESERVE don’t just conserve THEY’RE IN A WAR
ON WASTE.
the environment; they are actively ensuring that they support and build Working towards a
their ecosystem by pioneering new paths to do so. From the mountain zero-to-landfill goal,
98% of their waste is
spring water that you drink while on the reserve to simply staying there, reused, repurposed or
you’llbeupliftingthesurroundingcommunityandlocalsmallbusinesses. recycled.
3
Last year, over 7 000 community members benefited from different THEY’RE WATER
Grootbos Foundation initiatives. It’s this effort to place conservation WARRIORS.
Grey-water systems,
and community at their core that has led to their world-class collection dual-flush toilets and
rainwater collectors
of curated experiences. From botanical 4x4 tours, shark-cage diving and keep the eco-friendly
horse riding to whale watching, quadbiking and fatbike tours, there won’t features flowing.
4
beasingleboredoruninterestedtravellerinsight.Andyou’lleatlikeaking
THEY’VE GOT
while doing all of this: a lot of the food that they serve is grown right there GREEN THUMBS.
on the reserve. Their fresh organic produce is then prepared by their very Check out the roof
garden, 475-plant
experienced culinary team. Choose between the Garden Lodge, Forest food garden, wetland,
Lodge or private villas; each has something different to offer. Best part? eco-trail, eco-pool,
gym and two beehives
You can curate your getaway based on the kind of trip you want, and they housing 60 000 Cape
honey bees.
also provide suggested itineraries. Book at: grootbos.com
ADDITIONAL WORDS: MEGAN FLEMMIT. PHOTOGRAPHS:
JARED RUTTENBERG, ANDBEYOND.COM
T H E G R E E N ( E R ) G ETAWAY
Go beyond to andBeyond Phinda Forest Lodge
YES, WE HEAR YOU – forests are pretty damn green “Zulu Zen”, one of the world’s first eco-designed luxury
already. But it’s not all about compost toilets and grey-water lodges, takes it to a new level. The suites are on stilts, which
veggies: the way your favourite holiday house has been not only creates spectacular views but means the forest
constructed can have a negative effect on the environment, floor isn’t disturbed as you float above it. Bonus: you get to
too. So finding an eco-sensitive destination that’s been built live out your Tarzan dreams while dwarf forest antelope dash
with as little impact on the environment is rare; andBeyond’s around and under your suite. Book at: andbeyond.com
NO. 8: Honour local customs. NO. 65: Travel in small groups, they have less of an environmental impact.

THE
S H O R E-W I N
BEACH
G ETAWAY
Soak up the sun without
damaging your skin or
environment.
THE use less than two kilowatts of electricity
C L E A N -A I R
per day. Just for comparison, the average
THIS SUMMER, you may want
household can burn through fifteen times
nothing more than to pack those
that amount in the same 24 hours.
CABINS
collared shirts into your cupboard
On your first afternoon, go for a hike and slip into some Granadilla
through the reserve. You’ll walk up baggies and slops until you’re
forced back to reality. What could
FLUSHING THE TOILET with a spadeful into the mountain range, past gurgling
be more relaxing than heading out
of sand doesn’t quite sound like luxury streams and through dense wooded of the country to Mozambique?
accommodation. But that’s exactly how the areas before the path flattens out at the Savas Dunes is as remote as it is
Oudebosch Eco Cabins feel. Situated in the top of the valley. The hike is challenging beautiful. Nestled in golden sand
dunes between Tofo and Barra, it
Kogelberg Nature Reserve (just a two-hour in parts – particularly when you’re
has emerged as a real hidden gem.
drive from Cape Town), your cabin is one of clambering over boulders to a point where It’s run on solar power with solar
five huddled in the shadow of the Kogelberg the overgrown trail resumes – but the view geysers and uses borehole water.
mountains. They each have their own from the top makes it all worth it (just But their most famous
contribution is their relationship
names: Erica, Fire Lily, Marsh Rose, Iris pack a big bag of trail mix to stay fuelled; with the community and
and Everlasting Daisy. They sound like a you can easily kill eight hours up there). environment around them. Eggs
group of enthusiastic fire dancers you’d run Back at the cabin, take the “eco” shower are collected from the chickens
into at AfrikaBurn. But the pyrotechnics for a test drive. Just like the wood stove that can be found on the property,
and the vegetable patch means
start and end with the cabin’s wood stove, and water-less toilet, it doesn’t feel like the mouth-watering meals you eat
which is stacked with slow-burning logs to a downgrade – it feels right. The water is are fresh farm-to-table creations.
keep you warm. Wood is a carbon-neutral steaming hot, and knowing that those Our advice? Stay in the ocean-
facing cottages with a private
fuel, which means it doesn’t add extra piping temps were simmered up by the
deck area and hammock. Book at:
carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle. Simply sun throughout the day makes you feel less savasdunes.com.
put: it’s an eco-friendly way to stave off the guilty for taking a few extra minutes to If you’re not up for leaving SA,
winter chill. It’s just one of many ways these savour the sensation. Sitting in the lounge, Thonga Beach Lodge on the
Elephant Coast is a great choice.
cabins have been built to minimise impact craft beer in hand – a golden ale from
You’ll be right on the beach but it’s
on the environment. The roof is planted the Garden Route – and a crackling fire a been designed to be in complete
with local flora for insulation. A solar panel few centimetres from your feet, you’ll be harmony with the environment;
powers the geyser. In the shower, water content. There’s no TV blaring in the the suites are on wooden stilts to
avoid damaging the dunes. Book
trickles down between wooden boards and background or WiFi connection
at: thongabeachlodge.co.za
is absorbed by the ground underneath. feeding endless information With either of these
And yes, there’s a waterless toilet – but to your phone. You’ll power locations you’ll do no
it doesn’t smell (even after a few days). down – literally. But it’ll feel like damage to the environment.
As for your skin? Check out
When occupied by a full group (each cabin you’ve taken a step up. Book at: page 40 for an eco-friendly
can house four visitors), these structures capenature.co.za option.
NO. 5: Use towels more than once. NO. 31: Ask permission before taking photos. NO. 104: Always ‘steal’ the soap.

LIFE
THE ULTIMATE BECAUSE no trip to Zanzibar can be zero impact (you have to fly there),
ISLAND ESCAPE: stay at an eco-friendly spot. The small beach lodge Red Monkey Lodge
has a laid-back energy and can get quite festive, so it’s perfect if you’re
Zanzibar travelling with friends. If you’re looking for somewhere quieter, head to
the locally owned and managed Mustaphas’s Place for an escape into
Cut down on carbon nature. Hodi Hodi Zanzibar Beach Houses are the perfect location for
emissions by flying direct families or bigger groups, and they’re committed to sustainable tourism,
from Jozi to Zanzibar with too. Finally, you can stay on Chumbe Island, an award-winning private
nature reserve that has a protected coral reef sanctuary, forest reserve
Mango ( flymango.com).
with rare wildlife, eco-lodges and state-of-the-art eco-technology.
Approaching the pen with caution as they premier big five safari destinations in
open the doors, I see a figure far larger KZN, and it’s not hard to see why. They have
than I imagined bounding over; a baby several lodges, houses and camps, but the
THE rhino. At just a few months old it’s easy to real winner is Thuleni Homestead.
GREEN
look directly into his eyes without much The floor-to-ceiling glass means you get
bending as he suckles on a home-fashioned unmatched views over the watering hole
two-litre milk bottle. that’s just a few metres away. Or you can
GAME This is the Zululand Rhino Orphanage, watch the giraffe, warthogs and antelope
just one of the many conservation that spend their days at the watering hole
R E S E RV E initiatives Manyoni implements. It’s in

the heart of Zululand in KZN, and was
while lounging in the pool. This unfenced
bushveld hideaway (except for a single-
initially formed when 17 landowners strand elephant fence) means the wildlife
Get your dropped their fences to create one can get up close and personal. Rhinos have
green game protected area for wildlife. One of the been known to walk right up to the deck.
on. major driving factors was that it was Plus, you’ll get two game drives per day.
chosen as a potential release site as part of But beyond the game-viewing, this
the WWF black rhino expansion project. lush bush home is pure luxury. Local
Since it was established, the reserve artisans made the stone walls, and the
AS THE SUN RISES over the plains of has reintroduced lions, and endangered pillars were upcycled from a Bela Bela
Manyoni Private Game Reserve, we’re a cheetahs and African wild dogs. And when dairy farm. It’s a place that honours the
few minutes late for feeding time. And I visited this conservation hub they were environment around it so you really can sit
the noises coming from a container – busy introducing more hyenas. back, relax and enjoy the view. (Book at:
sounding more like a whale than a land But as much as Manyoni prioritises perfecthideaways.co.za/accommodation/
animal – ensure we’re well aware of it. conservation, they are also one of the thuleni-homestead)
ADDITIONAL WORDS: KIERAN LEGG. PHOTOGRAPHS: UNSPLASH.COM,
THULENI HOMESTEAD_PERFECT HIDEAWAYS_LAR PHOTOGRAPHY
The unused toiletries are often thrown away anyway, and you can reuse the plastic bottles for your gym bag.

PARTNERSHIP
HOLIDAY REPS
Give Your Resolutions

a Moment in the Sun
Mauritius has become a wellness hotspot. HIIT the beach to shore up your New Year’s resolve
T
THE ogether with Monster Energy, Men’s Pina coladas and mojitos sundowners were
G ETAWAY Health and Women’s Health ran a video-

entry competition to find two enthusiastic
standard, as were open-air crayfish braais and
tequila nightcaps.
Tamarin Bay, Mauritius
readers (and their partners) to take on a Apart from the Monster crew teaching us how
breathtaking island fitness vacation of sun, to surf, we also learnt a few lessons on how to stay
THE
surf and sweat. active and fit on a beach holiday – with the motto:
H OT E L We chose MH reader and personal trainer,
Lindelani Mqwa and his partner, stuntwoman
train hard, play even harder under the sun.
Veranda Tamarin Hotel
Lana Katz, because of their impressive couple
THE training routines. (Read more about them in the
O B J EC T I V E
February issue.)
Decked out in Puma gear, we started our days
SWEAT1000 Bootcamp on the island with an early morning SWEAT1000
bootcamp (led by owner and co-founder Andrew
THE Rothschild). After that jolt of energy, we sat
FUEL down to a lavish breakfast buffet at the pool area.

Mornings and afternoons were filled with various
Monster Energy
water activities: we could learn to surf, try our
hand at SUPing, kayak across the bay or snorkel in
PHOTOGRAPHER LUKE PATTERSON the aqua water filled with tropical fish.

1
THE BEACH WORKOUT
With only your
bodyweight as a training
tool, a SWEAT1000
bootcamp is the ultimate
total-body workout.
Feel the exhilaration
and invigoration in a
60-minute class where
you can burn up to 1 000
calories (see page 107 of
the MH Gym Awards).
4
2 THE AQUATIC
WORKOUT
THE AQUATIC (ADVANCED)
WORKOUT Tamarin is on the west
(BEGINNER) coast of Mauritius and is
Hop onto a paddleboard especially popular with
and explore Tamarin Bay experienced surfers.
and discover the white Just keep an eye out for
sandy shores of Wolmar potential hazards such as
and Flic En Flac Beach. sea urchins and territorial
The calm, flat water locals.
makes this the ideal spot
for beginners to learn 5
technique.
THE CARDIO SESSION
3 Unless you’re up for
powering through sand,
THE AQUATIC running routes are rare.
ADVENTURE If you want to work on
It is proven that spending your stamina, head for
enough time snorkelling the hills. The area is
can reduce stress levels surrounded by stunning
due to the release of volcanic mountains and
endorphins, which puts unspoilt nature which
your mind in a calmer provide beautifully
mood. Taking nice diverse terrain for
deep breaths is also a mountain biking.
meditation technique.
Snorkelling requires
you to use all of your
6
muscle groups at the THE HARD-EARNED
same time, allowing REWARD
you to strengthen them Discover the flavour
and work new ones that of the Indian Ocean’s
aren’t typically exercised. cuisine and don’t leave
Mauritius without
sampling their drink of
choice: rum. Our
favourite? The
Sunrise: white
rum, orange
juice and
amaretto.
Electric
Avenue
IF CHARGING YOUR CAR REALLY IS
AS SIMPLE AS CHARGING ANY OTHER
HOUSEHOLD DEVICE, WHY ARE WE
SOUTH AFRICANS SO RELUCTANT TO
GIVE IT A TRY? KELLEIGH KOREVAAR
CLIMBED INTO THE FOUR PETROL-
GUZZLING CONCERNS ABOUT
ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND TOOK
THEM FOR A TEST DRIVE.
No one heard the surge in ROADBLOCK #1:

popularity of electric cars coming (probably
thanks to their near-silent engines). But
They’re Dangerous
despite their many benefits – less pollution, According to the World Health
lower carbon emissions, lower running Organisation, SA is near the bottom of the
costs – there are just as many potential barrel when it comes to road safety, with
roadblocks. approximately one million crashes reported
And to be fair, Saffers have a lot of in the country each year. Throw a self-
unanswered questions about the new tech driving EV into the mix, and it seems like
that seems to be a driving force in the ever- you’re just asking for trouble. Remember
changing motoring industry abroad. Is it when a Tesla Model S electric vehicle caught
really possible to get to and from work every fire after it hit debris on a highway in 2013?
day, go on cross-country road trips, and The stock market remembers; Tesla’s stocks
still come in on budget in a car that doesn’t plunged 6.24% that day – and a further 4%
use a drop of fuel? And are electric vehicles the next, when footage of the fire went viral.
(EVs) even a possibility in SA really, or will And those whisper-quiet motors aren’t
loadshedding slam the brakes on our next without their safety concerns. A University
drive? We investigate. of California, Riverside study found that

LIFE
faced with safety concerns, they started electric motors is nothing to scoff at
rolling out fixes as quickly as possible. around the braai with your mates.
Right now, EV makers are arming their The hybrids have even made their
vehicles with added protection against way into the brand’s racing fleet:
the worst – think circuit breakers that Ferrari’s Formula One cars also use
disconnect the batteries when the a hybrid-generator system. But not
collision detectors signal a crash. And as everyone is happy about that. Sebastian
of July last year, the EU has introduced Vettel – who races for the Scuderia
a rule that all new electric vehicles must Ferrari F1 team, known for their roaring
come equipped with a device that emits a V12 engines – has been oustpoken about
sound similar to a traditional engine. his preference for petrol power. When he
Despite the concerns, any fears was forced to retire from the Russian GP
people may have don’t seem to be on 1 October due to an engine issue, F1
hurting the industry’s growth, as Japan fans heard him over the radio, saying,
currently has more EV recharging points “Bring back the f***ing V12s!”
than petrol stations. And though you could be forgiven
Our advice? Proceed with caution, as for remembering the first generation
you would driving any other car. But don’t of electric cars, each of which could
steer clear because of a few incidents. probably fit in your lounge, they’ve come a
long way since then. The BMW i8 Coupé’s
sleek and futuristic design, with its
ROADBLOCK #2:
stand-out carbon-fibre gull-wing doors,
They’re Not As Good is just one reason it’s become the best-
selling hybrid sports car in the world.
In 2016, the former Chief Executive And the all-electric vehicles have
of Ferrari was very vocal about an all- powered up, too. The Jaguar I-Pace –
electric Ferrari in the future being an Jag’s first all-electric offering – is a
“obscene concept”. But in May this year, performance SUV that was influenced
Ferrari unveiled their plug-in hybrid, the by the Jaguar C-X75 supercar, and
An electric SF90 Stradale, that people could soon can do up to 470km on a single charge.
start: the have sitting in their garages. A turbo- Plus, if you’re worried about the
hybrid BMW i8
coupé's charged V8 generating 769 horsepower silent engines, due to the regulations
consumption is with an extra 217 horsepower from three we mentioned earlier, brands are
1.9l/100km.
people with headphones on could still hear a

Ferrari's most
petrol-powered car coming from 8.5m away. powerful street-
However, a hybrid car in battery mode was legal car took the
competition from 0
only detectable at 2m – hardly enough time to 100km/h in 2.5
to get out of the way. A report by the UK seconds.
Guide Dogs charity also found that people
were 40% more likely to be hit by a silent
electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle than one
powered by diesel or petrol. And between
2012 and 2013, there was a 54% increase in
pedestrian injuries involving quiet cars.
But are they really that dangerous? We
don’t think so. Although Teslas have had a
fiery moment (or two), every vehicle – yep,
PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED
even your trusted diesel bakkie – runs the

risk of spontaneously combusting in your
driveway or on the road. The difference
is that when electric automakers were

Touted as a
city car, the
BMW i3's small
size means
you'll never
struggle for a
parking spot
in concrete
jungles like
Cape Town and
Jozi.
PLUGGED IN
Wheels24 polled 14 288
people to see if they’d buy
consulting the film industry and sound a country that’s seen loadshedding turned an electric car in South
studios to develop their own ‘car tones’ that into a punchline for stand-up comedy one- Africa. The results are in.
sound like a real roaring engine. It might liners and viral videos, the reality could
not be long before you can download custom leave EV owners in the dark without any
tones like the purr of a Mustang engine, or way to power their cars. 38%
even a song to alert everyone you’re coming Of course, there's talk of solar panels What if there’s no
through. Just don’t be tempted by that being used to power charging stations, power to charge it?
“Dames” engine-tone – gridlock traffic is a but that hasn’t been tested. And at the
group experience. moment, electric vehicles are being targeted
at high-end buyers who could probably 29%
afford to take their homes off the grid and Maybe if EVs
ROADBLOCK #3: were affordable
onto solar power. But in the meantime, EV
They’re Not users’ dependence on Eskom could prove
Loadshedding-Proof troubling, especially if a new bout of load

shedding kicks off. 20%
No, I’m a
While electric vehicles mean you’ll no However, if you’re opting for an electric petrolhead
longer have to join the queues on the first car to reduce your carbon footprint, you
Tuesday of the month to fill up before the might want to rethink that. “Where a
petrol price shoots up again, you do need
one thing to run them: electricity. And in
modest home draws about 3 000 watts
of energy at most, some electric vehicles
14%
Yes, it’s the future

LIFE
Power up your
bank sccount:
the second-gen
Nissan Leaf
should hit the
market this
year.
can draw 16 800 watts off a fast charger. gearing up to create more. The road trip multitude of influences. EVs have fewer
And because SA uses mostly coal power, proved it is possible to drive across the parts to service, and require less attention;
an ‘environmentally unfriendly’ mode country without using a single drop of petrol but they do require more specialised
of electricity production, there’s little – and that’s a big step in the right direction. attention. Abdullah Verachia, a global
reduction in one's carbon footprint from strategist, says that the introduction of
driving an electric car,” warns Jeff Osborne electric vehicles will affect how cars are
of Gumtree Automotive. “An electric car is ROADBLOCK #4: serviced and repaired, which will impact
only as clean as the grid,” he adds.
For now, EV drivers can only hope that
They’re Expensive how technicians are trained. Even if
running costs themselves are lower, fewer
load shedding won’t be around for long. Sure. We’re with you on this one; the price trained technicians means... higher running
In terms of finding places to charge an tag that comes with a lot of all-electric costs. He warns that South Africa must
EV, most are opting for at-home charging vehicles can't be ignored. But with different embrace that change, or businesses will
stations; luckily that’s not the only option. brands for different budgets slowly entering become obsolete.
Shell has announced it will be rolling out our market, there is hope. At the moment And the thing is that – at least for now –
charging stations at some garages, and we only have three all-electric vehicles the cost factor is mostly out of our control.
Generation.E – in partnership with the available in SA: the Jaguar I-Pace, the A lot of the decisions are in the hands of
Department of Transport, the Gauteng Nissan Leaf and the BMW i3. But as time government and the auto makers, and
Provincial Government and the African goes on, EVs will become less expensive; neither have made it any easier or cheaper
Alliance for Energy Productivity – and these cars could be a more attractive to own an EV in SA. Governments in Europe
completed the first electric-vehicle road option in a South African market, as have started to provide major incentives and
trip in SA in October. There were only running costs are potentially lower than for tax breaks for people buying electric vehicles.
120 publicly accessible charging stations, petrol-powered alternatives. Us? We’ve yet to get the same assistance.
mostly found in Gauteng, but they’re But that’s largely dependent on a But that could be changing soon. Kabelo
Rabotho, Director of Marketing at Nissan
South Africa, says they've been carrying out
“
initiatives with government, key stakeholders
and institutions to increase support for the
An electric car is
adoption of EVs in South Africa.
And while the price point might still
only as cleanas
be too steep for most South Africans at the
moment, Bloomberg New Energy Finance
predicts that by 2040, one in every three
”
the grid...
new car sales will be for an electric vehicle.
The future of EVs looks promising; we just
need SA's government and auto makers to
get on board, and come along for the ride.

