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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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What do I eat?
Have you ever gone to the grocery store and wondered what I should get to eat? Do you sometimes over-spend if you go shopping when you are hungry? Do you give into buying that one snack that you know isn’t good for you but get it anyway with all your healthy items? Well, it’s ok, you’re not alone.
At a recent conference, I was discussing with others how shoppers make a purchase decision. What’s important to you? My guess is everyone first says price is important and then is it good for me and my family? Because price is important, you now have successful stores like Aldi’s and Lidl popping up across the country. Twenty dollars at either of these places goes a whole lot farther than shopping elsewhere. Like many, I too like shopping at Whole Foods but it costs a lot despite the new Amazon purchase. Why should I have to pay extra to eat healthy, quality food? Again, Aldi’s and Lidl are both able to give healthier products with limited choices to the shopper..no more dilemma from choosing between 50+ cereals and cheeses.
Next, do you look at what’s on the label? Do you care if the product is organic? gluten free? non-GMO (not genetically modified)? or are you looking at the sugar content, sodium content, protein content, carbs content, etc.? I’m usually looking at the latter half mentioned. Why? Well, if it meets my criteria of healthy and isn’t processed then it will probably end up in my shopping cart.
Organic is not that important to me because if you don’t follow an organic lifestyle, one or two items that say organic is not going to really affect your overall health. The main benefit from that organic label comes when you eat only organic foods. By the way, organic and non-gmo are very much related. If you do purchase an organic item, by the definition of organic, you are buying a GMO-free product as defined by the USDA but non-gmo products are not automatically organic because they may still use pesticides and antibiotics. Surprisingly, for many non-gmo is important and they look for that non-gmo project verified sealed but for me, it is more important that the macros meet what I want. Also, organic foods tend to be more expensive so for me to see the true benefit, I would have to actually eat organic all the time.
Gluten free is important to many Celiacs but if you choose to eat gluten free due to feeling better off of gluten, then know that you can get fat from eating too many gluten free products. Just because something is gluten free, it does not automatically become healthy. Remember, to make it taste good and similar to other non-gluten free products, something has to be added to it so that results in more processed ingredients usually. Also, because there is a plethora of gluten free products out there, sometimes you might eat more of that gluten free cookie bag than a normal one because you are thinking it is healthy. If you do choose this lifestyle, know that gluten free products cost more money too.
So what should you do? How should you eat and stay in your budget? I truly believe everyone should be able to afford healthy and quality foods so to do this and still maintain your budget, no matter where you shop, look for less processed foods. Foods that expire and won’t last forever in your fridge or on the counter, tend to be the more nutritious ones. If you must indulgences, then look for healthier options, lots of ice creams now have protein in them and still taste good or buy a 50% or more dark chocolate or indulge in fruits like mangoes and strawberries. The grocery store should not be a confusing store. The old advice is still true, shop on the periphery of the store and not in the aisles for healthier options. If you are on a budget, look into shopping at Aldi’s. Yes, you may not find all the known brands but you can still find organic and gluten free foods there too and not hit your budget significantly. If shopping time is a problem, look at PeaPod, Thrive Market (lots of organic options) and Amazon’s Prime Pantry as other options to get food delivered to you. Many grocery stores, also will do the shopping for you if you list what you want on their app or online site so that you can pick up and go.
What do I eat? Well, I eat based on the macros that I want to meet and that’s my only criteria for selecting my food. If I could see more long term studies showing that eating organic, non-gmo, or gluten free is better and more nutritious then I would but right now for me just making smart healthy choices based on ingredients and macros is more beneficial to me.
Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.
All these labels
organic certified
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Keto Diet
The latest fad diet or is it a long term trend–Keto diet or ketogenic diet–is something that is giving many people results.
The basic concept of the keto diet is you eat high amounts of fat, low carbs, and moderate protein. You want to turn your body from running on carbs to running on fats for energy. By lowering the carb intake, your body runs in the ketosis phase producing ketones or in other words, it is forced to break down fats for energy since you don’t have carbs. Remember, carbs allow the body to produce glucose and insulin so by avoiding carbs, you are asking your body to look for another source that can help you get energy–hence, fats become the source of energy.
You’ve probably seen many pics online of people who have changed the way they look purely because of restricting their carbs but did you know that maintenance is tough. Why is this? Well, once the weight is off and you decide to go back to including carbs, that weight will come back. Keto will have to be a lifestyle if you’d like to maintain those results though I too use it as a way to fine tune oneself so depending on your goals this diet may or may not work for you.
