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Take The Trans Fat Test

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Pop quiz: What are the biggest dietary sources of trans fats? If you know the answer, you're in the minority. Only one in five men can name up to three foods that contain trans fats, according to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Yet 73 percent of Americans know that this food component - most often found in french fries, cookies, pastries, crackers, and muffins - increases their risk of heart disease. Beware: The culprit is also known as partially hydrogenated oil.

Labels: Nutrition

Memorable Advice

Monday, June 29, 2009

Take note: Doodling can help you remember information from a business meeting. In a recent British study, people who scribbled while listening to a dull recording remembered 29 percent more details than those who kept their pens still. Doodling can stave off boredom without sacrificing concentration, says study author Jackie Andrade, Ph.D. So that it doesn't look like you're doodling, stick to underlining phrases or drawing boxes around key points.

Labels: Health

Announcement~

Friday, June 26, 2009

ERRATA

In our May '09 issue, page 95, the correct picture of Mee See, GNC Nutrition Advisor is as above.

Labels: Announcements

Deciphering Cheese part 4

Monday, June 22, 2009

By Brenda James

Telling texture apart?
Here's how you categorize texture:

Hard to semi-hard cheese – this variant has been cooked and pressed. It's firm enough to handle slicing and grating. Examples such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, Morbier or Emmenthal works well with prosciutto, sprinkled over salad or served with pasta.

Soft to semi soft – this range is firm but mois and can be crumbly in certain variants. Some very soft types are neither cooked nor pressed and have a spreadable texture. Look out for a smelly Livarot which works great with apples and walnuts or a relatively gentle Brie de Meaux.

Very soft – fresh cheese that is spoonable such as cottage cheese and ricotta.

Now that you know a tad bit more on this stinky and yummy food, walk up to the counter with confidence and take your pick. With cheese, you’re literally spoilt for choice!

For more on this healthy snack, check out page 52 of Men’s Health Malaysia June 09 issue!

Labels: Nutrition

Man-Boob Tubes

Friday, June 19, 2009

Still not convinced to drop the remote during a meal? Here's more incentive:Watching TV while you eat may cause you to consume more food later in the day. U.K. scientists found that people who watched a video during lunch ate more at a midafternoon snack than those who'd dined while away from the tube. "Watching TV during a meal can cause people to remember less about the food, so they subconsciously eat more later," says study author Suzanne Higgs, Ph.D.

Labels: Weight Loss

Hot Women, Roving Eyes

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Attractive women often have high levels of estradiol, a hormone that drives the development of large breasts, round hips, and feminine features at puberty. (Hello, Scarlett) Trouble is, women with high estradiol levels are also more likely to dump a partner for a more desirable guy, according to a University of Texas study. In questionnaires, hot women indicated an inclination to keep looking for another longterm partner. Turns out it's the estradiol-not just an abundance of suitors-that calibrates the desire to trade up to another partner, says lead researcher Kristina Durante, Ph.D.(c). Watch your gorgeous girl for signs of distance. Though she's less likely to try a one-night stand, Durante says, she may become emotionally acquainted with another man to see if he is a better longterm option.

Labels: Sex

Move Less, Grow More?

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Sometimes it's better to cut your workout short. Restricting your range of motion can boost your strength, say Australian researchers. They determined that performing partial reps-such as lowering the bar only halfway on the bench press-allows you to increase the weight you can use. The shorter range helps strengthen your "sticking region," the point where you struggle to move the weight, says Ross Clark, Ph.D. The caveat: Full range of motion is still best, so use partial reps as a short-term approach on one exercise for 4 weeks at a time.

Labels: Fitness

Chew More, Lose More?

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The next time you snack on nuts, remember this: Extra chewing may help you feel full longer. Purdue University researchers found that when people chewed a small number of almonds 40 times before swallowing them, they felt satiated longer than those who ate the nuts in 25 or 10 chews. One explanation is that more chewing makes it easier for your body to take in the energy from the almonds, says study author Richard Mattes, Ph.D. While that means you'll absorb more calories, you'll be less tempted to snack later on.

Labels: Nutrition

9-To-5 Nightmare

Monday, June 15, 2009

Falling asleep at your desk? Canadian researchers found that sitting all day can set you up for sleep apnea, a condition that usually causes daytime drowsiness. The link: When you sit for long periods, water and blood pool in your legs. Later, when you lie down to sleep, gravity causes the accumulated fluid to flow to your neck, putting pressure on your upper airway that can cause it to collapse, says study author Douglas Bradley, M.D. The resulting mini-suffocations can leave you sleep deprived. To reduce your risk, take a walk each hour.

