She’s married to a martial-artist, she’s friends with the 300 stuntmen and she busted out in Prison Break. Last seen killing zombies in TV series The Walking Dead, actress Sarah Wayne Callies reveals the secret to a great marriage, how to train all day and the smell the beats stress.

1. Canada’s cure

“Poutine is a great French-Canadian hangover cure. It’s fries with beef gravy and cheese curds. It’s just salt and fat, so it replenishes your body and makes you feel better. You should start off each morning-after with poutine. I did when I was at university…”

2. Bee a healthier man

“We live right next to a beekeeper, so I take a lot of propolis. It’s what the bees give the queen of the hive to keep her healthy and it’s a really natural way to build your immune system. Take a couple of drops in water every few hours to feel better.”

3. Use pilates power

“Never do the same exercise more than twice in a week – and you don’t have to just work out twice in a week – because boredom is death when it comes to exercise. The repetition of just lifting weights can get quite dull, so mix it up with pilates. It’s great for your core and there’s so much going on physically that your mind doesn’t wander.”

4. Get a Spartan body in 30 minutes

“Do what the 300 stunt guys did to get into shape: do a set of four different exercises as many times as you can in 30 minutes. For example, your set could be: squat jumps, run a half mile, jump rope for 30 seconds, do 15 push-ups. Do a different set every day – it’s very high cardio and your body never gets used to it so you get stronger, faster.”

5. Motivation from Madonna

“I remember reading an interview with Madonna when I was a teenager. They said, ‘How do you keep yourself going to the gym?’ And she said, ‘I think about myself being fat.’ A great motivator is thinking about the alternative to being in shape – how it stops you doing the things you want to do.”

6. Have a hot breakfast

“Start your day with a lot of protein. I eat two eggs poached and drowned in hot sauce. It’s great for your metabolism – and I don’t like the taste of eggs! Eat whatever on earth I want to until lunch, because you burn it off quickly and that’s when you need the energy the most.”

7. The sweet smell of de-stress

“Lavender penetrates your brain and chemically calms us down. So find a few minutes each day, take some deep breaths and swing a little lavender by your nose. Buy a little Essential Oils jar – I’ve got one in my purse all the time.”

8. Know when it’s knot-tying time

“It’s the right time to get married when you’re not waiting for them to change to make you happy. At a certain point, you look at them and say, ‘If none of this changes, if these are her flaws and these are my flaws forever, is that okay?’ If you are, great. We’re never going to marry perfect people because we’re never going to be perfect people.”

9. Make your marriage immortal

“The secret to a marriage that lasts? Every Saturday night, come hell or high water, rain or shine, go out. Just the two of you. Don’t wait until you need to. Fight for that time, to not be talking over the kids and trying to make it over the chaos and the clutter. Go out and make somebody else do the cooking and washing up. Going for dinner is cheaper than therapy.”

10. Save your skin every morning

“One of the biggest causes of ageing is sun damage, so the real secret to great skin is adding sunscreen to your daily routine. Every day, I moisturise, let that soak in while I’m getting dressed, and then the last thing I do is put sunscreen on my face.”

11. Get more power every hour

“Once an hour, every hour, do a set of 20 push-ups. A good push-up on your fists and on your toes works so many muscle groups in your body. A friend of mine is a champion kickboxer. He said this got him in better shape faster than when he was training for fights. And you’ve always got time to train.”

12. Fear is your friend

“Do something that scares you every day. Once you do it, you’re not scared of it anymore, so that’s one less thing on the list of things that scare you. The more fearlessly you live your live, the freely you live your life.”

Publication: Men’s Health.

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. “This rise in cortisol is a major trigger for waking up,” says Sammy Margo, author of The Good Sleep Guide. “You can keep your cortisol lower for longer by ensuring your stress levels are small before bed.” So no arguing with your bedmate – or watching Paranormal Activity – immediately before dropping off.

2. Getting warmer

“As your cortisol levels start to rise, your body temperature (which also hits rock-bottom at 4am) begins to rise again too,” says Idzikowski. Partly because your body is regulating its own heat and partly because as morning approaches, your room is getting warmer – which makes your breathing and heart rate speed up, pumping blood and oxygen into your muscles and brain to beckon full consciousness. “Alternative brain activities like dreams need lower temperatures,” says Margo. “As you wake, your body needs to increase this a few degrees so normal psychological processes can operate effectively. So set your central heating to kick in an hour before you want to get up. A comfortable setting, mind, or you’ll wake up sweating like Vanessa Feltz in Burger King.

