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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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Fruits–good for me or not?
With the new year fully underway, lots of people are trying new diets like the keto one or weight watchers or simply just improving what they are eating. One challenge most will have is should I include fruits in my diet? Should that even be a question today? Let’s find out.
Let’s think about we know about fruits. Most of us don’t eat enough of them so we aren’t gaining the natural health benefits that arise from them like antioxidant support or benefiting from the various nutrients and minerals that they possess. Nutrients like Vitamin C, potassium, fiber, folate are all present in various fruits which definitely can aid reducing weight gain, high blood pressure, and various other chronic diseases but can there be too much of a good thing?
On the downside, eating too many fruits can results in excess weight gain not only because most fruits have carbs but also because they are made up of fructose which is harder for the body to digest so often diets say to limit fruit consumption and eat more veggies because veggies are missing fructose but still have fiber to keep you full longer. So if you have diabetes, should be eating fruits? Probably not but best to check with your doctor because there are fruits with lower fructose content out there. Another reason, fruits are sometimes avoided in excess amounts is because of bacteria. You know that tough skin on mangoes that you peel away, you do this not only because you need to eat the inside of the mango but also because bacteria could be present on the outside. A good rule of thumb is too always wash your fruit and make sure the skin hasn’t been broken because if it has bacteria could have entered the inside of the fruit resulting in you getting sick!
Eating fruit has its benefits and cons but how much you eat and when you eat it is just as important. Diets like keto do have allowances for berries but what type and how many should be factored in. Timing of fruit consumption could also be important for some people. Eating fruits before and after a workout is probably good thing as the carbs will help you fuel your workout as well as be easily burned after a workout. Eating fresh fruit is always better than preserved frozen fruit or canned fruit due to the extra chemicals needed to keep it frozen.
Choose wisely and enjoy your fruit!
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Day 1 of a Diet/Lifestyle Change
Having talked to many people who ask for tips on what can I do to lose weight or improve my eating, one thing that I have seen is that people tend to give up pretty quickly after Day 1 if they are not successful! Why is that?
If you have undertaken a challenge to meet a certain goal, actions must be taken properly to implement change and reap the results you seek. Similar to finding a job you want, you have to put in the time and get the tools you need to be successful. For example, you wouldn’t go into an IT job interview without knowing anything about computers, would you? What can you do to succeed in your endeavor?
Remember, any change that you seek is not instantaneous; it takes time! If you were unsuccessful on Day 1 of your diet, don’t give up. Try something different. Did you fail because you weren’t prepared with the food you needed or because you didn’t plan cooking time or because you didn’t know how to record what you ate and hence ate too little or did you forget to plan your workout properly? Such small issues can totally derail your progress so evaluate what you did and regroup.
Sometimes the simplest way to be successful on a diet is by adapting it to what works for you. Don’t forget, the word diet doesn’t mean you have to lose weight or gain weight on it, it means the food you are consuming. Diets evolve and need to be adapted to each individual as finding the right plan that works for you can take time! Don’t give up and go after your goal!
what is a diet?
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Declutter your Kitchen!
Do you get overwhelmed when you open your cupboards in the kitchen? Is there just too much stuff? Do you stock up on items because it is on sale or there is a deal? Like many of us, our kitchens are not only family gathering spots but also where a lot of unused things stay. What can you do about this and how can it help you stay true to your goal of being healthy and fit?
If you have Netflix, I’m sure you must have heard of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. It’s a fantastic series that shows you how to declutter your house via the KonMari method. Do watch it. The gist of the decluttering process is does that item spark joy? When talking about your kitchen that becomes difficult because you need to keep certain things for functionality and practicality while others truly give you joy so what do you? My suggestion is start with dishes/pots/pan and see what sparks joy for you then move on to appliances and finally tackle spices and pantry last! Interesting tidbit, spices do expire so my guess is the ones you are mostly using are those in the front and one-oft use are in the back. This decluttering process will take time so give yourself a week or so to truly rationalize which items spark joy!
What does decluttering do for your health? One, you’ll be excited to be in the kitchen when you can find items and it looks clean. Two, you’ll be able to accurately see what you need and don’t need. Three, you’ll know how many junk items you have versus healthy ones so you can accordingly shop for your next trip. Finally, decluttering will instill a good habit in you as you won’t hoard as many items once you see the results.
Start the journey for better health by decluttering your kitchen!
