Let’s be honest: sometimes dates just don’t go as planned. Maybe you showed up in the wrong place. Maybe you lied about your height and now they hate you. Maybe neither of you are capable of real-time banter—the possibilities are endless.

After an aborted rendezvous went viral last Sunday (the classic case of a Bondi ‘bro’ doing a runner and leaving his date with the bill), we now know the most heartless way to bail on a date. But the best way? Is there even a good way? We turned to dating coaches to find out.

Chris Manak, one of Melbourne’s leading dating coaches, says dealing with a date-gone-sour is an under-rated skill, which used to be difficult—even for him.

“I once ran away from a first date and hid in a pet store (I was young ok!).”

Now however, he says, “Any mature person has three options.” Number one: be open and honest. “Just say that you’re not feeling it and that should save yourselves the time and pretence. This is clearly the best option, but not many of us can muster up the kahoonas to do it.”

Number two: the age-old lie. “Say that you have to be somewhere. I’ve been in this situation before, and casually asked what she was up to after the date. ‘After the date?’ I could see her wonder. But it implies that you’re not doing anything together.”

Number three: just see the date out. “If I don’t like the person, I don’t like the date. This is why I always JUST have drinks or coffee for a first date. If you organise a dinner date, and you hate her immediately, then you’re stuck there for 2 hours (and are probably $100 out of pocket). But I still find this preferable to the other two options.”

Thomas Edwards, founder of The Professional Wingman, says prevention is better than the cure: i.e. Optimise your chances of not wanting to leave early. “Keep first dates to an hour—90 minutes, max. Marathon dates may seem like great indicators of a spark, but it also can take away some of the mystery. Just like texting too much beforehand,” he told WH.

If, for whatever reason, you really just want to get out of there, he says, “The most effective strategy is to finish your drink, excuse yourself to the bathroom, and when you return, let your date know you have to go.” If your date asks why, just say that something personal came up and you have to leave.

date: did you fart?
me: no that was the chair
date: it smells really bad
me: must be the chair
date: is that poop?
me: that’s chair poop

— Zilla (@GoodZiIIa) June 6, 2018

Another straightforward way to get out of a date is to simply decline the second drink. Yes it’s awkward, but so is enduring another 45 minutes of small talk. If you are looking to spice up your exit a little bit (or if they aren’t taking the hint), here are some bona fide phrases that are guaranteed to end your relationship before its even begun: “You looked prettier online, my wife is calling, reckon I’d make a good serial killer?, and (Ted Mosby’s tried and tested favourite) I love you.”

RELATED: Instagram Boyfriends Reveal What It’s Really Like To Date An Influencer 

The post How To Escape A Terrible Date, According To A 'Love Doctor' appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The week’s best dressed men are in and there’s enough looks here to keep you warmed over until next Christmas.Leading the way for the this edition are power players like Jamie Foxx who showed us how to rock a tracksuit, Robert Pattinson who’s out ditching the tie again and A$AP Rocky looking after the Gucci streetwear get up.Other guys who made the cut this week hailed from LFWM with Richard Biedul, Johannes Huebl and Toby Huntington-Whiteley all rocking their finest suits around the show. Even old dog Prince Charles got into the action. Hit up the gallery to score your free wardrobe inspiration.

The post The Best Dressed Men From The Week That Was Feat. Robert Pattinson, Jamie Foxx & Johannes Huebl appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

No longer just a gap-year fad, veganism is now being attributed to the success of athletes all around the globe. While emaciated hippies and balding militants have given granola-chomping a bad name, sports stars like Tom Brady (NFL), Jermain Defoe (soccer) and Alana Blanchard (surfing) are ushering in a vegan Renaissance.We talked to Jordan Ponder, an expert dietician, as well as consulting nutritionist Michelle Strong, to get the scientific perspective on an emotionally charged question: should you go vegan? And why is Tom Brady only vegan 9 months of the year?Before you follow in his footsteps; read this guide.

What Is Veganism?

According to the Dieticians Association Of Australia, “Vegan diets are a type of vegetarian diet, where only plant-based foods are eaten.” Sounds simple enough. But there are many variations.

