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🚨 Welcome to this week’s issue of Generation Xcellent. I’m Stephen Perrine, New York Times bestselling author and former top editor at Men’s Health and Maxim. And like you, I’m doing all I can to survive the moshpit of midlife. Thanks for joining me on the journey! (And as always, our content is 100% Organic Intelligence—written by guys like us, for guys like us.)

📩 Thanks for joining the conversation!

- SPORTS -

10 Greatest Gen X World Series Moments

Some of the most inspiring stories in sports are written during the Fall Classic. These are the tales that still resonate.

By Robert Tuchman

—Robert Tuchman is a sports and media entrepreneur, a cofounder of Generation Xcellent, and the author of The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live: An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime.

- STYLE -

How to Buy a Sweater that Looks Great on You

The right pullover will keep you looking lean, sophisticated and, most important, warm

By Jeff Stevenson

>It’s cold outside—and getting colder—and looking sharp while staying warm is getting trickier. A nice sweater could be all that’s standing between you, the comfortable workday warrior, and you, the shivering serf with angry nipples.

Still, sweaters add bulk to the torso, which is why the wrong choice can leave you looking less like Steve McQueen in Bullitt and more like a PSA poster for fatty liver disease. So we asked some stylish folks we know about buying, and wearing, a top layer that won’t bulk us up in all the wrong places. Here are rules, so you can find the best sweater—no sweat.

Related:  Best Cuts for Thinning Hair

Stick with all-natural fibers. Natural fibers like wool, silk and cashmere not only keep you warmer, but they also last longer than acrylics and other synthetic fibers, says Nicole Russo, founder of Let’s Get You, a personal styling and wardrobe management company. 

“Check the tags or item’s description before purchasing, and keep to 70 percent or above natural fibers,” she says. “It comes down to that, as well as the touch and feel. Don’t overthink it.”

Merino wool is often the best bet for durability, affordability and comfort, says Patrick Kenger, a personal stylist and founder of Pivot Image Consulting. And because it’s naturally insulating — meaning it doesn’t lock in the heat even when the temperatures fluctuate — it’s perfect for a variety of climates, or for wearing under a suit, even when the negotiations get tricky.

Don’t Go Back to Black. Black feels like the safe and easy choice, but a black sweater fades easily and shows lint, animal hair and dandruff more clearly, says Rayne Parvis, style coach and author of Ultimate Style Guide. Burgundy, charcoal, navy and chocolate brown give you the same slimming look, but they read just a bit smarter, richer and more luxurious than black. Save lighter colors for heavier, more casual looks (like Chris Evans’s notorious chunky sweater from Knives Out).

Bury Cliff Huxtable. Loud, patterned sweaters are just one more of Bill Cosby’s predelictions better left unrevisited. Patterns draw attention to your torso, a part of the body most midlife guys would prefer to deflect from. Instead, focus on texture, Kenger says. “Go for a fisherman’s knit, cable knit or Aran knit to add a bit of dimension to things,” he says. Very thin materials can appear clingy, while a slightly thicker knit can add breadth to your chest and shoulders.

Seek Out Slimming Styles. “Most men wear everything one size too big to hide a belly,” says Russo. “Don’t! It makes you look larger overall.”

If you’re a little heavy in the face, Kenger suggests sweaters with a quarter zip down from the collar. “It’s a great staple to have in the closet and tends to flatter the man with a rounder face,” he says. And avoid elastic waistbands. Many sweaters come with thick elastic waistbands, which bunch at the waist and make us look fatter than we are. “If you have a lot of excess fabric around the midsection, the elastic ribbing at the bottom just creates a shelf for that fabric to sit on,” Kenger says. Pro tip: If you love the look but you’ve got too much fabric hanging around your waist, you can get the sides of your sweater taken in by a tailor. It can make all the difference.

—Jeff Stevenson has written for classic men’s magazines including Men’s Health and Maxim.

Ask Jen: The X-Rated Files
“How Do I Romance a Woman Who Earns More than I Do?”

>Got a question about sex, marriage, dating, or whatever’s happening in your DMs? Ask Jen X. She’ll sort it out, no judgement. (Well, maybe a little.)