3. Shine a light

The morning light creeping through your curtains isn’t just helping your body temperature rise – it’s nature’s alarm clock, signalling your body to stop pumping out sleep-hormone melatonin. “The darker the room, the more melatonin you produce and so the longer you sleep,” says sleep and energy physiologist Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, from the Capio Nightingale hospital in London. “It stops when you’re exposed to light and its absence pushes your body out of sleep,” adds Margo. Buy yourself some dark, heavy curtains and try a Lumie Bodyclock dawn-simulator, which wakes you with gentle light instead of brain-pummelling digital squawks.

4. Cycle track

With cortisol replacing the melatonin sleepy-juice in your ever-warming body, you’re about to emerge from the final cycle of sleep. See, being asleep isn’t like playing in defence for Portsmouth – your brain never completely switches off. It’s actually processing thoughts and information in 90- to 110-minute cycles of light, medium and deep sleep. Seven and a half hours – roughly five full cycles – is the ideal amount, according to a recent study by the American Cancer Society. “You’re likely to start waking naturally during light sleep, as you come to the end of a cycle,” says Margo. “If you’ve eaten foods containing monosodium glutamate or e-numbers – such as delicious Chinese takeaway or pizza – your sleep quality will be reduced, making it more likely you’ll wake up mid-cycle.” A ‘snooze food’ meal of lettuce (calms your nervous system) and turkey (full of sleep-inducing tryptophan) before 9pm will help you complete the right number of laps of the cycle track.

5. Move it!

Now you’re in the final sleep-cycle, it’s time to get up. Only you can’t yet… “When we sleep, our muscles – except for the ones used for breathing – are largely paralysed, possibly to stop us acting out our dreams,” says Dr Idzikowski. Sleepwalking doesn’t occur while you dream – it’s actually an unusual disorder which occurs when you’re partially awoken and then return to light sleep – minus the muscle paralysis.  With more blood and oxygen throbbing into your brain, organs and muscles, this paralysis gradually ceases. You start to stir and your eyes open. Hang on, are you still drunk? No, your vision is blurry because your eyes are scrambling to adjust. “Because of the light exposure, your pupils constrict and expand, before finding the right setting,” says Margo.  “If you’re awoken in the middle of a cycle it’s much more likely you’ll suffer from sleep inertia,” says Itzikowski. “Your muscles remain partially paralysed, giving you a problem performing properly in the first 15 minutes after awakening.” He means moving around. Not what you’re thinking.

6. Dawn delicacies

As you stumble out of the sack and stretch your creaky limbs, your priority is food. “Eat breakfast within an hour of rising and you’ll have higher energy levels all morning,” says Dr Ramlakhan. “Over time, this starts to ‘train’ your metabolism so your energy levels rise as soon as you wake up in anticipation of receiving food.” Kickstart the day with a glass of warm water and a slice of lemon: “This rehydrates you gently by matching your body temperature, instead of shocking your body with heat or cold,” says Margo. If you’re tempted by a lie-in, think again: you could wake up groggier than Ricky Hatton. ”Sleep inertia is far worse after a lie-in,” says Dr Ramlakhan. “Extra cycles of morning sleep are more shallow – meaning the waking-up processes have subsided and your body has re-entered the rest stage when you do decide to get up.” You heard the lady: wakey, wakey!

Publication: Men’s Health

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. Homer is only 38 years old – if he doesn’t focus on his health soon, he’ll find himself in an early grave.”
WOO-HOO! “By weight training, you can add muscle definition and burn more calories whilst sitting at your desk at work,” says Walsh. “Muscle burns calories and compound multi-joint exercises (squats, lunges, bench press) sky-rocket your metabolism for several hours after your workout. Two 20-30 minute workouts are better than a one-hour workout, especially for someone who’s de-conditioned like Homer.” That’s right. Not lazy, de-conditioned.

2. “To alcohol! The cause of – and solution to – all of life’s problems!

D’OH! Sure, the skin may be genetic. The taste for booze isn’t. “Alcohol is a big factor,” says nutritionist Emma Wells. “A yellow tinge to your skin may mean the liver is struggling to clear out toxins in your body.” You’re not a cartoon character – so no excuse. “Old wives associate a toxic liver with anger and dissatisfaction,” she adds. “Guys like Homer should take note.”

