“I’ll skip the bread – I’m on a low-carb diet”. It’s a common saying that’s become almost biblical in today’s physique obsessed world, but apparently we’ve been looking at it wrong all along and the humble carbohydrate is more friend than foe – if treated with respect.Graeme Tomlinson is a personal trainer and nutrition coach who boasts over 350,000 followers on Instagram. On his latest journey into the world of diet myth busting, Tomlinson explains the misconception behind the “don’t eat it because it’s got carbs and you’ll get fat” notion.He pinpoints the problem to the negative connotations that carbohydrates have been increasingly subjected to over the past 30 years. According to the nutritionist, it’s mainly by those who erroneously sympathise with the notion consumption of carbs will impact body fat more so than any other macronutrient source.

 

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So if carbs aren’t evil then who is? It’s the caloric density within the carbs which often skyrockets in the best tasting foods we love to indulge in.“Pizza, pasta, chips, bread and pastry all fall inside the umbrella of ‘Don’t eat it because it’s got carbs and you’ll get fat’, yet if we examine the exact ingredients in such food we can immediately assert that carbohydrates are not the only caloric variable present. The examples displayed on the right of this graphic represent foods which contain calories from carbs, protein and more pertinently, fat – which houses caloric density.”Tomlinson breaks it down by explaining that there are 9 calories per gram of fat whilst there are only 4 calories per gram of protein and carbs.“Therefore the presence of protein and fat (via additional ingredients) within food will increase its overall caloric worth. Calorie balance (of any macronutrient ratio) determines body composition. Not carbs.”Easy enough to understand. Tomlinson goes on to explain that the long winded argument that ‘carbs make you fat’ is futile when you consider that fruits and vegetables are mainly made up of carbohydrates.“By persecuting carbs in such generic terms, one would be inadvertently claiming that ‘broccoli makes you fat’,” adds Tomlinson.According to the nutrition coach, the secret to reducing body fat has long been more about creating a negative energy balance – that is, burning more energy than you consume – irrespective of your carbohydrate intake. The omission of carbs from your diet will create a calorie deficit but the same process alsoCutting out carbs may create a calorie deficit, but the same result also occurs if fat and protein are removed. The issue is that most foods we eat today contain all three macronutrients so splitting them up is never ideal (unless you like pizza without toppings). In this case, Tomlinson says that the most realistic approach is to address overall caloric worth of food.“Then you can realise that carbohydrates can feature in any dieting goal.”Now that sounds like a plan. Hold our gnocchi.

Read Next

• Love Carbs? These Are The High Carb Foods That Won’t Destroy Your Gains
• Dangerous Signs You’re Eating Too Much Protein & How To Fix It

The post Why Carbs Don’t Actually Make You Fat appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Efficiency and effectiveness are extending beyond the workplace and gym routine, and into our wardrobes. While men's style does have its hang-ups (thus, the plethora of buyer's guides and men's fashion tips available to you on here), suddenly we're finding ways to streamline our personal style. What...

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Panerai is renowned for supplying the Italian Navy with precision instruments more than a century ago. Today the Italian luxury watchmaker has once again looked to the seas for inspiration with not one but a trio of striking Luminor timepieces dedicated to the unique beauty of classic yachts.

Panerai’s signature case design is present in the new Luminor Yachts Challenge collection but there’s now added refinement and aesthetic never before seen. The latest watches come in titanium, matte black ceramic and gold cases to suit today’s most discerning ocean purveyor.

Further association with the races of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge can be seen on the dial of all three pieces which wear the ‘PCYC’ moniker in its own distinct hue. Beauty can also be found on the case back with the titanium and ceramic models featuring an engraved sailing yacht. The gold variant shows off this same yacht but floats above the sapphire case back.