• Raw-Food Vegan Diet (a meat and oven free diet).
• The 80/10/10 Diet (a raw-food vegan diet that limits fat-rich plants such as nuts and avocados and relies mainly on raw fruits and soft greens instead).
• The Starch Solution (a low-fat, high-carb vegan diet that focuses on cooked starches like potatoes, rice and corn).
• The Raw ‘Til 4 Diet (a vegan diet in which raw foods are consumed until 4 p.m., with the option of a cooked plant-based meal for dinner).
• The Whole-Food Vegan Diet (A diet based on a wide variety of whole plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds).
• The Junk-Food Vegan Diet (a lazy diet that relies heavily on mock meats and cheeses, fries, vegan desserts and other heavily processed vegan foods).

The common factor: the elimination of animal products (meat, dairy, seafood, honey etc.) from one’s diet.

What Can You Eat?

As part of a vegan diet you can eat: fruit, veggies, grains (ideally not just bread, pasta, and rice; think couscous, farro, barley etc.), legumes (e.g. lentils, chickpeas etc.), nuts and seeds (and their various excretions: hellooo almond butter and coconut milk), tofu and tempeh, plant-based oils, natural sweeteners (e.g. coconut sugar, maple syrup, agave).

What Can’t You Eat?

Animal proteins (beef, pork, poultry, seafood etc.), eggs, dairy, honey, animal oils/fats.

What Are The Health Benefits?

According to Paramount Recreation Club’s head dietician, Jordan Ponder, a vegan diet will typically have less processed and trans fats in it.

“It is generally less processed and more conscious than the average ‘eat anything’ (meat inclusive) diet.”

A vegan diet is also richer in certain nutrients. As Healthline explains, cutting out animal products will inevitably lead you to rely more heavily on other foods. In the case of a whole-food vegan diet (the one most vegans aim to follow), replacements take the form of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, nuts and seeds.

“Since these foods make up a larger proportion of a vegan diet than a typical Western diet, they can contribute to a higher daily intake of certain beneficial nutrients.”

Studies have backed this up, revealing that vegan diets tend to provide more fiber, antioxidants, beneficial plant compounds, potassium, magnesium, folate and vitamins A, C and E.Additionally, a vegan diet is a great way to shed some kilos. As reported by Healthline, in one study, a vegan diet even helped participants lose 9.3 lbs (4.2 kg) more than a control diet over an 18-week study period.

“Interestingly, participants on the vegan diet lost more weight than those who followed calorie-restricted diets, even when the vegan groups were allowed to eat until they felt full.”

Also, as most people go vegan for ethical reasons, those who lose weight tend to keep it off (because in switching back to a meat-and-potatoe-and-twinkies diet they wouldn’t just be letting their health down, but also their ideals).Going vegan also appears to lower your blood sugar levels and improve kidney function, a real positive for anyone, especially those with type two diabetes. Other (observational) research has indicated that by consuming more fruit and vegetables, and less (or in this case, zero) processed meats you reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease.

What Are The Risks?

Yes: increasing your fruit and vegetable intake ensures you get more of certain nutrients. But not all of them. And despite many vegans claiming if you eat right you don’t need to worry about vitamin deficiencies, this has been proven false. Badly planned vegan diets provide insufficient amounts of essential fatty acids, iron, calcium, iodine or zinc, and even well planned ones struggle to provide enough vitamin B12.That’s why Healthline states, “It’s important to stay away from nutrient-poor, fast-food vegan options. Instead, base your diet around nutrient-rich whole plants and fortified foods. You may also want to consider supplements like vitamin B12.” Nutritionist Michelle Strong also points out that some vegans eat too many breads and cereals, which can lead to extra fat around the midsection.

“They rely on these foods because they’re quick and convenient and vegans and vegetarians are (somewhat) limited in their protein options.”

Why Doesn’t Tom Brady Follow A Vegan Diet In The Off-Season?

There are a couple of potential reasons for this. Firstly, as dietician Jordan Ponder told us, this could be down to the NFL star needing extra protein, iron and B12 in order to recover from the later stages of the season (and to prepare for the early stages of the next). Secondly: it’s possible Tom Brady is not vegan for ethical reasons, and simply enjoys chicken every now and then…

Should You Go Vegan?

In terms of your health: Jordan Ponder says there is no problem with going vegan, as long as you get fully informed beforehand. “Going cold turkey on meat products is fine,” he says, “But chances of doing it better and sticking to it are enhanced when you’re properly educated about mixing the right foods. So read up and prepare to spend more time in and around food.”Going vegan will also reduce your carbon footprint, and—if everyone made the shift—would be a significant step towards reducing world hunger (it’s estimated that 700 million tons of food that could be consumed by humans goes to livestock each year). However, before you get too carried away, statistics show that Veganism, while less destructive than the status quo (in terms of environmental damage caused per person fed), is actually not the most environmentally friendly diet.