WOO-HOO! Of course, you’re not going to quit the bottle. But you can give your liver a hand. “To begin supporting your liver, try dandelion coffee or even using half dandelion in your normal coffee would help,” advises Wells. Plus, if you’re eating in the pub, try add some rocket and watercress salad to your burger baps. “Along with extra onion and tomato, all are beneficial to your liver,” says Wells.

3. “It’s true, I’m a rage-a-holic. I just can’t live without rage-ahol!”

D’OH! It’s been proven that Homer’s baldness is stress-related: he copes badly with family drama and work pressure. Can’t blame him for hitting the bottle again. “But booze depletes B vitamins, important to help deal with stress,” adds Wells. “Ironically, beer is rich in B vits but the alcohol impairs your body’s ability to use them.”

WOO-HOO! Soak it up. “Wholegrain bread will hep to replace lost B-vits as well as eating more potatoes, bananas and turkey,” says Wells. And next time you walk to the pub – try to keeping on walking. “A 10-15 minute brisk walk can reduce your stress,” says Walsh. “And a reduction in stress will also cause a reduction in the hormone cortisol, known to add to the waistline weight.”

4. “I discovered a meal between breakfast and brunch…”

D’OH! Homer is often found with his face in the fridge. Even at 3am in the morning, when he’s woken from another restless night’s kip. Sugary foods like donuts are a fave. “Sugary snacks lead to fluctuations in energy, mood and weight,” says Wells. “A bad snack before bed means blood-sugar levels plummet during the night and lead to night time sweating and waking.”

WOO-HOO! “Eat a small snack, rich in the sleepy magnesium foods,” advises Wells. “Pumpkin seeds, tuna or a chicken wholegrain sandwich should lead to a good night’s sleep. If you want something sweet, bananas contain tryptophan and tyrosine – to make chemical messages that lift mood and motivation. If you do wake in the night, keep a couple of oat cakes with peanut butter by your bed and have a quick munch on them.” Don’t mistake them for the alarm clock in the morning. Messy.

5. “It’s not easy to juggle a pregnant wife and a troubled child but, somehow, I manage to squeeze in eight hours of TV a day.”

D’OH! “A gut places huge stress on your lower back and being slumped in front of a TV or a control panel has done little to help,” says Walsh. “Homer has developed the typical kyphotic posture of rounded shoulders and a forward curvature of the spine that so many office-bound people inherit with the job.”

WOO-HOO! “To improve a kyphotic posture,” advises Walsh, “perform more upper back exercises than chest, such as the seated row, to strengthen and tighten the back muscles as you stretch your chest. You should also use core exercises on a swiss ball. This not only improves your stability, but strengthens your inner abs that protect your lower back.” Perform them in front of the TV. Maybe not in a board meeting.

6. “Alright brain. You don’t like me and I don’t like you, but let’s just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer.”

D’OH! “Alcohol makes us feel good – for a while,” says Wells. “But long term, it leads to a smaller, lighter, shrunken brain. Booze damages the nerve endings responsible for sending nerve signals and the ‘grey matter’ needed for complex mental activities.” Like thinking while talking.

WOO-HOO! “Reducing alcohol really is a must if your cognitive function is suffering,” she says. “Lower alcohol beers are a good place to start. To help your flagging memory, take the smart-nutrient phosphatidylserine, found in eggs, fish and lecithin.” Add 1tbs of tasteless lecithin granules to meals or smoothies once a day and you’ll never forget another… um, what were we saying?

Publication: Men’s Health

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!”

2. Fighting flu is easy-squeezy
“Sick? Try our traditional Swedish remedy. When you have a nasty cold or a sore throat, pour some vodka and squeeze a whole fresh lemon into it. Then just down it. It’ll help kill the bacteria and you’ll feel a lot better. Unless you decide to finish the bottle.”

3. Cross to the next level
“My best workout tip is cross-training. It’s what we did to get in shape for Watchmen. You shock your body every day, doing everything from obstacle courses to intense weight lifting. If you do the same thing every time you go to the gym, your fitness only gets to a certain point and never gets any further.”

4. Beat the lying game
“The secret to a great body is never lying to yourself. A lot of people – including me – are very good at lying to themselves about whether they’ll make up for missed workouts later or whether they really can’t do five more minutes on the treadmill. The trick is to work out with a buddy, who won’t let you get away with it – it’s harder to lie when someone else is involved. Unless that person is your mother-in-law.”

