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AI 101: AI Explained
Do you struggle with AI? Have parents, friends, and others who struggle with terminology and understanding what AI is good for?
The guide defines basics terms that are often mentioned in numerous online videos and definitely can be confusing to a new user.
Check out my guide, free to use, no data collected.
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Which supplement should I take? #Supplement Explorer
Are you always on your phone looking at which supplements you should take? Do you look at reviews? How do you decide what to buy?
As someone who has been in the nutraceutical industry for over 10 years, I’ve worked with many suppliers and companies to understand why an ingredient is chosen, what research is behind it, and how to sell it to a consumer, so if you are looking for some answers to questions you may have, drop a comment, or even better check out the Supplement Explorer on the site. It is free to use, 3 questions, and a simple output. No info is stored.I made the Supplement Explorer purely for my use and then thought, well, if it is useful for me, maybe it is useful for others. The tool is not affiliated with any company or brand, but was just a way for me to showcase what I find useful. If you use it, do give me feedback as to what you’d like to see it on too.
Stay well and remember, before taking any supplements, check with your doctor if it is a good fit for you or not!
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Need more protein?
Let’s face it: It would be great if we could always just sit down to a nice meal and take our time with preparation and enjoyment. But life gets in the way, unfortunately, and many of us eat a lot of meals on the go. We’re in the car or we take them wherever we’re going, snarfing down things that may or may not always be good for us. And very often, we don’t get enough of the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that we need. Take protein, for example: It can be hard to fit this essential in, especially during breakfast. And when it comes to snacks, most of us are faced with sugary substances and processed food instead of filling protein-filled options. There is a different way, though, that can help you get the protein you need, and that’s protein powder. Here’s how to use it in your meals and snacks.
Sean Farrell Ghergich & Co. -
My food feels weird
I was reading an interesting article about food texture and it got me to thinking if I buy food because of the way it feels. Does your purchase decision have to do with taste and texture and price or is it something else that makes you buy the product?
Think about this, if you buy a pancake and it isn’t soft and warm with the right amount of fluff, would you buy it? The altered texture may make it less appealing right? The perceived texture is something that we have adapted to as we have grown up from childhood. A strawberry should feel and taste a certain way so altering the texture may be off-putting to someone. However, would you consider buying something that healthy like gluten-free bread if the texture was identical to regular bread?
Considering that plant-based alternatives exist today, wouldn’t it make sense to alter the texture and taste of those items that we should be eating more of what we don’t? Your answer likely depends on whether you believe science should be invading your kitchen and body or not. I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of this debate of making good for you food or healthy clean food but is lab-grown or altered food really something that we need today to stay healthy?
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New place, new gym, new food
One of the most exciting things about moving is that you can start over. Find a new place, new gym, new restaurants, and more. Everything new is a great start for many people because sometimes it makes you disrupt your routine. Only when you go out of your comfort zone, do you actually grown. So even if you aren’t moving, you can still implement some of these changes.
Finding a new gym is always tough because not only does the price point have to be right but you have to enjoy going there. I’ll definitely be looking for both price, equipment quality, and friendliness of the place before I join. Customer service is very important to me. Another area that I’m interested in exploring is the food culture. Every state/city/town has something different to offer so I’ll be exploring places that I can go try some healthy food along with vegan style foods. Finally, any place that I go outside of my comfort zone will be new so everything will be explored with an open mind.
You don’t have to go too far to find change, sometimes it literally is in the next town over!
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Diet Change and Moving
With big life events, people always do so much to make them go a certain way. For example, when someone is getting married, they change how they eat or exercise or perhaps they hire a nutritionist or something else but what about when you are moving? That’s a big life event too right?
Packing up and living in a new place where all your stuff is in boxes makes it very easy to find food elsewhere. Does that mean you should fall off the wagon and eat whatever you have access to because you can’t cook? I don’t think so unless you really just enjoy eating out and take it as a break while in the moving process. For me, my go to will be to go to a nearby store and pickup a basic pot and pan and utensils so that I can go to Aldi’s pickup some stuff to cook at home. Long-term, it is always cheaper to cook at home then eat out a meal. Moving definitely does not justify eating fast food, no matter how tempting it is.
The best way to succeed with your diet while moving is to plan ahead. What do you need to take, eat, and how to prepare it. If you have a place in town that cooks healthy fresh meals like the many kits that I order from, then access to those otherwise find an alternative that doesn’t force you to eat out so much—your body will thank you with possibly more energy and clarity.
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Moving and Food Waste
Since I’m in the midst of a move and I have to reevaluate everything that I can take, one thing that I dread throwing out is food. Food waste is a constant problem in the US and around the world so I typically limit what I buy so how is it that I have so much food in the fridge and freezer that I need to throw out?
The reason that I truly feel we have food waste is people like to eat a variety of food. To contribute further to this problem is that we tend to buy food that usually comes in way too much of a quantity. So even if you are done eating the amount you want to eat, you end up throwing away the rest of it before the expiration date! During my move, what I noticed is that we keep a lot of condiments that are used sparingly as well as frozen veggies and fruits which all are problematic things when moving from one state to another. All of this will end up as food waste because you can’t donate open items.
