YOUR ARTERIES
Load up on grapefruit, carrots, apples, oranges, and other foods containing the fiber pectin. It's even better at lowering cholesterol and keeping your arteries free of fatty plaque than the roughage you get from breakfast cereal.
YOUR BACK
Make sure your shoes and orthotics have enough stability. Stand in them with your toes pointing forward. Now bend your knees 30 degrees and imagine a line from the center of each kneecap straight down to the floor. (If you have trouble eyeing it, make a plumb line by tying a bolt to a piece of string and dangling it.)
If your shoes offer the proper motion control, the line should land between your big toe and second toe on each foot. That means you'll be properly centered when your feet hit the ground, and your feet will be less likely to roll to the inside or outside, causing injury. If you don't pass the test, you'll need new shoes or orthotics, says Lewis Maharam, MD, a sports-medicine specialist in New York.
THAT NEW-CAR SMELL
Put fresh orange, lemon, or lime rinds on your car mats for a couple of days. They'll absorb foul smells while emitting a citrus scent that will enhance your new car's odor without overwhelming it. Then avoid introducing strong odors like smoke, anchovies, and stale beer into the machine.
YOUR SHOOTING TOUCH
You used to be a deadeye jump shooter, but now you lay more bricks than a construction worker. Next time you're out for a game, try warming up with a basketball that's an inch or two bigger than the standard ball. Using a bigger ball helps your confidence in catching and shooting, says Denver Nuggets coach George Karl.Your socks
Turn them inside out before each washing, says Tommye Allred, a product manager for the makers of Gold Toe socks. This will preserve their color and prevent pilling. Also: Wear each pair only once between washings. Repeated wearings will mat the fibers and cause them to break down faster.
YOUR RELATIONSHIP
We never understood that whole Mars-Venus thing, but here's some research even we can follow. A recent study has found that couples who build puzzles together, or otherwise engage in problem-solving activities, are less likely to separate than those who don't.
YOUR TRIM WAISTLINE
Shorten your rests between sets in the weight room to 60 seconds. Lifting faster stimulates the production of growth hormone, which, in addition to building muscle, siphons lard from your fat cells, says William J. Kraemer, PhD, director of the human performance laboratory at Ball State University. So you get a big chest and a slim waist from the same workout. (That's what your boss calls "synergy.")
YOUR CONCRETE PATIO
Damage from the elements is your patio's biggest threat. To protect it, use a top-quality coating that penetrates the concrete and lasts at least five years. Then lie in your chaise lounge and drink two beers. The stuff won't work any other way. Really. We're not joking.
A GOOD SHAVE
Unless you're Richard Nixon, you can avoid a 5 o'clock shadow with a little extra vigilance in the morning. After your shower, run a washcloth under warm water and place it over your beard for 30 seconds. Lather with a shaving brush, and scrape with the grain of your beard. Rinse with warm water, relather, and shave again, this time going against the grain. It's tougher on your skin, though, so moisturize and make sure your blade hasn't been used more than three times.
YOUR MEMORY
Eat blueberries, strawberries, and spinach. A recent animal study at Tufts University in Boston found that a diet rich in these foods improved short-term memory. Did we mention it helps your memory?
» Guy Wisdom archive
Men's Health Philippines - October 2005 Issue
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A MORNING ERECTION
Because its purpose is to nourish your penis with oxygen-rich blood, a morning erection isn't there to help you have sex. So it tends to wilt once you get going.
To give your pal a fighting chance, engage in foreplay for at least 10 minutes before pressing it into action, says Laurence Levine, MD, director of male sexual function and fertility services at Rush-Presbyterian–St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago.
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