5. Start the day like a superhero
“Eat the Watchmen breakfast. We were told to eat an egg-white omelette with spinach and feta cheese in it. Really high in protein, really good for your training. Not just for guys who are bright blue and naked.”

6. Hold on, let go
“Let go of resentment and hold on to integrity. Go by these simple rules and you’ll be a happy person. Why? Resentment never helps you achieve things and will always push good people away from you. Integrity will bring them closer to you.”

7. The language of love
“Want to be the most desirable man in the room? Just go to Sweden. Swedish girls <really> like foreign men. I’m serious! The ratio of Swedish women who marry outside of the country is huge. If you see a Swedish girl, say: “Du ar vacker. ” It means, “You look beautiful.” They’ll love your cute accent. Offer to buy her a drink (“Får jag bjuda på en drink?”). A vodka, soda and cranberry, remember…”

8. Don’t be afraid of scare tactics
Scare yourself – it’s the only way to make change happen in your life. When I was 16, I probably didn’t say more than two words a year. I was so shy. But if you’re shy, challenge yourself to talk to a stranger every day. Just pay them a compliment and watch the amazing reaction. You’ll instantly become a stronger person – in your eyes and other people’s eyes – and you’ll do new things you thought you’d never do.

9. Success begins with a Zzzz

Sleeping is as important as training. On Watchmen, we trained for two months, then continued for the full eight months of shooting. Every night I just came home and slept! You need to get at least six hours sleep every night or you’ll never have the energy to achieve you goals.

Two Second Tip: Swap your morning OJ for a glass of purple grape juice. It packed the highest amount of antioxidants among 13 juices tested in a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Publication: Men’s Health

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…

1. Soften your step

First up, fill a basin with warm water, bung in a tablespoon of baking soda and a splash of bath oil. Now soak your feet for 20 minutes. “This will soften any calluses or corns and prep your feet for pedicuring,” says Philip Green, of the College of Foot Health Practitioners.. If you’re feeling flash, invest in an Aromatherapy Footspa to soften your hooves professionally. “While they’re soaking, grab an old toothbrush and gently brush down the sides of your toenails to remove any debris,” says podiatrist Ian Griffiths of The City Of London Medical Centre. Yes, an old toothbrush. Not your flatmate’s one.

2. Bring out your dead (skin)

Dry off your nicely soaked feet. “Now gently file off hard, dead skin from your heels, the balls of your feet, and around your big toes,” says Griffiths. If you don’t do this, your crusty zombie-skin not only looks and feels gross, but can layer up into calluses and corns. Notice a big cone of rock-hard skin that won’t budge? Don’t admire it – you’ve found a corn. Get a chiropodist to slice it off. Ask nicely and he’ll give it to you in jar.

3. Toe-to-toe combat

Now you’re done filing, take a look at the warm, squidgy gaps between your toes: they’re like a swingers party for breeding fungus. If you play sports, you’ll probably recognise soggy-white-skin syndrome – the alarm bell for athletes foot. “Swab in-between all your toes with a cotton-wool ball soaked in surgical spirit,” says Griffiths. “Do this at least 3-4 times a week.” It helps dry and clean the area, ruining Mr and Mrs Fungus’ naughty time. Left alone, the infection can spread all over your feet, mutating into painful, raw, cracked lesions. Mmm, sexy.

4. Nail it down

All swabbed? Grab a sturdy pair of stainless steel clippers and trim those nails. “Best technique is to follow the curve of the toe and not to cut the nail too short, to avoid in-growing toenails,” says Griffiths. Aim for about a millimetre or two of the white still showing. Finish up by smoothing your rough edges, always filing in one direction. Remember, biting your toenails is impressive but disgusting.

5. Be a smooth operator

Your next step is to rub in a rich foot moisturiser. It’s absorbed quickly after a soak’n'scrub and helps to minimise the return of the rough skin you’ve just worked so hard to destroy. “Do this every day until the end of summer to get nice smooth skin,” says Griffiths. Follow up with cracked heel repair cream. “It helps prevent fissures appearing in your heels when they get too dry, which can be painful and even get infected,” says Green. Only a good look if going to a fancy-dress party as a leper.

