-
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.
-
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!
-
Zero carbs bread!
I was at Aldi’s the other day and saw something that caught my attention—a bread that claimed it was 0g carbs!! I had to do a double-take for sure because is that possible and does it taste good if it is possible?
So zero carbs doesn’t necessarily make it any healthier because remember you got to make it taste good so lots of ingredients are in it that might not be in regular bread. Also, typically you’d expect this type of bread to me dry and not so soft but this one wasn’t, it was actually quite soft and moist. Price-wise, it wasn’t any more expensive than regular bread so does that mean you should buy it, if you can find it?
Well, just keep in mind 0g carbs are actually net carbs when the fiber is deducted. Yes, it could be eaten as a low carb option especially if you are missing out on bread but be careful in making choices based on just the front of the packaging because long term it might hinder your diet goals!
Bread is always going to be a temptation for many but if you must eat it, why not just eat regular bread in moderation provided you don’t have Celiac’s or other health conditions that prevent you from consuming it.
-
Why does outside food taste so good?
As I close out this first full week of January, one simple way to achieve your goal of clean eating is to prep food at home. Earlier this week, I mentioned using an instant pot to simplify your cooking but here’s another simple hack that you can do—have someone else prep your food at home. What?
One of the main reasons we like to eat out is that the food tasted better when we don’t have to take the time to make it. We go out for the convenience of not cooking and in the process it results in us typically eating not healthy. To get this same feeling at home, have your friend, roomie, family make something for you and then eat it. This will give you joy about what you are eating as well as not desensitize towards the food you potentially would have made.
Is this simple hack something you overlooked? Could that same $10 avocado toast not be made easily at home with half the cost? Sure. So next time you are craving something from outside, consider asking someone you trust to meal prep for you.
-
January means a new diet right?
With the calendar turning to 2020 just a few days ago, resolutions about weight are at the forefront in most people’s minds. Not only does that mean going to work out but also that they want to change their diet. I’m all for changing your diet and eating the way that makes sense for you but changing it short term and expecting results within a week is highly unlikely which is what I think people forget at times.
No matter which diet you choose—paleo, keto, Mediterranean, etc.—make sure it is something you enjoy and can follow. What’s the point of trying a diet that is too restrictive or makes you count calories and macros when you don’t have the time or patience to do so. A good diet is one that can adapt to your lifestyle and still let you achieve your SMART goals.
January is a good month to start a diet if that’s what you need to get you going on your health and wellness journey but keep doing the diet for at least 2 months before deciding that it worked or didn’t work. We often expect quick changes from what we eat but depending on how bad your eating was before those changes may take a little longer so don’t rush the process.
If you are unsure which diet is right for you, speak to your doctor or nutritionist as you don’t want to short change yourself in the process.
-
Supplement usage up in January?
Another phenomenon that occurs every January is growth in supplement usage? Are you surprised? Or rather should you be surprised? Remember, January is the time for resolutions and people tend to gravitate towards whatever they think will help them achieve that goal. Does that mean supplements are being looked at as miracle achieving items? Possibly.
I definitely believe that supplements are meant to be exactly that, supplements to your healthy diet but the reliance on them to fix problems is increasingly occurring. Why do you think that is? I believe that the amount of misinformation out there is enough of a reason for people to jump on a bandwagon thinking that a certain supplement will help them achieve whatever think it will. Remember, there is no substitute for a good, clean diet and exercise.
I too take supplements but mostly to compensate for nutrients that I don’t get daily. I don’t overdo it thinking that every supplement is necessary to be taken either. For example, I know protein powder shakes are great to take after a workout so that is something I don’t miss because it helps with recovery but if you open my medicine cabinet, you won’t find too many supplement bottles.
Which supplement should you take and how much? Check with your doctor because you don’t want to experiment on yourself especially if you have other medical conditions.
-
Goal Setting
This time of year is always interesting for me because like everyone else out there, I too set goals that I’d like to achieve. Note that I said goals not resolutions? Resolutions are tough to maintain and tend to be broken if you can’t achieve them so set some SMART goals.
Smart goals are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. I like setting smart goals because then I can hold myself accountable after the time that I have allocated to them. I do measure success by change in weight, diameter, etc. or whatever parameter makes sense for that goal. Plus, smart goals are harder to break since these aren’t made on a whim like I want to lose 10 pounds in two weeks. Smart goals take time to achieve so when making your goal take that into account.
Success in achieving your goal is totally dependent on how well it is defined and how you manage to execute it. Anything that comes to easy is likely going to result in some sort of setback in the future so instead of making resolutions in January, start making SMART goals.
-
Instant pot success!