Pace Maker
THE JAGUAR I-PACE SE IS A SLEEK,
POWERFUL AND PRACTICAL SUV – AND
IT’S FULLY ELECTRIC. / BY NADIM NYKER
We put the
I-Pace through
its paces to see
what it could
handle.
THE NUMBERS
JAG UA R I - PAC E S E
E N G I N E T WO E L ECT R I C
M OTO R S, 2 9 4 K W
P E R FO R M A N C E 0-100KM/H,
4.8 SECONDS;
Stop what you’re thinking. across the wheelbase, which puts the PACE it’s a hard ask. Just
TO P S P E E D 2 0 0 K M / H ;
We’ve heard enough of that electric at 2.13 tonnes. The weight is unexpected, remember that with 69 6 N M TO R Q U E
vehicle (EV) smack-talk, and we won’t take given the EV’s size: it has a height of 1.56m, great power comes P R I C E F R O M R 1 672 2 3 0
any more of it. And if we must, we’ll admit with the crossover SUV sitting lower and great responsibility, C O N TACT JAG UA R.C O. Z A
that as petrolheads, we may have been weighing 358kg more than its F-Pace and that overused
involved in the past. But that was until we cousin. phrase holds true for EV drivers too.
drove the Jaguar I-Pace SE. But it’s all for a good reason: the weight The minimum 12-hour charge time at
The newly launched I-Pace is already gives it a low centre of gravity that hugs the home does force you to stick to routine and
award-winning, claiming the prestigious tar, and its responsiveness makes it a true be mindful of the power you use, which will
Golden Steering Wheel award for best mid- driver’s car. Besides, we love a heavyweight take you 317 to 470km on a single charge.
range SUV. Jaguar’s bold move of going that doesn’t guzzle. But there are plenty of workarounds, with
fully electric signals that mainstream the car’s regenerative braking feature
manufacturers are finally prepared to THE DRIVE thrusting more power into the battery while
invest in electric cars from the ground up. The I-Pace claims some revolutionary you drive. We set it to ‘high’, and really
According to the Paris Agreement, qualities. Take its acceleration: put your enjoyed the added control – and this is
20% of all road vehicles are to be EVs by foot down, and at 120km/h you get the same especially so off the tarmac.
2030; and with only 2.5% of the globe’s G-force dose you get taking off.
cars currently electric, there’s lots to look There are other standout features, too: THE SPACE
forward to. We were itching to get behind the torque vectoring – which pushes varying Despite the I-Pace’s panoramic glass roof
the wheel of Jag’s green machine, and it levels of torque to each wheel – is a game- and LED lighting, the car strikes the right
didn’t disappoint. changer, helping us avoid understeer when balance between futuristic and practical.
tackling sharp corners fast. It feels bigger inside than you’d expect,
THE ENGINEERING A ‘charge to power’ gauge sits next to the with the car’s shape providing plenty of
The I-Pace uses two electric motors boasting speedometer; and if you’re running low on headroom. There’s no transmission tunnel,
294kW, which means this familymobile is amps, you can drive slower to stay in the and three guys in the back seat won’t be a
fast. Each motor lies on an axle, making for ‘charge’ zone, with the EV using its kinetic problem. Plus, it has a big boot – with 656
permanent all-wheel drive. power to retain charge. That’s impressive, litres of boot space, that makes for plenty of
The 90kWh battery is heavy and extends but with 696Nm of torque at your fingertips, family adventures.

LIFE
BEST GEAR TO HIT MH HQ THIS MONTH
STAFF
CHOICE
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SAMBBA SOL FLIP FLOPS

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CHRONOGRAPH 44 OUTERKNOWN
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Breitling has been a long-time favourite
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SEALAND RECYCLED DUNE DUFFEL BAG

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world. R1 350, faithful-to-nature.co.za

LIFE
Battlefield:
Home Front
MY WIFE AND I NEVER ARGUED ABOUT CHORES. THEN WE HAD A
KID. THE PROBLEMS PILED UP, AND SO WE FOLLOWED A PLAN FOR
FAIRNESS SET FORTH IN THE NEW BOOK FAIR PLAY. AFTER A MONTH
OF MADNESS, HERE’S WHAT WE LEARNT. / BY PAUL KITA
It’s 7:15 on a Tuesday only thing at risk. Oklahoma State and

night and I’m neatly folding my wife’s Arizona State University researchers
underwear. This is not something I usually found this year that women who felt that
do. This is not something I usually want to they bore the majority of the mental labour
do. But right now, in the name of domestic inherent in running a household are also
serenity, and quite possibly for the sake more likely to feel empty, less satisfied with
of our family, I am gingerly doubling over life, and less emotionally and physically
each pair of panties and tucking them intimate with their partners.
into her top drawer. My wife is putting our On top of all this mental labour, women
toddler to bed and I’m thinking to myself, are doing the majority of the housework,
Well, this is weird. despite the fact that more of them have
This all started when my wife called jobs. In 1965, women spent on average 42
me out on my parenting abilities during a hours a week on housework and childcare,
family vacation. She recounted how, at a and nine hours on paid work. In 2016, they
brewery earlier in the day, I had watched as spent 32 hours a week on those domestic
our son picked up two glass jars filled with duties and almost tripled their paid work
crayons and began banging them together. hours. Men today, by comparison, spend
“You just kind of stood there. Like you 43 hours a week on paid work and only 18 on
weren’t worried he might shatter them and housework and childcare.
hurt himself,” Meghan said. You could fool yourself into thinking
I admitted to her that I hadn’t thought that, well, men spend more time at work, so
that might happen. It was like previous they’ve earned their time off. Except that
times, when I’d let our son get dangerously most breadwinning mothers report that
close to an exposed wall outlet or lamp they handle all (not some) of the family’s
cable and my wife had to jump in to rescue responsibilities, according to a 2017 survey
him. I didn’t know it at the time, but I’d by the childcare company Bright Horizons.
been relying on Meghan to do more than While men might be doing slightly more
her fair share of mental labour – those housework than they were in the 1960s,
household tasks that demand vast stores of we’re not doing nearly enough – and it’s
cognitive energy – on my behalf. breaking our partners.
“If this isn’t something we can fix, I’m And something happens when men
not sure I’ll ever want to have another become fathers. A 2015 study published in
kid,” she said. the Journal of Marriage and Family found
If my own wife couldn’t trust me with our that in heterosexual marriages in which
child, then perhaps I had to become better the couple reported sharing the domestic
at undertaking those mentally demanding workload pre-child, the man went on to
jobs – like watching our son closely so that decrease his housework contributions by
he doesn’t accidentally shock himself. as much as five hours a week after the child
The prospect of another kid wasn’t the was born. The wife picked up his slack,

and all that slack amounted to 2.6 extra and a good number of them. Although I
weeks of work for her over the course of calmly reassured Meghan that, no, this
a year. One explanation: babies up-end project wasn’t intended to unload my
the dynamic that couples have, and as responsibilities onto her, I was hoping that
parents, they default to the domestic roles maybe it would.
they grew up with. But as we divvied up which
So, for instance, if your dad didn’t do the responsibilities we would each handle
laundry in your house growing up, you’ll for the week ahead, I noticed that while
probably follow suit. Meghan and I held roughly the same
Which brings me back to folding my number of cards, the type of cards differed.
wife’s underwear. I held the majority of the cards that
required physical labour. Meghan held the
majority of the cards that required mental
labour – cards like “calendar keeper”,
A WEEK EARLIER, Meghan and I had agreed “money manager”, and “medical and
to follow the rules of a new book, Fair Play: healthy living (kids)”. Wanting to retain
A Game-Changing Solution for When You my perceived footing on higher ground, I
Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to asked Meghan for the “local packing and
Live). The Fair Play system was devised by unpacking” card, which entailed stocking
Eve Rodsky, an organisational specialist the nappy bag for outings around town. It
with mediation experience. She argues seemed like an easy one.
that in order for women to avoid being My father did more around the house
the “She-fault” parent, they must create than I think most dads did, but I can
equity in household chores, or else risk guarantee you he never held the “local
frustration, resentment, and divorce. packing and unpacking” card. My mom did
She also argues that to achieve this that, and we always had what we needed.
equity, they must participate in the Fair This is what my wife did, too. Until it was
Play “game”, which centres on a deck of my turn.
100 cards. Thirty of these cards deal with During the opening weeks of Fair Play,
what you’d expect – doing dishes, taking we were invited to a family friend’s pool. I
out the rubbish, handling the mail. There packed the sunscreen, my son’s swimming
are 54 other cards devoted to chores that nappy, a few pool toys, his water cup, and
occur less frequently (thank-you notes, what else, what else... I thought that was
health insurance, lawn and plants). The good. Two blocks from home, I realised
remaining 16 cards are divided into ten I’d forgotten his pool float. I turned the
wild cards (moving, new job, death in the car around to pick it up; I delivered him
family) and six happiness-centric cards to the pool, where he had a ton of fun; and
(adult friendships, self-care). The goal is afterwards I suggested we all go out for
not to carry an equal number of cards, but dinner. Then I realised I hadn’t packed
to feel like the responsibilities each person him a change of clothes.
holds are fair and reasonable. How could I have failed so poorly at
“Is this a ruse to get me to do more something so simple? I wondered. I began
cooking?” Meghan asked when we sat at to understand: mentally mapping out
our kitchen table for our first summit. exactly what a super-needy kid will require
Going into it, I felt like I may have had for four hours is daunting. In fact, it’s
the higher ground: I do all of the cooking emotionally exhausting to prepare for all
for our family, and the gardening, and the scenarios, including the worst ones,
most of the nasty cleaning, dishes, and especially if it’s a habit you’ve never
ILLUSTRATION GETTY
grocery shopping, and holiday-related seen practised or practised yourself.

stuff. Because I work from home, my Meghan and I returned home that night
daily breaks involve household chores – to find I wasn’t the only one struggling

LIFE
She wasn’t just actually brought it with me to the party.

Carrying around Fair Play cards isn’t
asking me to watch required, but I deemed it necessary for

the task at hand. I traded “watching”
our son when with Meghan exactly once, when I needed

to eat, but otherwise hovered over my son
we were out in public. as he splashed at a water table, pushed

a toy lawnmower, shovelled a god-awful
She was asking amount of fruit into his mouth, and

meowed at cats. Two hours in, I was
me to handle the knackered. After the party, Meghan told

me, “You’re more competent than I give
mental responsibility you credit for.” I took it as a compliment.
of making
sure he was safe.
DURING OUR LAST SUMMIT, I asked
Meghan if she was ready to burn our
cards in a ceremonial bonfire. After our
usual griping about the madness of the
system, we decided instead to reduce our
with our new division of labour. A This includes deciding when to do laundry, load to just a few key cards that served
squadron of flies had stormed our kitchen, doing the laundry, folding the laundry, and as trouble spots for us – “packing and
likely bursting forth from the fetidness putting the laundry away. unpacking”, “weekend meals”, and
of the rubbish bin. Meghan held the “When you hold a card, you own it. You “watching” included.
“rubbish” card. “Maybe they’re coming conceive, plan, and execute. And your We were starting to build something, to
from outside?” she pondered. partner isn’t allowed to give feedback trust-spiral upward, and we weren’t quite
in the moment. That’s saved for weekly sure that our work was finished. But we
meetings,” Rodsky says. And while she both decided that we didn’t want to run our
describes her plan as “hardcore change home like a business, because, well, home
OVER THE NEXT MONTH, Meghan and I from how things are done currently”, she is a respite from business. Though Meghan
discussed our domestic life ad nauseam. argues that anyone who has ever had a job did say, “Maybe we’ll bring the full deck of
For as convoluted and overwhelming as understands what it means to take on a task cards back if we have a second kid.”
the Fair Play system is, it does force you and complete it. “Every business works I had always followed the advice of
to have difficult conversations. About on a direct-responsibility model. Why my hero, Tom Waits, when it came to
what it means to truly execute a task. shouldn’t the household?” marriage. When reporters have asked him
About what your agreed-upon minimum Before Fair Play, I was routinely miffed the secret of his long marriage to Kathleen
standard of care is. About competency, at my wife for not taking out the rubbish Brennan, he’s replied, in reference to
and consistency, and – all along in the as much as I did, without ever giving her doing the dishes, “She washes, I’ll dry.” I
background – the by-product of those two full responsibility to do so. My wife was had always assumed that meant splitting
things: trust. routinely miffed at me for not watching our the work 50/50; but now I understand
Trust is earned, and it’s earned in a son as closely as she would have, without that true synergy in a relationship comes
“trust spiral”, a phrase from Dr. Sibout ever entrusting me to carry out the full from each partner holding an equitable
Nooteboom, a public-administration responsibility of what that means. – not equal – share of physical and
researcher at Erasmus University Ikeptcomingbacktothatholidayfight mental chores. No woman should carry
Rotterdam. Positive trust spirals grow from mywifeandIhad–totheglassjars,and the mental weight of childcare. No man
a repeatedsequence:establishingacommon whattheyrepresentedtoher.Shewasn’tjust should bear the load of labour tasks. And
goal, having enthusiasm, navigating askingmetowatchoursonwhenwewereout vice versa. In the end, my wife actually did
tensions to reach the goal, and reward. inpublic.Shewasaskingmetohandlethe start cooking more, on weekends, so that I
Negative trust spirals feed off the opposite. mentalresponsibilityofmakingsurehewas could devote more mental energy holding
“Helping” in the form of nagging or safe,sothatshecouldbecomfortable. on to that damn “packing and unpacking”
swooping in to finish the job does not feed At our week-three summit, knowing card. I wash and I dry, so she can keep the
trust, Rodsky says. In fact, the Fair Play that we’d be attending a birthday party calendar. We take turns watching. And I
system discourages helping. If one does for our friends’ two-year-old son that do the laundry. I’m even starting to enjoy
the laundry, one does all of the laundry. weekend, I took the “watching” card and folding her underwear.

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TO THE FIRST
100 MEMBERS
LIFE
THE JANUARY
Ask anything –
and we mean
anything –
about love and
sex.
I’m never sure how deep What do I do?

is too deep during sex. – Aaron, Dundee
Is there a sweet spot for
comfort and pleasure? If she doesn’t like you to
leave the house without
– Colin, Port Elizabeth your “I’m taken” banner
Yes – there is a perfect flying, she might be
depth for your penis worried deep down
inside her, but it depends about infidelity; tackle
on the position. The that issue by proving
vagina is tilted slightly you can have healthy
forward (it doesn’t run platonic relationships
perpendicular to the with women. Of course,
ground), and there are all you can always swap your
sorts of ways that bending metal ring for a silicone
and clenching might one that’s safe for the
change the available gym. There are all kinds
space inside. The point of colours and designs,
is, you have to feel it out. and some that are super-
Sometimes a deep push thin and even come in
feels great, but not if her metallics.
cervix is in the way. If
you want to go deeper,
start slowly. A surprising, We’ve been together for
extra-deep thrust can be more than a year and
uncomfortable. I still haven’t met her
family, who live nearby.
Should I be worried?
I love living with my – Yogi, Nelspruit
girlfriend, except that
her stuff has taken over Worried? No. Her family
the house. How can I could be very judgmental,
make the place feel like and she’s saving you from
it’s mine, too? extreme awkwardness. Or
else they’re really clingy,
– Senzo, Scottsdale and she knows they’ll
Maybe she really enjoys start emailing and calling
decorating, and thinks you all the time. But it’s
of your space as a blank not strange to tell her that
My wife turns me down for

slate. Or maybe – and you’d like to meet them. It
hear me out – she thinks shows you’re serious, and
sex 50 per cent of the time.

you have bad taste. It’s want to be a bigger part of
possible to love someone her life. Obviously though,
How can I up the odds?

deeply and not love their that means you might
style. Confess to her that have to bring her home to
GETTY/GALLO IMAGES (SLOT MACHINE). JOEL ARBAJE (PIERCEY).
you want your home to be your family soon as well.

– Patrick, Elsies River a reflection of both of you.
But prepare to do some Naomi Piercey is the Girl Next
You’llneedtoworkonthreethings:approach,timing,and legwork. If she’s spending Door. Feel free to ask her
hours on Pinterest anything about love and sex.
intimacylevel.Approach:don’twaituntilyou’rebothfinallyin
trying to find the perfect
bedtoinitiate.Warmherupwithyourwordsandactionswell credenza, you might have
aheadofthewindow(read:beforedinner).Timing:besensitive to put in the same effort to
to outsideinfluences.Ifshe’sjustarguedwithhersisteronthe get a say.
phone,it’snottherightmomenttojumpintosex.Intimacylevel:
havedeeperconversations,instigatespontaneouscuddling,or I don’t like to wear my
wedding ring if I’m
trybeingnakedaroundeachothermore.You’dbesurprised working out, but she
howmuchshowingorseeingalittleskincanturnheron. gets weird about it.

Supercharge Your Salmon
YOU NEED at least 30 grams of protein and 10 grams of fibre at every
30 meal to help you build muscle and fill up. This whole fillet of fresh
10 salmon (preferably wild, if you can get it) delivers on the protein side of
things. Hit up the delicious side dishes for fibre. BY PAUL KITA
TIP
According to the
South African Sustainable
Seafood Initiative (SASSI),
Alaskan Wild Salmon is a no-go
if you’re trying to eat sustainably.
So go with Norwegian (or
farmed) salmon as a green-
listed alternative. South
African Rainbow Trout is
a safe bet too!
THE FIBRE
T HE PROTEIN Pick one of these to hit your
10-gram fibre goal for the meal.
The flesh of fresh salmon is bright orange because of a diet
that includes krill, a potent source of omega-3 fatty acids. An
85g serving of salmon has 800 milligrams of omega-3s for
only 556 kilojoules. The same amount also provides 23 grams
of protein. The marvel of refrigeration means salmon is
available all year round, but fresh is always better.
BU Y IT C OOK I T Citrus and Herb

Salmon Fillet
Ask the person This recipe takes a braai technique and moves it indoors. “The
behind the fish slowly smokes and steams under the bed of aromatics – 1 . APPLE RO E
seafood juicy and fragrant, with a hint of cedar smoke,” says Adams. WALNUT SALAD
counter to In a big bowl, mix 8 cups wild
poke the fish. rocket; 2 apples, cored and
No, really. “It’s W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D 1. Preheat your oven cover it with the diced; ¼ cup tinned chickpeas,
important to 190°C. Brush 1 herbs and then the rinsed and drained; 2 tsp olive
to check the 3 C E DA R ( O R OT H E R side of each cedar onion. Bake until the oil; and 1 tsp balsamic vinegar.
A R O M AT I C WO O D ) Scatter with 2 Tbsp crumbled
texture of the P L A N KS ( E N O U G H TO plank with olive oil. inside of the fish is
flesh,” says S U P P O RT T H E Arrange the planks, slightly pink, 25 to blue cheese and ¼ cup
Doug Adams, SA L M O N F I L L E T ) oil side up, on a 30 minutes. chopped walnuts. Feeds 2. Per
serving: 1 314 kilojoules, 8g
chef-owner O L I V E O I L , FO R baking tray and place 4. Carefully remove
BRUSHING protein, 36g carbs (8g fibre),
of Bullard them in the oven. the baking tray. 18g fat
¼ C U P B R OW N S U GA R
Restaurant. 2. In a small bowl, Remove the toppings
1 O R A N G E , Z E ST E D mix a few big and slice the fish into
“A fresh fish AND SLICED
has firm flesh pinches of salt, the palm-sized portions.
1 L E M O N , Z E ST E D A N D
and will not SLICED brown sugar, and Drizzle with olive
leave finger 1 L A R G E ( A B O U T 1 KG ) the citrus zest. Rub oil, top with sea salt,
indentations FILLET OF SKIN-ON this mixture all and serve with extra
– or worse SA L M O N over the flesh side lemon, if you want.
yet, allow a L E AV E S F R O M of the fish. Feeds 8.
1 BUNCH DILL
finger to push (ABOUT 1 CUP) 3. Carefully remove
through.” L E AV E S F R O M
tray and planks from NUTRITION
1 B U N C H BA S I L oven. Arrange the PER SERVING:
(ABOUT 1 CUP) citrus slices on the 1 059 kilojoules, 32g
1 ONION, SLICED planks, place the protein, 9g carbs
fillet on top, and (2g fibre), 10g fat
UPGR A DE IT If you have some time, invest it in making your seafood

feast taste even better. These techniques have you covered.
2 . DIJON ROA
OAA
POTATO SALAD
I F YO U H AV E . . .
Roast 500g baby potatoes
5 20 1 (red, if available), cut into bite-

sized pieces, at 190°C till
FOOD AND PROP STYLING: ROSCOE BETSILL
MINUTES MINUTES HOUR

browned. Cool, then toss with
2 Tbsp Dijon; 2 Tbsp cider
See all that onion, orange, Scatter 1 bunch of asparagus, Make a herbed butter to serve vinegar; 2 Tbsp olive oil; 2
lemon, dill, and basil left over trimmed and roughly chopped, with the salmon. In a bowl, mix stalks celery, diced; ½ cup
from baking the fish? Round on a baking sheet and toss 120g of softened butter with
roasted sunflower seeds; and
it up, give it a rough chop, with a glug of olive oil, some 2 Tbsp minced herbs (basil, dill,
2 Tbsp chives. Season to taste.
and throw it into a bowl with salt and pepper, and the zest chives, etc.). Shape the butter
a little olive oil. Toss and from 1 lemon. Slide the baking into a log and refrigerate till firm, Feeds 2. Per serving: 2 155
season with salt and pepper. sheet into the oven 15 minutes about 45 minutes. Slice off a kilojoules, 11g protein, 53g
Serve as a simple salad next before the salmon has finished thumb-sized amount and allow it carbs (8g fibre), 30g fat
to the salmon. roasting, then serve. to melt atop the hot salmon.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE GARTEN MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 77