Another limitation of the diet is that this diet does not work for everyone. I was recently talking to someone who had 3 members of his family do the keto diet but only 1 of 3 saw success with the diet. Telling someone to eat low carbs is tough especially if you travel–where do you find high fat foods today, most labels say low fat as fat has been demonized. One of the members of his family developed gall stones due to the high intake of fat while only one found success from the diet. Though this anecdote is just that, you can clearly see the impact the diet can and cannot have. One thing to consider while doing this diet is that there is no long term study on the impact of cutting out one whole macro. If you go back in time, humans used to be hunters and gatherers so that meant eating both meat and plants so our biology says carbs should be included.
Most ketogenic diets say you should have 5% carbs or 20g of carbs but again this number can be increased depending on your goals. Fats should be 80% of your calories. Moderate protein is also necessary because if you consume too much protein you may not ever get into ketosis. Why? By having too much protein, your body undergoes gluconeogenesis or using proteins for fuel instead of fats so this stalls your body going into ketosis plus nobody wants to break down their muscle mass for energy, right? 15-20% is ideal for protein on the keto diet.
What should I eat on the keto diet? Lots of websites out there tell you what to eat but I’ll list a few quick items so you can see what is considered high fat, low carb, and moderate protein. High fats include medium chain triglycerides (MCT) oil, avocado oil, butter, ghee, avocados, etc. Low carbs include broccoli, brussel sprouts, celery, kale, spinach, etc. Moderate protein sources include eggs, chicken, turkey, salmon, etc. Also, on this diet, the buttered coffee that I mentioned in an earlier post is a viable option too. Remember to drink tea and coffee that isn’t sweetened in moderation. If you are not allergic to dairy, then string cheese is another one of my go-to’s for snacks. Also, bone broth is another viable option.
However, if you are unsure what to do when you travel, there are several options out there like keto powders, bars, and snacks. I picked up phat fudge to try and it tasted good and I felt like I was having dessert too but again you really don’t need to rely on these products to give you results you want. A good high fat diet and exercise is super important to achieving results.
Remember to drink plenty of water on this diet too because water is good to not only remove toxins but also will help to prevent gall stones while consuming high fats. Also, if you start this diet, you might experience keto flu (headaches, lethargy, irritability, etc.) but these go away quickly after a few days but can be avoided too if you stay hydrated and increase your salt intake.
Finally, if you are unsure if you are truly in ketosis mode, you can buy keto strips but again you don’t need these if your diet is on point. This would just allow you to get added comfort that you are truly in ketosis.
Phat fudge-quick keto snack
Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.
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Are you moving enough?
Eating healthy is just one part of staying healthy. Exercise and sleep are two other areas that can impact your well-being. Here, I’m going to only discuss exercise.
Everyone has seen those ads on TV, magazines, and the internet with models that have flawless skin and perfect abs and most of us are striving to seek that look but is it realistic? Is it achievable?
Having played sports like most American kids growing up, the objective of playing soccer and baseball and tennis was to learn about teamwork and stay fit but somehow I never got into exercising. I was that kid that would like to go play outside but not these team sports. Looking back at those times, I now know why I didn’t enjoy those activities, it was due to not choosing something that I was enjoying or having fun with… This is key!
If you don’t enjoy an activity, you’ll never reap the benefits of it. My advice is to find something you like to do–like to walk your dog, then take him out more frequently or for longer walks as you are improving not only his health but yours too.
my awesome dogs that continue to help me stay fit.
Though my love for exercise was not born growing up, it did continue to evolve. I found something that I enjoyed in college–non-competitive boxing. This was the first step in understanding what my body was capable of achieving. If you have ever thought that I would love to try that but it’s not for me or if you have thought that I don’t have time for that or simply don’t know where to start, then don’t worry and remember you’re not locked into a commitment. Go to Groupon and find an activity that you might want to try or take a 7-day gym trial and give that activity a shot and don’t let that negative voice in your head win because most fitness enthusiasts do not judge and will likely share info with you if you ask! Plus, remember, small changes lead to bigger and more manageable ones.
My journey from boxing led to my discovery of CrossFit (Cf)! A chance encounter with a Cf coach at a networking event and boom there I was hooked and ready to join. Not only did I learn the proper way to weight lift but I also got to learn gymnastics movements and become part of a community that was like minded towards health and wellness. Eventually all of this led me to being Cf certified in multiple areas which was a huge accomplishment for this scrawny kid during his youth. The moral of the story.. Love what you do and you’ll stick with it–I sure have after 7+ years!
With my growing interest in both health and wellness, it was no surprise that I eventually ended up in a food/beverage/supplement career path which has helped me to understand what works for my body and how that knowledge can perhaps help others!