6. The classy finish

Okay, you’re just seconds away from fantastic feet. Use a cuticle stick to minimise your cuticles – the strip of white skin at the top of your nails – by pushing the skin back gently. “Don’t force it or you’ll injure yourself in a small but bloody way,” warns Green. Give a big ‘Sod Off’ to the 250,000 sweat glands on your feet by spraying on a foot antiperspirant before donning your flip-flops. Goodbye stinky feet. And remember: if the hair on your toes is longer than the hair on your hands, you should be in a zoo. Trim ‘em, Wolfman.

Read the original article at Men’s Health

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!

2. The need for speed

“Most protein shakes are made of whey or soy,” says performance nutritionist Becky Stevenson, who works with elite athletes in London. “They’re much of a muchness: both have been broken down during manufacturing so it can be rapidly absorbed into your blood and rushed to your muscles.” Milk protein, however, moves through you slower than a wounded snail, which is why you should always mix with water. You only need 200mls, unless you like feeling bloated. And sorry, mixing with vodka won’t work.

3. Carb bomb

It’s not just protein surging through your blood to your muscles right now. Read the label on your protein tub: you’ll notice it’s full of carbs. Don’t panic! These are muscle-building friends, not foes. “‘Protein’ shakes are actually ‘carb-and-protein’ shakes,” says Stevenson. “The carbs in your shakes are vital fuel for muscle-building. If you don’t have enough carbs, your body will eat into the muscle you already have for fuel. Without carbs, you can’t build muscle!” Okay, you can stop reading the label now.

4. Measure for measure

Breaking down and soaking up this dense shake is a tough ol’ job for your body – and your kidneys take the strain, processing everything that goes through your body. OD-ing on protein shakes won’t damage them, but it won’t build extra muscle either. “Excessive protein is stored as fat or excreted by your kidneys not used to build muscle,” says Stevenson. You only need one gram of protein per pound of body weight every day, so use the shakes as a supplement not a replacement for your meals.

5. Sound the trumpet

Whoops. What that the dog again? Let’s be honest: protein shakes can cause flatulence. “No scientific studies have been made into why this is,” says Stevenson, seriously. “One theory is that the glucose in shake feeds bacteria in your gut, causing more fermentation.” Causing the dog to fart a lot. A less entertaining side-effect can be dehydration. “Possibly because water is needed to digest such a concentrated drink and your body’s using fluid to digest rather than rehydrate,” says Stevenson. Or you’re mixing it with vodka. Stop that!

6. Greed is good

About an hour after your workout, the rebuilding work fuelled by your protein shake starts to slow – so keep it firing by backing up your shake with a meal of protein and carbs. “Your body keeps turning protein into muscle for at least 24 hours after your workout, so keep eating every 2-3 hours,” says Finn. Stevenson adds: “If your training plan and nutrition plan is right, the boost from your shake will see you start to add muscle gains within 6-8 weeks.” Good work – now don’t spoil it by wearing tight T-shirts when you’re training. This is the gym. Not Flashdance.

Publication: Men’s Health.

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, from Harley Street, London. Your brain pumps out stress-hormone cortisol and action-juice adrenaline to get you ready to counter the threat – emotion or physical – and ensure your survival. Oh yes. That coffee cup is in big, big trouble.

2. Boiling blood

That cortisol and adrenaline surge sets your heart-rate pumping like a dynamo, blood racing round your body and sends your blood pressure into orbit. “You get literally ‘hot under the collar’: your blood is directed towards your muscles, particularly to your legs and your face, causing flushing,” says Dr Mitchell. Reason to worry? “Hostility correlates with heart attacks,” says Dr Mitchell. Stick some Mozart on your iPod to drag your blood pressure out of the red zone: a study at Oberwalliser Hospital in Switzerland found that your body syncs with the steady tempos and melodic harmonies in Mozart, lowering your heart rate and brainwaves. Drag Mozart: Symphonies 38-41 on to your iPod and chill. Studies involving Rage against the Machine were less successful.

3. Locked and loaded

GRRRR! As the blood surges into your muscles, your whole body locks into a state of action readiness to tackle the threat that’s fuelling your rage (yes, even if it’s the coffee cup). “Your stomach muscles and jaws muscles go rigid,” says psychologist Dr Michael Sinclair. “Which is why you find yourself clenching your jaw and grimacing when your anger boils over.” Ask you partner to give you an instant shoulder-massage. “The kneading and stroking movements relaxes tense muscles and improves circulation,” says Dr Mitchell.  Or, if you’re London-based, try Cucumba salons for an urban pitstop: you can grab a 10-minute massage (£12.50) and be back before your boss notices you’re missing. And some one’s smashed his favourite coffee cup.