Labels: Health

Deciphering Cheese Part 3

By Brenda James

What's in a shape?
This is the easiest part to figure out as it doesn't get more basic than wheel, square, rectangle, sphere, drum or roll.

What's on the outside matters too
Referring of course to the protective coating around the block of cheese. Remove the packaging and this will be the first part of the cheese that you will see.

Bloomy rinds – identified by a thin to thick growth of white mold on the surface
Natural rind – as the cheese dries out, curds on its edge forms into a rind
Washed rind – tends to be pungent and features a beneficial bacterial growth washed by water, brine or wine during the maturation process

Some rinds such as peppercorns or herbs are meant to be eaten. Also safe for consumption would be ash rinds on some fresh goat’s milk cheese. But do dump wax, cloth or leaf-covered rinds.

For more on this healthy snack, check out page 52 of Men's Health Malaysia June 09 issue!

Labels: Nutrition

2009 Men's Health Sales Kit

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Click here to view PDF file

Labels: Rate Card

The Buddy Diet

Friday, June 12, 2009

Keeping excess weight off can be difficult if you have heavy pals, according to a study in the journal Obesity. That's because you may be less likely to exercise and eat healthy in your free time. The good news: Befriending people who are fit may help you lose weight, even if you're not consciously trying to. Why? People can emulate behaviors of close friends they look up to, says study author Ray Browning, Ph.D.

Labels: Weight Loss

What's going on this month...

Straighten out son!

The program that started the fitness revolution in Australia is here! Since its introduction in 1991, it has been the most imitated fitness system, yet no other company has been able to replicate it. A military inspired fitness regime, it focuses a lot on discipline and motivational techniques, to help you get results fast no matter what your fitness level is. Now fall in and get fit, bootcamp style.
www.bootcamp.com.my

Labels: TMB

Easy, Big Guy

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Here's something you're doing right: Men are better at controlling their aggression if women are watching than when they're just with other guys. So keep it up, because women aren't impressed by men's face-to-face confrontations, says University of Minnesota marketing professor Vlad Griskevicius, Ph.D., the coauthor of a new study to appear in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. When researchers asked men what they'd do if another man spilled a drink on them and didn't apologize, the men said they'd be more likely to fight or yell in an all-male setting. That's an attempt to establish status, researchers say. With a potential mate around, however, "a man will be more inclined to back away from a fight because he doesn't want to be perceived as violent," Griskevicius says. Women are most impressed by a nonviolent resolution, such as a witty remark, he says.

Labels: Sex

The Best Squats You're Not Doing

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

It can pay to be a forward thinker. Front squats are easier on your knees than back squats, say researchers at the University of Florida. The scientists found that holding the barbell in front of your body instead of across your upper back changes your center of mass, reducing the overall stress on your knee joints. What's more, the front squat activates your quadriceps as much as the traditional version of the exercise does, according to the researchers. Start in your next workout and give your knees a breather.

Labels: Fitness

Eric's Running Log: Week 3

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I know what you are thinking, wasn't week 3 a while back?
Well, it was, but I busted my knee mp3-ing and running at
the same time. I know, I know, I should have realized that
my limited coordination skills allowed only one action at a time.

So after taking a week off, I ditched the player and took my Reeboks
out again for a run.

It wasn't

easy going back after a week's lapse, more so when I had
to run with a knee support (which makes dodging kids in
play-bikes and monkeys running amok a whole lot harder),
also I felt that I had lost what I had achieved in the weeks before.
But I didn't have time to think about that, not when the
date for the MH Run was coming up soon.

It did take me a few more days at the tracks to get my balance and stamina
back but by the end of the week, I felt that I was back on track. In fact, I think
I've made some improvements.

Running Tip of the Week
A study in the UK has found that performing a single intense 30-second sprint
can help you think better, and clearer. The research found that when you do that
you'll feel frustration and anger. The reason? Exhaustive exercises gets your mind
to reset to the baseline making a calmer, more alert, you.

Labels: MH Run 09

Tumor Taters

Your chip addiction could cost you. Habitually eating potato chips may increase your risk of cancer. In a new study, scientists from Poland found that people who ate 160 grams of the junk food (about twothirds of an 8-ounce bag) daily for 28 days nearly doubled their blood levels of acrylamide, a suspected carcinogen. Longterm ingestion of foods high in acrylamide can cause inflammation, which may lead to cancer, say the researchers. Try eating less fried plant products, where this chemical is most commonly found.

