Tuesday, September 18, 2018

10 reasons to read the October 2018 UK Men's Health mag

Monohan ramen - old street (London)

Lately I've gone back to the hobbies of my youth - listening to the 80s and 90s, getting in touch with my friends from then, and reading magazines. I have to say it's made me happier and healthier. If you haven't read a men's magazine before,  guess what, some of them are actually pretty good.

The October 2018 UK Men's Health magazine was so packed with useful information that I just had to blog about it.

The thing about the magazine is that though it's aimed at men, it has a whole lot on health, nutrition and fitness. The reality is women don't just want to know about beauty and fashion. Plus it's not full of ads and trying to give my credit card a workout.

Top 10 takeaways from the October 2018 issue of Men's Health:
1. Ramen for your pre-workout. Get your GABA.
2. Panic attacks - did you know that adrenalin has a half life of three minutes? Cortisol hangs around for another 2 hours.
3. Justin Theroux in his interview says 'we all doubt ourselves whenever we set out to do anything new. But that motivates us to make it good.'
4. Andy Waugh makes this insightful observation - 'for a nation of so called foodies, it's astonishing how often people show more interest in ticking restaurants off their bucket list than in the ingredients on their plate.
5. The anti-social network - the challenges of modern male friendships. A truly great piece about loneliness. A must read!
6. Have a Berocca in the morning instead of coffee. Thank you - validates my latest habit of Berocca instead of sports drinks. It comes with me to the gym and it's so awesome.
7. Sweat - it's a good thing. Don't stress!
8. Socks - doesn't everyone want better sleep and sex?
9. Male fertility - we all should scream for icecream. Fertility is one of the big problems we dont talk about and it affects everyone whether it's you, someone you love, your friends, neighbours, kids, colleagues and celebrities. We need to start sorting it.
10. Anthony Warner while plugging his new book The Angry Chef says processed food isn't our enemy: 'We're attempting to classify food as "good" and "bad", and, in doing so, damaging our relationship with what we eat.'

And did you know that reading helps you to relax. There is something sweet about flicking through actual glossy pages, nurturing your mind and taking a time out. I highly recommend it.

Monday, September 17, 2018

Gourmet lunch at home - sweet and savoury bruscetta


Meet my gourmet lunch, sweet and savoury bruscetta, a healthy light meal that reminds me of Italy and my teens before carbs became what they are today.

Somehow we now live in a world where certain foods are akin to sin and others are our gateway to heaven.

Sugar, carbs, processed food, fast food, gluten, desserts, anything you might desire or love are now no longer guilt free.  We are doomed when we indulge. Those who are strong and exercise abstinence deserve might praise.

This era of self deprivation is the norm.
I wholeheartedly rejected this mindset today when I had this lovely bruscetta for lunch. It was made with:
1. Fig and hazelnut bread from M&S;
2. Vine ripened tomatoes;
3. Fresh Basil;
4. Crushed organic garlic;
5. Extra virgin olive oil;
6. Parsley (from a bottle); and
7. Camargue fleur de sel salt.

I also added some shredded mozarella to some of them to settle my mini pizza craving.
Sometimes we need carbs. Sometimes we need oil. And we all know about how good herbs and protein are.

Find some fancy bread, slap on some tomatoes, garlic and oil. Treat yourself to some herbs. Spoil it with some cheese. Smash it down.

Enjoy this healthy beautiful gourmet lunch!