What did I learn from all this, finish eating and using up what you buy before you buy something else. This is good to follow because not only will I save money but also use up what I have bought. Granted people don’t move all the time but food waste happens nonetheless every day so a small step to rectifying that is always good, right?
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Easy Snacking
One of my favorite snacks to eat is this peanut mixture that I grew up eating. Note: the recipe has peanuts so if it is an allergen for you, stay away from making this or sub with something that isn’t an allergen for you.
The recipe is actually pretty simple, all you have to do is put some unsalted peanuts in a bowl, add some diced onion, a tablespoon or so of lemon juice, and a little red pepper and mix. Voila! All set to eat. So why is this my go-to snack? Aside from it being super easy to make, it also tastes really good.
Plus, if you are looking for snack that has protein and fewer carbs, you can’t beat eating this because peanuts give you the protein/fat/carbs ratio you would typically expect and the onions give you a little more carbs. This snack is definitely going to keep you satiated. For me, this is the snack that I could eat before bedtime in case I don’t want to drink another protein shake.
What other quick snacks do you enjoy that don’t derail your diet?
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Zero Sugar Soda–Yay or Nay?
If you’ve read my posts in the past, you know that I do drink Coke Zero time to time but what is interesting now is that more and more sodas are launching that say Zero Sugar versus just zero. Even Mountain Dew is launching a Zero Sugar soda. Do these drinks appeal to you the consumer?
For me, if I’m going to have a soda and sugar is what I want to stay away from, I’ll go with those items that say zero sugar on the front of the packaging so yes, it does grab my attention. I’m guessing companies are realizing that they need to call out that as even Coke Zero saw an increase in consumption when the name became Coke Zero Sugar. Such a small change in packaging resulted in more profitability for the company. I’m guessing that Mountain Dew Zero Sugar will similar success plus with the amount of caffeine it has, I’m sure it will find favor with both soda and energy drinkers.
Do you think zero sugar soda is here to stay? Yay or nay?
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What about exercise makes us feel good?
Most people are aware that exercise is good for you and that a good diet can help you lead a healthy life but what about exercise makes us feel good?
Personally, I like exercising as a way to burn stress or accomplish a goal like I want to lift this much by this time but for others, exercise is a means to recuperate from an injury or a means to rejuvenate themselves after a long day but nothing of these reasons still answers the question as to why exercise makes us feel good?
You’ve probably heard about exercising releasing endorphins that are hormones that make you feel happy but what if you don’t like to exercise? Is there a replacement for it? Perhaps! What? I recently read a study that found Sestrin, protein in our bodies, could mimic the benefits of exercise. What does this mean? Well, more science and research are necessary to corroborate this but questions such as does Sestrin help humans the same way as it was shown in test animals and is there a dosage at which this effect is noticed. So many unknowns but the article is here (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200113075830.htm) and it is pretty interesting to read so check it out.
In the meantime, while science is trying to figure out what all Sestrin can do, stay active the best way you see fit for yourself!
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Memories and Food
Recently, I ate at a restaurant only because of the memories associated with it? Do you do that too?
Having eaten at this place many years ago and not having it available near me, meant, of course I had to eat here again right? With so many memories associated with the place, it was nearly impossible for me to pass it up. Funny, how things that we wouldn’t typically eat are now ok and justified based on our associations with them.
The food was just as good as I remembered it and the price not too high but what had changed was me. Since I overall eat more healthy now, eating this meal sure made me feel not so great. It was a nice treat but the after effects are felt via a bloated tummy and indigestion. So what’s the message?
Memories are wonderful and should be relieved if they can be but healthy eating disrupted by not so clean eating sure can wipe out all that hard work you put into yourself.
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Flu season is crazy this year!
With my traveling ramping up again for work and personal stuff, I decided to amp up my usage of Vitamin C or in my case Ester-C. Flu season is increasingly rampant in the area where I live so aside from sleeping well and eating well, my only other defense is exercise and a supplement but does it work?
During the winter months, it is extremely easy to slack off and eat crappy food and not exercise because of the lack of sun. All these downswings in mood could potentially be prevented by sticking to your routine. For me, that includes going to the gym, eating well, and taking the dog for a walk. While maintaining this routine, I also manage to take my supplements. D3 is definitely a good one to take but what I rely on is my Vitamin C.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat in a plane and heard a sneeze or a runny nose being blown into a tissue or touched a doorknob knowing that multiple people might have touched without washing their hands but I can’t forever be a germaphobe so I decided to up my immunity by eating fruits and veggies for antioxidant support and of course, taking my Vitamin C. Does it work?
Well, nothing is 100% effective but I do bounce back quickly if I do get a cold so there’s that. My recommendation is to bolster your immunity with whatever you find best for your body and of course consult with your doctor if you are unsure.
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