Labels: Nutrition

Don't Be A Party Pooper

Monday, June 8, 2009

Go with the guacamole. You're more likely to be sickened by salsa than by other dips, say Clemson University researchers. When they tested different types of dips that had been contaminated by doubledippers, they found that the salsa had seven times more microbes than the others. Turns out the runny consistency of the tomato-based product can carry germs from a half-eaten chip into the bowl, says study author Paul Dawson, Ph.D.

Labels: Health

Deciphering Cheese part 2

By Brenda James

Is it fresh or ripe or cooked?
That's just cheese talk referring to the different processes that milk goes through. Brush up on the lingo and soon you'll be spouting the following terms:

Fresh cheese – This is a form of unripened milk and popular choices are ricotta, cream cheese or cottage cheese which is usually sold in tubs.

Ripened but unpressed – Ripened cheese tends to have mold on the surface. This range however is not pressed and the liquids are allowed to drain naturally. Variants like Brie go through a one month quick ripening process.

Uncooked but pressed – Example of this is Gouda which is pressed and ripened from two to 18 months.

Cooked and pressed – Favorites such as cheddar and parmesan fall into this category. The cheese is cooked, molded (see section on shapes below) and goes through a heavy press before being ripened for an average of four years.

For more on this healthy snack, check out page 52 of Men's Health Malaysia June 09 issue!

Labels: Nutrition

Calm Your Weight Down

Friday, June 5, 2009

No worries. No weight gain. Researchers from the Netherlands found that anxiety can cause you to overeat when you're not hungry. In their study, people who felt stressed after taking a difficult test consumed more sweets than people who felt relaxed after taking an easy one. "Eating sugary foods may relieve stress by releasing chemicals in the brain that increase reward feelings," says study author Femke Rutters, Ph.D.(c).

Labels: Weight Loss

She's Holding Out

Thursday, June 4, 2009

You meet. She flirts. She touches your arm. You're totally in, right? Maybe not. A woman tends to flirt while she's deciding whether or not she likes you, according to new research from Indiana University. When people watched videos of speeddating women, they misjudged-up to 80 percent of the time-signals that seemed encouraging. Her flirting isn't a tease, though. It's an evolution-driven effort to find out as much as possible about you before she shares her true intentions, says study author Skyler Place, Ph.D.(c). Baffled? Just give her what she wants: information.

Labels: Sex

Rest and Relax

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Don't have any plans this weekend? Nonetheless, clear your calendar this weekend and meet Tash Aw LIVE in KL!

From the author of internationally acclaimed, Costa Award-winning "The Harmony Silk Factory" comes an enthralling new novel; Map of the Invisible World.

Set during post-colonial Indonesia, two brothers were adopted into very different families from an orphanage and loses contact. Will they ever meet again? This is a touching tale of love and loss, friendships and belonging, and the indissoluble ties of family.

25% cut-out coupon for Map of the Invisible World in The Star 31 May 2009 redeemable at all MPH outlets.

Meet Tash at the following venues :

5th June 2009, Friday

6.00pm : Auditorium 7, Level 2, South Building Sunway University College (Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Distinguished Speakers Series)

Topic : How Reading and Writing Shaped My Life by Tash Aw

FREE admission, registration required, please contact Christina / Simpson 03 7491 8622 ext 8172 / ext 8130 / christinae@sunway.edu.my / simpsonk@sunway.edu.my

6th June 2009, Saturday

11.30am : Kinokuniya, Lot 406-408 & 429-430, Level 4, Suria KLCC, KL (03 2164 8133 / www.kinokuniya.com)

2.00pm : Times, Lot 6.49, Level 6, Pavilion KL, Lot 168, Jln Bukit Bintang, KL (03 2148 8813)

7th June 2009, Sunday

11.30am : Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jln Telawi Tiga, Bangsar (03 2284 4837 / www.silverfishbooks.com)

3.00pm : MPH Mid Valley, Unit JA1, Ground Floor, Mid Valley Megamall, Mid Valley City (03 29383800 / www.mph.com.my)

5.00pm : Borders at the Curve, Jln PJU 6, PJ (03 7725 9303 / www.bordersstores.com)

6.30pm : Popular, Ikano Power Centre, PJ (03 7725 9188 / www.popular.com.my)

9.30pm : No Black Tie, 7 Jln Mesui, off Jln Nagasari (03 2142 3737 www.noblacktie.com.my)

CeritAku@readings is hosted by Bernice Chauly Featuring Tash Aw, Clarissa Tan, Charlene Rajendran, Hishamuddin Rais, Zedeck Siew and Farish Noor. Cover RM20 (reservations recommended)