PAM00764

Movement: Automatic mechanical P.9100 calibre
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, seconds reset, flyback chronograph, knots scale for calculation of average boat speed
Case: 44 mm brushed titanium, titanium case back and polished titanium bezel
Dial: Black with white luminous Arabic numerals and indexes
Power reserve: 72 hours
Water resistance: 100m
Strap: Black rubber strap

PAM00788

Movement: Automatic mechanical P.9100 calibre
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, seconds reset, flyback chronograph, knots scale for calculation of average boat speed
Case: 44mm black ceramic, titanium case back with DLC coating
Dial: Black with white luminous Arabic numerals and indexes
Power reserve: 72 hours
Water resistance: 100m
Strap: Black rubber strap

PAM01020

Movement: Automatic mechanical P.9100 calibre
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, seconds reset, flyback chronograph, knots scale for calculation of average boat speed
Case: 44 mm, brushed 5NPT gold and bezel in polished 5NPT gold
Dial: Blue dial with satiné soleil finish and white luminous Arabic numerals and indexes
Power reserve: 72 hours
Water resistance: 50m
Strap: Blue alligator strap with beige stitching

Read Next

• Panerai’s Latest Watch Is Made Out Of Recycled Aircraft Titanium

The post Panerai Unveil A Chronograph Trio Inspired By Classic Yachting appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Want to know what's better than a Nike running shoe sale? A Nike running apparel sale. Still the leaders when it comes to apparel that mixes style and performance, Nike's running collections will keep you cool in Summer and covered in the Winter.

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Here’s a fact: Australians are having less sex. Study after study after study has shown that while our wildlife game might be strong, we are ever tamer in bed. Especially once we get married.

While this phenomenon is hardly unique to the land down under (as people age, their sex drive decreases and their likelihood of tying the knot increases) it was brought to our sunburnt country’s attention earlier this week that we have a significant problem.

Netflix and Snore.

Appearing on the national broadcaster—the ABC’s—popular Q & A program on Monday, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach let rip an ominous warning for people who like to binge-watch their pop culture and then eat it: Netflix is killing sex.

“We speak of a ‘golden age of television’, but if someone has time in bed at night to watch all this stuff, the reason they have so much time is because they’re not having sex.”

What gives him the authority to preach on this topic? After all, isn’t sex a little outside a Rabbi’s expertise? Apparently not: Boteach is the author of a number of erotic manuscripts including Kosher Sex and (more recently) Lust for Love: Rekindling Intimacy and Passion in Your Relationship (which he co-authored with Pamela Anderson).

Intrigued? Luckily for you, he had more to say: “What binge watching does is, it almost saves your marriage – because we don’t want to confront the loss of passion, to acknowledge it, so having this noise to fill the silence is a convenient escape from having to focus on the loss of intimacy.” Ouch.

 

 

 

 

 

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According to Boteach, this is driving, “The sexual famine that exists in the modern Western marriage,” in which couples become “too tired” and “too familiar” to get down and dirty.

“Whether it’s mental health issues and an overly-drugged society, whether its the fact women really have two jobs today, working to help support families and then all the domestic responsibilities; these are all important factors.”

As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, Boteach also blamed, “The ubiquity of pornography” for reducing our interest in real-world sex. Depressing? Sure. Inaccurate? We’ll let you be the judge.

• Don’t walk around the bedroom naked: “Nakedness in marriage has to be earned”.
• Don’t overshare mundane details of your life with your partner: “We are not supposed to be grafted to each other and morphed into each other; this leads to erotic familiarity.”
• Women: be more open about your fantasies with your husband.
• Men: ask your wife “erotic questions”.
• Both partners: don’t discuss anything practical after 9 pm: “The practical is what openly extinguishes eroticism.”

Oh, and courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald: “Don’t fart in bed.”

Read Next

• A High-End Call Girl Shares Her Hottest Sex Tips For Men
• “Thirst Trapping”: The Seductive Instagram Trend That Could Ruin Your Relationship 

The post There's A "Sex Famine" & Netflix Is To Blame appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

After a spate of forty-degree celsius days, you might be asking yourself what it takes to survive the weather and still look the part. Our answer to this is the linen shirt.

It’s a fabric that divides opinion but no one can deny its durability and breathability qualities, in addition to its knack for playing the part in both casual and formal environments. Linen is the perfect substitute for cotton or (gasp) polyester shirts and with more balmy weather on the way we’ve found the best men’s linen shirts this summer – because you’re better than the muscle tank.

Need More Help? 

We’ve got a complete guide on how to wear linen so that your A-game dominates this summer.

The post 14 Best Linen Shirts For Men appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Plush? Tick. Juicy? Tick. Smooth? Double tick. Over-rated? Hang on a minute… Although it’s sneered at by amateur connoisseurs who know enough about wine to tell when a vintage is crap, but not enough to pick the right bottle in the first place, Merlot is one of Australia’s best reds—if you know where to look.