Do you have too much in your pantry? Pic from Pinterest.
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Should added sugar be taxed?
Lawmakers are sure having fun at the expense of the consumer. Yesterday, I wrote about the plastic straw ban or tax that may be coming and now the sugar tax is back in the news. I wrote last year about how different politicians want to tax beverages that have sugar in them so as to combat obesity but will it help? Our foods aren’t healthy and we are leading an on-the-go life, this is a problem. Convenience means sacrificing cooking so we are eating out more and reaping the benefits of saved time by increasing the visceral fat on our bodies.
Uh oh! We’re having a problem so what can we do to fix it? Let’s not educate and enhance exercise programs for all but rather find a way to shift the focus to sugar and implement a sugar tax on beverages! Sound like a good idea? Yes and no, yes because maybe when the pain point hits your wallet, then people will buy less sugary drinks. No because not everyone drinks sugary beverages so how do you help those consumers. Not to mention that soda consumption in the US is going down as we have so many options for beverages from functional drinks (like Vitamin Water) to various milks like almond and soy.
Those that are seeking a healthier life already know that they need to cut out sugar and exercise so they need something else to help them lose the weight so a sugar tax won’t necessarily help them by itself. Plus, with the changes in the nutritional label (added sugar is clearly spelled out on it), more consumers are getting educated as to where the sugar is coming from. Sugar tax by itself is just one way to help the obesity problem but I’m sure there are other ways to benefit those individuals too.
Do you think that the sugar tax is a good solution to reducing obesity?
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Plastic Straws Ban
No matter which country you are living in, I’m sure plastic straws are likely available to you when you go to a restaurant or the movie theater or other such place because they are readily available and ready for consumption but should they be? Even Starbucks is planning to introduce ways not to use plastic straws so this topic sure is something that is definitely not going to go away.
Just like plastic bags are bad for the environment so our plastic straws. I don’t want to see all this trash end up in a landfill or an ocean so like me, many others in the world are advocating a plastic ban or plastic tax so what does that mean? That straw you like to use is likely going away soon. Yeah, I get it that you need that straw because let’s face it even I don’t want to touch a glass at a restaurant not knowing how it was stored or cleaned but if the straw is going away, what can you do about it?
My suggestion is look for a metal straw. I found a really good one on Amazon. It doesn’t give you that metallic taste when you drink a liquid and comes with a piper cleaner brush to clean it with. The one that I ordered is also includes a bent straw as well as a straight one. No matter your preference there is one available. A link to purchase can be found below. If you aren’t a fan of metal, there are paper straws available but those tend to break down quickly so I’m not a fan of them but it is better than plastic.
https://www.amazon.com/shop/2howyalldoing
Another tidbit, I tend to carry my metal straws with me wherever I go. Fits easily into your jacket pocket or backpack plus you can even find smaller ones to make it easier to take with you. Just remember to clean the straws when you get home otherwise you’ll be introducing built up microorganisms into your body that you don’t want and which could be avoided with a simple wash of the straw.
I often write about how to take care of one’s own self but did you know that the big picture also includes taking care of Mother Earth!
Stay green when you can!
Metal straws are a good alternative to plastic straws!
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Got a meeting at night? What should you eat?
Sticking to a diet shouldn’t be that difficult that you can’t enjoy life. Tweaks are often needed. Many a times, I have to do a work dinner where I’m basically told to meet at a particular restaurant which is okay, not ideal but it makes it hard to determine what to eat and how to eat while there. I mean at a pizza place, no matter if it is flatbread or regular style, pizza is pizza and rarely ever healthy! So what should one do?
My hacks for dealing with something like this is that once you know the name of the restaurant, try to look at the menu online. Search on Google or Yelp as that’s not only a good indicator of their menu selection but also whether others are enjoying the place. Once you have the menu at hand, try to figure out is there a way to modify what you can eat. Can you substitute, beans for chicken to up your protein, for example. Or maybe, you can ask for a burger without the buns or on a lettuce wrap?
What if you are back at the pizza place and all your choices are pizza only? Well, that’s a tough one. If you are in a group environment and sharing pizza, then limit the slices you have and drink water in between slices to feel more full. If you are able to order individually, then go with the smallest pizza you can get, lucky you if there is a personal pan size, and eat only what you are comfortable eating. You never have to over-indulge at any point. Yes, I too am raised to finish and clean up my plate but sometimes taking home leftovers is the best option.