“Animals in the larger, more remote food forests serve as a source of natural soil fertility, mineral cycling, and conversion of inedibles like windfall fruits and perennial grasses — which are the best broad scale soil builders and, by extension, carbon sinks, on Earth — into human-edible protein.”

As the human race going entirely vegan would waste available land that could otherwise be used to feed more people with vegetarian or omnivorous foods, it can be said the vegan diet does’t make the most of the resources the landscape of each environment provides.This takes nothing away from the horror-show that is factory farming. But before we radically change the food system, we need to park our ideologies at the door, and evaluate what the direct and indirect effects will be on our food supply and environment.The takeaway? If you are morally opposed to eating animals: go vegan. But if you just want to reduce your environmental impact: go vegetarian.

Tips For New Vegans

Plan your diet

Many of the health benefits of veganism mentioned earlier this article are not innate to a vegan diet: they have been observed because vegans tend to put more thought into their diet than non vegans (i.e. you need to do more than just ‘not eat animal products’ to be healthy).

Protein

Beans or nuts on their own are incomplete (as opposed to a steak or an egg, which are complete) sources of protein. Whilst you can get all the protein you need from a vegan diet, in order to do so you must combine corresponding ‘incomplete’ sources of protein (the easiest example: beans and rice). This is because 20 amino acids are the building blocks of protein, 9 of which the body can’t produce on its own. In order to be a “complete” protein, a food must contain all nine of these essential amino acids in roughly equal amounts. So as long as you eat complementary “incomplete” proteins over the course of the day, you should be fine.

Nutrients

The general consensus amongst dieticians is vegans ought to take B12 supplements and drink calcium enriched, plant-based milk.RELATED: Sydney Vegetarian Restaurants That Will Turn Any Meat Lover

The post Tom Brady's Vegan Diet Could Be Your Ticket To Becoming An Athletic Freak… But At What Cost? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The day of reckoning finally arrived for Conor McGregor yesterday when he landed in New York to face justice for his assault on a bus full of UFC fighters back in April.Whilst the charge could see the UFC fighter spending up to seven years in jail, it’s likely that a deal will be struck to keep the modern world’s most recognised fighter from spending any time behind bars. Which brings us to the Irishman’s choice of fashion for a court hearing – ridiculously fly to say the least.When attending a serious matter which involves criminal charges, McGregor shows that it’s still prudent to dress well but with a clear distinction to his usual wardrobe choices – drop the flashiness for restrained class.McGregor took to his usual staple of David August suits which have made a name for themselves in the past (see: ‘Fuck You’ suit) but this one was different in that the colours were much more conservative. A muted charcoal windowpane pattern was employed on the suit which was further paired with a blue and copper diagonal striped tie. The only additional details on the suit was a boutonniere flower on the lapel in a light grey hue and a checked pocket square.Eagle eyes will also notice that McGregor skipped one of the most signature accessories of a prized fighter: a gold or diamond studded timepiece. Whilst flashy watches go hand in hand with $100 million paychecks, at a court hearing you just do not need that kind of snarky attention.

A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Mar 6, 2018 at 4:36pm PST

You could almost say that Conor McGregor was dressing more for the corporate world on this rare occasion. Topped off with a pair of tan brown lace-ups and the whole looks is clean, fitted and most importantly, reserved. In other words, exactly how you’d want the judge to perceive you.When McGregor stepped out of the courtroom after a reported 45 second hearing, he said to the media:“I regret my actions that led me here today. I understand the seriousness of this matter and I’m hopeful to get it resolved soon.”Will this be the last time we see McGregor in a slick corporate-style suit? Let’s hope so. If not at least he’s got the dress code nailed.RELATED: How To Get Conor McGregor’s Style