The statistics bear this out: Wine Intelligence research reveals that, behind closed doors, Merlot is one of Australian’s favourite red varietals, despite the prevalence of poor-quality Merlot clones that have cropped up over the years.

“Why has this happened?”, you might be tempted to ask? “Surely all wines face competition from poor quality imitations?” Well, as veteran wine-maker Jim Irvine told The Australian, Merlot faces a few extra challenges.

“So much Merlot in Australia is planted on the wrong sites — people expect that it will just grow like Shiraz or Grenache, but it doesn’t — it hates wet feet, for a start, it needs well-drained soil, so if you plant it in clay you’ll have problems, the fruit won’t set properly.”

“The day will come,” he continued, “When we get rid of the Merlots that are lean, green and mean, the poorly made Merlots — they’re a damnation. Merlot has a hard enough time being heard above the cacophony of Shiraz.”

Fortunately, he said that back in 2014, and unless you’ve been living under the curse of a six-year Merlot-infused hangover, it’s now 2020: that day has arrived. In the sense that Merlot is finally being heard, anyway (we doubt we’ll ever be truly rid of the sub-par versions).

But as long as you know which ones to pick, you can ride the Merlot wave without any nasty surprises, wooing your next date or impressing the in-laws with your impeccable taste.

We’ve enlisted the help of some of Australia’s top sommeliers, provided some insights from our own experience and scoured the best online alcohol stores for the best-rated bottles.

Above $50

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Vineyard Merlot

Vintage: 2014 

Picked by: Nick Stamford, Managing Director of MW Wines in Collingwood, Australia’s largest independent wine auction house.

Distinguishing features: Classic flavours of cassis, plum and cedar this is serious Merlot with dry grippy tannins and sound palate weight. Lovely balance between ripe fruit and structure make this one of the best Aussie Merlots on the market.

Buy @ MW Wines  $60

God’s Hill Black Olive Merlot

Vintage: 2017

Picked by: Luc Wiesman, D’Marge founder and avid wine drinker.

Distinguishing features: Ruby red. Brilliant. Shiny. Elegant. Fruity and Complex. And that’s all before it hits your mouth. On the tongue, you’ll note it’s spicy, with hints of raspberry, blackcurrant and plum. All up: this full-bodied beauty has great length, with lingering ripened wild berries to finish. In other words: yum.

Buy @ Just Wines  $120

Under $50

Blue Poles Reserve Merlot

Vintage: 2016

Picked by: Mark Willoughby, head honcho at Esoterica Wine & Food.

Distinguishing Features: A serious merlot made to rival the great wines of Bordeaux’s right bank, St Emilion. Merlot can be an undervalued grape, but unfortunately, much of the wine made from the grape helps perpetuate this message. This one though is full flavoured with dark berries and oak and can be cellared for 5-10 years if one has the patience. A wine that many won’t know, but one that must become an Australian classic. Open the bottle for an hour prior to drinking if you want to appreciate it in its youth.

Buy @ Langtons $40

Under $40

Katnook Estate

Vintage: 2016

Dan Murphy’s two cents: Lovely plum dark berry and cedary cigar box characters slip seamlessly into a finish that seems everlasting. Aged for 22 months in French oak, the swathes of blackcurrant are a delight to the senses.

“Plum and red fruits, tobacco, mint, vanilla and cedar. It’s medium bodied, round and ripe with an appealing mix of sweet and savoury flavours, soft powdery tannin and good length.” (expert reviewer, Gary Walsh).

Buy @ Dan Murphy’s $36

Dormilona Pykyes Margaret River, WA

Vintage: 2018 

Picked by: Chiara Danieli, head sommelier at Matteo Downtown.

Distinguishing features: Super juicy, vibrant and earthy. Wild fermented in the open and left to macerate on skins for a month. Bottled on a fruit day with no additives, fining & filtration, only minimal sulphur at bottling.

Buy @ Different Drop  $30

Under $30

Grant Burge Hillcot Merlot

Vintage: 2017

Dan Murphy’s two cents: At last an affordable Merlot with some real varietal character! Grant Burge Hillcot range has soft ripe red berry and raspberry aromas on the nose. Followed by ripe plum and cherry flavours enhanced by well-integrated oak.

