<rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"><channel><title>Lifestyle on Stephen Ajulu</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/tags/lifestyle/</link><atom:link href="https://ajulu.netlify.app/tags/lifestyle/feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><description>Hello, I'm Stephen Ajulu, a seasoned multidisciplinary tech professional with over a decade of experience. I build impactful solutions using design, tech, and engineering in the pursuit of impact.</description><generator>Hugo -- gohugo.io</generator><language>en-us</language><managingEditor>ajulu.b22uf@aleeas.com (Stephen Ajulu)</managingEditor><webMaster>ajulu.b22uf@aleeas.com (Stephen Ajulu)</webMaster><copyright>Stephen Ajulu.</copyright><lastBuildDate>Fri, 24 Feb 2023 08:05:00 +0300</lastBuildDate><item><title>Shocking Truth Revealed: Why Fertility is Dropping at an Alarming Rate in</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/shocking-truth-revealed-why-fertility-is-dropping-at-an-alarming-rate-in-both-males-and-females/</link><pubDate>Fri, 24 Feb 2023 08:05:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/shocking-truth-revealed-why-fertility-is-dropping-at-an-alarming-rate-in-both-males-and-females/</guid><description>&lt;h2 id="how-and-why-fertility-is-dropping-at-an-alarming-rate-in-both-males-and-females-amongst-the-human-species"&gt;How and Why Fertility is Dropping At An Alarming Rate in Both Males and Females Amongst The Human Species&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As human beings, we rely on our reproductive health to continue the legacy of our species. However, over the last few decades, there has been a worrying trend in the decline of fertility rates in both men and women. In this article, we will explore the reasons behind this alarming phenomenon and what can be done to address it.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 id="how-and-why-fertility-is-dropping-at-an-alarming-rate-in-both-males-and-females-amongst-the-human-species">How and Why Fertility is Dropping At An Alarming Rate in Both Males and Females Amongst The Human Species</h2>
<p>As human beings, we rely on our reproductive health to continue the legacy of our species. However, over the last few decades, there has been a worrying trend in the decline of fertility rates in both men and women. In this article, we will explore the reasons behind this alarming phenomenon and what can be done to address it.</p>
<h3 id="understanding-fertility">Understanding Fertility</h3>
<p>Before we delve into the reasons behind the decline in fertility rates, let&rsquo;s first understand what fertility is. Fertility refers to a person&rsquo;s ability to conceive a child. In women, fertility is determined by the ovaries, which produce and release eggs. In men, fertility is determined by the testes, which produce and release sperm.</p>
<p>Fertility rates are determined by the number of live births per woman of reproductive age (usually between 15-49 years of age). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a fertility rate of 2.1 is required to maintain a stable population.</p>
<h3 id="declining-fertility-rates">Declining Fertility Rates</h3>
<p>Over the last few decades, there has been a significant decline in fertility rates in both men and women. In fact, according to a study published in the journal Human Reproduction Update, between 1973 and 2011, sperm counts in men from North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand declined by an alarming 52.4%.</p>
<p>Similarly, a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility found that the percentage of men with sperm concentrations below the threshold for subfertility or infertility increased from 12.4% to 16.9% between 1989 and 2005.</p>
<p>In women, the decline in fertility rates is equally alarming. According to a study published in the journal The Lancet, the global fertility rate fell from 2.37 live births per woman in 1990 to 1.70 live births per woman in 2017.</p>
<h3 id="reasons-behind-the-decline-in-fertility-rates">Reasons Behind the Decline in Fertility Rates</h3>
<p>There are several reasons behind the decline in fertility rates in both men and women. Let&rsquo;s explore some of these reasons in detail:</p>
<ol>
<li>Environmental Factors: Environmental factors such as exposure to chemicals, toxins, and pollutants have been linked to a decline in fertility rates in both men and women. For example, exposure to pesticides, bisphenol A (BPA), and phthalates have been linked to a decline in sperm count and quality in men. Similarly, exposure to chemicals such as PCBs, DDT, and dioxins has been linked to a decline in female fertility. In addition, exposure to environmental pollutants has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage and birth defects.</li>
<li>Lifestyle Factors: Lifestyle factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress have also been linked to a decline in fertility rates. For example, obesity has been linked to a decline in male fertility, while smoking and excessive alcohol consumption have been linked to a decline in both male and female fertility.</li>
<li>Age: Age is also a significant factor in the decline in fertility rates. As men and women age, their fertility declines. Women are born with a finite number of eggs, and as they age, the quality and quantity of their eggs decline, making it more challenging to conceive. Similarly, men&rsquo;s sperm quality and quantity decline with age, increasing the risk of genetic abnormalities in their offspring.</li>
<li>Medical Conditions: Medical conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and male factor infertility have also been linked to a decline in fertility rates.</li>