4. Hot breath

With your heart hammering and your muscles locked on ‘do you fecking want some?’, your body starts struggling with this sudden pressure – you’ll now start sweating and your breathing becomes short and laboured. “You breath from your chest when your agitated, so try diaphragmatic breathing as a way to cool down your anger,” says Dr Sinclair. Put one hand on your chest and one on your stomach. Breathe in through your nose and slowly count to three in your head. As you breathe in, feel your stomach inflate with your hand. Slowly breathe out and count to six. Repeat twice. Maybe do some slo-mo kung-fu moves, too. Maybe not.

5. Mental meltdown

It’s not just your body that’s ready to rumble – you’re brain is now lost in the red mist, too. “When you lose your temper, you often can’t just walk away, because your brain isn’t working on that level,” explains Dr Sinclair. Extreme anger puts your nervous system into the red zone: you’re not thinking, you’re reacting. “You’ll blank on situations and you won’t think rationally as you brain is translating everything fast into order to protect you from threat,” says Dr Sinclair. “Counter this by consciously taking a moment to stop, step back mentally and very deliberately assess about the situation.” This buys you the time that stops you doing something silly. Like smashing the coffee cup. Or you the poor sod sitting next to you.

6. Go let it out

If your anger is boiling too hot to control, that sudden physical release may be unstoppable. It’s a very naturally response, after all – and one that allows your brain starts to return to rational functioning once you’ve let go of the anger. “Repressed anger is when you go home and kick the dog. We need to suppress it, socially, but we also need to release it, physically,” says Dr Mitchell. If you feel you’re about to blow, beat your body to the punch by channelling your rage-response with a jog around the block. “Exercise is our natural way to dealing with rage. By putting the stress hormones into use, you’re literally running off your temper,” says Dr Mitchell. Not to mention saving a fortune in crockery, too.

Publication: Men’s Health.

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.

2. Running man

As you stroll or jog past trees (shortcut to the pub?) and breathe in the pollen, your body cranks up a gooey inflammatory riposte. Yes, snot. “Hayfever begins when the body makes allergic antibodies to pollens,” says John Collard, allergy consultant at Allergy UK. “The reaction between the pollen and the antibodies  releases histamine from cells in your nose and eyes.” This then triggers mucus production and your nose running like a French soldier. Smart move: eat a daily teaspoonful of honey, which is contaminated with pollen grains and will help vaccinate you against its sniffly effects. Smarter move: get your mates to come round with the beer.

3. Ol’ red eyes

As you’re sneezing like a howitzer, the pollen that’s landed in your eyes is wreaking its own histamine havoc. “It irritates nerve cells in your eyes and dilutes their blood vessels, causing your eyes to go raw and itchy,” says Dr Morris. “A dose of antihistamines are very effective for combatting this early allergic reaction,” says Dr Morris. Ask your pharmacist for Zirtek (£7.99). Studies by Allergy and Immunology division of Kingston General Hospital, Kingston in Ontario in the US found it was one of the fastest acting and longest lasting antihistamines. Much easier to pronounce chlorphenamine and fexofenadine, too.

4. Wicked grass, man

Congrats. You’re past the first wave of hayfever horror. But from May to July, a second front opens, courtesy of <grass> pollen. “Whether you suffer from tree or grass hayfever, the mechanism is the same,” says Collard. “Some people have mainly eye symptoms while for others it’s the nose or both – we don’t know why.” You can desensitise yourself to grass pollen by taking Grazax tablets, which help 50% of men with severe allergies to grass pollen. But at £70 per month, they’re going to seriously dent your holiday fund.

5. Chemical war

If you haven’t managed to nip hayfever’s early effects in the bud by mid-Summer, things can now get brutal. An unhindered allergic reaction now triggers another volley of inflammatory chemicals in your body. “This is leucotriene,” says Collard. “And it can cause cause inflammation which produces congestion in your nasal passages. This can even cause breathing difficulties as your airways become sore and swollen.” Ask your GP to prescribe a steroid spray like Syntaris, which shrinks your nasal blood vessels and therefore decreases inflammation – plus try popping Otrivine Antistin Eye Drops (£4.99, boots.com) to take care of the other half of the equation. Most crucially, take a few days off work. You look terrible. And that Family Guy boxset isn’t going to watch itself.