The post Conor McGregor Gives A Lesson In How To Dress For A Court Sentencing appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Power-walking through the city you look down at your phone to answer a text. Your legs carry you forward in a state of caffeinated-autopilot and you are so focussed on crafting a hilarious one-liner to your latest Tinder-match (or responding carefully to a client) that you almost completely forget you are moving. We’ve all been there, no?Judging by the increasing number of pedestrian fatalities worldwide (and the amount of people I bumped into last week), smartphone-induced ‘zombie-ism’ is an increasing phenomenon. Beside proving Scott Fitzgerald’s premise that “a bad driver is only safe until they meet another bad driver,” smartphones are making us less and less sociable.While most people with a Facebook page and an opinion have called this behaviour out as an embarrassing hallmark of a generation gone wrong, a shopping mall in North West China appears to have embraced the trend, deciding instead to cater to smartphone addicts by providing a walking lane designated for people who can’t be bothered to look up from their phones.Although the gesture may have been intended as an ironic way to gain publicity (the “path for the special use of the heads-down tribe” features signs imploring users not to “look down for the rest of your life”) people seem to have taken it seriously, and the lane has experienced no shortage of device wielding zombies.

The post Pedestrian Lanes Reserved For 'Smartphone Zombies' Are Now A Reality appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Bad news, Scottish distilleries. Your luxe ass just got handed to you by a $35 bottle of whisky from discount supermarket chain Aldi.And to rub salt into the wounds, judges at the Spirits Business Scotch Whisky Masters last night didn’t just award one but two gold medals to the Aldi whiskies. The Highland Black Scotch Whisky and Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky both shared top honours alongside a host of more extravagant entrants like Chivas Regal.RELATED: Fine Australian Whiskies That Won’t Send You BrokeOnly one bottle is available in Australian Aldi stores but as with most things like coveted awards, it’ll likely be sold out by the time you hit up your local. Nonetheless once stock is replenished you can expect the Highland Black 8-year-old to retail for around AU$35 whilst the Islay Single Malt has retailed in the past locally for AU$70 (18-year-old) or AU$90 (21-year-old).The Highland Black features notes of heather, strawberry leaf, and lemon oil whilst the Islay Single Malt will cater to a fresh and zestier character profile. The latest awards come hot off the back of Aldi’s gold medals from last year where its rosé wine took home silver and its gin roped in multiple accolades.Now where’s that shopper docket voucher…

The post Aldi's $35 Bottle Crowned The Best Whisky In The World…Again appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Cool daddy Jeff Goldblum is out on the town again and this time he’s fully embraced the silverfox in order to show gracefully ageing men how to dress.

Monochrome was the flavour for Goldblum’s appearance at the premiere of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in Los Angeles. The 65-year-old actor stepped out in a classic black suit that would otherwise be pretty standard if it weren’t for a black dress shirt with contrasting white print.

It’s the sort of motif more commonly found on tees but for this fine occasion the actor added in a skinny black tie and button-down collars to give the look a touch of class. More importantly it paired perfectly with his slicked back grey hair and thick-rimmed glasses.

Whilst the look can be muted if done lazily, Goldblum didn’t have this problem thanks to a square-cased Franck Muller watch and a host of jewellery which you can see in further detail below.

“Came through drippin’…” @iamcardib @migos #drip

A post shared by Jeff Goldblum (@jeffgoldblum) on May 10, 2018 at 12:20pm PDT

Also in attendance alongside Goldblum was his 35-year-old wife Emilie Livingston and Chris Pratt (who actually wore a suit and looked half decent).

The post Jeff Goldblum Shows You How To Match Grey Hair With Your Wardrobe appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Leaving dirty laundry in the car. Popping pimples. Incessantly snubbing underwear for the full effect of summer free-balling. All are considered bad habits in anyone’s language, but today we’re looking at a different kind of bad habit – the ones that are often practiced after a solid weights or cardio session at the local gym.From lighting up a cigarette to skipping stretching, we’re outlining the worst things that you could possibly do to your body post-workout with the expert help of Paramount Recreation Club’s head dietician and personal trainer, Jordan Ponder.Think you’ve been a naughty gym junkie? Read on.

Skipping Stretching

You came, you stretched, you did your supersets and now it’s time to go home. Wrong. Stretching after a workout is one of the most important and often overlooked practices in the gym.The reasoning behind stretching the muscles you just worked will aid the recovery phase. More specifically, stretching will enable your muscles to recover quicker, hence aiding muscle growth whilst keeping them in peak condition.