LIFE
Sangria – but
Really, Really Good
So you don’t like sangria, huh? Our favourite bartenders
have reinvented the season’s fruitiest, freshest, most
flavourful cocktail. BY BRITTANY RISHER
IF YOU LIKE ... IF YOU LIKE ... IF YOU LIKE ...
gin martinis daiquiris margaritas

TRY ... TRY ... TRY ...
Sage and Pepper Sangria Space Wizard Sangria Grapefruit and Apricot Sangria
W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D In a large jug, add W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D In a large container, W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D In a large jug, stir

P E E LS F R O M 2 W H O L E
the grapefruit peels, 1 CUP PUREED stir together all the 2 B OT T L E S D RY together all the
GRAPEFRUIT (WHITE cucumber, sage, RASPBERRIES ingredients except the ROSÉ WINE ingredients except the
P I T H R E M OV E D ) peppercorns, wine, and garnish. Refrigerate garnish. Refrigerate for
1 ⅓ C U P S F R OZ E N 1 ( 7 5 0 M L ) B OT T L E
1 LARGE CUCUMBER, vermouth. Stir. To serve, ST R AW B E R R I E S for 24 hours. Strain LILLET ROSÉ APERITIF at least 1 hour. When
S L I C E D, P LU S M O R E add a few ice cubes to a and transfer to a ( I F AVA I L A B L E , E LS E ready to serve, fill the
½ ORANGE, SLICED
FO R GA R N I S H Collins glass and pour in P I M M S / CA M PA R I )
1 APPLE, DICED serving jug. To serve, jug with ice. Pour the
H A N D F U L F R E S H SAG E the sangria until three- 3 5 0 M L A P R I C OT
L I T R E S B OX E D pour into a goblet and sangria into stemless
L E AV E S, quarters filled. Top with 2 LIQUEUR
P LU S M O R E FO R D RY R E D W I N E garnish with fresh glasses and garnish with
sparkling water. Garnish 500 ML FRESH
GA R N I S H with a cucumber slice 2 5 0 M L V S O P B R A N DY, kiwi and apple slices. a grapefruit wheel and
GRAPEFRUIT JUICE
PHOTOGRAPH: NIGEL COX
1 T B S P W H O L E B L AC K and sage. Serves 10 S U C H A S ST. R E M Y Serves 10 to 12 a thyme sprig. Serves

JUICE OF 2 LEMONS
PEPPERCORNS to 12 1 L I T R E B LU E B E R RY ( O R – CHALLO SCHOTT, 4 to 6
A N Y B E R RY ) J U I C E Mixologist and HANDFUL FRESH – SUMMER-JANE
2 B OT T L E S – LUKE ANDREWS, A P R I C OTS, P I T T E D
WHITE WINE Mixologist, and 180 ML FRESH LEMON owner, the O.G. Bar AND CHOPPED BELL, co-owner, Hello
1 8 0 M L D RY V E R M O U T H Cocktail Artist JUICE Stranger Bar
G R A P E F R U I T W H E E LS
S PA R K L I N G WAT E R ambassador KIWI AND APPLE A N D T H Y M E S P R I G S,
S L I C E S, FO R GA R N I S H FO R GA R N I S H

LIFE
The Ultimate
Summer Reading List
WE ASKED ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE WRITERS FOR HER FAVOURITE UNSUNG
BEACH READ. THEN WE ASKED THE AUTHOR OF THAT BOOK FOR THEIR
FAVOURITE. AND SO ON . . .
MEN’S HEALTH
RECOMMENDS . . .
THE SHINING GIRLS BY LAUREN BEUKES

He’s a time-travelling serial killer.
She’s the only victim who ever got
away. After her case goes cold, she
decides to track down her attacker
herself. It’s an investigation that
spans decades, taking you from
Depression-era America to modern-
day Chicago. Part detective novel, LESLEY NNEKA ARIMAH
part science fiction – Lauren RECOMMENDS…
Beukes’ Stephen King-esque
storytelling makes for a gripping A P EO P L E ’S F U T U R E O F T H E U N I T E D
(and harrowing) read, from the first STAT E S E D I T E D BY V I CTO R L AVA L L E A N D
page to the last. The Shining Girls J O H N J O S E P H A DA M S*
(paperback) R230 from loot.co.za | Twenty-five writers were invited to
available on Kindle share stories that would challenge
oppressive American myths and
posit a brighter, more hopeful
future. They were also asked to
make these stories badass. The
result: unique, vivid tales of both
dystopian and utopian possibilities.
“It’s so fascinating, seeing the wildly
varying narratives everyone came
up with from the same prompt,”
Arimah wrote on Instagram. It’s a
book that will challenge your
preconceptions, and get you
thinking. A People’s Future of the
United States available on Kindle;
R150 from amazon.com
LAUREN BEUKES RECOMMENDS…
RO S E WAT E R BY TA D E T H O M P S O N
Thompson is a psychiatrist-turned-author who writes
mind-bending science fiction. Rosewater is the first part
of his Wormwood Trilogy, and tells the story of a small
WORDS: KIERAN LEGG; *TAKEN FROM INSTAGRAM @INSTAGRIMAH
town on the edge of a mysterious alien biodome in TADE THOMPSON RECOMMENDS…

Nigeria. While the townsfolk hunger for a glimpse inside
this forbidden zone, Kaaro – a government agent – has WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A MAN FALLS FROM THE SKY
seen the other side, and hopes never to return. It’s only BY LESLEY NNEKA ARIMAH
when something starts killing off others like him that “This is an exquisite short-story collection with
he’s forced to confront his dark history. This is a precise superb, fresh writing,” says Thompson. Arimah’s
and charming thriller that blends together disparate collection of stories focuses on the lives of young
elements with ease, from the best zombie tropes to Nigerian women. While some of these narratives are
surreal alien encounters. Plus, it won the Arthur C. rooted firmly in reality, others branch out into genres
Clarke Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. All the such as mythology and science fiction. “I finished this
ingredients for the perfect summer read. Rosewater book in one sitting, and I envy anyone who is picking
(paperback); R385 from loot.co.za | available on Kindle it up for the first time,” adds Thompson. What It
Means When A Man Falls from The Sky (paperback);
R210 from exclusivebooks.co.za

LIFE
M E N ’S H E A L T H
FOOD
BEST
The Cream
FO R
MEN
of the Crop
After rigorous, scientific
entific, BEST VANILLA BEST HOCOLATE
brain-freezingly thorough testing, w we can
definitively say that the best ice cream
can be healthy. Although we have to o
admit this testing wasn’t as scientific as
the Japanese study that found eatin ng ice
cream as soon as you wake up actua ally
makes you smarter.
But whether your ice cream is made
with whey protein or pea protein, co ow’s
milk or coconut milk, your ‘new yea ar, new
you’ mantra doesn’t have to spoil th he fun.
As long as you’re picking a tub thatt hhas WOOLWORTHS CARB WOOLWORTHS CARB
CLEVER VANILLA CLEVER CHOCOLATE
fewer than 837 kilojoules and less than 20
Coming in with the least kJs, this The ice-cream nerds at
grams of total sugar per 100g, you’re fine, was a clear winner. Too many ice Woolworths figured out how to
says Valerie Goldstein, registered creams suffer from an overriding sweetness make an indulgent chocolate ice cream and
dietician and founder of Eating to Fuel that overwhelms the vanilla. But this one? still keep the kilojoules in check. The small
Health. Whoooooooaaa baby. Vanilla! Vanilla! Vanilla! 175ml serving means you can polish it off
You don’t even need toppings. without guilt.
Luckily, we’ve found five that hit those PER 100G: 515 kilojoules, 3.8g protein, 7.6g PER 100G: 526 kilojoules, 4.9g protein, 7.6g
nutritional criteria. And we stopped just fat, 9g carbs (4g sugar) fat, 8.6g carbs (3.8g sugar)
short of screaming for these winners. FIND IT AT: Woolworths FIND IT: Woolworths
BEST WILD CARD BEST EE BESST PEANUT BUTTER
WORDS BY KELLEIGH KOREVAAR. PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES GARAGHTY
SKINNY SCOOP MACA MAYA PHAT FOX COCO-CCINO SKINNY SCOOP ZOEY
DARK CHOCOLATE & MACA COFFEE PROTEIN PEANUT BUTTER
Both dark chocolate and maca Looking to cut down on your dairy The original protein-packed snack
have been touted for their long list consumption while still enjoying a of gym bros, you either love peanut
of health benefits. This plant-based frozen sweet treat? Phat Fox’s dairy-free coffee butter or you hate it. But this perfectly balanced
dessert will divide the crowds, but it’s worth a flavour will hit the spot. It might be over 837kJ, salty and sweet treat could change any
scoop. With the lowest number of carbs of all but it’s still worth a mention. Hurry, though – nay-sayer’s mind. Bonus? It contains 100%
these desserts, it’s also keto-friendly. it’s one of their seasonal flavours. natural ingredients.
PER 100G: 710 kilojoules, 2.2g protein, 13.4g PER 100G: 991 kilojoules, 2.5g protein, 24.7g PER 100G: 740 kilojoules, 15.5g protein, 8.9g
fat, 0.6g carbs (0g sugar) fat, 5.3g carbs (2.01g sugar) fat, 9.8g carbs (3g sugar)
FIND IT AT: skinnyscoop.co.za FIND IT AT: phatfox.co.za FIND IT AT: skinnyscoop.co.za
BEAT THE FREEZE: Ice cream too frozen to scoop? Put away the hacksaw, and run your ice cream scoop under hot water for ten
seconds. Then scoop from the edges of the container, where – due to the packaging – the ice cream won’t be as hard.

LIFE
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN...
...I’m Jet-lagged?
WHETHER YOU’RE RACKING UP AIR MILES FOR WORK OR ESCAPING THE
GRIND, FLYING DISRUPTS YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. REWIRE YOUR SYSTEM
FOR BETTER SLEEP AND HEALTH WHEN YOU LAND.
01. HEAD START 02. DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

More than 70% of people Strategic exposure to bright
have experienced it. A study light can speed up your
in Current Biology says a rapid body’s attempts to reboot
switch between time zones its internal timing system
disrupts an area of your brain when you’re hurtling across
linked to REM sleep and fatigue. the planet, according to
It’s no wonder you’re out of data from the Society
whack. Boost melatonin with for Endocrinology. When
some banana and pineapple to travelling west, try to get
combat this: eat the combo in outside in the late evening,
the mornings before and after and avoid light in the early
a flight if heading west, or the morning. For eastward
early evening of the departure journeys, early risers are in
time zone when heading east. luck. Soak up some sun while
you sip your morning coffee.
02 03
01 04
05
03. QUICK CONNECTION

Your ability to sleep and stay
focused is best when your 05. THE LONG HAUL
internal clock is aligned with The impact of long-distance
the time at your destination. 04. FOOD FOR THOUGHT travel goes beyond poor
More data from the Society Anecdotal evidence suggests sleep. After nine hours in the
for Endocrinology suggests forgoing airline food and air, you start to experience
you can adjust your internal eating smuggled home-made symptoms similar to those
clock prior to departure. sarmies at the mealtimes of of altitude sickness. The air
Going east? Get your head your destination will help you pressure in a plane is lower
WORDS: TOM WARD | ILLUSTRATION: PETER GRUNDY
down early a few nights adjust your circadian rhythm than at sea level, and this
before your trip. If you’re to suit the new time zone. The restricts oxygen to your brain.
travelling the other way, World Health Organisation One possible cure is in-flight TAKE OFF
stay up as late as possible also points out the risks meditation, which increases RIGHT AND
and enjoy that lie-in. For posed by the free booze and oxygen consumption and YOU CAN HIT
anything under three days in caffeine offered by many may help you endure the THE GROUND
a new time zone, however, airlines. These will spike your child kicking the back of your RUNNING.
this can be more damaging stress hormones, leaving you chair. You’ll probably want
in the long run than simply on edge – and maybe a little to pack some decent noise-
battling through. groggy – once you land. cancelling headphones, too.

Mike and
Jaspar sailed
against the
wind to create
a stylish,
sustainable
brand.

LIFE
SEA CHANGE
FROM BACKPACKS MADE FROM UPCYCLED YACHT SAILS
copious waste – fashion is the second-most
polluting industry, according to the Lenzing
group – which is why “sustainable fashion”
has become a hot topic among the world’s
TO DUFFELS WOVEN FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS, MIKE
SCHLEBACH AND JASPER EALES ARE CHANGING THE biggest brands.
GROUND RULES FOR “GREEN” FASHION. HERE’S HOW adidas has its 100% recycled shoe. Even
THEY TURNED THEIR PASSION FOR THE OUTDOORS watchmakers are making straps from plastic
AND PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT INTO A CREATIVE
BUSINESS WITH GLOBA scooped up from the ocean. And new brands
crop up every month with their own more
sustainable models.
But for Jasper, “sustainability” is a bit
of a misnomer: “It doesn’t really mean
It’s 2012, and Mike anything, or it means everything,” he says.
Schlebach is running “It’s too broad a term. That’s why we talk
a store in Hout Bay. He about ‘environmentally responsible’ or
has a novel concept: ‘socially responsible’.”
stylish bags and Sealand makes a wide range of accessories
accessories made from and apparel, from functional backpacks
old yacht sails. sporting bold, striking lines to comfortable
Intrigued, Jasper T-shirts spun to last. To create these
Eales’ father stops products, the company relies on three
to browse through important pillars.
some of the products. “Upcycling” is Sealand’s bread and butter,
He’s impressed; but and that’s exactly what Mike was doing at his
more importantly, he store in Hout Bay. The company uses waste
thinks his son – an materials – such as canvas and yacht sails –
award-winning design to create durable products with a distinctive
graduate living in the look. “Recycling” involves breaking down
area – will be interested a waste product and transforming it into a
in what Mike is doing. new material. And “ecocycling” is a new way
Three weeks later Jasper walks through of thinking about materials, selecting those
the door. It will be a few years before they with natural, durable properties (aka stuff
launch a business together, but the two gel you won’t wear to threads in a few months).
immediately; they’re both avid surfers who Each of the company’s products is created
spend every free moment outdoors. using one or more of these methods.
Just a chance encounter. They shake When Jasper and Mike were
hands, and promise to stay in touch. conceptualising their brand, it was these
Over the next seven years, that encounter pillars that emerged from between all the
swells to become Sealand; a stylish- discarded ideas. That was in 2015, and the
but-functional fashion brand, with an pair had spent most of the year thinking
unflinching focus on the environment – and through what their vision for a business
customers across the world. would look like.
“We wanted to create something that
SHIFTING TIDES represented our personal lifestyles and our
In the US (and many other places), combined ethos,” says Mike. “Something
companies produce more than 16 million that would enable us to employ people, and
tons of new textiles every year. The average work to protect our environment.”
person will toss out around 35kg of clothing By the end of that year, they knew what
every 365 days. It’s an industry that produces products they wanted to make and what
materials they wanted to use. They also
knew they wanted to start their business in
Cape Town.
WORDS BY KIERAN LEGG The Mother City was once the biggest
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREW REEVES textile and manufacturing hub in the

something far more professional than
Sometimes you anyone else on the SA market.
have to take “What worked in our favour was the
stock of
what’s fantastic design, quality and uniqueness of
important and each product we made,” he says.
streamline
the process. Adds Jasper: “We were also frontrunners
in this space – at least in SA.”
There were other brands in the country
pushing sustainable fashion, but their focus
was more on clothing made from local,
“organic” fabrics such as soya, hemp, corn
country, but cheap imports from Asia gutted set of design variables that he had little and others.
the sector almost overnight. experience in.” While Sealand’s products were a success,
“This means there are many, many people The designer was also recovering from there was still a fair amount of refinement
in our community who have the skills to put a life-saving liver transplant, after years of ahead. Making a high-quality product from
a world-class bag together,” says Mike. “So living with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a waste materials can be a manufacturing
from day one, we knew that by marrying chronic liver disease. nightmare. The material available (and the
upcycling with skilled labour, we could “It was a scary and stressful process,” quality) is not always consistent, which results
build something different that would both admits Jasper. “For us, it represented in increased labour costs and higher overheads.
encourage employment and take waste out of multiple risks – financial and timewise.” It was an early challenge, but something the
landfill and our oceans.” Mike says that during more difficult times, pair have mostly managed to iron out.
they still felt positive about their chances of
TESTING THE WATERS survival. In the beginning, finding funding TURNING THE TIDES
“Launching a new company was exciting,” to push the business into the green was a The unique nature of their products was
says Jasper. “It represented a new beginning, constant challenge. Mike also had two kids both a blessing and a curse. Initially it
and many new opportunities.” (both toddlers), and he spent those early helped the company gain traction, but it also
Because the brand’s pillars were so close days in a constant fog of sleep deprivation – complicated running the business.
to their hearts, the pair saw Sealand as an “Operating at 50% is no joke!” Because each item was different, the
extension of their lives rather than a job they Sealand was officially launched in the pair couldn’t tell store owners exactly what
had to drag themselves to every morning. middle of 2016. The reception? Well, South product they were getting, and customers
But those early days were not without their Africans were sceptical. Mike admits it often weren’t able to get the material and
challenges. While Jasper was a talented and was a struggle to convince Saffers to drop colour combinations they wanted. Plus, when
accomplished designer, he hadn’t worked money on a product made of waste. Looking they started selling online, they would have
with many of these new materials. back, he says the initial products were fairly to photograph each bag individually, upload
“Jasper had to get his head around rudimentary – especially compared to their the image, and then delete it after the product
designing products with a whole new newer releases – but they were still creating had been sold.