<li>Low Testosterone: Are you aware that testosterone has been dipping by 1% every year since 1950. We are experiencing a population crisis, rampant deaths,</li>
</ol>
<h3 id="addressing-the-decline-in-fertility-rates">Addressing the Decline in Fertility Rates</h3>
<p>There are several steps that can be taken to address the decline in fertility rates. Some of these steps include:</p>
<ol>
<li>Addressing Environmental Factors: To address environmental factors, we need to reduce exposure to chemicals, toxins, and pollutants. This can be done by using organic products, reducing the use of pesticides, and avoiding plastic products that contain BPA and phthalates.</li>
<li>Adopting Healthy Lifestyles: Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress management can help improve fertility rates. For example, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and avoiding processed foods can improve both male and female fertility.</li>
<li>Addressing Medical Conditions: Seeking medical help for conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis, and male factor infertility can help improve fertility rates.</li>
<li>Fertility Treatments: Fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI), and fertility drugs can help couples struggling with infertility conceive.</li>
</ol>
<h3 id="specific-potential-solutions">Specific Potential Solutions</h3>
<h4 id="for-women">For Women:</h4>
<ol>
<li>Maintain a healthy weight: Women who are overweight or underweight may experience irregular periods and have difficulty conceiving.</li>
<li>Quit smoking: Smoking can damage reproductive organs and decrease fertility.</li>
<li>Reduce alcohol intake: Excessive alcohol intake can lead to hormone imbalances and reduce fertility.</li>
<li>Manage stress: High levels of stress can interfere with ovulation and menstrual cycles.</li>
<li>Take prenatal vitamins: Prenatal vitamins containing folic acid can help prevent birth defects and improve fertility.</li>
<li>Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can cause hormonal imbalances and decrease fertility.</li>
<li>Address underlying medical conditions: Conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis, and thyroid disorders can affect fertility and should be treated.</li>
<li>Avoid exposure to toxins: Exposure to chemicals, pesticides, and pollutants can affect fertility and harm the developing fetus.</li>
<li>Consider acupuncture or other alternative therapies: Acupuncture and other alternative therapies have been shown to improve fertility in some women.</li>
<li>Consult with a fertility specialist: A fertility specialist can help diagnose and treat underlying fertility issues.</li>
</ol>
<h4 id="for-men">For Men:</h4>
<ol>
<li>Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight or underweight can affect sperm count and quality.</li>
<li>Quit smoking: Smoking can reduce sperm count and motility, and damage DNA.</li>
<li>Reduce alcohol intake: Excessive alcohol intake can lower testosterone levels and decrease sperm production.</li>
<li>Avoid exposure to toxins: Exposure to chemicals, pesticides, and pollutants can affect sperm count and quality.</li>
<li>Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can lead to hormonal imbalances and affect sperm production.</li>
<li>Manage stress: High levels of stress can lead to decreased testosterone levels and affect sperm production.</li>
<li>Eat a nutrient-dense diet and/or take supplements: Supplements such as Zinc, Boron, Magnesium, Vitamin E, Iodine, Calcium, Vitamin D, and Selenium have been shown to improve sperm count and quality.</li>
<li>Address underlying medical conditions: Medical conditions such as diabetes, varicocele, and infections can affect fertility and should be treated.</li>
<li>Wear loose-fitting underwear: Tight underwear can increase scrotal temperature and affect sperm production.</li>
<li>Consult with a fertility specialist: A fertility specialist can help diagnose and treat underlying fertility issues in men.</li>
<li>Eat more meat and eggs: Testosterone is made from cholesterol. Up your cholesterol intake.</li>
<li>Cut out seed oils: Most vegetable oils are bad for your health</li>
<li>Get in the sun!</li>
<li>Lift weights or work out. Less cardio, more resistance training.</li>
<li>Quit porn</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>
<p>The decline in fertility rates in both men and women is an alarming phenomenon that needs to be addressed. While there are several factors behind this decline, such as environmental factors, lifestyle factors, age, and medical conditions, there are steps that can be taken to address this issue.</p>
<p>By reducing exposure to chemicals and pollutants, adopting a healthy lifestyle, seeking medical help for underlying conditions, and using fertility treatments, couples struggling with infertility can improve their chances of conceiving. It is essential to address this issue as our reproductive health is vital for the continuation of our species.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/photo-1515091110873-2a9680d5e323.jpeg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>The Future of Daily Tech: Cloud Gaming</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/the-future-of-daily-tech-cloud-gaming/</link><pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2023 13:20:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/the-future-of-daily-tech-cloud-gaming/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;As technology continues to advance and shape the way we live our lives, the world of gaming has undergone some major changes as well. One of the biggest trends in the gaming industry right now is cloud gaming, which has the potential to completely revolutionize the way we play games.