Excessive Cardio

When you’ve just completed an hour’s worth of weight training, it’s a bad idea to follow it up with an intense session of cardio.“If you’re training certain muscle systems – fast twitch vs. slow twitch and you’re working explosive movement patterns, you’re not going to get the muscle recovery,” says Jordan Ponder.“You’ll exhaust them.”Ponder explains that whilst it’s not necessarily a bad thing, it is if you’re training for muscle hypertrophy (the increase in size of skeletal muscle through a growth in size of its component cells). In effect, tacking a cardio session to the back of a weights session will not get the results you want.Experts say that some cardio after a weights session is fine so long as it’s in the region of 20 – 30 minutes max. If you need to do both in the same day, separate weight and cardio sessions by around 5 hours.“Often with training, as long as it’s consistent, less is more,” adds Ponder.

Smoking After A Gym Session

When we threw this one out in the brainstorm meeting, we were met with: “What the hell gym do you go to?!” That’s not relevant, but if you must to know, two words. Western Sydney. But we digress…Smoking after a gym session whether it’s weights of cardio is a shortcut to a date with death.According to Ponder, people who do this are expanding their lungs during training, stretching them, then putting poison into them.“It could be worse than what normal smoking is.”He’s not wrong. According to existing research, smoking after any form of exercise places “enormous” stress on the heart.Healthy organs and growing muscles require the heart to supply oxygen in order for them to function. When you light up a cigarette after a gym session, you’re essentially depleting the body’s oxygen supply and replacing it with harmful carbon dioxide.Would you pour milk into your car’s fuel tank and expect it to run perfectly? Exactly.

Delaying Eating Post-Workout

It’s crucial to eat after a big training session to replenish nutrients your body needs. Skip this and you’re not encouraging your cells to re-synthesise or proliferating growth, according to Ponder.“In other words you’re not encouraging the regeneration of muscle tissue.”Ponder recommends refuelling your body with high GI carbohydrates like a banana to help the repair process before hitting a high quality meal. Gym junkies should aim to eat after 15 – 20 minutes after their last set.And a high quality meal doesn’t mean a family deal from KFC. Fatty foods will essentially undo your hard work by slowing down digestion, limiting the amount of carbohydrates and amino acids that can reach your bloodstream before being distributed to muscle cells.

Not Sleeping Enough

It’s simple. Sleep is paramount and should never be overlooked explains Ponder.“Muscles regenerate when they’re in a rest state.”In other words your weight training is only effective when you give the body ample time to rest and rebuild the damaged muscles.

Forgetting To Cool Down

It’s human nature to specialise in one thing and do it well.“Run fast, lift heavy weights. We don’t think about what we’re doing to our body when that happens and it’s really stressing it out,” explains Ponder.“Muscles are the same. You can’t put them under a heap of stress during and after exercising. If you’re not letting them down gently, cooling down, stretching, mobilising, those tighter muscles are getting tighter and weaker muscles are getting weaker.”Ponder points to a perfect example of this scenario in today’s society amongst men.“How many guys over 50 can touch their toes?”Cooling down doesn’t need to be a strenuous process. Bring your heart rate down gradually with things like:

• Foam rollers
• Walking it off on a treadmill for 10 minutes
• Stretching

Doing this will ensure your body is primed for the next workout session whilst reducing recovery time.

Drinking Alcohol After A Workout

Really? This one’s a no brainer. The body needs to be hydrated after a workout and alcohol has the reverse effect of hydration. When your body loses fluids your muscles become dehydrated. You lose again.RELATED: Muscle Mass Begins To Deteriorate In Your 30s But There’s A Way Around ItJordan Ponder is the founder of Paramount Recreation Club and Transform Health in Sydney, Australia. TransformHealth has been created to inspire habitual health and improve performance. Contact Jordan to arrange a nutrition, fitness and lifestyle consultation.

The post Things You Should Never Ever Do After A Workout Session appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Let’s be honest for a second. There are still plenty of men out there who think that styling their hair means short back and sides until it all falls out.Bad news guys: that hair isn’t falling out – it’s jumping ship out of pure boredom. Sad hair is never a good look on any man so if you’re lost for inspiration, simply turn to the classic hairstyles made famous by the lads of yesteryear. FYI: “Classic” doesn’t necessarily mean “good” as well – we’re looking at you, Billy Ray.Nonetheless we’ve painstakingly sifted through the follicle noise to uncover the do’s and don’ts of hairstyle inspiration in the modern age. Enjoy the coif catastrophes, then take a cue from the greats and treat your tortured old locks to a new look with some actual style.Clooney, Dean, Swayze, the stage is yours.

The post Iconic Men’s Hairstyles Of The Past appeared first on DMARGE Australia.