Jonathan Crocker

Wake up fighting fit instead of punch drunk…

1. Stress the point

As you lie fast asleep in the land of bed-fordshire, your stress-hormone cortisol – which, like adrenaline, gives you short blasts of energy, boosts mental awareness and numbs pain – has been tumbling during the night until it bottoms-out around 4am, assuming you hit the hay at 11pm. “At this point, it starts to rise, beginning the waking up process that should cause you to be fully awake by 8am,” says Dr Chris Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 15% [?]

He’s eats too much, doesn’t exercise enough and feels stressed all the time. Sound familiar? Here’s how Homer Simpson can turn his whole life around – and you can too…

1. “All my life, I’ve been an obese man trapped in a man fat’s body.”

D’OH! “At  239lbs, Homer is about 54lbs overweight and has a BMI of 32,” says boot-camp personal trainer Gavin Walsh. “This puts you in the obese category. Men carry excess weight around the stomach, close to the vital organs, which places a huge stress on your heart. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 20% [?]

She’s Swedish, she’s a former-model and she kicked ass in Watchmen. Malin Akerman reveals how you can cure a cold with spirits, pick up Nordic beauties and beat a hangover…

1. Swallow this chat-up line
“Use the instant chat-up line that’s great for both of you. Buy a girl my favourite drink: vodka, soda water and cranberry juice. You can tell her the cranberry is an antioxidant, the vodka is less likely to give her a hangover than red wine and it has very few calories. In short, drinking with you is good for her health!” Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 24% [?]

Sun, sea and sand mean one thing: sandals. Trouble is, 56% of woman don’t like the look of those toes, according to research by Scholl. Time to clean up your cuticles and fix your feet for summer with this 15-minute self-pedicure… Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 22% [?]

Exploring the brawny goings-on when you load up with gun-powder…

1. Rip and burn

Eight… nine… 10! You’ve hammered through your weights session, your arms are screaming. “Hefting heavy weights causes tiny rips in your muscles, activating the chance of growth, as the cells try to avoid the risk of repeat damage,” says sports scientist Christian Finn. During the 15 – to 30 – minutes after your workout, your muscles are in their optimum state for growth. They need amino acids – the blighters that rebuild damaged muscle. Your protein shake is frothing with ‘em. Down it! Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 31% [?]

Defuse your rage when you hit the powder-keg to swap coronary for cool…

1. Threat warning

Maybe you spilt your coffee over your new shirt. Maybe you caught your girlfriend in bed with the plumber. (Again!) Either way, you’re about to go off like a stick of dynamite. “This is a ‘hot thought’, triggered by a threat to your safety or happiness. It’s this lights your fuse and starts a powerful mobilisation process to defend your body,” says psychologist Dr Liz Mitchell, Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 16% [?]

Don’t pollen-hate: avoid turning into a gooey mess when summer gets in your face…

1. Bad nature

Oh, happy day! Spring has sprung, summer is brewing and you can start enjoying the great outdoors again. But also, if you’re among the unlucky 20% of allergic UK men, another brutal attack of hayfever. “In March and April, pollen grains from trees start to absorb moisture, then swell and burst, showering tiny pollen granules into the atmosphere,” says Dr Adrian Morris, a Harley Street allergy specialist. “These then head into your eyes, up your nose and from there, down into your lungs.” Global warming is boosting pollen counts, so check the forecast to see if you’re in the danger zone. And if someone offers you shares in a hanky company, take ‘em. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 23% [?]

Master the wine menu to drink your way to instant health and impress the ladies while you’re doing it…

1. CABERNET

Impress your date: “Declare that this red will have hints of mint, pepper and occasionally cedar wood or cigar box notes,” says Matthew Jukes, wine expert and buyer for leading UK merchants Quintessentially Wine. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 20% [?]