What’s certain in life? Well, you can count on a few things. Death and taxes of course. Man’s desire to procreate. And, notably, human vanity.
We all want to look good. Admit it, nothing gets you more excited than the experience of a woman checking you out. That tends to be easier in our younger days, with youthful looks and plenty of hair. But as we get older? Where’s the guide to ‘How to Be Hot’ for guys as we enter our thirties. Our forties?
I have some good news for you: unless you were conceived in a laboratory, you have a certain amount of natural sex appeal. Your Daddy had some form of mojo, and it’s what him attractive to your mother. You’ve got genes to work with. The question is, what will you do with them?
With apologies to the ladies, this is an article for men, on how to be hot with natural health. Don’t take it personally ladies, there’s an entire industry that caters to women and how to look pretty. For guys, not nearly as much. And for that reason, and because we face our own challenges in the looks department, it’s time to look closely at natural health and the role it plays in male physical, well, hotness.
Remember too, that we’re talking about natural sex appeal. No fake and bake, fad diets and short term health blips that aren’t sustainable. These are the fundamentals, gents, for health, hotness, and ultimately, happiness.
Diet
Your physical appearance starts with diet.
Yes, that’s right. The foods you eat have an immense impact on your exterior. That’s gonna sting a little, given our proclivity to wings night with the boys and steaks on the barbecue. But think about it – have you ever met a woman who said flab was attractive?
When you picture women swooning over the male physique, you think Chippendale. With the exception of firemen, few occupations get women hotter and men more envious. Heck, women offer money to have sex to these guys. Wanna be like them? Eat like them.
By the way, when you eat healthy, you benefit your insides as much as the exterior you present to the world. With obesity at a decidedly unsexy 30% in the United States, heart disease and diabetes and a variety of life-threatening ailments hint in our very near future. Don’t want to go out like that? And wanna look more attractive at the same time?
The ‘Avoid’ List
Potato Chips – Hate to say it, but America’s preoccupation with potato chips stack the pounds on like no other. The inflammation caused by trans fats, which are present in most deep-fried foods, also damage collagen and the proteins in your skin. Avoid potato chips and french fries…or switch to baked potato chips, which are less fattening.
Doughnuts – Poor Homer Simpson. He loves beer and doughnuts, but they don’t love him. The sugar and trans fats in those Krispy Kremes are high in AGEs – advanced glycation end products that damage collagen and contribute to wrinkles. They’ll also spike your blood sugar higher than Mt. Everest on a sunny day. Ouch.
Hot Dogs – This one’s gonna sting. The all-American hot dog bursts with saturated fats and nitrates that contribute to inflammation and the aging process. Add pepperoni and bacon to that list. In fact, just avoid processed meats, which research links to higher risk of colorectal cancer. Polyps and sex appeal? Not happenin’.
Red Meats – Personally, this one really hurts. I love the sound of a steak sizzling on the barbecue. But red meat is high in saturated fats, which clogs the arteries and contributes to the inflammation that ages the male body and makes it, well, unattractive. Switch for lean meats, including chicken breast, venison and bison.
Avoid potato chips and french fries…or switch to baked potato chips, which are less fattening.
The ‘Feel Free to Indulge’ List
OK, let me clarify: it’s our screaming desire to go nuts in the food department that causes our ever expanding waist line. But if you’re gonna pig out, or you’re just interested in foods that can make you more attractive, it’s these guys.
As a general rule, if it can go bad, it’s good for you. And you should also consider that the longer food takes to get to your table, the more nutrients it loses. Lettuce, for example, loses 50% of its vitamin C content each day it’s stored at room temperature. Buy from a farmer’s market or fisherman where possible, for maximum freshness and maximum nutrients.
Green Leafy Vegetables – Avoid the default iceberg lettuce proffered by most restaurants. Switch to romaine lettuce, which bursts with vitamins A and C and inflammation-fighting antioxidants. Find similar value in spinach, arugula, broccoli, and one of the best green-leafy bad boys out there, kale.
Tomatoes – High in the antioxidant lycopene, tomatoes are another heavyweight in the foods that make you attractive department. So are watermelon, grapefruit and red cabbage.
Salmon – Coldwater, oily fish are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that fight inflammation and pack a skin-friendly wallop of nutrients for your sex appeal. They’re also great for cognitive function and may guard against heart disease. Avoid farmed salmon where possible and opt for wild instead. Also try herring, trout and halibut…just don’t deep-fry the latter.
Lentils – The Rodney Dangerfield of health foods and stuff you should eat to be handsome, lentils just don’t get no respect. You should respect them though, ’cause split peas, lima beans, black beans and even the refried variety are packed with protein and promote healthy, attractive skin. That matters, guys, because women list healthy skin as an indicator of sex appeal in a man.
Whole Wheat – Rich in B vitamins, including riboflavin and thiamine, whole wheat breads and pasta, along with oatmeal and quinoa, are proven to reduce inflammation and further help your skin look attractive. Be aware, however, that the term ‘whole-wheat’ is open to interpretation. Look for “100%” on the packaging.