LIFE
Sealand isn’t just an old

bag of new tricks – it’s a
certified sustainable
success.
“It’s a lot of work for a start-up,” he says,

especially when they began adding new
“JASPER HAD TO GET

styles. “It becomes untenable.”
To turn a profit, and cut back on unnecessary
HIS HEAD AROUND

busywork, Mike says, they needed to transform
Sealand from a craft industry upcycling
DESIGNING PRODUCTS
business to a more mainstream version of
the company. They began by streamlining
WITH A WHOLE NEW SET

their offerings to use only waste materials and
colours they could purchase in bulk.
OF DESIGN VARIABLES
Now, says Mike, they’re in a great place.
After spending 2019 streamlining and
THAT HE HAD LITTLE

restructuring their business – they’ve
begun outsourcing their bulk orders to local
EXPERIENCE IN.”
manufacturers, but still do all the unique work
in-house – they’re on track to double their
production. Not bad for a journey that started
with a chance encounter in a surfing town.
MAKING with no ego. “No product

is perfect,” he says. “You
3. THINK GLOBAL
“The South African retail
Part of taking the business global is about
WAVES
should always be seeking more than growing the enterprise. For
market, especially here in
feedback – it’s one of the Cape Town, is incredibly Jasper, it’s proof that their vision isn’t just a
best ways to improve.” seasonal,” says Mike. fashion trend, but a new movement.
Starting a business,
especially in a sector that Most businesses rake in “I certainly believe [this is] the way of
has yet to find its footing, is cash during summer, and
2. SET A HIGH then spend it all in winter. the future,” he says. “There’s too much
a daunting process. Here’s STANDARD
how Mike and Jasper kept It’s a feast-or-famine life focus and attention on unethical and
“Build a product that lasts,” cycle that sinks countless
their heads above water. environmentally-damaging business
says Mike. “We’ve offered enterprises. For this
a lifetime warranty on our reason, Sealand doesn’t for it to continue like this. I hope to see
products from day one.” just operate locally, and government step up and start issuing fines
1. LISTEN UP He says it’s forced them to instead takes advantage
up their game, to ensure
and heavier taxes on businesses that aren’t
“Customer feedback is vital of the opposite seasons
to any business, and you they’re creating a high- in the US and Europe – looking out for people and the planet.
need to encourage and quality, durable product, when it’s winter here, it’s “Our objective is to create an aspirational
embrace it,” says Jasper. and it’s seen the team summer over there – to
adopt a dogged “less is
brand with an education voice,” Jasper adds.
The designer approaches stay busy throughout
Sealand and its products more” approach. the year. “Sure, it’s a niche currently; but hopefully,
the shift in people’s minds is happening.”

LIFE
JANUARY
THE Use your holidays to get
back in the groove, beat
stress, and fly into 2020
more productive than
ever – with MH-certified
research and expert advice.
of Management study,
someone who aces 4 4. STRESSED? SLEEP IT OFF
a ton of easy tasks 3
every day may seem Even when things to keeping many
productive, but that’s are looking up, mental and
HOLIDAY anxiety is always physical issues at
prioritising quantity
over quality. The
BLISS POINT there to drag you bay. A University
down and remind of California
researchers found that you about your study found that
mixing tougher tasks big presentation a sleepless night
into the daily workload next week. Or (e.g. an all-
helped boost long- that time you nighter prepping
term learning and accidentally that presentation
performance. Your called your boss we mentioned)
or rearranging the “dad”. This ever- can trigger a 30%
files on your desktop move: break your big,
present emotion rise in anxiety
1 for the third time difficult tasks into bite- can affect your levels. On the
(aka the freebies) – is sized chunks, suggest quality of life, flipside, a good
a shortcut to that the study authors. This but new research night’s sleep can
STAY will give you the same shows there’s help stabilise
ON TASK endorphin rush of,
well, getting shit sense of satisfaction Taking a holiday can a simple way your emotions.
as bulldozing through to lower your Feeling anxious?
done. However, help melt stress and anxiety levels:
to-do’s, while netting It’s time to stash
according to new boost your mood. No get a better your phone and
research
esearch, while you a few new skills in surprises there – you
Creating a to-do list? night’s rest. The hit the hay.
tthis strategy will the process. already know the
That’s the easy part. sleep
ep solution
But when you’re stuck leave you feeling benefits of taking time is a common
staring down the barrel ccontent and a little off. But how long will pres
scription here
less anxious, you’re you need to get away at MH,
M but that’s
of your tally of taxing beca
ause so few
tasks, getting started mmissing out on from the office to reap
guys are getting
is where it all starts to cchances to the full rewards? As the solid hours
go seriously wrong. bbroaden it turns out, it takes of shuteye
s
For most of us, striking yyour more than just a long requisite
off the simplest bullet sskill set. weekend away on a
points first – such as AAccording to a wine farm. A study
reading unread emails, KKellogg School published in the
Journal of Happiness
Studies took a look at
the impact of time off.
Fifty-five participants
2 YOUR NEW GRO OVE took holidays of two
weeks or longer, and this one-mo onth
researchers checked splurge could tank
Popping in your earbuds to and even physical performance, y pp
your happiness s.
replace office chatter with yo our adding that it can also act as a
in periodically to
monitor metrics such
5 A According to Tim
67-track Trap playlist may alreeady
be your 9-to-5 coping mechanism.
type of “white noise”, blocking out
potential distractions. While y
p you may y
as mental and physical BETTER Kasser, a professor of
psychology at Knox
However, listening to music while
you work is a contentious issue,
need to trade out “boom bap” for
a bit of Bach, listening to music for
health. The holiday
bliss point: 11 days. WAY TO College, people who
orient their Christmas
with some researchers (and more productivity is a sound solution.
According to the study,
this is how long it took
SPEND season around
than a few employers) vilifying the
working-man’s cans (you know what
for participants to
forget the pressures
TIME OFF buying can actually
lower their well-being
we mean). But wait – pop those of the office and truly during this time. This
earphones back in. A new study unwind. Pass that It’s the holiday season, doesn’t mean you
has discovered that the right songs and most of us – 76%, have to deny yourself
WORDS: KIERAN LEGG; *WONGA SA SURVEY
point, and you’ll start

could tune up your performance to feel homesick, to be exact* – are set that drone you’ve
at work. A Scala Radio study, led by and may even miss to loosen the budget been eyeing since
psychologist Becky Spelman, asked your regular routines. and throw money at January – and what
workers to transcribe the lyrics to Hard to believe when the latest shiny tech, better way to usher
a song. Some completed the task you’re sitting poolside gear and gadgets. in 2020, than from
in silence, while others listened to nursing an ice-cold However, research a bird’s-eye view? –
classical music. The result: those with beer, but it’s true. on festive-season but it’s a reminder
audio finished the test 15% quicker. spending has shown that “buyer’s high”
The study authors say music can Booking leave? Shoot that draining your bank doesn’t translate to
affect mood, mental performance for that magic 11 days. account to support long-term happiness.

MIND
Let Go of Your Vices
Breathe In for Big Results
Learn to Be Grateful
COMPILED BY MEGAN FLEMMIT
BREAKING BAD HABITS

THE MEN’S HEALTH GUIDE TO
BY JOSHUA ST. CLAIR
Are you sure you want to

clear entire “VICES” library?
You’ve probably heard the statistic before: 80% simply making them things to try not to do? After all,
of New Year’s resolutions fail by early February. isn’t it easier to write off an aborted attempt at kicking
Take that fact at face value, and you can end up one of your vices as a failed resolution, instead of as an
depressed about the state of humanity’s willpower. But entrenched behavioural issue? Oh, are you bristling at
dig deeper, and you may find something else at work. the idea now? Don’t worry, this primer is here to help
Are resolutionists minimising their problems, by you decode, diagnose, and disengage. Finally.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LEVI BROWN MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 87

Pull Back on Porn
HOW TO CUT BACK

Delete
“It’s not just about stopping viewing
Get Info pornography,” says Struthers. “It’s
about figuring out why you were
viewing the pornography, and
Paste Item
replacing it with something that’s
healthier.” If you’re stressed and
Change Background regularly fire up a few videos as relief,
then taking away porn is only going to
Clean Up
make you more stressed. Determine
Sort what’s upsetting you, and deal with
that directly – at the gym, through
Show View Options meditation, or with a therapist.
Replace your Internet connection
with real connection, too. Shut off
P
your phone (67% of Pornhub users
ORNOGRAPHY ISN’T
inherently a vice. Watching
THE RED FLAGS watch on their smartphone) during
those high-usage times and/or
it isn’t inherently
make plans with people. You can
detrimental. The problem Compulsive pornography use is not
also safeguard your devices with
with porn is the volume – and the technically classified as an addiction,
an app like FamiSafe, that blocks
porn industry is a volume business. yet studies within the past decade
pornographic content. Let a very
found that porn can trigger addictive
In 2017, a whopping 64 years’ trusted friend set the password.
behaviours. If you’re not satisfied
worth of pornographic content
with one or two or seven sessions
was uploaded to pornhub.com. A
daily, or you watch porn where you
2016 study published in the journal shouldn’t (at the office, in the car), STILL STRUGGLING?
Neuropsychopharmacology Reviews you may want to rethink your “habit”.
estimated that 3 to 6% of people may Pornhub estimates that its highest
have compulsive sexual behaviour, or traffic occurs between 10pm and Then it’s time to see a sex-
sex addiction, in which pornography midnight, with peak activity on addiction counsellor. Check
with your insurer to find specific
plays a major role. Terry Crews and Sunday nights. Friday sees some of
providers. or use Google to find a
John Mayer have both spoken openly the fewest visitors of the week, which suitable (and well-reviewed) therapist
about porn damaging their lives. may suggest that social situations in your area.
limit opportunities for porn use.
So what? Well, over the past decade,
Other flares: do you turn to porn
research has linked pornography to C H E C K LI S T
when you’re under stress? When you’re
sexual dysfunction, i.e., problems with
PROP STYLING: JJ CHAN/HALLEY RESOURCES
bummed out or anxious? Lonely? TRACK YOUR PORN SESSIONS DAILY.

arousal, attraction, and performance. Pissed off at your partner? If so, then C O M PA R E YO U R U SAG E W I T H
Some studies suggest that frequent use you might use it to self-medicate, YO U R E M OT I O N S AT T H E T I M E (STRESS,
of Internet pornography may dull the ANXIETY, LONELINESS).
which is especially unhealthy, says
reward response in the brain. Similar to Dr. William Struthers, a professor of MAKE PLANS OR LIMIT COMPUTER AND
D E V I C E U S E D U R I N G YO U R P E A K U SAG E
narcotics, the more porn you watch, the psychology at Wheaton College and T I M E S.
more you want to watch it, and the more author of Wired for Intimacy: How
S E T U P A P O R N B LO C K E R
you need to watch to satisfy yourself. Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain. O N YO U R D E V I C E S.

MIND
Drink Smarter
W
E’RE getting drunker. In
the US, a study in JAMA HOW TO CUT BACK STILL STRUGGLING?
Psychiatry found a 30%
(30 per cent!) increase
The US Centre for Disease Control Seek help outside yourself. Call
in high-risk drinking between 2002
recommends a limit of two drinks your health-insurance company
and 2013. What’s more, 14% of South per day for men (two 340ml bottles and ask for treatment providers.
Africans say they engage in binge of beer at 5% alcohol by volume). Also ask about treatment type
drinking, according to the National But even that amount may be (group, medication, counselling)
Income Dynamics Study of 2014-2015. too much. A recent multinational and setting (outpatient or
You’re aware of the effects. Pounding study found that among 600 000 inpatient). Or if the whole idea of
headaches. Unshakable Egg McMuffin current drinkers, all-cause mortality talking to your insurer is already
cravings. Increased weight due to increased when intake exceeded five stressing you out, phone the
increased Egg McMuffins... or six drinks per week. Want to cut Substance Abuse Helpline on
down? 0800 121 314 – an initiative of the
“Make a concrete plan before SA Depression & Anxiety Group
you go out,” advises Richter. “Say and the Department of Social
THE RED FLAGS to yourself, ‘This is the limit of how Development. They can help.
much I’m going to drink.’ ” Then hold
yourself accountable. Tell a friend
First, look at the branches of your family your plans. Try to drink slower and
tree. If your relatives suffer from drug drink less: a bottle of beer instead
or alcohol addiction, you may have an of a pint, a smaller pour of wine, a Open
increased risk of developing the disease lower-strength drink.
as well, says Dr. Linda Richter, director If you’re unable to take it slower, Empty Trash
of policy research and analysis at the US breaking your promise to yourself
Centre on Addiction. or a friend, and find that your habit
There are other this-is-not-normal continually affects your work and
signs, too. Ever had plans, but broke relationships, you may need to take
them to stay in and enjoy a six-pack more serious action. The benefits –
alone? That’s cause for concern. That better sleep, more energy,
old ’50s-dad trope of heading to the bar reduced kilojoule intake,
after work for a beer or three to relieve improved overall health –
stress? Ditto. Went a few days without a are too great not to.
drink and found that you felt nauseated
or shaky or had trouble sleeping? Those
may be symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
Next, look at how drinking plays out in
the rest of your life. “If you’re finding that
your alcohol use is affecting your work,
your school, your family relationships,
and that you keep drinking regardless of
these issues, then you may have a real
problem,” says Richter. Luckily, there are
steps you can take to course-correct.
C H E C K LI S T
S P OT- C H EC K YO U R FA M I LY H I STO RY.

T R AC K YO U R D R I N KS A N D S E E I F T H EY A L I G N W I T H
F E E L I N G S O F WA N T I N G TO E S CA P E .
S E T SA F EG UA R D S D U R I N G A N I G H T O U T
A N D R E P O RT T H E M TO A F R I E N D.
D R I N K L E S S ( O N E D R I N K A DAY, T H E N
O N LY O N W E E K E N D S, A N D S O O N ) .

MIND
Vaporise Vaping
Clean House,
W
AIT, WASN’T vaping Clean Mind
supposed to be safer than JULIE MORGENSTERN, author
cigarettes? The US’s FDA of Organising from the Inside
tightened regulations in Out, delivers your three-stage,
2018 after the CDC reported that U S no-bull plan for decluttering
how you live. Clutter can lead
e-cigarette sales had increased by 150%
to anxiety and stress and may
since 2012, with 37% of high school
even trip up your diet, a study in
seniors reporting that they’d vaped in
Psychological Science found.
the past 30 days. A 2018 Statista survey Junk
found that 45% of American men have STEP 1:
tried it. GET HONEST
Vaping can still deliver nicotine to
your system. Even if you’ve never been Block Look at your garage, your office,
your car – or any other place
a regular cigarette smoker, as 40% of that people give you crap for
vapers ages 19 to 24 claim, you can still not maintaining. You might think
get hooked, whether you start with a it’s fine, but ask yourself these
questions: Can you easily find
Juul or a Camel pack, says Dr. Joseph
Allen, director of the Healthy Buildings HOW TO CUT BACK what you need? Can you function
efficiently here? Are the other
programme at Harvard. That’s how members of your household able
to function well in the space? If
nicotine works, whether it’s smokeless the answers are yes, then you’re
If you’re new to vaping, try to stop, if
or not. you can, before the dependence kicks in. organised, no matter how messy
And there’s more bad news. The it looks. If not? Proceed to the
If you’ve started vaping with friends as a next step.
fluids and flavourings within vaporiser social habit or as something to do with your
products may also pose a threat to hands, try holding a pen or playing with a STEP 2:
your health. Although you’re not rubber band, advises Richter. You can also
P L AY T H E M AT C H G A M E
consuming the tar from cigarettes, carry a bottle of water to drink from should
you may still be inhaling other toxic you become fidgety. Sipping water not only You never look for things in that
chemicals. replaces the hand-to-mouth motion with “junk drawer” because your
a healthier alternative, but also prevents brain doesn’t attach purpose to
“Fifteen or so years ago, we first
binge eating later, a habit many recovering that drawer. Same goes for your
started to see workers develop severe outside shed. That’s why you
smokers resort to, Richter says.
and irreversible lung disease after must first pull out everything and
group similar items according to
inhaling these flavouring chemicals,
a designated function (camping
particularly diacetyl,” says Allen. gear, holiday decorations, tools,
“In our study, when we looked at the STILL STRUGGLING? etc.). If something emerges that
doesn’t fit a suitable category (like
flavouring chemicals in e-cigarettes,
PHOTOGRAPH BY JONATHON KAMBOURIS; ADDITIONAL IMAGES: GETTY/GALLO IMAGES

in the garage), consider moving
sure enough, we found that in over 90% A health professional might it to another part of the house, or
of the e-cigarettes we tested, you have donating it if it’s something you
prescribe an approved medication,
don’t use or love. Create “treasure
these same flavouring chemicals.” such as Champix, as well as nicotine- criteria” by asking yourself, If all this
replacement therapy, such as patches or were gone tomorrow, what would I
gums. The Cancer Association of South miss? This will help you . . .
Africa recommends their free KickButt
THE RED FLAGS programme, available at cansa.org.za; STEP 3:
professional counselling and individual LET GO
or group therapy may help you as well.
If you’ve already started vaping, Personal items have emotional
chances are you’re finding it harder attachments that prevent you
to stop. Ask yourself seriously if C H E C K LI S T from disposing of them. But
people tend to overvalue these
vaping fits into an addictive pattern STO P, I F YO U CA N . ties. One way to break the
of behaviour. Do you have cravings? attachment: ask yourself, is this
M O N I TO R YO U R C R AV I N G S.
Does it interrupt your day-to-day? the best symbol for who my loved
Have you tried to ease off but can’t? F I N D A R E P L AC E M E N T FO R ones are/were? If it’s not, then
S O C I A L F I D G ET I N G.
If you don’t like the answers to these don’t feel bad saying goodbye.
C O N S I D E R N I C OT I N E-
questions, read what’s next. R E P L AC E M E N T T H E R A PY.

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MIND
“Thank You” Is Good for You

LEARN TO BE MORE GRATEFUL. DAN HARRIS SAYS YOUR BRAIN WILL THANK YOU FOR IT.
WE ARE LIVING in an a way to practise gratitude, you’re doing it of long-term happiness.

era of increasing unhappiness. In the US, wrong. It’s not about showboating. Nor is it Achor,whomanagestoberelentlessly
diagnoses of major depression went up 33% about maniacally focusing on the positive chipperwithoutbeingannoying,isa
from 2013 to 2016. Loneliness abounds. and pretending we live in a problem-free happinessresearcherwithdegreesfrom
Anxiety affects 8% of children and teens. world. Oh, and it’s also not a way of using Harvard.WhenIinterviewedhiminthe
Hospitalisations for child suicide ideation thank-yous as a form of interpersonal schoollibrary,herattledoffrapid-fire,and
or attempts rose for all age groups – manipulation. (One of my favourite cynical oftenoddlyspecific,statistics.Forexample,
including 5- to 11-year-olds – between takes on the concept is “Gratitude is the hetoldmethatgratitudecorrelateswitha23%
2008 and 2015. expectation of future favours.”) dropinheadaches,backaches,andfatigue.
Recently, as part of a segment for one Done correctly, gratitude is radically The push for gratitude is not merely
of the TV programmes I’m involved simple: it’s the deliberate attempt to academic for Achor. Notwithstanding
in, I visited a high school where they not take the many good things in your life his seemingly congenital congeniality,
are endeavouring to counteract these for granted. What’s more, science suggests he has suffered from bouts of depression.
pernicious trends. As the principal told gratitude’slinkedtobettermentalhealth– The core of his message is that happiness
me, it’s not enough to teach kids maths and and, if practised regularly, more exercise. does not have to rely solely on our genes
reading; you have to teach them how to be To put this gratitude campaign into or our environment; it can be a choice.
successful humans. action, the school recruited Shawn Achor, His work suggests that we can create
Oneoftheirmaintactics?Gratitude. author of a best-selling book called The happiness hygiene habits.
Gratitude is one of the most Happiness Advantage, which argues that “If, for just two minutes a day, we get
misunderstood – and yet, deeply useful gratitude at any age can boost energy, someone to think of three things that
– concepts trending today. For example, improve sleep, reduce depression, and they’re grateful for, or if we express our
if you think taking a selfie in front of your increase both optimism and social gratitude once over the course of the day
private jet and posting it with #BLESSED is connection – two of the greatest predictors to somebody else... we train our brain to
92 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 ILLUSTRATION BY GARY TAXALI