6. Time heals all

Hang on, summer’s been and gone and you still have hayfever? Some men do suffer on into the Autumn months. Usually caused by mould spores and weeds like nettles and docks, it’s not as nasty as tree and grass pollen, but still irritating in every sense of the word. “Protect yourself by wearing wraparound sunglasses outside and dab some Vaseline on your lower nostrils to stop pollen grains flying up there,” says Dr Morris. The good news is that hayfever peaks in your 20s and fades as you get older. By the time, you hit your mid-forties it should no longer be a problem. Nope, just the baldness and encroaching senility to worry about then…

Publication: Men’s Health.

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.

Health benefits: According to a study in the journal Heart, Cabernet grapes have the highest levels of resveratrol in wine – which boosts ‘good’ cholesterol and cuts the ‘bad’ stuff.

Complements: Pheasant. “Particularly if you see Bordeaux or Western Australia on the label, some game will really bring the warmth of this red to life,” says Jukes. Yes, pheasant. Not Jenga.

2. SHIRAZ

Impress your date: “This heaviest of the reds hits your senses with a combo of chocolate, pepper and dark berries,” says Jukes. If the bottle says it’s been aged in oak, you should taste vanilla. Not trees.

Health benefits: Glasgow University researchers say red wines including Shiraz – even diluted 100 times – are a better antioxidant than vitamin E. Gets you merry quicker, too.

Complements: Steak. “The depth and intensity of Shiraz – sometimes called Syrah – make it a perfect match for red meats like steak or venison,” says Jukes. An excuse to eat more meat? Oh, go on then.

3. PINOT NOIR

Impress your date: “Point out the fantastic ‘barnyard’ smell to this red, which lifts the longer the bottle has been open, all cherries and stewed fruit,” says Jukes, who assures us that ‘barnyard’ here has nothing to do with ‘dung’.

Health Benefits: Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that pinot noir packs high quantities of a compound that can help fight oral bacteria and plaque. Drink it. But please don’t gargle.

Complements: “Pinot Noir is so popular because it works well with a number of dishes,” says Jukes. “Porcini Risotto, lasagne, seafood or duck are all great matches.” Like Britney at a buffet, you can’t miss.

4. PINOT GRIGIO

Impress your date: “The Pinot Gris grape is red but this lovely wine is white,” says Jukes. “It has a lighter, crisp style that matches a huge array of light dishes.” She thought it was a red? Chuckle adoringly at her.

Health benefits: “Grigio can significantly reduce your systolic blood pressure, the stuff that leads to heart attacks when high,” says nutritionist Emma Wells.

Complements: Seafood. “Light, white meat like fish chimes perfectly with its delicate structure and crisp acidity levels,” says Jukes. “Heavier dishes can ‘beat up’ Grigio.” Then again, so can girls who don’t like being laughed at.

5. CHARDONNAY

Impress your date: “If the menu says it’s oaked, this white wine will have a buttery, creamy flavour with scents of citrus fruits, peaches and vanilla.” Says Jukes. No oak ageing? “It’ll be crisp and slightly dry.” Bit of cork floating in it? Slap the waiter.

Health benefits: The University of Montpellier found Chardonnay contains numerous polyphenols, which clear the fatty build-ups from your arteries. Yes, we saw you with that kebab last Saturday.

Complements: Fish and cheese. “Drink it with oily fish like salmon, and shellfish dishes,” says Jukes. “Chardonnay will also complement chicken and cheeses. No, don’t dunk them in your glass.

6. SAUVIGNON BLANC

Impress your date: “You’ll detect citrus fruit, hints of cut grass and melon,” says Jukes. “If it’s from New Zealand, it’ll have notes of gooseberry, grapefruit and lychees.” If it’s from Lidl, it won’t.

Health benefits: According to Virginia University, Gallic acid – a component of Sauvignon – has anti-inflammatory qualities. Finish the bottle for a total pain-number. Until the morning.

What to eat with it: “Go for mild Asian food or tomato-based pasta dishes,” says Jukes. “It’s also lovely with goats-cheese based dishes thanks to its high levels of acidity.”

Publication: Men’s Health.