You’ll find the healthiest foods in the outer aisles of the supermarket.
Natural Health and Diet: Jack Lalanne had an interesting philosophy regarding the foods he scarfed down – If a man made it, don’t eat it.
That might be a little extreme, but was certainly on to something. Food that’s grown or caught is packed with nutrients. That’s a far cry from those processed, sodium and trans fat-heavy offerings that constitute most processed food which, unfortunately, could be rotting your insides.
Eat the foods we’ve discussed. For your sex appeal and your health. They’re both connected. You’ll find the healthiest foods in the outer aisles of the supermarket.
Finally, before we move on, there’s emerging evidence that eating fruits and vegetables – and carrots in particular – can produce a yellow hue to the skin that women in a recent British study said made the male participants more attractive. Eat carrots to be good-looking. It don’t get much easier than that!
Muscle
Like breasts on a woman? Women like muscles on a guy. They’re interchangeable in that regard, but muscle is easier to stack on. Advantage: YOU.
Another tool at your disposal. There’s a definitive formula that can increase the odds the ladies will swoon when you doff your shirt. Ever read The DaVinci Code? Think 1.6, and specifically, the measurement of your shoulders when compared to your waist.
Yup, we’re talking about the V-shaped torso guys, as in the kind that makes women lust and that separates attractive from average in the hotness scheme of things. That’s according to a study published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour as cited by Men’s Health magazine.
Along these lines, you can lower that ratio to 1.4 if you’re measuring yourself, in which you should measure your chest at its widest point (just below the armpits). Take a measuring tape and wrap it around. Now measure your abdomen above your pelvic bone. Divide your chest size by your abdomen. Does it fall between 1.4 and 1.6? You’re hot.
For the millions of us that don’t fall in this golden territory, there’s no need to stress. Eat well, and hit the gym with these moves, and you’re a step closer to looking sharp when your shirt comes off.
Wide-Grip Deadlift – Arguably the most beneficial exercise out there, deadlifts work the trapezius muscles and thicken your upper back. Both are essential to that V-shape you want.
To perform a deadlift, stand in front of a loaded barbell, feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down and put your hands on the bar, at twice the width of your shoulders. Keep your back in and arms straight as you stand up and slowly pull the bar up your legs. Then pull your shoulders back. Go back to the starting position. That’s one rep.
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press – Another V-shape builder, the incline dumbbell chest press works your front shoulders and thickens your chest. A thick upper torso is within reach…
Note this a press grip, not a dumbbell fly. Be sure to do this exercise with your palms parallel to the floor.
For this exercise, set an adjustable bench to a 45 degree angle. Lie on the bench with your feet on the floor and a dumbbell in each hand with the press grip as outlined above. Hold the dumbbells so they’re just above your shoulders. Push the dumbbells up and slowly lower them to the starting position.
Chin-Ups – This one needs no introduction. Yet chin-ups are an oft-neglected exercise that should be in any man’s exercise regimen. As a bonus, it develops a full set of eye-catching lats, for a killer V-shape, and upper body strength to go with it.
In the unlikely event you’re unaware how to do a chin-up, grab the bar with an underhand grip, shoulder-width apart. Hang from the bar with your arms straight, legs crossed behind you and slightly bent. Then pull up until your chest touches the bar. Go back down, slowly, until back to your original position.
Remember to watch your form with chin-ups, as it’s really tempting to not pull up completely. Chin-ups are hard to do, so do them often, do them correctly, and when you can do 12 in a row, you’re doing swell.
Natural Health and Muscle: You can’t argue with survival of the fittest. The fit, muscular man will burn fat, reduce his risk of falls and accidents, thicken his bones and guard against a variety of health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease.
The muscular man is a sexy man. So stay in top form, work that V-shaped torso, and you know something? You’ll not only feel more attractive, you’re more likely to get those sexy looks from the women on beach day.
Hair
As guys we have several advantages that endear us to the female of species. Our skin tends to be thicker, for one, and slower to develop wrinkles. We can often get away with gray or white hair at a younger age than the ladies. And fortunately for us, a little body hair is allowed.
But we’re guys, and we face our own challenges. A little hair loss packs a gut-wrenching punch to the ego for most of us. According to the American Hair Loss Association, 85% of us will see some form of hair loss by 50.
Hair loss doesn’t have to sting, though, and neither do those gray hairs or than excess furriness that makes you look like a sasquatch. Let’s review hair management for guys, as in the stuff on your head and various parts of your body.
Hair Loss
Take solace in knowing this one’s common. Androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness is a genetic process in which a potent form of testosterone, called dihydrotestosternone (DHT) attacks the hair follicles. The process is underway if you can see your scalp. When the follicles die, the hair goes away. That’s baldness in a nutshell.
The Good News – Aside from the fact that you’ve got company if you’re losing your hair, it’s that some women think hair loss is sexy. And when you consider that male hair loss is, contrary to what you might expect, a sign of excessive testosterone, it’s confirmation that you’re a man and not lacking in that manliest of hormones.