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 id="what-is-cloud-gaming"&gt;What is Cloud Gaming?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Cloud gaming is a type of gaming that allows you to play games on any device, without the need for expensive hardware or dedicated gaming PCs. Instead, the game is hosted on remote servers and streamed to your device, allowing you to play high-quality games on devices such as smartphones, tablets, or even smart TVs.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As technology continues to advance and shape the way we live our lives, the world of gaming has undergone some major changes as well. One of the biggest trends in the gaming industry right now is cloud gaming, which has the potential to completely revolutionize the way we play games.</p>
<h2 id="what-is-cloud-gaming">What is Cloud Gaming?</h2>
<p>Cloud gaming is a type of gaming that allows you to play games on any device, without the need for expensive hardware or dedicated gaming PCs. Instead, the game is hosted on remote servers and streamed to your device, allowing you to play high-quality games on devices such as smartphones, tablets, or even smart TVs.</p>
<h2 id="how-does-cloud-gaming-work">How Does Cloud Gaming Work?</h2>
<p>The basic concept of cloud gaming is simple: instead of storing the game on your local device, the game is stored on a remote server and streamed to your device over the internet. This allows you to play high-quality games on devices that wouldn&rsquo;t normally be able to run them, such as smartphones or tablets.</p>
<p>To play a cloud gaming game, all you need is a device with an internet connection and a compatible gaming controller. The game is streamed to your device in real-time, allowing you to play games with high-quality graphics and fast response times, just as you would on a dedicated gaming PC.</p>
<h2 id="advantages-of-cloud-gaming">Advantages of Cloud Gaming</h2>
<p>There are several key advantages of cloud gaming, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Accessibility: Cloud gaming allows you to play games on any device with an internet connection, making gaming accessible to a wider audience.</li>
<li>Cost-effective: With cloud gaming, there is no need to invest in expensive hardware or gaming PCs, making it a more cost-effective option for gamers.</li>
<li>High-quality graphics: Cloud gaming servers are equipped with powerful hardware, allowing you to play games with high-quality graphics and fast response times.</li>
<li>Convenience: With cloud gaming, you can play your favorite games from anywhere, at any time, without having to worry about hardware limitations.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="disadvantages-of-cloud-gaming">Disadvantages of Cloud Gaming</h2>
<p>Despite its many advantages, there are also some disadvantages to cloud gaming, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Dependence on internet connection: To play cloud gaming games, you need a stable and fast internet connection. If your internet connection is slow or unreliable, you may experience lag or other issues while playing.</li>
<li>Latency: Cloud gaming requires a fast and stable internet connection to reduce latency, or the amount of time it takes for the game to respond to your actions. If your internet connection is slow, you may experience lag or other issues while playing.</li>
<li>Cost: While cloud gaming is more cost-effective than traditional gaming, some cloud gaming services can be expensive, especially if you&rsquo;re a frequent gamer.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="future-of-cloud-gaming">Future of Cloud Gaming</h2>
<p>The future of cloud gaming is looking bright, with many new advancements and developments in the works. Some of the most exciting developments in the world of cloud gaming include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Improved hardware: As technology continues to advance, cloud gaming servers will become even more powerful, allowing for even better gaming experiences.</li>
<li>5G connectivity: With the advent of 5G technology, cloud gaming will become even more accessible and reliable, with faster and more stable connections.</li>
<li>Virtual Reality: Virtual Reality is becoming increasingly popular in the gaming world, and cloud gaming has the potential to bring VR gaming to a wider audience.</li>
<li>Cross-platform play: Cloud gaming has the potential to bring players from different platforms together, allowing for cross-platform play and larger, more diverse player communities.</li>
<li>Cloud Gaming as a Service</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>