My future goal is to help the senior population understand that they too can stay fit and healthy even if they haven’t exercised a day in their life or simply just don’t think the impact will be huge. Abs are not what make you healthy but a good diet and some exercise sure can put you on the right path.
my CrossFit gymnastics move got painted on the wall at the gym. Keep moving!
Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.
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Airport food
It’s that wonderful time of the year when the sun is shining and people are itching to be in their flip flops and head to the beach but sometimes there is a challenge-how to get there!
Most of us don’t live close enough to the beach so we end up driving or flying. If you’re flying and trying to maintain any sort of healthy diet, you sure are in for some fun challenges.
On all my many work trips, my one go to while I travel is cheese sticks or nuts. I’m always looking to limit sugar because let’s face it, vacation is supposed to be fun but no wants to derail their healthy diet.
Have you noticed if you go to grab a beverage at most airports, the sugar content is always near 20g or more per serving. Make sure you know how to read that nutrition label (hopefully you read my earlier post) because often times there are more servings in the bottle and the label only shows info for one serving.
I’m also looking for healthy foods when eating so that does not mean just eating grilled chicken on top of a salad. If you go to most restaurants, you can ask for a burger without the bun or grilled chicken w a side of Chipotle style rice. All depends on what your definition of eating healthy is.
Another thing that I cannot do while traveling is figuring out what ingredients are in the food unless it is packaged so I have to make smart decisions as to where to eat and what portion. Most restaurants will give you more food than you can eat so be careful. While traveling you can over eat before the vacation has even started so make sure you only eat til you are full and don’t eat to clean your plate. Yes, that does entail food waste but that’s another topic of discussion.
If you must eat packaged foods, look for items with simple ingredients you recognize and can pronounce. Look for high protein as that will keep you full unless you’re doing the keto diet, then you’ll look for high fat. Drink plenty of water because sometimes you’re not hungry but just thirsty.
Vacation time can be fun but don’t go off track too much because the hard work you put in to get healthy will be harder to achieve again with a setback. Maintenance is key!
healthy snack at the airport, choices are limited
#summer means #beachlife
Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.
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Charcoal is everywhere!
Have you recently been to your local Walmart or shopped on Amazon for toothpaste? You might have seen activated charcoal toothpaste. Yes, like charcoal, the toothpaste is black but why is it all of sudden everywhere—from toothpastes, to facial masks to supplement pills to nutritional shots?
Interesting anecdote, growing up and going to India several times, I used to see family use charcoal powder to brush their teeth and would always think why would someone use black powder to brush their teeth and today, it is being emulated in the rest of the world, go figure!
So why is activated charcoal showing up everywhere?
Activated charcoal is commonly used to eliminate unwanted wastes from your body as drugs and toxins can bind to it. Other uses for it include whitening your teeth as it adsorbs plaque and other microscopic food items that are on your teeth. You use it just like you would brush your teeth, you can buy the powder or the paste. It can be found in clay masks for the same purifying properties that it provides your teeth. If you’re not a fan of masks and toothpaste, check out the supplement but of course know it’s not a cure all for indigestion and is not an easy way to do a cleanse but done correctly, you could reap benefits from it.
Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.
Charcoal for makeup removal
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Online kits
I want to try a meal kit but I’m not sure if it is right for me? Ever thought this..no matter your reason for choosing a meal kit or food prep service, there are lots of choices..read on to learn more.
I’m sure you all have seen and heard ads for various meal services like Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, Chef’d, and Peapod to those that offer fully prepared meals like Ice Age Meals, Factor 75, and Kettlebell Kitchen. You can even go to Shoprite and have your them do your shopping for you so that all you have to do is pick up the groceries.
Today, there numerous services propping up to deliver to you anything you want from pet treats to clothing to cosmetics so much online delivery is available that you can technically never step into a store again! The cost of all these delivery services is definitely dependent on what you are purchasing. For example, you can shop via Google Express and select products from various stores like Target/Costco (even without a membership)/Whole foods and you can get free shipping for over $35 usually. Or you can shop at Boxed.com and never ever have to go to a club store or pay a membership fee and have bulk items delivered to you. Each option is supposed to provide you convenience but like shopping with Amazon, all these services have a ton of waste in terms of packaging so if you are environmentally conscious, keep that mind.
Looking for recommendations on a online service ask me, I’ve tried several—each one has its own value. If you like to cook and want everything you need weighed out and kitted and ready to cook with, I like Chef’d because there is no subscription service requirement and you can order when you want but if you want to order via subscription, that option is there too. Customizing all these food delivery kits is also great especially if you want to eat gluten free, paleo, keto, or vegetarian. Lots of choices are out there so definitely research which fits your lifestyle the best.
Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.
A healthy kettlebell kitchen meal
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Complex names aren’t that bad, are they?
We all know that are foods and beverages have vitamins and minerals in them and that the best way to get them is through real whole foods but a lot of people just don’t like eating veggies. Plus, you’d have to eat a lot of veggies for them to give you the Recommended Daily Value (RDA) so then you find products that have added vitamins and minerals or rather are fortified.
Green powders are a good way to get your daily dose of veggies and your daily dose of vitamins and minerals but again not everyone likes these so what do we do? We take supplements..either as capsules, tablets, softgels, or even gummies but with all these you have one challenge and that is what is on the label? You pick up that box and immediately see words you don’t recognize so you could be assuming why am I putting that complex name that I can’t even pronounce in my body? Well, hopefully, this list will help you determine that some of those complex names are really just the scientific names for your everyday vitamins that you may know.
Two of my favorite brands to get my vitamins and minerals are Vibrant Health and Vega. Both offer powders that have protein in conjuction with your greens. Both taste great in almond milk too. You can also add both into a smoothie or post workout drink. My favorite time to take these is first thing in the morning as it makes me feel like my day has started off right!
So the list that you are looking for as any easy cheat sheet is:
Vitamin A = Retinol/Retinal/Beta Carotene (and other carotenoids like lutein, lycopene, etc.)
Vitamin B1= Thiamine
Vitamin B2= Riboflavin
Vitamin B3= Niacin/Niacinamide
Vitamin B5= Pantothenic Acid
Vitamin B6= Pyridoxine
Vitamin B7= Biotin
Vitamin B9= Folic Acid
Vitamin B12= Cyanocobalamin
Vitamin C= Ascorbic Acid
Vitamin D= Cholecalciferol (D3), Ergocalciferol
Vitamin E= Tocopherols/Tocotrienols
Vitamin K= Phytonadione (K1), Menatrenone (K2), often also menaquinones
Minerals will show up as their names, like calcium, iron, chromium but at other times you might also see words like calcium ascorbate, which gives you both calcium and vitamin C. So though the name may sound complex, rest assured you are getting the nutrient you need.
A tip: Water soluble vitamins like B and C get excreted throughout the day while drinking water unlike fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, K which get stored by the body so high doses may cause health issues.
Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.
Vitamins by any other name..
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What’s in a name?
Milk is a part of most people’s life from infancy but along the way we develop allergies or discover that we are lactose intolerant. Luckily, as an infant you can’t speak so you are able to get the benefits of colostrum which has a huge amount of nutrients, proteins, carbs, and fats that help your immune system develop.
Dairy milk has a huge amount of nutrients and helps your bones as you age. Milk has nutrients such as calcium, A, D, B, protein, and more. As you can see there are many reasons why kids are given milk and why adults drink it too.
A tip: Your body needs Vitamin D to absorb calcium (hence why milk is so good) so if you think you are getting enough calcium in your diet but still might be having aching bones, perhaps you are Vitamin D deficient.
With the population aging and many being intolerant to lactose, new age milks are emerging. One of my favorites is A2 Milk. A2 Milk is milk without the A1 protein that makes people lactose intolerant. It is still cow’s milk but from cow’s that only have the A2 milk protein. Definitely tastes great and like milk since it is cow’s milk! Another one of my favorite milks is Ripple milk. Ripple milk is made with pea protein and has 8g protein in 1 cup and is dairy-free!
A slew of other options are available and there is a raging debate as to whether these should be called milk or not, what do you think? Should hemp, almond, flax, coconut, soy, cashew, rice, almond, and even cockroach milk be called milk?
Having tried most of the aforementioned milk, I will say my go to is always almond because the price point is good and you can get gallon sizes now. It is definitely fortified but tastes good. Soy milk, coconut, and almond are all available in most US coffee shops now so that makes getting your favorite drink even easier but remember even if you buy these milks, make sure to check the sugar level as though you may be thinking you are having something healthy, the sugar may lead to an expanding waistline. Cashew milk is one that I’m not a fan of because I find it expensive and it doesn’t have a very creamy mouthfeel but maybe I just haven’t tried the right brand. Hemp milk is another one of faves because of it’s creamy mouthfeel and is very similar in nutty taste like almond milk plus it is full of necessary omega-3 fatty acids.