How to Manage – You’ve got several options to manage hair loss in men. First, if you want, you can shave it. Not all guys pull this off. But for those who can, a shaved head is a Vin Diesel or Jason Statham-esque statement that you’re bald, you’re bold, you’re bad, and deal with it.
For those of us who don’t pull off the chrome dome so smoothly, keep your hair short. Longer hair sticks out and makes bald spots more prominent. Cut it often and recognize that with a deep breath and a little TLC you’ll be a hot guy sans a full head of hair.
If it really bothers you, consider hair transplants, in which surgeons transplant hair grafts from a donor area – typically just above your neck – to the balding areas. Costs range between $5,000 and $20,000. Look around.
Rogaine and Propecia are common hair loss treatments, but the former tends to work best for a receding hair line, and the latter comes with a distressing list of side effects, including risk of permanent impotence, even after discontinued use.
At the end of this category we’ll review a natural treatment for hair loss that might be safer and just as effective. But first…
Gray Hair
Another hair-related issue that creeps up, gray, silver and white hairs occur when your hair follicles stop producing melanin. Though largely genetic, lifestyle factors play a role: a 1996 British study found that smokers are four times more likely to gray prematurely.
The Good News – Gray and otherwise aging hair is a manageable issue. For sporadic grays, you might do well simply to blend them into your hair style. Keep it short, with sharp, crisp edges. Think Anderson Cooper. As a man, it’s easier to make gray work for you.
How to Manage – In the event you’re half gray or further down the road, and you’re convinced it’s not working, consider permanent hair color within three shades of your natural color. This is an article on natural treatment for your appearance, and as such, hair coloring is not a natural process. Speak with your hairstylist on how to choose a hair coloring product for your situation.
Body Hair
Oh boy, there are some hairy guys out there! The chest, legs, arms, back and the private regions. If there’s skin, some men will find a way to grow hair on these spots.
The Good News – Some areas of the male physique are fine with a little body hair. Chest hair, for example, is often emphasized in American movies. George Clooney does chest hair in some flicks and he’s bronzed in others. Generally speaking, chest hair is fine.
Leg hair, while not always appealing, isn’t the cardinal sin it is for women either. And if you’re one of these hairy types, though you may benefit from a full body waxing, it’s not a necessity.
A shaved head is a Vin Diesel or Jason Statham-esque statement that you’re bald, you’re bold, you’re bad, and deal with it.
How to Manage – Ask a woman if she likes a guy with a hairy back and you’re gonna get some creeped-out looks. Ditto the posterior and often the arms. With the exception of chest hair, if you’re excessively hairy, and you want to be hot, you’d do well to start trimmin’.
To reduce body hair, consider waxing, body shavers, electrolysis and cream hair removers. This article is a good introduction to your body hair removal options and how to choose the right method for your situation.
Natural Health and Your Hair: For hair loss, try Profollica – a two-step hair loss treatment consisting of a dietary supplement of amino acids that reduce baldness-causing DHT and an activator gel with trichogen and herbals that stimulate oxygen circulation to the scalp. Combined, many men find Profollica a safer, natural alternative to Rogaine and Propecia.
To reduce body hair, consider Shave No More, a natural hair remover that blocks the dermal papilla from receiving hair cells. With consistency, a natural hair remover cornifies the papilla and stops passage of the hair cells that cause body hair, to the point that many men completely eliminate that dreaded hairiness.
Pheromones
We’re getting to the point now where we’ve covered the basics of natural sex appeal. If you eat well, exercise often and manage your hair situation, you’re in good shape to be attractive and know that you’ve got some modicum of appeal to the ladies.
But do you want an edge when it comes to sex appeal? Then try pheromones.
You may have heard of pheromones before. They’re chemical secretions emitted by living organisms to elicit a response from members of the same species. Pheromones can give off a message of aggression, fear, love or whatever biochemical message their host is transporting. And for aspiring Don Juans, pheromones can convey feelings of sexual attraction to women.
Patented pheromones, like Nexus Pheromones, are chemical messengers emitted by men that are tall, dark, mysterious and handsome. The kind that women love, and many guys aspire to be.
What’s of particular interest to men the world over is that women have a heightened ability to receive and decode pheromones. In fact, there’s evidence to suggest that pheromones bypass the ‘rational’ side of the female brain and that they go directly to the female behavioural center. And if you’re healthy and interested, more than often, she’s game.
Also consider that many guys wash away their natural pheromones, with constant showers, antiperspirant and the general hygiene they should be doing, but mask pheromones in the process.
And some guys just aren’t healthy, and therefore the pheromones they’re emitting are, well, just not as appealing as those given off by that muscular super-stud in the bar.
For these reasons, and to capitalize on your natural sex appeal, consider a sex pheromone supplement, like Nexus Pheromones. Add that to your repertoire and the natural sex appeal tips we’ve covered in this article and the hot guy within is destined to shine through!
