NATHAN PERKEL (shoes), styling: Brian Boyé; Matt Rainey (Eaves); Anna Williams/Offset (popcorn)HEALTH
I never liked flossing—and
recently heard that I don’t
have to bother. Really?
DAVE, PHILADELPHIA, PA
The controversy about flossing
stems from the fact that stud-
ies haven’t proved the habit
helpful. But that could simply
be due to a dearth of research.
Floss is an inexpensive product
that scientists don’t have much
incentive to study, says Soo-
Woo Kim, D.M.D., of Harvard’s
School of Dental Medicine. Dr.
Kim sees clear benefits when he
checks the choppers of faithful
flossers. Guys who rarely floss
have plaque buildup between
their teeth, which can lead to
gum disease, cavities, and bad
breath. If you truly despise floss-
ing, Dr. Kim recommends the
Philips Sonicare AirFloss Ultra
($90, usa.philips.com). A burst
of water and air dislodges the
gunk between your teeth.FITNESS
Pushups hurt my shoulders.
What am I doing wrong?
LOUIS, MOBILE, AL
It’s probably your elbow and
hand positions, says MH fitness
advisor Ben Bruno. “Flaring
your elbows or having them in
too close to your body stresses
your shoulders,” he says. Keep
your elbows at a 30- to 45-degree
angle. Then flare your hands
out—your index fingers at 1 and
11 o’clock—which reduces torque
on your shoulder joint.STYLE & GROOMING
Please resolve this dilemma
once and for all: Can I wear
black with brown?
NICK, IOWA CITY, IA
The short answer is yes. The
injunction against combining
these colors is antiquated. That
said, you can still look like a
chump if you don’t do it right.
“It should be apparent that you
paired the colors on purpose,”
says Manhattan-based fashion
stylist Seth Howard. “That’s
why the correct proportions and
Follow Ali on Facebook
atMHGirlNextDoor,and on
Twitter at@MHGirlNextDoor.THE GIRL
NEXT DOOR
Ali Eaves takes your
questions on sex, love,
lust, and relationships.Have a question? We’ve
got answers! Ask at
MensHealth.com/experts.It’s a Cro-Magnon combo your brain can’t resist. Over the millennia,
our ancestors came to learn that sweet meant a food was high in
calories, while salty signaled a food that might replenish electrolytes.
Today, the combination of different flavors and textures perpetuates
snacking via something called “sensory-specific satiety,” says Julia
Hormes, Ph.D., a psychologist who studies food cravings at SUNY’s
University at Albany. Take chocolate-covered pretzels (but not the
whole bag!). If you eat just chocolate, your tastebuds will eventually
tire of sweet. Same goes for pretzels and salt. But when you merge
sweet and salty, your brain has a harder time reaching the point of
flavor fullness. So try peanut butter and celery: This combo delivers
the same sweet-salty pleasure without weighing on your waistline.tones are so important.” How-
ard likes the 80-20 rule: If your
shirt or pants are one color, the
other color should be more of an
accent (like a brown shirt with
a black suit, or tan shoes with
black jeans). When picking your
browns, Howard says, go dark
brown or light tan; anything else
makes you look like you dressed
in the dark. “When done cor-
rectly, combining the two hues
shows your personality and tells
the world you’re savvy enough
to know that the old rule is BS.”NUTRITIONWhy do I crave foods that are sweet and salty?
JON, MINNEAPOLIS, MNWhat’s the best text to
send a woman after a hot
one-night stand?
MIGUEL, DALLAS, TX
“Free for dinner Friday?” Simple
words can say a lot. You’re
c asuall y m ak ing i t k now n that
you’d like to see her again—and
soon. That’s all she probably
wants to hear after a passionate
fling. The subtext is that you
had an amazing time with her.
Being asked out on a date will
pique her interest a lot more
than a three-paragraph text
about how awesome the sex
was. Less cre epy to o. She’ll p eg
you as a confident, stand-up
guy who’s into more than just
sex. And you have every reason
to believe she’ll say yes. After
all, she knows you know how to
push her buttons, right?I work 60-hour weeks
and earn twice what my
wife does. Do we really
have to split the chores?
TOM, CHARLOTTE, NC
I’m going to save you a life-
time of arguing, Tom. Take that
fat payche ck of your s , p e el of f
a hundred bucks or so, and
call a cleaning service. Either
that or learn to tolerate a little
mess around the house. Lo ok ,
of course it makes sense for
the partner who has more free
time to do more of the home-
fire tending. But the way you’re
using math to calculate who
d o es w hat is b ound to bre e d
resentment. If you bring in out-
side help, you’re not only shut-
ting down the chore debate
once and for all but also provid-
ing employment for someone
who probably cleans better
than the both of you combined.Ask Men’s Health
The key to mixing
brown and black:
Step forward
with confidence.