I’ve been eyeing buying an instant pot for years and when this past holiday season rolled around, I finally decided to take the plunge and buy it. Why? Is it a good investment? What can I make in it?
I knew a few people who owned it but no one exactly told me that it was a must have or something that they used daily so I held off on buying one but when one that was 8-qt was on sale for $39, how could I pass it up! Once home, the setup was super easy, plug and clean the inner pot and I was ready to cook.
What did I make? Indian curry of course. So easy to pressure cook in it. Oh yeah, the instant pot replaced my pressure cooker, rice cooker, and crockpot. Rice was a bit challenging to make but after some trial and error, I got it to come out the way I like making it.
Since I’m still exploring what all I can make in it, I love that instant pot has an app that you can go to for some tips but if you don’t want to use that, you can join one of the many Facebook groups or look up recipes on YouTube. Lots of things can be made in it from chicken to yogurt to more so for me buying one was definitely a good investment!
Oh yeah, since I’ve had, I’ve used it 3x a week at the minimum so definitely more than my individual rice cooker, pressure cooker, or crockpot. Save time cooking, consider investing in one.
-
Ready for your gym to be mobbed?
With the new year upon us, one thing you’ll notice is that the gym is going to be a busy place if you decided to go or join one. Now that you’ve decided you want to get into better shape and you signed up to go to your local gym do you know where to get started? You’ll have trainers coming to you to try to sell a package to sign up or perhaps you signed up for a class at the gym but neither makes you comfortable because either the trainer isn’t fit enough to inspire you or doesn’t know what you specifically need or perhaps the class you signed up for only has super fit people in there and you don’t want to stand out. So what should you do?
First, let go off all those negative thoughts. If you decided to exercise and get healthy, let that be the thought that drives you. Your trainer will usually give you a stock program from a template to get started so start with that and see how you like it but eventually find a trainer that customizes to your needs. You don’t want to pay a trainer for tips and exercise demos that you can watch on Youtube and get a beginner’s program from the Internet so definitely assess how long you want the trainer’s help before moving on. As far as classes go, remember you can always try it out and if you don’t like it, move on to another class at the gym. You might be surprised by what you like or don’t like. Just because Yoga may not excite you and Zumba does, doesn’t mean that if you gave Yoga a shot that it wouldn’t result in more flexibility, patience, and serenity for you. All options should be on the table when signing up for a class—of course, we sign up for classes based on schedules but you are more likely to go to one that you enjoy!
Let’s fast forward a little bit. Now that you have figured out what exercises you should be doing and what exercises you are comfortable with perhaps, you need a program that covers all body parts (total body workout) so that you don’t have to go every day. Total body workouts are great because you can work out x3 a week and rest between each day without having to think about which muscle group am I going to work today. An example of a total body workout is below. You can Youtube demos of each movement or ask your trainer if you have one. Remember to rest between each set adequately (90sec or more) and definitely warm up and stretch before you start any exercise program. Your body adapts to weight stresses when it is resting, hence the importance of resting between workouts (for example, workout Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and resting during the workout (rest 90 sec or more). I prefer dumbbells for weight training as it requires coordination and skill and forces you to go slower. When should you move on to a heavier weight? When doing 15 reps becomes easy. What weight should you start with? Start with a challenging for 8-12 reps but not so challenging that you can injure yourself. Remember, you are trying to get healthier not hurt!
2-3 Sets of 8-15
Dumbbell Bench Press
2-3 Sets of 8-15
Single Arm Dumbbell Row
2-3 Sets of 8-15
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
2-3 Sets of 8-15
Barbell Military Press
2-3 Sets of 8-15
Dumbbell Pullover
2-3 Sets of 8-15
Barbell Squats
2-3 Sets of 8-15
Hyperextensions
2-3 Sets of 8-15
Medicine Ball Curl-Ups
Have a fun workout and don’t forget to log what you did in a notebook or a note-taking app as this will help you track your progress!
pic source: Google images
-
Back to work?
Many of us are back to work this week after Christmas and New Year’s holidays but getting back into the groove of things can be tough. No matter your goal of working out or just simply figuring out to how work again, this quote summarizes both nicely:
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
Don’t you agree!
-
Happy New Year!
Happy New year! As the year begins and we make continued resolutions, one quote that sticks out for me is
“You are your only limit”– author unknown
This applies to all aspects of life from changing your eating habit to exercising to getting your dream job so remember to go after your goal whole- heartedly!
Have seen this pic in many gyms, not sure where it originates from but the message is clear!
-
New Year’s Eve is here!
As the year winds down tonight, let’s be grateful for family!
“Nothing is better than going home to family and eating good food and relaxing.”–Irina Shayk
True words for this holiday season!
NY times put this pic up, thought it was so truly representative of most of us today!
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