UP YOUR
INNER GAME
Dan Harris
is a TV anchor,
and the zones. “We could find meaning in the daily and strategise about. Another of my
author of activities that can move us forward,” he says. favourite expressions is “The price of
10% Happier and Meditation for
“And I think happiness could remain an security is insecurity.” I still believe that
Fidgety Skeptics.
option – wherever we live in the world.” to be true. It’s just that I found gratitude to
For me, after just one week I found that be a nice corrective when I was taking my
Achor’s gratitude exercises genuinely worrying too far.
helped. Every time I sent an appreciative I want to be super-clear about this: being
email, I received a warm response, grateful is definitely not the same as being
become more optimistic and positive,” dropping a nice hit of dopamine into my complacent. Here’s one more saying I love:
says Achor. And “if we keep the pattern inbox, which is otherwise a source of “Everything is perfect. But it could use a
going, it actually allows us to make the diabolical overwhelm. little improvement.”
choice of happiness an easier choice.” The real winner, though, was the As I write this column, it has now
Achor has a series of gratitude hacks nightly routine of contemplating three been several months since I first
that anyone can do – even 17-year-old new positive developments in my life. I met Shawn Achor in that now high-
school pupils. Since the results have been found the ritual bleeding out into the rest achieving high school.
impressive at the school – it went from the of my day, forcing me to occasionally pull Ultimately I dropped the thank-you
73rd percentile of academic achievement back from my relentless rush to cross emails, because I found that creating the
scores nationwide to the 96th percentile – I things off my to-do list. It contributed to time to craft a new note every day added
decided to spend a week test-driving two a goal I’d been pursuing for years through stress to the already Sisyphean task of
new daily habits to see how they could pay my daily meditation practice – trying managing my digital tsunami.
off for me. to cultivate a sort of nostalgia for the The nightly gratitude ritual is still going
First, every day, I wrote a thank-you email present, rather than constantly rueing strong, however – and I suspect it’s here
to someone I felt really deserved it. Second, the past or projecting into the future. to stay. I find it incredibly rewarding to
every night as my head hit the pillow, instead All my life I’ve heard the exhortation to have a practice that orients me towards
of engaging in my habitual rumination stop and smell the roses, but no one has the positive stuff I might otherwise simply
about whatever problems needed to be ever actually told me how to do it. Achor’s experience and expunge.
solved, I spent several minutes thinking hacks were a way to operationalise one of I don’t know whether it’s contributed to
about three new things that had happened my favourite expressions: “These are the a 23% drop in headaches, backaches and
during the day for which I was grateful. good old days.” fatigue; but I do know that it feels damn
Achor says these gratitude practices To be clear, this dose of gratitude did not good, and that it’s also shockingly effective
work by building new mental muscles stop me from worrying and strategising at putting me to sleep.
that scan for the positive. Basically, this about all the things that I need to worry I’ll take it. #BLESSED.
practice knocks us out of our default mode.
Our brains evolved to have a pronounced
negativity bias. Why? According to
Achor, it’s because early human life was HOW TO
precarious, and we needed to be on the GET GRATEFUL
lookout for things like sabre-toothed
tigers. However, this threat-detection
wiring doesn’t always serve us well in HOW CAN we make A Gooey Message: visual cue: You can see in
gratitude operational in Write a two-minute time how the jar gets full,
a modern context, where our brains our lives? Here are a few email or text praising and be reminded of the
unnecessarily revert into ancient freak- exercises you can do or thanking a different positivity in your life.
out mode when, say, we’re dissatisfied by while brushing your teeth person each day – a high
or going to bed: school English teacher, The Doubler:
our lack of Instagram likes. a spouse, or a colleague, Think of one positive
But, you might ask, can gratitude Three Good Things: Achor says. “Keep it experience each day.
really help everyone? What if you live in Happiness researcher short.” He says it can Bullet-point three details
Shawn Achor suggests transform not only your you remember about it:
a refugee camp, or are battling a life- taking two minutes a level of happiness but what you were wearing,
threatening disease? How is it possible day to think of three new your social connection, what you said. “Your
to feel grateful then? things you’re grateful which has cascading brain in that moment is
for, and why. Better yet, health impacts. reliving the experience,”
Achor says that when he first got into this write them down, so you Achor says, in essence
research, he thought happiness might be too can go back and look at Gratitude Jar: “doubling” that memory.
KYLE HILTON (HARRIS)
hard for certain people. But to his surprise, them at the end of the Anytime anything good Do it for 21 days in a row,
week. “It’ll train your happens, jot it down on a and you start to see a
he’s found happiness in every environment, brain to become more piece of paper, fold it up, trajectory of meaning in
from cancer wards to prisons to combat optimistic.” and put it in a jar. It’s a your life. – D. H.

MIND
A New Year’s
Guide to
Daily(ish)
Meditation
ONE MINUTE. MOST DAYS.
BIG RESULTS. / BY DAN HARRIS
THE NEW YEAR is upon

us; a time when many of us will inevitably
go about making, and then abandoning,
absurdly ambitious resolutions – to do
more burpees, to home-brew kombucha, to
easily reach ketosis or achieve a permanent
in-box of zero.
Let me instead propose an eminently
doable resolution: try meditating for one
minute on most days – for just one month.
Forming healthy habits is hard, and
there’s a reason most of our resolutions
ultimately go down in flames. We may be
wired to fail. Evolution has bequeathed us a
brain that optimises for survival, not long-
term health planning. Natural selection
primed us for detecting threats and finding
food and sexual partners, not for flossing
our teeth. The fact that we’re up against
this evolutionary challenge is why I like this
modest, month-long proposal. Two aspects
make it easy to adopt:
First, aiming to meditate most days,
rather than every day, is a good goal.
Consistency counts – the more often you
meditate, the easier it gets and the deeper

and more enduring the benefits – but if which you may find helpful. That said, if FOCUS ON THE BENEFITS
you miss a day, your inner critic won’t have like me you have an unpredictable schedule, In many ways, we are all like rats in a maze,
a chance to call you a failure. I call this thinking strategically might mean trying constantly pressing the levers that deliver
approach “daily-ish”. It has elasticity, or to fit your meditation in whenever and food pellets to us. Behaviour-change
“psychological flexibility”, a key concept wherever you can. science strongly suggests that the best way
from behaviour-change research, which to ensure a consistent meditation habit is
can help lead to an abiding habit, be it a MAKE YOURSELF to identify where and how the practice is
meditation practice, a new gym routine, or ACCOUNTABLE giving you pellets.
a commitment to learn Esperanto. Some people may not institute a healthy Just like rats, we’re much more likely to
Second, one minute is a supremely low habit on their own, but they will do it when keep doing something if it feels good and
bar. The proposition of a single minute is other people are holding them accountable. we get something out of it. There are at
uniquely unintimidating. What’s more, it’s One way to create that kind of least two levels to this. The first level is to
scalable. After one minute of meditation, accountability is to join a community of pay attention to how the act of meditating
people often think to themselves: I’m some sort. It can be as simple as just getting can be pleasurable in itself. The other level
already here; might as well keep going a a few of your friends together and starting. is to notice the benefits as they arise in
bit. As meditation teacher Cory Muscara Another option is to join a regular sitting the rest of your life, in terms of both inner
explains, this is a key moment, because group at your local meditation centre. weather and outer comportment. I’ve
you’re moving from “extrinsic” motivation Some cities and towns have meditation found meditation can make me feel better
(that is, meditating because you feel centres where you can drop in (or book a and act better.
like you have to) to the more powerful spot in advance). There are also Buddhist I believe that meditation is the über
“intrinsic” motivation (that is, meditating centres, which may be a bit scary for some, resolution – the healthy habit par
because you want to). And the second you but in my experience they go light on the excellence – because a regular dose of
opt in for more meditation, you’re doing it religion and tend to give good meditation mindfulness can give you the clarity and
out of actual interest, which makes it much instruction. Check it out for yourself. Or sanity to figure out which other resolutions
more likely to have a lasting effect. form your own sitting group. to pursue, and how best to do so.
My company, 10% Happier, tested an I’ve found that hanging out with other Give it a try. For the past few years,
annual month-long “Mindful Minute” meditators sets up a kind of taxi/bus-lane whenever I’ve spoken publicly about
challenge with employees from your effect. Being around people who take the meditation, I’ve been issuing the following
friendly neighbourhood trillion-dollar meditative principles seriously and are challenge: try meditation for a month,
company, Apple. The goal was for endeavouring to apply these concepts in and if it does nothing for you, hit me up on
participants to log at least one mindful their own lives can create positive peer Twitter and tell me I’m a moron.
minute for 25 out of the 30 days, enabling pressure. Or as meditation teacher Jeff During this time, lots of people have
them to get a taste for how mindfulness can Warren says, “It sort of normalises the called me a moron on Twitter – but never
benefit their lives, while also giving them whole weird thing.” for this.
freedom to miss about a day a week without
feeling like a failure.
Even with that low threshold, there
are more strategic ways to make a new
meditation habit stick:
WHAT A 60-SECOND reset
is intended to shift your
Bring your attention to
breathing. Count “one”
THINK STRATEGICALLY HAPPENS attention from your as you inhale. Imagine
ABOUT YOUR SCHEDULE DURING ONE mental preoccupations breathing out any tension
to your breath. Here’s a as you exhale. Count
Some people find that having a set time
MINUTE OF one-minute meditation “two” on the next inhale.
every day – right before bed, first thing in
the morning, just after a workout – helps
MEDITATION you can use anywhere, See if you can make it
anytime – after your to ten without losing your
establish a habit. Scientists who study habit morning coffee, after you focus. Explore how fully
park your car at work, you can feel each breath,
formation talk about “cue, routine, reward”.
after you put your head letting the world around
You can experiment with constructing a 60 down on the pillow. We you fade out a bit.
cue-routine-reward loop that gets you to call it Ten Breaths. Simple If you get distracted and
PESHKOV/GETTY, KYLE HILTON (HARRIS)
as it sounds. Wherever forget where you are, start

meditate. For example, “After I park my
you are, in any situation or over from where you got
car [cue], I will meditate for five minutes mental state, close your lost, always with a sense of
[routine], and I’ll feel a little calmer and eyes and count ten long, humor about your gnat-like
slow breaths. attention span.
more mindful [reward].” Repeat this loop
To begin, stop, no That’s it. Want more?
to ingrain the habit. You can even put your matter where you are. Try it again. And again . . .
daily meditation session in your calendar,

C OV E R G U Y W I N N E R:
LU C KY FA DZ I , 23
M N Q O B I KU N E N , 28
M A R K ET I N G E X P E RT
P E R SO N A L T R A I N E R
D U R A N G AT E M B E , 2 1
P E R SO N A L T R A I N E R
TO D D PAG E , 26
C H I RO P R ACTO R
S ET H M A RT I N , 29
ENTREPRENEUR
KU N DA I M U R A PA ,3 0
ST U N T P E R FO R M E R
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were flown to Cape Town, where a across the bars at Funky Monkey.
gruelling physical challenge awaited And while they all displayed an
them. We decided to shake things impressive amount of mental grit
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component, to provide the finalists guy emerged victorious, leading the
with an opportunity to show off their pack by a landslide: Mnqobi Kunene.
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Under a scorching sun, they tackled physicality, we chose Mnqobi for his
a brutal Tough Mudder course designed tenacity, selflessness and conviction.
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DE PARTUR E S
YOUR PASSPORT TO WELLNESS
Break
Away
Our rand isn’t getting
any stronger; and luxury
holidays are becoming
steeper by the day. But
there’s an iconic escape
that’s been a no-brainer for
students and backpackers
for decades: Thailand.
What if we said the green
haven isn’t just for the
barefooted, but for the
high-end explorer too?
BY NADIM NYKER

T
hailand has been on service if you’re planning an
my go-to travel list adventure out of the city. They’ve
for the same reason been around for 15 years, and
it’s on most have warm and welcoming staff
people’s: sapphire who went out of their way to
waters, white-sand ensure I was relaxed and at ease.
beaches, and it’s At Trat Airport, I was picked
cheap. Not to up by an ’08 Pajero Sport GT –
mention I’m in my mid-20s, most rims, tinted windows and all. My
of my friends have been on a guide and Thai local Manow was
Phuket binge, and it’s the furthest waiting, signboard in hand, with
my rand can dream. driver Kunbiya grabbing at my
But when I flew over the bag. Grey clouds assembled, and
Cardamom Mountains, home to I was peckish, but with Kunbiya
one of the last unfragmented handling logistics and Manow
rainforests in South-East Asia, making phone calls, they beat the
my heart sank; I realised I was in rain, and I found myself at the
for the unexpected. And as the Trat Night Market. I couldn’t
short-haul turboprop plane have been more impressed with
landed in the thick of it, in the my newfound posse.
coastal town of Trat, I felt like the Disclaimer: if you plan well
Che Guevara of The Land of the and have enough time, you
Smiles: rebellious, and charged don’t actually need a DMC. But
for the adventure ahead. do you want one? Absolutely,
But what came next was an chief – you’re on holiday, after
affordable luxury getaway on the all. Take my advice and go with
island of Koh Chang, a sanctuary the flow. If your DMC suggests
unknown to most of the 100 000- something, say yes; there’s no
plus South Africans who visited fun in having complete control,
Thailand last year. I rented a and you’ll open yourself up to
private boat, soaked up a helluva an unexpected adventure.
lot of vitamin D, and (of course)
created an IG highlight reel of Eat Everything
note. Here’s how you can, too. There are regions in Thailand
known for cuisine featuring live
Get Grounded worms and insects. But if that
Get familiar with the acronym isn’t your kind of grub, in the
DMC. It stands for “Destination Trat district you can rest
Management Company”, and assured you won’t be
Thailand has some of the best swallowing the unknown.
in the world. Locals are insistent on fresh
A DMC is responsible for all produce, and have a culture of
your ground arrangements, and sustainability; there is very little
will plan an itinerary according food waste. They use
to your needs. The company preservatives as little as
will ensure that you’re possible; plus they use less
transported to every location plastic, with many foods
safely, on time, and with a tour wrapped in banana leaves.
guide and driver on hand. The open-air Trat Night Market
This is the best way to get the is iconic. Known for its street
most out of your holiday, if you’re food, it’s packed with hundreds
short on time and want to be let in of different scents and flavours,
on local secrets. I used Asia pumping through the night air.
Evolution Tours (evolutiontour. There are tons of authentic
com), who provide an excellent sweet and savoury dishes,

ranging from traditional local
curries made with wild boar,
duck, and a variety of crab, to
the more touristy green curries
and health smoothies – with
pineapple garnish, of course.
Try the Sticky Fried Rice: a
bite-sized snack made with
banana, rice and condensed milk,
cooked on coals and wrapped in
banana leaf. The cooking process
gives the rice added longevity, so
take some for padkos; the extra
kilojoules will give you a boost on
the road. I met Lek, a 66-year-old who alongside the island’s pristine Island Hop
Another local gem is off the lives along the Nam Chiew River. Klong Prao Beach. Speaking of kingpins: next
island district’s mainland, on the He welcomed me onto his I checked into a villa; prices morning I rented a boat through
island of Koh Chang – my idyllic speedboat and gave me a vary depending on season, but it’s local charter company Perm Poon
hideaway for two nights. Here, traditional sun hat made from the rand-friendly for sure. I’m told Sub Boat. (Depending on your
restaurant Salak Phet Seafood is a nipa palm. He’s fished all his life; you could pay as little as 3 800 bartering, a private boat can cost
must-try. Built on the water in and as we sped past his riverside THB (R1 900) a night in the green up to 15 000 THB (R7 500) a day).
Salak Phet Bay (south of the bungalow, he told me he’s taken (low) season (thedewakohchang. I set off from the Bang Bao Pier.
island), there are fishing nets set Thailand’s big-time movie stars com). The amenities seemed Minutes into our sail the
up in front of the restaurant, and on this trip, too. endless, too: I had a king-size bed, engines switched off, the anchor
you’re guaranteed a fresh catch. Thousands of mangroves are lounge, private balcony and a dropped, and I was handed a
The tropical flavour profiles planted alongside the river each bathtub I could sleep in, in 60 mask. We were in the middle of
will stay with you for months year. This is to prevent tsunamis square metres of heaven. the ocean, in uncharted
to come, and the place has been and high tides from reaching the It’s true that a flash flood hit the territory in the Gulf of Thailand,
visited by some of Thailand’s fishing villages. Lek handed me a island days before I arrived, with and they told me to get in among
most famous. My picks: their mangrove seed and dropped over 50 homes and 500 people the coral.
cashew soya stir-fry, coconut anchor so I could do my part: I affected. But what’s left of the I was apprehensive at first
and ginger soup, and the sweet drove a pole into the wet sand and debris didn’t influence Klong and inquired about a list of
shrimp curry. If you’re feeling pushed the seed in. Once back on Prao’s beauty. The water is calm, ocean predators. But once my
self-indulgent, order them all the water, Lek had one more thing the sunsets multicoloured; the air heart rate slowed, I learnt to
at once, and snack on to show me; into the river he went, is warm, and there’s a calming inhale through my mouth and
pineapple in between to and pulled out a handful of clams. stillness about the place. exhale through my nose, and
cleanse the palate. And don’t Only one ne thing was left to do: noticed the plenitude of marine
forget the cold Chang beer – Sleep Like A King dive into the ocean. It’s life below, awash with colour.
you’re in Thailand, after all. On the western side of Koh bathwater-warm, and I was Thailand is home to 1 430
Chang lies a strip of world- buzzing on endorphins. The islands, 55 of which lie ahead of
Make Like A Local class coastal resorts. I was at Dewa is certainly not short of us; but dependent as we were on
In Trat, there’s plenty to learn The Dewa Koh Chang, a 4-star liquid assets, also boasting a daylight, I managed to visit just
from the local fishermen. Manow resort that maintains a grand 55-metre pool. And with a three of the best: Ko Rang, Koh
played translator. but harmonious presence poolside bar, I felt kingpin cool. Kood, and Koh Mak.
TICK THESE BOXES their coconut and nut ice cream, 3. Experience the Michelin- 4. Travel to the Maeklong
PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN WITH HUAWEI P30
served in a coconut shell. It’s the starred R-Haan. Railway Market.

1. Check out the Damnoen best 50THB (R25) I’ve ever spent. Thai Princess Maha Chakri Just 40 minutes out of the city,
Saduak Floating Market. Sirindhorn and many other and perched on top of a railway
The most popular floating market 2. Visit Bangkok’s Sky Bar. celebrities eat here, and with line, this market is unlike any other.
in Thailand, it’s a melting pot Arguably the best view in good reason: with two Michelin There’s lots of value-for-money
of Chinese and Thai culture. Bangkok; expect to see stars, the restaurant is renowned food, sweets and hand-made
Alongside a canal, locals thousands of buildings light up for the sensory experience it wearables. What’s more unusual is
paddle boats, selling an array of in front of you. And they make provides, and I can attest to its that the market literally folds away
sweetmeats and savouries, while a great Negroni. Just take your quality. Get your DMC to book within 60 seconds of a train being
others put on snake shows. Try credit card – it gets pricey. well in advance. spotted. See it for yourself.

With its crystal waters, coconut walking in 52 different locations.
palms and a lifeguard post, Koh In all cases, those walking in
Rang’s an ideal spot for IG glory forests (known as ‘forest
(if you’re into that). Koh Kood, on bathing’) experienced less
the other hand, is an adventure anxiety, hostility, fatigue and
hub, with rainforest, a hiking trail confusion and fewer depressive When to Go
With its tropical
and the Khlong Chao Waterfall, symptoms, and showed more
heat, Thailand's
the ultimate playground for vigour, than urban walkers.) great to visit any
locals. Kids cliff-dive, and with time of year. Look out for
the specials offered by
the humidity over 85%, the colder Break In Bangkok
major tour operators such
valley water wakes the senses. Fly to the Trat district, and you’re as Thompsons for Travel,
While on Koh Kood, ask your bound to layover at Bangkok’s especially for travel just
after Easter and between
guide to take you to the local ‘Good Suvarnabhumi Airport. Make the
April and September. For
View’ café, a bungalow that offers most of it and extend your trip a assistance with a tailor-
drinks and Thai massages, all night or two. My DMC in Bangkok made package, contact
the Tourism Authority of
with an incredible view. Their was award-winning Diethelm
Thailand on info@lscpr.co.za;
iced coffee is a winner. Travel, and it’s clear why they’re tell them we sent you.
winners: I was fetched in a luxury
Boost Your Mental Health black shuttle, with cold towels and
How to Get
It’s not on the itinerary, but refreshments at every stop There
before we left the island Manow (diethelmtravel.com). Thompsons
for Travel have
had something special to show Sprawling Bangkok is alive
put together an exclusive
me: we took a Hilux through thick with activity. It’s the second-most package for MH Readers.
rainforest to visit the ancient congested city in the world, and Stay at the 4-star Emerald
Cove Resort on the island
Banyan trees of Koh Kood. you don’t want to be part of the
of Koh Chang for seven
Makayuk & Sayai are over 500 peak traffic warfare. The streets nights, breakfasts, transfers
years old, and the locals believe are packed with shouting food and flights included, for
R21 305. Flights are from
angels live inside them. The vendors and flea-market hustlers;
Johannesburg. Remember,
angels – female – act as protectors but man, is it titillating. Thailand is visa-free for
and providers, and many leave Embrace it, and expect an South Africans.
thompsons.co.za, adverts@
gifts to show their appreciation: adrenalin rush like no other. Take
thompsons.co.za
dresses, jewellery, flowers and time to walk, run or scream (I
sweets. I’m not religious, but ticked all three) through the city,
Where To Stay
there’s a powerful energy that and soak up the tar. In stark
I stayed at The
surrounds these sacred giants, contrast to Thailand’s crystal Dewa Koh Chang
and I left in a meditative state. waters and laid-back island life, on the island of
Koh Chang, and the Siam@
(The science agrees. In a 2018 it's the hub of Thai high society.
Siam Designer Hotel in
study, 585 Japanese participants I stayed at the 4.5-star Siam@ Bangkok. Incredible service,
reported on their moods after Siam Boutique Hotel (from 3 649 and (if you’re looking for
luxury) a great way to stretch
THB (R1 825) per night) in the your rand.
centre of the city, and can highly thedewakohchang.com,
recommend it. This designer siam@bangkok.com
hotel with a contemporary-chic
feel is all about the finer details: What to Pack
retro Marshall Bluetooth amp in Shorts, vests
and slops are a
the room, quirky pop culture
no-brainer. But
quotes on bedroom slippers. don’t forget the following:
There’s no need for a hotel- insect repellent, rain jacket
(Thailand’s downpours are
room workout, as there’s a often fleeting, but can be
well-equipped gym. Plus, they intense – be prepared), and
have an infinity pool and sun long pants and a smart shirt
for visiting temples.
terrace, with an incredible view of
the city (siam@bangkok.com). This trip was sponsored by the
What better way to end a Tourism Authority of Thailand.
luxurious-yet -affordable visit
to paradise?