Two upcoming trends are walnut milk and cockroach milk. Walnut milk will take traction with those consumers who like nut milks but cockroach milk? I’ll try a lot of things but just the name is enough of a turn off, no matter how nutrient rich it may be!
So that brings us back to the debate of-are these milk alternatives truly milk? Most of these milks list as their first two ingredients filtered water and the respective nuts followed by 2% or less of various fortified (added) nutrients. Plus, one can see why the dairy industry would not be happy to include these alternatives into the milk category as the farming industry would suffer if that were too happen. On the other hand, consumers like alternatives and these alternatives are not going away. Hopefully, a compromise will be reached by both sides.
Truly, what’s in a name?
Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.
A2 milk- cow’s milk
Ripple milk..pea protein based
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How to read a nutrition label
There is so much info a nutrition label so how is the consumer suppose to figure out what it all means?
We all know calories, sugar, sodium, and protein are pretty much what consumers care about but do you know what a calorie is? A calorie is the amount of heated need to raise the temperature of 1g of water by 1 degrees Celsius; so when we measure food calories we are basically measuring the amount of heat necessary to keep our bodies functioning when we are trying to maintain, gain, or lose weight. You might also see kcal (kilocalories) on a label and that means 1 kcal = 1000 small calories. Sometimes kcal gets shortened to calories.
Percent Daily Value (% DV) is another item on the label that can give you some valuable info. It tells you the % of each nutrient in a single serving. Why is this important to you? Say you wanted more fiber you would look for something that has a higher % fiber DV. Or perhaps, you are looking to for less fat intake, you might look at the % DV of the fat and see does that meet your requirement of less fat.
A tip: you should pay attention to the serving size because often times you might eat the whole product before realizing that the label is only showing you the amount of calories and nutrients for a smaller amount or portion of the serving size. For example, you might be eating a whole bag of chips but serving size is 1/3 cup with 4 servings per bag.
You might or might not see on the label calories per gram: 9g fat, 4g carbs, and 4g protein. All these values you can keep in mind when you deciding how much of a macronutrient (fat, carbs, protein) you are consuming. Remember, look for foods that give you nutrients and not empty calories like a soda would for example.
With ketogenic diet being a hot favorite right now, you can see how just a little bit of good fats (avocados, MCT oil, olive oil, nuts) can add up and give you more fat calories. The diets that are really popular are those with high protein and low carb and now by knowing that protein and carb have 4g calories per gram, you can see how you need to add or cut more to get the effect you want.
Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.
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Sugar
Got a sweet tooth?
A lot can be said about sugar! It’s everywhere and in places you might not even want it. Let’s start at the beginning, sugar or sucrose that which is in your food is composed of glucose and fructose. Both parts help you get the sweetness profile that you seek. Both parts also help to release various chemicals in your brain like dopamine. You know that feeling when you want more of that caramel latte after you just had one..well, that’s because dopamine is released and makes you feel happy!
So what has this led to? Well, as the news shows, it has caused an increase in obesity and that’s due to an increase in sugar consumption!
Often times, I look at a product and wonder why it is sweet when no sugar is listed on there. Well, it is listed but just as something else–corn syrup solids, maltodextrin, acesulfame k, cane sugar, mannitol, rice sugar, and many other terms. So what can you do about it?
Yes, there are many alternatives to sugar today like stevia, monk fruit extract, honey, erythritol, and more but consider the health benefits of each of the ingredients before you consume it.
Why am I opposed to the alternatives, mostly because before Americans got sick, processed foods were so limited. What was natural was available and over production of items was not likely. I’m sure some of you can remember walking in the cereal aisle and seeing only the yellow box Cheerios or Kellogg’s Cornflakes, now there are dozens of cereals there? Why? Do people want them or is it just one more way to you to enjoy a sweet treat or indulgence that you otherwise would not have picked up?
I like to indulge with 70% dark chocolate so as to satisfy my chocolate craving and of course, higher the cacao content in chocolate, the better is for you and the more bitter it taste! Funny, how good things tend to taste not so pleasant–ahem, brussel sprouts, broccoli, kale, etc.
Fruits are another good option but be careful if you are on a low carb diet or watching your weight because though fruits can have fiber and have the healthy halo, indulging in too much could also increase your sugar level though this sugar is properly better for your body than say some of the alternatives to sugar.
Everyone has to make the best choice for themselves as well as their families, sometimes convenience wins over healthy eating but we can always continue to try to eat better! Let’s face it, if you limit sugar intake, a lot of dramatic changes are possible from weight loss, reduced medication intake, and even reduced acne.
If you are interested in learning more about sugar, do check some documentaries on Netflix. There are quite a few there that are good!
Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.
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