Buy @ Dan Murphy’s $21.90

Penny’s Hill Malpas Road Merlot

Vintage: 2017

Just Wines two cents: This Merlot is a wine of prominent delicacy and exquisite tannin structure, with a rich and smooth dark fruit palate. The colour of the wine is dark cherry red with bright hues. From the glass unfurls alluring aromas of plum, dark cherry, black olive and tar, with nuances of chocolate. It tends to be medium-bodied, with zingy minerality, light acidity and silky tannins leading to a smooth finish.

“Deep colour and a fairly strongly oak-tinged bouquet, while the palate is medium to full-bodied and firm with some oak tannins and a little chew on the finish. A bold, straightforward red which is well-made and solid. A fairly straight up-and-down style. It will take some age well” (expert reviewer, Huon Hooke).

Buy @ Just Wines $24

Under $20

Fox Creek Family Merlot

Vintage: 2016

Just Wines two cents: The perfumed nose emanates rhubarb and strawberry aromas along with a hint of cardamom, cinnamon and mace. This enticing bouquet smoothly makes way for a luxurious palate opening with bright raspberry and strawberry fruit. Plum and crème brûlée flavours follow, and integrating with oak, lead the generous palate to a finish marked by soft tannins. This Merlot has been crafted for consumption upon release whilst fresh and young.

McGuigan Black Label Merlot

Vintage: 2017

Picked by: James Booth, D’Marge writer, avid vino slurper and wannabe connoisseur.

Distinguishing features: This 2017 McGuigan Merlot is as glib-tongued as it is rich. Soft, flavoursome colours dance on your palette—think ripe raspberry, cherry and plums integrated with subtle oak. Oh and the kicker? It’s easy on the wallet; most people agree this wine punches well above its price tag—a rarity in this day and age.

Australian Merlot FAQ

Read Next

• The Best Australian Cab Savs 
• The Best Australian Shiraz
• The Best Australian Pinot Noir

The post The Best Merlot In Australia To Prove The Wine Snobs Wrong appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Burn those bedsheets, rip up that carpet and um, donate your flashy clothes.

The latest research from scientists at the University of Nottingham suggests that environmental contaminants found in your common home could be the reason why male fertility rates have been in free fall over the last eighty years.

The latest study published in Scientific Reports identifies two specific human-made chemicals that could be causing this to happen. One of them is the common plasticiser known as DEHP which is widely found in home ware including carpets, flooring, furniture upholstery and even the clothes on your back. The other chemical is the industrial substance known as polychlorinated biphenyl 153, which although banned globally, is still widely detectable in today’s environment – including food.

Oddly enough the researchers tied their latest findings to a previous study which displayed the same effects on male domestic dogs, leading them to question whether modern day chemicals in the home were partly to blame.

“This new study supports our theory that the domestic dog is indeed a ‘sentinel’ or mirror for human male reproductive decline and our findings suggest that human-made chemicals that have been widely used in the home and working environment may be responsible for the fall in sperm quality reported in both man and dog that share the same environment,” said the study’s Associate Professor, Richard Lea.

“Our previous study in dogs showed that the chemical pollutants found in the sperm of adult dogs, and in some pet foods, had a detrimental effect on sperm function at the concentrations previously found in the male reproductive tract. This new study is the first to test the effect of two known environmental contaminants, DEHP and PCB153, on both dog and human sperm in vitro, in the same concentrations as found in vivo.”

Rebecca Sumner who is the PhD student behind the experimental work has even more bad news for men. She found that in both cases and both subjects (human and dog), the effect was reduced sperm motility and increased fragmentation of DNA.

“We know that when human sperm motility is poor, DNA fragmentation is increased and that human male infertility is linked to increased levels of DNA damage in sperm. We now believe this is the same in pet dogs because they live in the same domestic environment and are exposed to the same household contaminants,” she explained.

“This means that dogs may be an effective model for future research into the effects of pollutants on declining fertility, particularly because external influences such as diet are more easily controlled than in humans.”

But before you run off the become a recluse living your best naked life in the wild, Professor Gary England who heads the School of Veterinary Medicine says that the levels of the two suspected chemicals are dependent on where you live.

“Since environmental pollutants largely reflect a Western way of life such as the effects of industry, the chemicals present in the environment are likely to depend on the location. An important area of future study is to determine how the region in which we live may effect sperm quality in both man and dog.”