Q: I just started dating a very well-paid executive, and I can't keep up with her, money-wise. How do I explain my financial sitch without seeming like a loser? —Matt L., Glens Falls, NY 

A: You’re not a loser, you’re a grown-ass man with a budget. Lead with confidence and clarity: “I’m really into you. I’m also watching my spending right now, so I’d love to plan things I can comfortably pick up. When you’re in the mood for fancy, I’m down to go, but that’ll need to be a special-occasion thing.” Then actually plan great dates—taco crawl, gallery nights, cooking together, matinees, hikes—so it feels intentional, not cheap.

Skip the cosplay of wealth. Debt isn’t sexy and resentment is uglier. Offer simple systems: alternate who chooses and pays; or keep it 50/50 on mid-range stuff and let the high-end nights be her splurge if she insists. If she makes your worth about your wallet, you’ve learned something useful about compatibility. If she’s executive material as advertised, she’ll respect someone who can talk finances like an adult.

Bottom line: Losers apologize for reality; adults state it and plan something fun anyway.

- HEALTH -

Are Protein Powders Safe?

Recent reports about heavy metal contamination have some guys spitting out their shakes. Here’s what you need to know.

By Stephen Perrine

>It dropped like a bomb, echoing through fitness centers and smoothie bars alike: Earlier this month, Consumer Reports (CR) released a study warning about high levels of lead in protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes.

And not just a little high: More than 2/3 of the products tested contained more lead in a single serving than experts said was safe to consume in an entire day. Two of the products tested were so laden with lead that experts cautioned against using them at all.

And this wasn’t the first time protein powders have been fingered for delivering toxins: A 2024 study by the Clean Label Project tested 160 products and found nearly half exceeded federal or state safety levels of heavy metals including mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium.

So maybe giving up protein shakes is the best move? Well, not so fast. Here’s why extra protein is so important to the 45+ body:

Our bodies are continuously breaking down and rebuilding muscle. But once we reach our 40s, we begin to develop something called anabolic resistance, which makes it harder for us to turn the protein we eat into muscle. As a teenager, you could eat a single egg with its 6 grams of protein and automatically jumpstart the muscle-building process. But by midlife, most men need to consume about 30 grams of protein at any given meal to turn that “make muscle” light green.

And while most of us get enough protein at lunch (think, turkey sandwich) and dinner (think, steak and potatoes), most of us don’t get enough at breakfast. A cup of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese will give you 30 grams of protein, but they’re among the very few breakfast foods that deliver enough. So protein powders are a great way to backfill that need in the morning, and to ensure that you’re getting plenty of protein after any given workout.

But wait: What’s that you say? You’d like your protein unleaded, without a side of arsenic? Hold the heavy metals? Okay, here’s how:

Weigh in with whey: In the CR study, plant-based protein mixes were, on average, 9 times higher in lead than the average whey-based protein. But for men at midlife, whey is the best option regardless. It’s high in a specific amino acid called leucine, which seems to be a master controller of muscle maintenance. A study at the University of Texas found that 30 grams of protein containing 3 grams of leucine boosted protein synthesis by 50 percent, compared to plant proteins. Leucine is found in abundance in dairy and other animal-based foods; only a handful of plant foods contain significant levels, such as seitan and tofu.

Isolate yourself: Whey comes in two forms, isolate and concentrate. Isolate has had the lactose removed, while concentrate has it, well, concentrated. If you’re even mildly lactose intolerant, you’ll quickly feel the difference. 

Rethink your brand: Several brands of whey protein were identified by Consumer Reports as very low in toxins, including Muscletech, Dymatize, Momentous, Transparent Labs, Owyn, BSN, and Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard (the stuff they sell in Costco). 

Rethink your flavor: Chocolate drinks consistently ranked higher in lead levels than other flavors. In the Clean Label Project study, 65% of chocolate protein powders tested high for at least one contaminant. On average, they contained 110 times as much cadmium as vanilla-flavored varieties.   

—Stephen Perrine is the New York Times bestselling author of The Full-Body Fat Fix: The Science-Based 7-Day Plan to Cool Inflammation, Heal Your Gut and Build a Healthier, Leaner You, from which this content has been adapted.

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