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2020
As our fitness regimes become sharper, smarter and ever more
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gym-goer, a row of treadmills and dumbbells no longer cuts it.
MH has sweated over SA’s top contenders to find the facilities
working hardest for you. Grab a towel – you’ll need it.

F I N D A T R A I N I N G ST Y L E
T H AT S U I TS YO U AT
M O OV E M OT I O N F I T N E S S
C LU B.
RUNNERS-UP
01 With a recent boom in

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multiple memberships at to training trends, adding drill from
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Group training ranges nationwide every week to beat
from typical classes like ignitefitness.com your score.
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yoga and zumba to your work time to
rallying some friends for Kick-start your journey to 16min. Then see how
a game of basketball or better health at one of you fare.
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sauna, or break a sweat or
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trying to beat your improve your gains in the e
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tennis, snooker or club has something
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M OT L EY C R E W P R OV E S
F I T N ES S C A N B E F U N A N D
E F F I C I E N T.
02
The
Smartest
Coach
JOSHUA CAPAZORIO
03
The
@joshua_105
Joshua Capazorio learnt
Leading
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Specialist
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launched in South edgier, more
Africa in November competitive clubs we
2011 at Delta Park, could have awarded BEAT YOUR “Distance work
strengthens your
Drill 1/
Lay down a
Drill 2/
Now, repeat with
Johannesburg. Now, in this category, but if
there are 223 you want one that
BEST TIME muscles, heart speed ladder. speedy
Athletics and lungs,” says Practise running single-leg hops,
locations across the caters as much to coach Tom Craggs. “But to through the swapping legs
country. The principle families and newbies Craggs fire them all up rungs, keeping after each
supplied us over a short your steps quick length. Bonus:
remains the same: as it does to marathon with distance, you and light. Run this will build up
every run (not “race”, vets and PB-chasers, his drill for must also train forward first, your core
beating
they stress) is 5km there can only be one your nerves and then laterally for stability, too.
IMAGES SUPPLIED
your 5K time
long. It’s always free, winner. synapses.” a greater test of
coordination.

B EG I N YO U R A S C E N T 07
The
TO P E A K F I T N E S S .
Ultimate
Fat-Burner
SWEAT1000, NATIONWIDE
F U N CT I O N A L T R A I N I N G
sweat1000.com M AY B E T R E N D I N G, B U T
I TS R ES U LTS A R E N O J O K E .
TA K E SW E AT 1 0 0 0 FO R
SWEAT1000 is EXAMPLE.
increasing in popularity,
RUNNERS-UP
with good reason. What
started out as one branch in HOLLYWOOD at HEAT at Virgin
Cape Town run by Paul and F45, Cape Town Active, nationwide
Andrew Rothschild can now be f45training.co.za virginactive.co.za
found as far as Houston, Texas.
06 The high energy of each class will It’s the only class that The name of this
The
see you easily burn close to 1 000 runs for a full hour at class speaks
calories (more than 4 000kJ). F45. Its inclusion of volumes. During a
While each class incorporates so many full-body 60-minute session of
Best treadmill running with functional

and athletic training, no two
strength exercises
earns it our vote: by
high-energy athletic
training you’ll work on
Gym classes are the same. A live DJ

will have you blasting through a
building muscle as
well as raising your
four key drills – agility,
speed, power and
That’s variety of moves to upbeat tunes. heart rate, it keeps stamina. Prepare to
The music is loud, the lights are your metabolism high burn tons of kilojoules
Not a
low – and your fitness will reach a long after you’ve while getting fit fast.
new level. stopped sweating. Godspeed.
Gym B
CITYROCK, NATIONWIDE B
B
cityrock.co.za
A
Reps, by definition, are A
repetitive. For those YOUR FIRE A
craving something truly STARTER

functional, trade the For this 01\ CONCEPT2 ROW 02\ BATTLE ROPE
ROPES 03\ SANDBAG DEADLIFT
F45 taster, Start by pushing off with Whip the ropes five times Hold the bag with hands
100kg barbell for 16m work for 45 your legs (A), then pull your with each arm in turn (A), shoulder-width (A). Pin your
climbing towers. seconds per arms to you (B), keeping then perform five doubles shoulders as you lift, the
move, then your core tight throughout. (B). Stay strong, now. bag close to your body (B).
CityROCK boasts over 180
restfor 10
top ropes and 5 dedicated seconds.
areas of lead routes that Complete
B B
three rounds
are changed every two in total. A
months, with new routes
introduced every week. A
Each climb will challenge A

B
you both mentally and
physically. Kids welcome 04\ DUMBBELL BENCH PPRESS 05\ KETTLEBELL
LL GOBLET SQUAT 6\ BURPEE BOX JUMP
too, so you can turn your Alternate arms, maintaining With feet wide and a Drop (A), jump your legs
a steady tempo, with your kettlebell held to your back and in again, then
gym session into a fun
core tight. Don’t cheat by chest (A), sink until both of launch onto a box (B).
family experience. bouncing the weights. your knees are at right This one should kill by
angles (B). round three.

H E A D TO T H E O P E N - A I R
GY M B O L D B O DY TO
H A R V E ST R E WA R DS .
RUNNERS-UP
08 Jokes Aside, Centurion

jokesasidegym.co.za
The
Training outside is
inherently better, isn’t ’t This Centurion-based outdoor
Coolest
it? Even compared to a functional and obstacle gym is the
well-appointed studio, real show-stopper is the ultimate summer training spot.
Outdoor
it just feels a little more, obstacle-course Switch up the boring old routine.
well, real. BOLD agrees. training space that’s
They realised that there kitted out with nets, Alphen Calisthenics Park,
Space are more interesting

ways to get ripped than
by toiling on machines.
bars and walls. Once
you’ve flipped a tractor
tyre, the recumbent
Constantia
Blending calisthenics with

BOLD BODY, CAPE TOWN On top of the regular bike will probably lose community, this free gym is unfussy,
wearebold.co.za gym offerings, you can much of its appeal. yet challenges you to master real
do SUP yoga. But the technique.
CULTIVATE B
STRENGTH B B
Run through
A A
as many
rounds as you A
can of this
three-move
combo in 10
minutes. It’s 001/ DOUBLE KETTLEBE LL PRESS 02/ FARMERR’SS WALK 03/ AIRBIKE
grow time. 5 REPS 30M 30SEC
Clean two kettlebells to Pick up two heavier weights Hop on and go all out for 30
your shoulders, dip at your that challenge your grip and seconds, pumping with
knees to generate power walk (A and B), to build your your arms (A and B). Done?
IMAGES SUPPLIED
(A), then press overhead (B), forearms and core. Finish at Go back to the kettlebell
your arms locked. the bike. press and continue.

THE COOLEST
CLASSES
1/ Drenched,
Cape Town
drenched.co.za
Thought HIIT
B L E N D G O A LS W I T H training was hard
V I E W S FO R T H E
enough?
U LT I M AT E S E S S I O N
AT P O I N T B R E A K Drenched
F I T N ES S C E N T R E . combines HIIT
with boxing and
then hosts the
class in a heated
room. You’ll burn
more kiljoules
and sweat out all
the holiday
RUNNERS-UP excess.
09 Body Guru Gym, Umhlanga
The Best
bodygurugym.co.za 2/ Active Bands
at Virgin Active,
Functional Space
The award-winning team at Body Nationwide
Guru Gym have designed training virginactive.co.za
programmes to give you the best Want to improve
power, sculpt
POINTBREAK FITNESS CENTRE, CAPE TOWN results in the amount of time you
and strangthen
have to give. Hey, everyone’s busy, your glutes and
pointbreakfitnesscentre.com
they understand that. build a stable
that will not take a knee or lower body and
PointBreak Fitness Centre tap out), while there are The Grind, Port Elizabeth core? The Active
is undoubtedly a diamond in classes including HIIT, thegrindfitness.co.za Bands class
the rough-and-readiness. It boxing tutorials, yoga, combines HIIT,
pilates and
boasts equipment for strength training, and even A favourite of MH cover guy RJ
resistance
multiple disciplines, such as pole dancing, all under the Bosch, The Grind makes sure that training so you’ll
gymnastics, along with all guidance of high-level every day is a new challenge to feel the burn and
the usual apparatus. The instructors who have a fresh push you to a new PB. Say build muscle.
gym also houses a boxing approach. Your frangipani goodbye to the ‘same old, same
ring (boxing being the trend salt scrub can wait. old’ gym routine.
3/ Les Mills Grit
Strength at Viva
Gym,
Nationwide
MICHELIN Breakfast
Mexican
Lunch
Avocado
Dinner
Braised
vivagym.co.za
The 30-minute
MUSCLE scrambled gratin with shoulder of HIIT workout
Pair a leading eggs with chorizo, goat’s cheese in lamb with kale, chard improves
nutritionist
with a top
coriander, chilli, sour a seed-and-nut crust. and cauliflower and strength and
French chef cream and avo. A lot Not all dairy has to creamy cauliflower builds muscle.
and you’ll get of nutritionists put be off the menu; puree. Red meats like You’ll use weight
a luxury their clients on a calcium is a crucial lamb are a top source plates, barbells
fat-burning high-fat plan. It keeps nutrient for fat loss. of iron, selenium and and bodyweight
menu, worthy
of the finest their energy high, And nuts and seeds vitamin B12, important exercises to blast
bistro. while training their add extra omega fats for immunity. Plus, all major muscle
bodies to burn fat to increase recovery. lamb’s more exciting groups in record
instead of carbs. So eat up! than chicken breast. time.

10
The 2020
Community
Heroes
ZULUTRANSFORMERZ, GLENWOOD
Instagram: @zulutransformerz
T H E M OV E F I T T R A I L E R
IN ALEX IS HELPING
What started off as a training people for an P EO P L E S M A S H T H E I R
small group of people at hour or so a day. It’s G O A LS .
Bulwer Park in KZN has about giving them the
steadily grown to a group knowledge to maintain a
of almost 50 people a good diet and showing RUNNERS-UP
day. But what are the them a functional The MoveFit Mobile Gym, Fight With Insight,
ZuluTransformerz group method of training that Alexandra Johannesburg
actually doing? Well, they can do even when movefitgym.co.za boxofficegym@gmail.com
Mnqobi Kunene (our 2019 they’re not being trained
Cover Guy winner) and by the ZuluTransformerz. Devon and Chad Henson This project for young
his friends started a That’s why they focus on created a portable, trailer- offenders consists of two
bootcamp for their bodyweight training, based weight training system. parts. They attend boxing
community. They offer calisthenics and street They bring the gym to people and then move onto
free fitness classes to workouts, so their training who can’t afford to travel far Cognitive Behavioural Group
anyone who wants to hopefuls can head home to work out. It’s R20 for a Therapy. After 12 sessions,
join. But for the group, it’s and continue building a drop-in session and R99p/m some are chosen to enter the
not just about fitness and healthy lifestyle. for unlimited membership. Box Office Boxing programme.
Bored with your run-of-

11 the-mill cardio workout?
The Then look out for its brutal

upgrade, which is steadily
BRING THE GYM TO YOUR PHONE
Best
Using your phone to train is set to be a big trend in 2020.
accelerating in popularity
Here are three of the power players.
in gyms throughout SA.
New
Whereas your regular
runner only trains stamina
Gym
and speed, the non-
motorised SkillMill adds
Machine
muscular endurance and
power to the mix.
Resistance settings let 01/ SpeedShred 02/ Flexi 03/ Belly Off!
Want to hit all of your Don’t anchor your Carrying a bit of that
TECHNOGYM SKILLMILL you switch between free
fitness and health fitness to just one holiday season
technogym.com running – in which the excess? The Belly
goals in 2020? Of gym. This app lets
belt goes as fast as you course you do. But you hit up as many Off programme will
do – and “sled pushes”, in you need a different gyms as help you go from fat
programme that you want without a to flat (and ripped) in
which you rely on your 12 weeks. It’s
works for you. We’ve membership. And
leg power to turn the belt, developed the you only pay for the suitable for men of
while a waistband ultimate 12-week session you attend. all ages and body
attachment mimics at-home training and Plus, you earn types, and you can
healthy eating plan. rewards back each start at any time.
parachute runs, too. It Best part? It has
It’s a results-driven, time you train, and
also requires more focus, no-BS plan that you can gift a friend easy-to-follow
so will hone your mental anyone can follow. a session. instructions.
perseverance as a bonus. speedshred.co.za flexi.co.za bellyoff.co.za

12
The Best
Studio
YOGA ROCKS, DURBAN
Still think that yoga is just

for people who collect
healing crystals? If so, open
up your mind (and, most
likely, your hip flexors). At
Yoga Rocks in Durban
North, you’ll see the
difference between a
workout that changes your
body and one that changes
your life. But – we’ll be
honest – that’s not what
elevates this studio to a
higher plane. Nope, that
would be its Sculpt class
that combines weights and
strength-training moves
with Vinyasa Yoga and
cardio. Plus, there are Power
Yoga and Masterclasses to
help you nail challenging
poses correctly. Going
all-out, all the time is no
longer cool, bro.
Unraveled Yoga,
Cape Town
unraveledyoga.com
With classes like Yoga Drill,

ST R ETC H YO U R M I N D a 45-minute yoga-inspired
A N D B O DY W H I L E workout, you’re
BUILDING MUSCLE
AT YO G A R O C K S . guaranteed to sweat. The
real winner? Warm Flow:
60 minutes heated flow, to
get your muscles moving.
UNKNOT
YOURSELF Wellness In Motion,
Unsure if Johannesburg
you’re ready 01/ Melting Heart 02/ Bound Lizard 03/ Bridge Pose wellnessinmotion.co.za
for a full This will ease stress in Open up your hips. On all Now, work on your
hour? Undo your upper back. On all fours, step your left foot to spinal mobility. Lie with
post-work fours with your hips above the outside of your left your knees bent and feet This studio (which offers a
stiffness with your knees, walk your hand. Bend your right 10cm apart. Lift your
this flow for lot more than just yoga)
hands until your head knee and grab the top of hips and back off the
body and touches the floor. Keep your right foot, holding it mat. Squeeze your will test your flexibility no
mind your fingertips down but with your left hand to glutes. Deepen the matter if you’re a yogi or
IMAGES SUPPLIED
lift your palms and stretch out your hips and stretch by rolling your
forearms. Hold for up to quads. Hold for five long shoulders and can’t touch your toes. Plus,
five minutes. breaths, then switch sides. interlacing your hands. they have their own apps.

Every
Question
You Ever Had
About Really
Eating Nutrition is a maddening
business. Foods are in one
Well
day, compost the next;
vitamins that cured ills last
week are promptly debunked.
We all want to eat better, but
who has the time to sift fact
from fad? Rest easy, because
this is your easily digestible,
bite-sized guide to doing
(Answered in 12 Minutes) precisely that.
W O R D S BY S C A R L E T T W R E N C H
P H O T O G R A P H Y BY S U N L E E

Q:
Giveittomestraight:whichofmy
environmental and ethical arguments
for avoiding animal products might be
more convincing.
Yes, I’ve seen that Netflix
documentary. But eco props aside,
is veganism any better for me? Or
Wait, rice? Did you mean quinoa?
Isn’t that the one with all the protein?
Quinoa is a good source of essential
amino acids, and it offers a good
variety of vitamins and minerals.
But so do many other wholegrains
special powers.
Not even coconut oil?
Nope. In fact, overdoing it can raise
your “bad” cholesterol levels.
How about powdered charcoal?
We’d steer clear of that one.
vicesdoIneedtogiveupforgood? is it just a marketing ploy to sell and seeds. Eat it, by all means, but Is there anything in whole-
A:We’retalkingstrictlyfood-related, cauliflower steaks? don’t restrict yourself to it under the food shops that’s actually worth
presumably? Let’s be clear here: some biscuits assumption that it’s superior. buying, then?
Er…let’ssayyes.Orelsethat’sa are vegan. You can buy vegan It’s not a real superfood, then? If budget allows, there's plenty of
wholeotherconversation. “sausage” rolls. Stripping out animal There are no set criteria nutritional benefit to choosing organic
Then, unless you have an allergy, products does not automatically for superfoods. They can’t be vegetables, which often have a higher
a persistent medical condition, or make a meal healthier. Think in categorised by racking up their antioxidant content, and grass-fed
adhere to a prohibitive religious terms of additions, not eliminations: antioxidant concentration. meats, which have a better ratio of
doctrine, there’s nothing in particular eat more vegetables and pulses or Nor the frequency with which they healthy fatty acids than meats from
you need to cut out. beans. A 10-year study from the feature on Goop, presumably. grain-fed animals. Just don’t be fooled
Asin…nothing? University of Navarra in Spain Quite. Plenty of the foods awarded by rebranded junk food: a R30 bag of
Nothing. In fact, we’d caution found that omnivores who eat more arbitrary “super” status are very kale chips is still a bag of chips.
against this kind of intervention. plant-based foods and cut back on good for us when it comes to nutrient I blend my kale into shakes.
Variety and flexibility in your diet meat – going down to about 140g density – blueberries, That must be good,
are crucial to maintaining a healthy per day – almost halve their risk of leafy greens, wild because Joe Rogan
relationship with food. More obesity compared to those with more salmon – but they does it.
pertinently, eliminating specific foods carnivorous appetites. It’s not a case don’t possess any Shakes and juices offer an
can reduce your tolerance to them, of one or the other. easy way to squeeze more fruits
making it hard to reintroduce them to But what about the protein?
your diet when the wind changes on What about it?
the latest nutritional thinking. I need more, right? That’s why
DoesthatmeanIshouldswitch everything is fortified with the stuff.
backtodairy?Istillhavetwo-thirdsof If you thought to ask, chances are
acartonofoatmilkinthefridge. you’re doing all right. Our protein
Well,youcouldarguethatcow's needs vary according to our activity
milkismorenutrient-densethan levels and body goals, but most men
plantmilks,whichtendtobefortified require something like 1g or 2g per
withextravitaminsandminerals.But kilo of their weight.
ultimately,they’rejustdifferent,with Can you give that to me in litres of
theirownkilojoulecountsandmacro protein shakes?
balances.Itdependsonwhatelseyou’re I wouldn’t recommend getting it
eating,andwhichnutrientsyoumight all from shakes. Roughly speaking,
beshorton. you’d need about six protein bars a
SoIdon’tneeddairy,butIdon’t day for an 85kg man. Or, for a more
havetogiveitupifIdon’twantto? balanced menu, a couple of fish fillets,
Exactly.Thereareotherwaysto five eggs, a block of tofu and a portion
sourceyourcalcium:leafygreens, of rice. Though you’ll find protein in
nutsandsoyaallwork.Inthiscase, most things you eat, even veg.
Voices of Reason
MH’s no-nonsense nutrition experts
Steve Grant Rick Miller Adam Collins

A specialist in A leading clinical A senior tutor
nutrition, athletic and sport in nutrition and
performance and dietician metabolism
functional medicine rick-miller.co.uk nutriffic.com
stevegranthealth.com

Really Eating Well
andvegintoyourdiet,buttheycan coconut sugar and so on might bring we would personally limit sweeteners, Because salt is bad?
alsobeaveryconcentratedsourceof a few extra nutrients to the table, but the current research suggests that It’s not as much about the salt as
quicklyabsorbedkilojoulesandcarbs. there’s not a lot in it. a normal amount of exposure is you think. In fact, the latest evidence
Thatcanbeagoodthingorabadthing, Surely they beat artificial unlikely to be a major issue. suggests that a moderate salt intake
dependingonwhatyourgoalsare. sweeteners. I’ve heard they So, which foods will give me might not be damaging for those with
What if I want to lose weight? cause cancer. cancer? healthy blood pressure readings. The
Ensure those shakes contain Inreality,researchintotheimpact Try not to think of it in those terms. link is more likely to be caused by
satiating fibres and proteins, and ofartificialsweetenersonourhealthis Yes, some studies have correlated chemicals present in red meat itself,
view them as light meals, not drinks. stillprettylimited. certain foods with an increased as well as nitrite preservatives. But
Downing what equates to a banana Wait, that sounds ominous. I risk, but these figures are often there are a whole host of other factors
milkshake alongside your regular was joking about the cancer thing, manipulated or exaggerated by the at play in your chances of developing
breakfast could bump you into a you know? media for shock value. Remember: cancer – an inadequate intake of fibre
caloric surplus. Don’t lose sleep over it. Some correlation is not causation. and omega-3 fats, for example. Red
Ah, but I never add any sugar. animal studies have inferred a link So, I can still eat red meat? meat is far from the lone gunman, and
I sweeten mine with organic between chemical sweeteners and If you want to, yes. that goes for its links to heart disease,
FOOD STYLING: NICO GHIRLANDO AT HERS
date syrup. the development of certain cancers, As many steaks and sausages as too. It’s one piece of the puzzle.
Asfarasyourorgansareconcerned, hence the headlines you’ve seen. But I want? Still, that’s the “carnivore diet”
that’sstillsugar. the dosages applied to create this Hang on. An excessive intake of crossed off my list. But what
But… it’s made from fruit. effect are way beyond what humans red meat has been linked to colon about this new ketogenic diet that
By that logic, you could argue consume. Trust us: no one’s taking cancer, so best keep it to two meals everyone’s talking about? How does
that sugar cane is just a grass from that many Diet Coke breaks. So, while a week (which falls within accepted that work?
south-east Asia. Sweeteners such health guidelines), while putting Essentially, you deplete your
as manuka honey, maple syrup, further limits on anything body’s stores of glucose, its preferred
that's been cured or fuel, by eating mostly fats instead.
preserved when possible. This tips your body into a state called
Which oil is best?