<p>Cloud gaming has the potential to completely transform the way we play games, making it more accessible, cost-effective, and convenient. With continued advancements in technology and the growth of 5G connectivity, the future of cloud gaming looks bright and holds exciting potential for gamers everywhere. Whether you&rsquo;re a casual gamer or a hardcore player, cloud gaming has something to offer. So, get ready to take your gaming experience to the next level and join the cloud gaming revolution.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/230644aluffke7hkj26hbt-1.png" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Red Meat: Friend or Foe</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/red-meat-friend-or-foe/</link><pubDate>Sat, 28 Jan 2023 08:45:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/red-meat-friend-or-foe/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Red meat, including beef, pork, and lamb, has long been considered a dietary villain due to its association with an increased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. However, recent research has shown that these claims may not be entirely accurate and that red meat can actually be a key healthy component of a balanced diet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;First, it is important to understand that not all red meat is created equal. Processed meats, such as bacon, deli meats, and sausages, have been consistently linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases due to their high levels of salt, preservatives, and other additives. However, unprocessed red meats, such as grass-fed beef and wild game, are a rich source of nutrients, including protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Red meat, including beef, pork, and lamb, has long been considered a dietary villain due to its association with an increased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. However, recent research has shown that these claims may not be entirely accurate and that red meat can actually be a key healthy component of a balanced diet.</p>
<p>First, it is important to understand that not all red meat is created equal. Processed meats, such as bacon, deli meats, and sausages, have been consistently linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases due to their high levels of salt, preservatives, and other additives. However, unprocessed red meats, such as grass-fed beef and wild game, are a rich source of nutrients, including protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins.</p>
<h3 id="health-benefits-of-eating-red-meat">Health Benefits of Eating Red Meat</h3>
<p>One of the key benefits of red meat is its high bioavailability of iron. Iron is essential for the production of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body&rsquo;s tissues. Red meat is particularly rich in heme iron, which is better absorbed by the body than non-heme iron found in plant-based sources. This makes red meat an important dietary source of iron for individuals at risk of iron deficiency, such as vegetarians, pregnant women, and athletes.</p>
<p>Red meat is also a good source of zinc, a mineral that plays a vital role in the immune system, wound healing, and cell growth and division. Zinc is important for the proper functioning of enzymes, hormones, and the immune system, and it is also required for DNA synthesis and cell division.</p>
<p>Another beneficial component of red meat is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a type of fat that has been shown to have anti-cancer properties and to help in weight management. Studies have shown that CLA can help to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer, and may also help to improve insulin sensitivity, which can lower the risk of developing diabetes.</p>
<p>Additionally, red meat is a good source of B vitamins, including B12, B3, B6, and B2, which play a vital role in energy metabolism, brain function, and maintaining a healthy nervous system.</p>
<p>In conclusion, red meat can be a healthy component of a balanced diet when consumed in moderation and when choosing high-quality, unprocessed sources. While processed meats have been linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases, unprocessed red meats provide a wealth of essential nutrients that are vital for overall health and well-being. It is important to consult with a doctor or a dietitian to understand the best way to include red meat in your diet.</p>
<h3 id="additional-resources">Additional Resources</h3>
<p>Before you leave, here are some excerpts and links to additional articles on this.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Red meat is not a health risk. New study slams years of shoddy research</p>
<p><a href="https://bigthink.com/health/red-meat-cancer-not-health-risk/#:~:text=They%20only%20found%20weak%20evidence,eating%20red%20meat%20and%20stroke.">Big Think</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Red meat causes heart disease. Except when it doesn’t?</p>
<p><a href="https://bigthink.com/health/red-meat-heart-disease/">Big Think</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>A new study says it’s okay to eat red meat. An immediate uproar follows.</p>
<p><a href="https://bigthink.com/health/red-meat-health/">Big Think</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Eating red meat is likely to be healthier than many studies suggest</p>
<p><a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/science/eating-red-meat-likely-healthier-studies-2092071">iNews UK</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Eat Less Red Meat, Scientists Said. Now Some Believe That Was Bad Advice.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/health/red-meat-heart-cancer.html">The New York Times</a></p>
</blockquote>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/photo-1555265399-48aa9c11d869.jpeg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Potential Causes of Cancer and Cancerous Cells</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/potential-causes-of-cancer-and-cancerous-cells/</link><pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2023 21:20:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/potential-causes-of-cancer-and-cancerous-cells/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Today, I&amp;rsquo;ll cover some potential cancer causes that you should avoid or limit. My aim is to provide in-depth and credible information that could help you prevent, lessen or cure cancer if these products are eradicated. I suggest you go through the sites linked below and not base your decisions on excerpts that could be taken out of context. Feel free to open them in a new tab as you read.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today, I&rsquo;ll cover some potential cancer causes that you should avoid or limit. My aim is to provide in-depth and credible information that could help you prevent, lessen or cure cancer if these products are eradicated. I suggest you go through the sites linked below and not base your decisions on excerpts that could be taken out of context. Feel free to open them in a new tab as you read.</p>