Read Next

• Low Sperm Count Could Be Solved By Drinking More Beer, Say Scientists
• Low Sugar Fruits You Should Be Eating If You Want To Reduce Infertility

The post Male Infertility Could Be Caused By Where You Live appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

With the recent rise of low-carb regimes, over the last few years, the prevailing wisdom has become: the more protein the better. And as crucial as this amino acid building block is, if you eat too much of it you could end up with bad breath, weight gain, constipation, diarrhea, dehydration, calcium loss, kidney damage and even heart disease.

Suffice to say, eating the right amount of protein is essential for both your short and long-term health. But as there is already a wealth of literature out there on how to boost your protein intake, and how to make sure you’re eating enough of it, today we’re focussing on the less well-known aspect: how do you tell if you’re eating too much of the stuff?

Aside from costing you an extra $20 a week (sirloin steak don’t come cheap), various studies have shown eating excess protein to be a bad idea. But how do you tell if this is you? And if you are inhaling one too many protein shakes a week, what’s the best thing to replace them with? Read on and find out.

 

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Bad Breath

Eating high quantities of protein generally comes with eating fewer carbohydrates, potentially even putting your body in a state of ketosis. While this is great for weight loss, if you’re not careful (or if you’re unlucky, even if you are), this can also produce halitosis.

According to Healthline, “In a 2003 protein study, 40 percent of participants experienced this “unpleasant fruity smell,” which—unfortunately—can’t be solved with brushing and flossing. If this happens to you, either dial back your protein intake, increase your water intake, brush your teeth more often, or chew gum to counter it.

Joint Pain

Researchers have found that high-protein diets rich in red meats can increase the level of uric acid in your blood, which in turn forms painful crystals inside your joints and increases the risk of gout (a type of arthritis).

Dehydration

To break down protein, the body needs water. This means that excess protein consumption makes you thirsty. The kidneys, which break down protein, will pull water from elsewhere in the body to keep up with the extra protein.

One study has linked excessive protein consumption (from red meat) to kidney disease, while others, conducted on athletes, have shown as protein intake increases, hydration level decrease.

The good news is that if you are experiencing this symptom, it is relatively easy to counter: increase your water intake, or eat less protein (we’ll explain what best to replace it with at the end of the article).

Headaches

A secondary symptom of dehydration: if you experience these two at the same time then it really could be time to take stock of your post-workout protein junket and start knocking back some good old Mount Franklin.

Constipation

Another side effect of eating more protein and less carbs tends to be a reduction in the quantity of fibre you consume. As SimpleMost and Healthline explain, “Falling short on fibre leads to intestinal problems like constipation and bloating… (and) an imbalance of gut flora, which in turn creates more bowel irregularities.”

The fix? Boost your water and fibre intake. And for the organised poopers among us, feel free to track your bowel movements.

Feeling Lethargic

Otherwise known at the ‘Keto flu’, when you eat a diet high in protein, at least when you make the initial change you will likely experience some feelings of lethargy. While it’s true that proteins help keep you full for longer than carbs, eating too much of them can tip the scales too far in the other direction.

Essentially, carbs are super easy to digest, causing an insulin spike and then a crash. Proteins are more difficult to digest, which is usually a good thing. But if you overdo it, the gluconeogenesis process, which the body undertakes to break down protein, can cause fluctuations in your cortisol levels, making you feel fatigued.

Side note: it is worth noting that if you are experiencing one (or any number) of these symptoms, you are not necessarily eating too much protein—a number of other illnesses or lifestyle factors may be at fault. However, if you think protein might be the problem, it is a good idea to consult your GP and test reducing the amount of Bacon you knock back each week…

What To Replace Protein With, If You Find You Are Consuming Too Much

If you decrease your protein intake, you’re going to need to replace it with something. The best way to do this is with (for personalized quantities and ratios; consult a dietician) healthy dietary fats.

Healthy fats bring stabilization to your blood sugar, and can even help you overcome the fatigue associated with a low-carb diet.

 

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And if you insist on replacing your excess protein with carbs, here’s the best way to do it…

 

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A post shared by Max Lugavere (@maxlugavere) on Feb 14, 2019 at 12:27pm PST

Read Next

• If You Want Bigger Muscles You’ll Need To Eat These Foods 
• The One Snack You Should Avoid If You’re After A Protein Hit 

The post Dangerous Effects Of Eating Too Much Protein appeared first on DMARGE Australia.