Monounsaturated fats (olive,
natural rapeseed, avocado) are
good for dressings. Saturated
fats (coconut) are more stable
when cooking on high heats.
Polyunsaturated oils
(sunflower, canola) are
best avoided.
“VARIETY AND FLEXIBILITY IN YOUR DIET

ARE CRUCIAL TO MAINTAINING A Wait, what’s a nitrite?
Nitrates and nitrites are
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD.” preservatives: they’re the reason
processed ham has a bright-pink
hue. When they interact with
natural compounds in red meat,
they can create harmful
chemicals. So, make those bacon
rolls a weekly treat.
Full-cream or skimmed?
Recent research suggests that
not all animal fats are bad. A
22-year study from the University
of Texas Health Science Centre
linked dairy fats to a lower risk of
heart disease and stroke.

ketosis, which mimics the effects they sit among the rest of your diet. Oh, I don’t have a problem with hours with relative ease. However,
of fasting. But it’s not new: it dates Even good carbs, when eaten in large that. If anything, I think I’m a little this is a skill we quickly lose without
back to the 1920s, when doctors portions or without other foods, can too tolerant of my carb habit. practice. If you want to give it a try,
first developed it as a way to manage lead to energy crashes. Look,inshort,carbsaregood,but we’d recommend introducing it
seizures for patients with epilepsy. Is that why I feel so tired after weallthrivewithdifferentamounts, slowly. Gradually increase the gaps
Even so, keto is still best considered a lunch? sopayattentiontoyourbody’ssignals. between meal times, eating dinner
selective therapeutic diet. Perhaps.Carbsdon’taffectallofus Ifyoumostlychooselow-glycaemic- earlier and breakfast later. It’s not
No, wait – you must be thinking inthesameway.Forexample,youcould loadcarbs,pairedwithprotein-rich always easy, but it shouldn’t make
of something else. I’m talking splityoursandwichwithafriend… foods,andeatthebulkofthemaround you feel ill and lethargic.
about the one A-listers use to get Nochance! trainingorondayswhenyou’re Is fasting better than a detox?
lean. Those UFC guys do it, and We’re speaking hypothetically particularlyactive,you’reprobablyon How are you defining “detox”?
maybe a Kardashian. here. The point is, if you each ate toaverygoodthing. No meat, no booze, no sugar,
It’s one and the same. When your half of the exact same sandwich, it Thatallsoundsabittoosimple. that sort of thing. Raw vegetables
body runs out of glucose, it starts to would affect your blood sugar in very Thetruthoftenis. for dinner.
burn its own fat for energy. In this different ways. This could be due to I still want to lose a little bit You’ll always see benefits from
way, the keto diet often leads to your body composition, recent exercise of weight, though. If I’m not cutting back on processed foods
quick weight loss. However, it’s very habits, your gut bacteria, or even cutting out carbs, how about and alcohol, particularly if you’re
difficult to sustain, and it can be hard your genetics. It’s sometimes called intermittent fasting? also increasing your intake of
to ensure you’re taking in enough “carbohydrate tolerance”. There's plenty of evidence to phytonutrient-dense, high-fibre
fibre, vitamins and minerals, since suggest that fasting can play an foods. That’s just common sense.
you’re limiting your intake of fruit, important role in health. A well- But those benefits will be reversed
vegetables and beans. It’s low on functioning body should be able to go once you revert to your
protein, too, which can impair muscle without food for more than a few former habits.
repair if you’re training hard. But isn’t it
Isawarecipeforketobreadrolls supposed to make
theotherday.What’sthatabout? my body less
Ihaven'tthefoggiest. acidic? Though
I think it was made with mulched I’ve never been sure
nuts. Speaking of which, is bread what that means…
still considered bad? The real kind, The theory is that
not the keto rolls. certain foods, such as
Again, it depends on the context. meat, refined sugar, dairy
If you need to refuel quickly – after and caffeine, cause your body
intense exercise, say, or midway to produce acid. Ostensibly,
through a hike – there can be an
argument for choosing foods that
have a faster impact on your
blood glucose levels, known
“EVEN GOOD CARBS, WHEN EATEN IN
as their “glycaemic load”. LARGE PORTIONS OR WITHOUT OTHER
FOODS, CAN LEAD TO ENERGY CRASHES.”
Bread can scratch that itch. Generally
speaking, however, it’s neither very
beneficial nor particularly harmful.
Keep in mind that nothing you eat
can be viewed in isolation. Pairing
those two slices with a filling based on
healthy proteins and fats will slow the
release of glucose, keeping your energy
steady. A chip roll will do the opposite.
But what if my chip roll is made
from wholegrain bread and sweet-
potato chips? Those are “good
carbs”, right?
Sweet potatoes are fairly nutrient
dense, though less so when deep-
fried, and wholegrain bread will
have a gentler impact on your blood
glucose. But it’s all about where

Really Eating Well
this can then be counteracted by Should I be counting kilojoules? some fairly weird eating habits. Stick rings true, you might want to keep
eating more alkaline foods, which The whole concept feels a bit dated to using it as a spoon for hummus. tabs on your intake. However, in
tend to be mostly fruits and veggies. now. Isn’t there a better system? What about green tea? That burns most people, three to four cups a day
Does it work? Maintaining a kilojoule deficit kilojoules, doesn’t it? are linked to a lower risk of diabetes,
Not as advertised, no. Most of the – burning more energy than you’re Barely – presuming you’re not depression and liver damage. As long
diet’s benefits are sold on the idea that taking in – is still a good basis ingesting it in pharmacological doses. as those cups you’re sinking aren’t
it will influence the pH of your blood, for managing weight and body In that case, I’ll stick to coffee. quadruple-shot grandes, you’re
but blood pH is tightly regulated composition, but it’s not an exact I can still drink coffee, right? It’s probably doing yourself some good.
and minimally affected by what we science. E.g. it requires more energy hard to remember whether it’s AndIdon’tneedtoputgrass-fed
eat. Any benefits you experience to break down 10kJ of protein than it considered good or bad these days. butterorturmericsyrupinit?
will come from – you guessed it – an does 10kJ of carbs, so the net effects How much are you drinking? Absolutelynot.
increase in your vegetable intake. on your body aren’t equal. But the Two cups a day. OK, maybe Finalquestion,andthisisthebig
Raw veg still the answer, then? concept roughly holds true, yes. three or four if I’m hungover, or one:Icanstilldrinkbooze,right?
There’s no real reason to eat all What about negative-kJ foods? it’s a Monday. You can, but would you listen if we
of your vegetables raw. Cooking I assume you’re talking about the We all metabolise caffeine told you to stay within your 14-unit
some foods can “unlock” their theory that you burn more kilojoules at different rates. Those who weekly limit?
nutrients (as is the case with carrots digesting some foods than you metabolise caffeine very slowly are I’d,erm,certainlyintendto…
and tomatoes) and reduce bloating absorb from them. Regrettably, this more likely to experience issues Then consider this: take two
(broccoli and other leafy greens). is a myth. Even a piece of celery will such as heart palpitations, consecutive days off each week,
So we’d advise a mixture of cooked provide more kilojoules than you’ll sleeplessness and never free-pour your spirits, avoid
and raw vegetables. Adding a little expend chewing on it, unless you have anxiety, so if that using sugary mixers – and always,
fat in the form of olive oil or even always eat a proper dinner. That last
a drizzle of melted butter can also prescription, at least, shouldn’t be
improve the absorption of certain too tough to stomach.
vitamins. An undressed plate of
lettuce and cucumber has minimal
nutritional value. It’s mostly water.
All it really offers to your health is a
low kilojoule count.
Is gluten still evil?

There is such a thing as “non-
coeliac gluten sensitivity”, so if
you find yourself reacting badly,
you may have cause to cut it out.
But the condition isn't very
common, so we'd advise against
jumping to conclusions.
Is my body toxic?
Dairy, grains and meat are not
“toxins”. They’re just foods.
Your liver does a solid job of
removing most bad things from
your body, and surviving on
laxative tea for 24 hours will not
get the job done quicker.
Can I microwave
them instead?
Some studies suggest
microwaving depletes nutrients;
others disagree. It’s better than
boiling them to death, though.

BLACK
What starts as an idea to ‘add a little muscle’
can turn into a twisted fixation on getting huge.
Here’s how to stop your pursuit of a brawnier
body from running – and ruining – your life.
BY DANIEL WILLIAMS
It was while making breakfast one Sunday that Mitch proportions of his physique and how to expand them. At
realised he had a problem. The family cat had leapt onto home he moved as little as possible so his body could use
the kitchen bench and stuck its nose into Mitch’s plate its reserves of energy to build muscle rather than to fuel
of food, the usual Everest of eggs and sweet potato that counterproductive activities like taking out the rubbish.
comprised his post-workout gorge. “I lost it,” Mitch “I’d eat six meals a day. And by ‘meal’ I don’t
recalls. “I got right in his face and I could feel my eyes mean a piece of toast. I mean a big serving of meat,
spinning.” In a cold whisper he hissed, ‘F*** off, c***! rice and vegetables,” says Mitch. After rinsing his
You tryin’ to stop me from getting big?’” plate he would lie on his bed and watch bodybuilding
During the previous year Mitch had transformed from videos on YouTube until it was time to eat again. His
a lean, lightly muscled 22-year-old into a Goliath who’d transformation was Hulk-like, his heft topping out at
have looked at home in the Springbok front row. Though 113 kilograms, up from the 81 kilograms he weighed
he was enrolled in a university course and showed up during what he calls “his last year of being normal”.
to lectures sometimes, mostly he thought about the To his mates, Mitch looked colossal – and they told

looks, even though it looks absolutely fine
THE MD SUFFERER: to everybody else.” MD sufferers can’t be
A TORTURED LIFE reassured, however. Even if they resemble
The difference in mentality between someone with MD and a Chris Hemsworth in Thor, they won’t believe
committed weight-trainer is one of degree rather than category, you when you tell them they’re jacked.
experts argue. Here’s what that difference looks like
GROWING PAINS
NORMAL GYM GOER MD PATIENT Best estimates are that MD affects between 1
and 3% of men. There’s no definitive statistic,
20–40mins 4½–5hours
Av. time spent daily researchers say, because someone with MD is
dwelling on getting as likely to suffer in silence or consult a plastic
bigger/being too small
surgeon about calf implants as to see a doctor.
But prevalence is probably rising. We know
Mirror checks
3-5 9–13 that because there’s excellent data on anabolic
steroid use in Australia, and for six of the last
seven years the most commonly reported
Professes total
dissatisfaction with body 10% 46% last-injected drug among new injection-drug
users has been steroids. “Every indication is
that steroid use in this country is increasing;
Finds oneself in awkward
sexual situations 13% 54% and because half of MD sufferers also use
steroids, it’s inconceivable that MD is not also
increasing,” says Griffiths.
SOURCES: THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY; SCOTT GRIFFITHS, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Here’s something else to think about:
experts reckon it’s a fine line between the
dedicated recreational trainer (someone like
him as much while asking for his training and often are very muscular, but it’s never you, perhaps) and the intense bloke you see
programme. But was Mitch happy? Not one enough for them.” This preoccupation is on Wednesdays at the squat rack who actually
bit. In his mind he was still too small, and the MD’s defining symptom. For sufferers, the has MD. “Underneath, I think we’re more
man in the mirror looked nothing like the average time spent every day thinking about similar than we are different to these guys,”
musclemen he admired on YouTube and in getting bigger, or yearning to be more defined, says Mair Underwood, an anthropologist at
bodybuilding magazines. His heart raced in or loathing their ‘smallness’ is a staggering the University of Queensland.
bed at night and his doctor told him his blood five hours. Tack on the hours dedicated to Underwood is well-placed to know. In 2015,
pressure was elevated. Getting big meant tinkering with workout routines, pumping as a mother-of-two in her forties, she began a
everything to him. Why was no amount of iron and prepping meals, and you can see research project into Australia’s bodybuilding
training or attention to diet delivering? And there’s not a lot of time left to keep your career community. Over several years she spoke
what else could he do? Through a mist of ticking along or listen sympathetically to your to hundreds of bodybuilders in person, and
anxiety and frustration he could see a single partner’s account of a rough day. to thousands more in online forums and
ray of hope: anabolic steroids. Sufferers also lose their grip on reality. Facebook groups. (By “bodybuilder”, she
Unbeknown to Mitch he was suffering “Someone with muscle dysmorphia would clarifies, she means anyone who lifts weights
from a psychological disorder called muscle be able to see other people quite accurately... with the aim of improving their appearance.)
dysmorphia (MD), more commonly known as it’s himself he wouldn’t be able to see,” says She started her research, she says, with
“bigorexia”. While MD started appearing in Tracey Wade, a professor in psychology at no intention of lifting anything heavier than
the medical literature only in the late 1990s, it Flinders University and a clinician who’s a pen, but came to believe her subjects would
was an affliction well-known in bodybuilding spent 30 years treating eating disorders. “He respect her more if she had visible abs. She
circles long before then, though devotees will look in the mirror and focus on every started lifting weights and working with
regarded it not as some dire malady but rather perceived flaw. There’s a sense of inferiority a sports nutritionist, and before long was
as an almost inevitable side effect of their and even self-disgust about how his body counting macronutrients.
calling – the common cold of lifters.
“A helpful way to think of muscle
“Bodybuilding can take hold

dysmorphia is to imagine the reverse of
anorexia,” says Scott Griffiths, a psychologist
and NHMRC research fellow at the University
of perfectly rational men and

of Melbourne. “Instead of people who want to
be thin at all costs and who are never satisfied
with how thin they get, you have individuals
who are preoccupied with getting muscular.
They devote a lot of effort into getting there send them a little bit mad.”
The resultant changes weren’t confined ultimately a cautionary tale, though great slabs important than anything else, his health
to her body. “Some days I’d look in the mirror of it could easily be interpreted by the male included. “I wasted what could have been
and go, ‘Oh, you’re nearly there, you’re looking brain as a celebration of the pursuit of mass. the best years of my life.”
great!’ And the next day I could look in the “I was hooked,” says Mitch, who’s sipping a As to what might have predisposed him
mirror and go, ‘Oh, you're fat and disgusting. juice at a cafe on the city's north shore. Steered to MD, he says he often felt lost and angry as
You are so far from your goal. You’re never into this story by a third party, he tells me a teenager (join the club!), bored by school
going to make it’,” recalls Underwood. “The straight off that Mitch isn’t his real name. He and unsure of his strengths, which certainly
swings in my body image got wilder and my works in the fitness industry these days, he weren’t academic. At the same time he was
relationship with food became problematic.” explains, and doesn’t want colleagues or clients drawn to hypermasculine entities – Rambo
A year ago she decided to pull back – “because I knowing that he lost the plot for a while. and Terminator movies, surfer gangs, rugby,
could see how slippery the slope is”. Looking back on the five or six years heavy metal. “Putting on muscle got me
While psychologist colleagues had warned he spent in the grip of MD, Mitch says his noticed,” says Mitch, who these days looks fit,
her that immersing herself in the milieu of dominant emotion is grief. He’d been an though not conspicuously like someone who
hardcore bodybuilding could mess with her avid cricketer and soccer player, but gave up pumps heavy iron. “It got me respect. Guys
head, she all but scoffed. “As an academic, I both sports because they were interfering who wouldn’t have given me much at school
felt my mind was who I am, and my body is with his “physique goals”. He’d loved wanted to hang around with me.”
just this vessel that carts it about,” she says. parties and hitting the city with his mates
Training her body, however, awakened her to to meet girls, but stopped staying out past BIG SHOT: THE GUY WITH MD
its power. The sensations of surging strength 9pm in order to maximise repair during HAS A DISTORTED IDEA OF
and expanding musculature are intoxicating. sleep. The need to be muscular became more WHAY HE LOOKS LIKE.
As a woman she was much less vulnerable
than you are to having psychological issues
around muscularity, yet she still felt she was
on the verge of a body-image crisis.
Kieran Kennedy, a doctor based in
Melbourne who’s also a natural bodybuilder
and fitness model, agrees there’s a “grey
area” separating a healthy motivation to build
muscle and the pathology of MD. “Even for
me there’ve been times when I’ve felt the
drive for a certain aesthetic starting to take
over,” he says. “In the end you have to ask
yourself whether your training, on the whole,
is producing more positive feelings than
negative ones.”
Among seasoned lifters, Underwood says,
it’s accepted that only during a guy’s first few
months of training will he experience a pure
satisfaction with his body. Beginner gains
are exhilarating! In time, however, you can
too easily slide into a quest that brings only
the merest trickles of joy interspersed with
torrents of frustration, self-loathing and
despair. You’re losing size! Your triceps are
lagging! You’re not cut enough! It’s not that
only mentally disturbed guys get hooked on
bodybuilding. Rather, bodybuilding itself
can take hold of perfectly rational men and
send them a little bit mad.
THE BRAWN IDENTITY