For people who are out of town, it's too early to fret. Simply tune in to;

5th June 2009, Friday

9.00am : NTV7 The Breakfast Show

8th June 2009, Monday

7.25am : LiteFM 105.7

9th June 2009, Tuesday

11.00am : TraxxFM 90.3

2.00pm : BFM 89.9

(check your local frequencies for these radio stations)

Labels: R+R

A Big Muscle Mistake

Your workout could be ruining your shoulders. Researchers at Nova Southeastern University found that men who lift weights are more likely to have shoulder imbalances, which can lead to injuries, than those who don't lift weights. This problem is caused by undertraining the muscles in your back, especially the lower trapezius and the area around your rotator cuff, says study author Morey Kolber, Ph.D. Strengthen both weak points with YTWLI raises, found in this month's workout poster.

Labels: Fitness

Crush Your Soda Habit

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Turns out, pop isn't just weight gain in a glass-it can strain your heart. Researchers in Denmark found that when patients with peripheral artery disease consumed a drink with 67 grams of sugar (see the 591ml soft drink stat below), their markers of inflammation increased. But when patients drank juice, these indicators were reduced. Although both liquids contained similar amounts of sugar, say the scientists, juice also has antioxidants that counter inflammation.

Labels: Nutrition

Deciphering Cheese

Monday, June 1, 2009

Fear of fromage? Don't be. Here are some easy to digest facts about a food that can help you lose weight and stay healthy.

By Brenda James

Know your geography
If you're serious on educating your palate, then brush up on your geography skills. Most supermarkets offer quite a comprehensive range of global brands but there's a lot more where that came from. Interesting enough, France alone produces more than 400 different varieties of cheese. Each is unique in its own way with different regions producing a variant that is peculiar only to that part of the country.

Got milk?
Obviously the most basic component in cheese is milk. But try this – cheese is made from various types of milk not just cow's milk. There are some great selections from ewe's, goat's, buffalo's or even a combination of these. Chances are you've probably tried some of this, loved it but just didn't realize the source.

For more on this healthy snack, check out page 52 of Men's Health Malaysia June 09 issue!

Labels: Nutrition

June Promotions

128 Faubourg, FOR HIM Promotion

Reverse your age
Arm and prep yourself against the appearance of wrinkles with the new SOTHYS HOMME Programme, made with Phytomalt regeneration care to age-defy your skin. The HOMME Age-Defying Active Care adheres to skin density whilst restoring skin elasticity. In addition to the active Phytomalt, the presence of Basaline-obtained from dried barley seeds - provides an anti-wrinkle action and has hydrating properties and anti-inflammatory properties including vitamin B5 to soothe, nourish the skin. The HOMME Age-Defying Active Care (30ml) retails at RM269 and is available only at 128 Faubourg, FOR HIM at Bangsar Village II. For a full range of products for men, log on to www.128faubourgforhim.com.my

HOW TO WIN! 21 lucky readers to answer all questions correctly will win a HOMME Age-Defying Active Care (30ml) worth RM269!

CRABTREE & EVELYN Promotion

GO AUNATURALE
Groom it up with Naturals Solutions for Men by CRABTREE & EVELYN. Featuring skincare products that's derived from natural ingredients only, this range is specifically geared for the sophisticated modern men. First, wake the skin up with the Naturals Daily Face Scrub to cleanse and remove dirt and sebum followed by the Naturals Shave Cream, enriched with natural skin conditioning properties and a cooling after-effect. Then, nourish and calm the skin using the Naturals Post Shave Relief, a peppermint-infused remedy to relieve redness and irritation - leaving the skin supple and fine lines reduced! Next comes the most important step, which is to protect your skin against the harmful sun rays with the Naturals Daily Face Shield with SPF15. A 2-in-1 moisturizer and sunscreen, it helps to shield against environmental damages while conditioning the skin with its essential oils. Let the power of natural ingredients refresh you for a great day ahead.

HOW TO WIN! 10 lucky readers to answer all questions correctly will win RM550 worth of CRABTREE & EVELYN products

Labels: Promo

The All-Natural Brain Booster

A lunchtime run can supercharge your powers of concentration, but only if you take the scenic route.University of Michigan researchers found that people who strolled through a wooded park for 50 minutes significantly improved their performance on an attention test, while the scores of the people who walked on noisy city streets stayed the same. The relaxing atmosphere of nature gives your prefrontal cortex-the area of your brain that helps you focus-an opportunity to recharge, says study author Marc Berman, Ph.D.(c).

Labels: Health