Work dinners happen and sometimes you don’t have a choice as to what you can eat but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the best of what’s available and still have a successful meeting!
Pizza is your only choice, do you eat it?
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Dinner time has evolved!
With many people starting new diets as the year begins, one thing that is very noticeable is that dinner time is clearly not what it used to be. From the plethora of meal kits to food delivery services, families are likely not even eating the same meals together.
In the past, some family members were vegetarians while others were non-vegetarians but that was the extent of divisiveness but today things are different. Some might be vegan others might prefer eating keto or Atkins meals or others simply want to order food and eat without thinking about how to cook it so what is happening at the dinner table? All of this is translating into customized meals for each person.
As kids, we eat what our parents/guardians give us but as we get older, we make our own decisions on what works for us so that means trying out new diets or meal plans but that doesn’t necessarily translate to a better family dinner time. Yes, you may be eating what you want but that relationship fostering that is happening when we sit together to eat is slowly disappearing. Most of us are too engrossed with our gadgets and goals to realize that sometimes we should live in the moment with those around us. Your goal is always going to be there, be it a diet one or a fitness one, but don’t forget to enjoy the present too (maybe with a little tweak if needed!).
The takeaway is that live in the moment and enjoy your family time as this too will help you stay healthy!
Is this what your dinner time looks like? Image from Indianexpress.com
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To log or not: Exercise (Part 3)
Staying motivated is easy if you’re logging your workout but did you know another place that you should log it in? Your daily calendar or work calendar!
This is so important to do for several reasons. There are a gazillion reasons to not go to the gym but only one to go–to stay healthy–so it’s easy to not go. Yes, life gets in the way at times and sometimes you need to travel like I do or just need to take a break due to recovery but even those can be put on your calendar. Remember, my logging it, you’ll be able to see how many times you made it to the gym and how many times you missed going. Not to mention that but putting it on your calendar as an appointment or meeting, you’re forming a good habit!
If you’re still not convinced that you should be logging your workout, think about your favorite celebrity or your fitness goal or whatever motivates you to keep going, let that drive you. We log our food intake to make diet changes, why wouldn’t we log our exercise habits too for that reason?
Add your workout to your calendar
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How do I find a good exercise routine for me?
One of the most famous fitness websites today is the bodybuilding.com website. If you type in bodybuilding, it likely is the first Google recommended site. Why is that? Let’s find out.
As the name suggests, it is a good website to learn about various exercise routines and get plans that are appropriate for your fitness level. The best part of the site is that there is a forum so you can get questions answered that you may have. They also have an app, BodySpace, for your phone that you can use to find workouts or log them in when at the gym.
I also like the site because it also shows you products that you can buy–kinda making it a one-stop shop. If you like a workout, recommended products for that goal can be found on the site. Often times, the pricing is much cheaper than even Amazon and GNC so definitely do some browsing on the site for supplements.
The workout plans are pretty great too because if you admire a fitness celebrity then you can search for them and find workouts that they recommend. If you would rather want a workout that is body part specific-for example, shoulders–you can find that workout too.
There is also a nutrition section on the site for any nutritional questions that you may have along with recipes and calculators too. I find this section useful when trying to determine what’s best to eat and seeing results or comments on the forum if a certain meal plan is working for others or not.
The amount of info available on the site is a lot so it will take you time to browse through it all but I highly recommend browsing the website if you are looking to get started at the gym or just need a new workout. The site is constantly adding articles and new programs so that it always stays fresh and relevant.
Definitely worth a browse–https://www.bodybuilding.com/
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To log or not? Exercise (Part 2)
Sometimes it’s important to know where we started to see where we have reached. That’s true in many parts of life including our fitness journey. What can you do to see this? Log your workout.
When I first started CrossFit, my coaches just said record everything you do at the gym because then you can see the progress. Yes, the mirror could also show you but if you’re hard on yourself, you’ll never see that result. Plus, recording everything will show you not only the sets and reps but also if you increased or decreased weights while lifting. Also, it is another way to track that you went to the gym too.
Finally, I find recording what I did at the gym easiest with a pen and paper.. Yes, old school for sure. Why? You’re at the gym to workout, not to change the music on your phone, chat during rest periods, take a selfie of you working out, or any other such distraction. Go in and workout in a focused manner and the results will be forthcoming!
an example of a logged workout
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