Set aside a little me time for happy, healthy living!
I Don’t Wanna Grow Up
Fifteen years ago, Michael Hogg—author of The Age-Nostic Man—was going through a divorce and living well below peak condition. Though successful and a healthy eater, he was feeling the toll of aging and found himself increasingly pessimistic about life.
Hogg’s life involved traveling eight months a year, caring for his young family, and grinding through a stressful career. “I put on weight, experienced depression, and was doing a lot of self medication.” Hogg, then 40, attended an educational anti-aging conference. “I became fascinated and started experimenting,” he says. “I’ve been doing growth hormone for 13 years, testosterone replacement for six years, and today—without any cosmetic surgery—I am the same weight as I was when I was 21.” The Age-Nostic Man chronicles Hogg’s dramatic $20,000 annual wellness journey.
While detractors call his extensive supplementation and hormone protocols extreme, Hogg insists that in 10 year’s time, his approach will be more commonplace than plastic surgery. “I haven’t had a cold in 14 years, and I’m in much better shape than when
I was 30,” he says. “Any criticism is a result of fear, because this is new.”
A natural businessman, Hogg is translating his “age-nostic” journey into a full supplement line, an online pharmacy with a doctor consultation service, a skincare range, seminars, and men’s retreats. “These retreats are geared to promote holistic wellness,” Hogg says. “Those in attendance get educated, receive treatments, get their blood tested, learn about supplements, get an exercise regimen—and they can even have a glass of red wine at the end of the day.”Now 53, Hogg’s story is attracting movie producers, and he’s enjoying the strength and optimism of a man half his age. The man’s onto something (genagenostic.org).
You-Time
“Winter is a good time to pay attention to the body,” says Dr. David Marks—celebrated author and longtime on-air physician for NBC and CBS. Marks is chief medical officer for InBalance Health, dedicated to helping adults through nutrition, fitness, and hormone and testosterone replacement therapies. “Many guys dread going to the doctor, thinking something horrible will come of it, but that’s not the case,” he says.
Dr. Marks encourages physical exams that include cholesterol and testosterone screenings. “Testosterone starts to drop when men are in their twenties—about one to two percent per year,” Marks says.
In his eyes, there’s no end to the benefits of aerobic exercise, weight training, and healthy eating. “Lose five pounds and you’ll be amazed how optimistic you feel.” These healthy habits have benefits beyond the physical, and he’s quick to point out the pressures absorbed by the modern man. “Set time aside just for you. A few small tweaks can yield big results” (inbalancehealth.net).
The Skin You’re In
Dr. Sherwin Parikh, founder of Manhattan’s Tribeca Skin Center, is the creator of Smart Shave, a three-step system designed to eschew bumps, burn, and redness. “The exfoliating pads bring the hair out of the skin, while the shaving cream has a little antiseptic in it to stave off breakouts,” he says. “The calming balm reduces bumps and post-shave irritation.”
“Beards are the new black,” he adds, noting that some scruff is probably healthier for the skin. “A lot of guys get razor burn, and products can aggravate that. If a man gets a few months break from shaving, it gives the face a rest” (smartshave.com).