Mitch had dabbled in weight training in his
teens with no ill effects. The turning point
came when a cousin gave him a copy of
Samuel Fussell’s Muscle: Confessions of an
Unlikely Bodybuilder. A rollicking account of
the author’s descent into obsession, Muscle is
“I can still feel guilty if
I don’t touch a barbell
for a week, or I eat junk.”
What leaves you open to MD are the same
factors that predispose you to any obsessive-
compulsive disorder, researchers say.
Perfectionism interacting with low self-
esteem is a particularly potent mix. “People
who don’t feel good about themselves will try
harder and harder to control their body in
order to feel better, but they don’t feel better,”
says Wade. “It’s a vicious cycle, because the
real problem is not how they appear; it’s how
they feel about themselves.”
Mitch came close to using steroids, but in
the end stopped short. “I can’t remember how
it came up, but I remember my dad said to me,
‘If you start using steroids, I’ll kick you out
of the house’. That stunned me because he’s
never talked to me like that before or since. It
made me think that I might have been going
too far. I still thought about using steroids
another thousand times, but I never did.”
Mitch dodged a bullet. Once someone
with MD starts taking steroids he can find it
extremely hard to stop. Why? Because they
work. “If you use laxatives and diuretics to
lose weight then you’re out of luck, because
they don’t work,” says Griffiths. “They
don’t work in your system fast enough to
stop kilojoule absorption. But steroids,
unfortunately, do work. And at least for a back centuries, never has it been as pervasive Western culture’s message to men, says
little while, you feel good.” or as mainstream as it is now, and never has Underwood, is that your body is a project.
Alas, the preoccupation and underlying the ‘perfect’ male body been so thoroughly And unless you’re working on it constantly
self-disgust persist. And if you come off the ripped. (At Men’s Health, by the way, we’re – striving ever more assiduously to make
steroids, you will literally shrink in a few clear-eyed about our own role in promoting it bigger, leaner, more vascular – then you
weeks. So, you stay on them. And, in time, the muscular ideal.) should be ashamed of yourself, pencil-neck.
you probably up the dosage, wreaking havoc The bombardment starts in childhood. If your response to this onslaught is to
on your endocrine system and spiking your Until recently, action figures depicted become fixated on training and diet to the
odds of having a heart attack or stroke. normal-looking humans. Nowadays they’re point where you develop MD, does that make
Even if, like Mitch, you refrain from using often plastic behemoths; even little Luke you an outlier? Or are you actually an over-
steroids, MD can still prove fatal: in a US Skywalker has been designed as positively conformist? “What we label as pathological
study of MD sufferers, half reported having swole. Superhero costumes come embellished can be seen as a rational response to an
attempted suicide. with six-packs and bulging pecs. With their irrational situation,” says Underwood. MD
regular-Joe bodies, the screen heroes of sufferers need psychological treatment, she
THE BIG PICTURE yesteryear wouldn’t have landed a role in adds, but don’t kid yourself they’re freaks
When it comes to the drivers of MD, today’s blockbusters. Personal trainers report while the rest of us are fine. “We can’t just
Underwood believes there’s something larger clients are eschewing reality for sources of treat the tip of the iceberg, which is what we’re
at play than an individual’s psychological physique inspiration, preferring the likes of doing now,” she says. “We don’t consider how
makeup. Although the muscular ideal dates Dragon Ball’s Goku or Street Fighter’s Ryu. we, as a society, create an environment that is

a label for how he’d been feeling: “I actually that his raison d’etre amounted to more than
started crying a bit and thanked her.” chiselling his body into a certain shape.
Diagnosis, of course, isn’t the finish line. But is he cured? “I don’t know this ever
“Clinicians tasked with treating a client with leaves you completely,” says Mitch. “I’m not
muscle dysmorphia may feel overwhelmed by obsessed with being big anymore, but I can still
the complexity of the disorder, and stymied feel guilty if I don’t touch a barbell for a week,
by the paucity of clinical advice available or I eat junk. I still don’t like taking my shirt
to them,” says Griffiths. In Mitch’s case, off in public unless I know I’m in good shape,
treatment was cognitive behavioural therapy which is never.”
backed by SSRI antidepressants, which can In a way, he says, just growing up and
slow the stampede of obsessive thoughts. taking on new responsibilities helped sort him
Over a period of months Mitch’s therapist out. “My fiancée handles me exactly right.
tried to unpick his conceptions of what it When I start acting crazy, she just makes a
meant to be a man, as well as his fears about joke of it. These days I can see the funny side,
what would happen were he to back off on too.” He can even laugh about getting in the
his training and shed some of his muscle. grill of his cat that time. “I actually apologised
Gradually, Mitch says, he came to realise to him for that.”
BUILD AN MD SHIELD
IF YOU’RE PREDISPOSED TO OBSESSIVE BEHAVIOUR THEN WARDING
OFF MD REQUIRES A STRATEGY. HERE’S ANTHROPOLOGIST MAIR
UNDERWOOD’S FOUR-POINT PLAN FOR DODGING THE DISORDER
ted
2
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ltiface f
o
mu range s a
allo cus o
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h
ho our b at tr
as e ta wi
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ma ities d-ea loo
k
on
il n
ab ng-a
POST-TREATMENT, THE ft i
li
MIRROR IMAGE AND
REALITY MAY REALIGN.
ripe for MD. We put it all on the individual.”

Social media is upping the pressure on
men to muscle up. Your Instagram feed is
a 24/7 invitation to compare your body to
others’. “It’s an endless carousel of images
that can and often will be curated such that
you come out on the negative end,” says
Griffiths. “Most adults can rationalise this
stuff and understand they don’t have to look
this way, but that’s prefrontal-cortex work and
not a skill people are born with. Boys are now
growing up in this space without the brain
development to discern and resist.”
ge
Ac ma
A GUIDE TO DOWNSIZING yo cept
ur
b tha 4 3 ur
f-
sel f
i
PHOTOGRAPHS BY GETTY
Gr ody t age yo no
Tired of living in his own tormented head, ow – ing datio nce
ing and will d ild
bu foun pea
ra
Mitch finally put himself in front of a de ol do im id a p
nie d is a n’t sw inish Av
o on ical a
dt ys
therapist, who delivered the MD verdict. He o m privil eat it ph
an eg .
remembers being comforted to hear there was y e

Seven
FLIP EVERY THING
YOU THINK YOU KNOW
ABOUT YOUR MIND.
Ways
To Age
Proof
Your
Brain
ALZHEIMER’S AND OTHER NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS ARE ON THE
RISE – BUT THEY’RE NOT THE INEVITABLE TERMINUS THEY ONCE WERE.
RESEARCH SHOWS THERE ARE PRACTICAL WAYS TO BOOST YOUR
BRAINPOWER TODAY, AND SAFEGUARD YOUR LONG-TERM MENTAL
FACULTIES. STAY SMART, PEOPLE.
WOR D S BY DEBBIE H A MP TON & TOM WA RD – P HOTOGR A P H Y BY AGATA PEC

First here’s something
to think about: over
things
four years ago, it was
announced that 2.2
million people in
South africa suffer
first,
from Alzheimer's. In
the UK, the number of
people living with the SHAKE UP YOUR DAILY
condition is greater ROUTINE TO BUILD
than the population MENTAL FLE XIBILIT Y.
of Liverpool, costing
the country close on R500 billion a year. Those statistics
needn’t weigh heavily on your mind, however. Because
while some amount of cognitive decline is an inescapable
truth of the ageing process, it is in no way the vertiginous
slope it once was. The latest research proves that, with
the right application, a few innovative and seemingly
inconsequential lifestyle hacks can have a vital, beneficial
effect on your cerebral functions. And you won’t have
to meditate or practise a single moment of mindfulness.
So, in collaboration with Debbie Hampton, author and
founder of thebestbrainpossible.com, we present the most
instantly actionable tools that will have a lasting impact
on your brain health, protecting your neurological powers
and boosting intellect, durability and memory. Have we
got your attention? Then let’s begin.
01
diminished activity in the hippocampus
– which translates to a decline in
Have Some learning and memory. If that sounds

02
Food For
like the post-Debonairs carb coma,
there's a reason. In a landmark paper,
Re-Work
Thought researchers Scott Kanoski and Terry
Davidson suggested that this same Your 9-to-5
effect in humans leads to an increased
Programme
T
appetite for such foods, leading to a
he brain represents just 2% of your cycle of obesity and cognitive decline.
R
body weight, but burns through Your brain’s preferred fuel is the
20% of its energy. If the stomach's essential fatty acids (EFAs) found in outine is the enemy of invention. Worse
your second brain, your first is just seafood such as tuna and shellfish, and still, it leads to physical, social and mental
as hungry. Using a fifth of your total nuts and oils. Martha Clare Morris, a decline, which is probably why you tend to
kilojoule intake per day, it's 60% fat, nutritional epidemiologist at Chicago’s switch off by about Tuesday lunchtime.
and to function properly you need to Rush University Medical Centre, took The subconscious mind processes around
maintain that magic ratio. So it follows this further, developing the MIND 20 million environmental stimuli, 100 000
that what you put in your mouth makes a diet, focused on reducing your risk of chemical reactions and around 400 billion
difference to what happens in your head. hypertension through upping your bits of information per second, explains
This isn’t quite a free pass to load up intake of heart-healthy minerals – hypnotherapist Dr Kate Beaven-Marks
on huge Styrofoam boxes of saturated potassium, calcium and magnesium. (affinityhypnosis.com), who also specialises in
fats, however. New research published Morris found that those who followed neural linguistic programming. Still with us? It’s
in the journal Physiology & Behaviour that menu took a 53% bite out of their a lot to compute, but when dealing with a deluge
found that when rats were fed diets Alzheimer’s risk while reversing their of information, it's simpler for the brain to repeat
high in saturated fats and sugar, brain age (mental wear and tear) by an existing blueprint – or neurological pathway –
harmful agents were able to enter their up to 7.5 years. A whopper of a case for than to build a new one. In short: your brain likes
brain, leading to inflammation and fewer takeaways, basically. to stick to what it knows.

“ TO MAXIMISE
PERFORMANCE,
OUR BRAIN
NEEDS TO
EXPERIENCE A
STATE OF
RELATIVE
EXCITEMENT”
Let’s put it this way: imagine

a field of grass, with a gate on
either side. The first time you walk A CLEVER FITNESS
STR ATEGY CAN HELP
across the field you expend effort,
YOU OUTPACE AGEING.
trampling the grass. It’s hard. But
after a while it becomes easier to
use the path you've created than
to create a new one. This is how
processes are learned in your
mind, explains Beaven-Marks.
03
But by relying on the well-trodden bit of the brain, remember? Increase
pathways, you run the risk of blood flow to this area of the brain,
stagnating mentally and are
unlikely to push yourself to think or Train and you’ll stimulate its growth while
also releasing norepinephrine, a
act in new, potentially life-enhancing ways. Smart, Not chemical known to sharpen attention,
Harvard psychologists Robert Yerkes and
John Dodson consider that when it comes to Hard motivation and perception. And you’ll
get yoked in the process. Clever, no?
your fitness and career, you only get out what To achieve this, we asked PT Luke
you put in. Their research shows that a state Grahame (roar-fitness.com) to design
Y
of relative mental comfort generates a steady our brain cells are in a constant an adaptive barbell complex that
level of performance. But we aren’t interested state of flux, and many are requires full-body input to stress the
in promoting the average. To maximise output, destroyed just days after being nervous system while keeping your
our brain needs to experience a state of relative formed. Though much of the growth mind engaged. Perform all of the
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: TOBI JENKINS | PROP MAKER: ANNA OLDHAM COOPER
excitement or anxiety just outside its comfort and development of neurons occurs in movements described here as a single
zone. Otherwise, your ability to think outside the the womb, neurogenesis continues in flowing complex without letting go
box will decline exponentially as you get older. adulthood. And research in the Journal of the bar until each set is complete.
Active cognitive functioning – or changing of Neuroscience shows that exercise There’s no time limit, but it’s advised
up your habits – can fight this decline. And, is the single most effective way to you rest twice as long as it takes to
for those who fear change, it needn’t be hugely accelerate this process. complete each set. For the first two
dramatic. Take a different route to work. In February, researchers at the weeks, perform 4x8 reps of high pulls
Slink off to a new pub at lunchtime. Or, even University of Bath pointed to a from the floor, snatches and overhead
better, move your heaviest training session to sedentary lifestyle and high blood squats. In the third week, add 4x8 reps
a Sunday. Not only will this overlay stagnated glucose levels as a ‘tipping point’ for of jump squats with a bar. And for the
routines, but by forcing your body to go heavy developing degenerative neurological fourth, a snatch-grip military press.
on what is usually a rest day, your mental conditions. But a study in the journal Complete each session twice a week for
muscle will be stimulated to adapt in the same Plos One found that a tough workout core and cognitive strength alike.
way as those you see in the mirror. You can stop encourages the growth of your
at that new pub on the way home. hippocampus – that’s the memory

neuroscientist at the University of
05 California, has a slightly more hashtag-
04 Reset appropriate name for it: “negative

learning”. While a predilection for
Cognitive Your Habits buttery croissants is not to be derided,

per se, the pastry addiction it represents
Capsules packs a two-fold risk: interfering with

brain patterns in the same way as
F
rom social media to sugar, addiction other hooks, while also being linked
can become hard-wired into our to depression and memory disorders.
B
eginning in Silicon Valley and spreading cognitive circuit board, hastening Research by Dr Gene-Jack Wang at New
across the US, the once techy trend of mental decline along the way. The same York’s Brookhaven National Laboratory
dosing with mind-boosting drugs – or neuroplasticity that makes your brain so concluded that even when relaxed, the
nootropics – is now spreading to workplaces in resilient also makes it vulnerable to the sensory cortex of overweight people
other countries. But while they’re no substitute formation of harmful habits – such as remained stimulated, in effect putting
for a healthy lifestyle, recent research suggests robotically checking Instagram every time out subconscious feelers for food – the
the right kind of self-medication can help your you unlock your phone, for example. one stimulus they know is certain to get
brain shift into a higher gear as you age. Neuronal connections are forged their neurons firing again.
First let’s examine the market. The number based on repetitive thoughts and So if you’ve been overdoing it on the
of neuro-active pills currently on offer is behaviours. Over time, those fleeting Lindt/Netflix/Call of Duty, there's a
unprecedented, but Modafinil – a US FDA- indulgences compound your brain’s smarter way of trying to kick the junk
approved substance originally developed to treat dependence on the dopamine hit they than going cold turkey. All you need to
narcolepsy – has the greatest body of evidence. trigger. Dr Nora Volkow, director of the do is recruit the prefrontal cortex, or
It works by increasing levels of certain mood- US National Institute on Drug Abuse, thinking brain, in a new and challenging
boosting neurotransmitters, such as dopamine believes dopamine’s role is not to provide way – and that means interval sprints.
and norepinephrine, stimulating neural pleasure but to help us notice, remember Complete five lots of 200m sprints, with
activity in the same way as amphetamines, and act upon things essential to human 30 seconds of rest in between, twice
just without the unwanted side effects or the existence, like high-kilojoule foods a week. Not only will you burn off the
termination letter at home-time. A systematic or sex. In this way, new neurological morning muffin; it will also provide the
review of studies published in the journal pathways are formed. cerebral wake-up you need to escape
European Neuropsychopharmacology found it Professor Michael Merzenich, your vice’s grip.
has significant brain-enhancing capabilities,
including the ability to improve executive
UNHOOK YOUR INGRAINED
function, attention, memory and learning. URGES TO FREE UP
But a long-term leg-up to career-crushing SOME HEADSPACE
concentration, unfortunately, this is not.
Evidence suggests the most readily available
nootropics – including prescription drugs
such as Adderall and Ritalin, and some illegal
recreational drugs – can be highly addictive,
and when taken in high doses over a sustained
period can actually break down muscle mass
and reduce cognitive abilities. When it comes to
smart drugs, just say no.
For those who want to boost their brainpower
without synthetic supplementation, CILTEP – a
blend of natural compound forskolin (thought
to aid weightloss and prevent some cancers)
and artichoke extract – may be just the tonic.
It is available as capsules (currently on import
only) and is thought to boost ‘synaptic plasticity’,
according to research published in the Journal
of Neurophysiology. Evidence, at last, that it is
entirely possible to drug your way to a younger
brain without the accompanying comedown.
We’ll have two, thanks.

07
Relight
Your Internal
Fire
L
ight exposure – or lack thereof – affects
SECURE A BRIGHTER far more than just sleep. Allow us to shed
FUTURE FOR YOUR a little illumination on the issue: sunshine
MENTAL WELL-BEING. enters your body through your eyes and skin,
and the energy it provides directly influences
your circadian rhythm, metabolism, blood
composition, cell formation and protein synthesis
– making it one of the most valuable health
supplements out there. Scientists at Moscow
State University even found that our bodies
contain numerous ‘switches’ that are activated by
the energy transfer resulting from light exposure.
New research suggests light therapy could help
protect brain health, too. In the recent 'Turning
On Lights To Stop Neurodegeneration' published
06 itself throughout life – and that by

training specific areas, weak links can
in Frontiers in Neuroscience, researchers argued
that “red to infrared light therapy… is emerging
Embrace be forged anew – was a revelation. She

dedicated her life to pursuing this.
as a safe, effective therapy, capable of arresting
neuronal death”.
The Chaos By adopting a similar approach, you
can boost your own brain growth to
But it's still light’s effect on our circadian
rhythm that has the biggest impact on brain
become a fitter, more coordinated man. function. When light hits the hypothalamus, it
R
In a study, mice were made to run on stimulates the pineal gland to produce the ‘sleep
esearcher and TED speaker a treadmill every day for two months. hormone’ melatonin, and studies suggest that
Barbara Arrowsmith-Young Researchers found that mitochondria – interference with this leads to short-term losses
refused to accept her diagnosis as cells’ energy packs – had grown not just in memory, creativity and our ability to learn
a ‘slow’ child. By developing exercises in their muscles, but also in their brains. new information.
to target specific regions of the brain, But run-of-the-mill cardio isn’t the The quality of the light you get is crucial. Light
she fortified her grey matter to become a only way to benefit. Spatial awareness, intensity is measured in lux. The dreaded blue
leading mind in her field. You can do the for example, is the remit of the light is the worst, while artificial light goes only a
same, faced with mental sticking points. right superior temporal cortex; new short way to topping up your health, often maxing
Arrowsmith-Young struggled to movements in the gym can home in on out at 2 000 lux. Midday sun, however, averages
understand even basic concepts until this section of the brain. So mix up your about 100 000 lux. Which means investing
aged 26, she read about a soldier shot routine. Swap dumbbells for kettlebells, in a simple TRX suspension training rig, and
in the brain. Recognising her own grab a sandbag, then pick up a Bulgarian swapping the workout dungeon for the great
difficulties in his, she began to research bag. Forcing your brain to sweat a little outdoors, will keep your brain hooked up to the
the powers of mental rejuvenation. The harder can lead to permanent cerebral big smart pill in the sky. You might even hang on
idea that the brain continues to shape progress. Not to mention serious kudos. to your holiday tan, too.

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JANUARY 2020

THE SUSTAINABLE ISSUE

GET BACK IN SHAPE

24 FAST THE NAKED TRUTH

118 BLACK MIRROR

124 7 WAYS TO AGE-

Boost your brain power

UPFRONT MHBODY MHSTYLE On the

15 Get your game on . muscles to improve 52 Get ready with Sean

6 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020

DOING SOMETHING NO ONE’S EVER DONE BEFORE”

Beamer fanatics have been

BMW M FESTIVAL 2019

3 The festival 4 It wasn’t

10 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020

MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 11

Robert Cilliers Editor & Creative Director

your full potential in 2020.

SVP/EDITORIAL & BRAND DIRECTOR Kim St. Clair Bodden

DEPUTY BRANDS DIRECTOR Chloe O’Brien

Global Editions / INTERNATIONAL EDITORS

12 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020

Skip the Gym

& Hit the Pub

from the weights 2 GROUP WISDOM

14 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020

MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 15

Chiseled pecs, sleeve-

Stop Smoking In 2020

Time To Hit The Beach

COMPILED BY THAAQIB DANIELS

Decoding a Decade of Fitness

CrossFit HIIT Functional Training

MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 17

Earth Child of cheaper ‘fast fashion’

against fast fashion. our countries.

18 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020

28.7% Water quality

OF MEN REGULARLY APPLY sex on the beach.

SUNSCREEN ON THEIR FACE AND

OTHER EXPOSED SKIN WHEN THEY’RE Inexpensive

OUTSIDE FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR. parking

Which compels us to ask: Seriously?

YOU SHOULD APPLY BROAD-SPECTRUM SUNSCREEN WITH AN

MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 19

QUESTION: It’s the New Year

sex at least once a week were 44%

Hendrik See all the stories

20 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020

Go with the #1 ProbiFlora™

There are many probiotics, but only 1 ProbiFlora™

OX: ool, you

t t o b u y tia ls , hand vival kit fo

Improve Your Mobility

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Use battle rope

Build muscle with

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MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 23

THE MH ULTIMATE SERIES

Do 4 rounds of this circuit.

24 MH.CO.ZA/ January 2020 PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAT WIRSING