<h2 id="1-vegetableseed-oils">1. Vegetable/Seed Oils</h2>
<p>We already know that seed oils especially canola, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, rapeseed, soybean, and similar are unstable. They go through a long process; the end result is what most people use for cooking.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.sunfloweroilextractionmachine.com/uploads/allimg/181120/1-1Q1201J242K2.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s an excerpt from the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28925728/">National Library of Medicine</a> on the reason why seed oils could possibly be a cause of cancer:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Repeated heating of vegetable oils at high temperatures during cooking is a very common cooking practice. Repeatedly heated cooking oils (RCO) can generate varieties of compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), some of which have been reported as carcinogenic. RCO is one of the commonly consumed cooking and frying medium. These RCO consumption and inhalation of cooking fumes can pose a serious health hazard. Taking into account exploratory study, the present review aims to provide the consumption of RCO and its fumes cause the high incidence of genotoxic, mutagenic, tumorogenic and various cancers. The information on RCO and its fumes were collected through a library database and electronic search (ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar). Remarkable studies demonstrated that the health adverse effects of RCO and its cooking fumes have been often attributed to their detrimental properties and ease to genotoxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic activities. RCO and its cooking fumes were found to enhance the incidence of aberrant cells, including breaks, fragments, exchanges and multiple chromosomal damages and micronuclei in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the large consumption of RCO has been associated with a number of malignancies, including lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers. The present review provides additional insights into the polluting features of PAHs produced various cancers via cooking activities in indoor environments.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Seed oils have also been shown to increase cardiovascular disease risk factors.</p>
<p>Another excerpt, this time from <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/vegetable-oils-contain-toxic-chemical-linked-to-cancer-and-brain-degeneration-say-scientists-a6725881.html">Independent UK</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Cooking with vegetable oil releases toxic chemicals linked to cancer and even the degeneration of the brain, according to experts.</p>
<p>Lard, butter, coconut and olive oil are all better dietary choices, leading scientists have said - in advice which directly contradicts the NHS<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11981884/Cooking-with-vegetable-oils-releases-toxic-cancer-causing-chemicals-say-experts.html">.</a></p>
<p>When heated, corn, sunflower, palm and soya bean oils - often called &ldquo;vegetable&rdquo; oils - release chemicals called aldehydes which have been linked to various cancers and neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer&rsquo;s.</p>
<p>Martin Grootveld, <a href="http://www.dmu.ac.uk/about-dmu/news/2015/july/dmu-research-on-healthiest-cooking-oils-revealed-on-bbcs-trust-me,-im-a-doctor.aspx">a professor of bioanalytical chemistry and chemical pathology</a> at DeMontfort University,said that a meal fried in vegetable oil such as fish and chips contains 100 to 200 times more aldehydes than the daily limit set by the World Health Organisation (WHO),<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11981884/Cooking-with-vegetable-oils-releases-toxic-cancer-causing-chemicals-say-experts.html"> according to the Daily Telegraph</a>.</p>
<p>Using butter, olive and lard in the frying pan, however, was found to produce much lower levels of aldehydes - with coconut oil coming out as healthiest.</p>
<p>Yet the NHS has long warned against cooking with butter and lard. The <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Healthyeating.aspx">NHS choices website advises</a>:</p>
<p>&ldquo;Try to cut down on foods that are high in saturated fat and have smaller amounts of foods that are rich in unsaturated fat instead.</p>
<p>&ldquo;For a healthy choice, use just a small amount of vegetable oil or reduced fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Yet vegetable oil has been <strong>linked to heart disease, cancer, inflammation, rising blood pressure and deteriorating mental health</strong>.</p>
<p>And the omega 6 fatty acids present in vegetable oils are pushing out the important omega 3 fatty acids that keep the brain healthy, according to Professor John Stein, emeritus professor of neuroscience at Oxford University.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If you eat too much corn oil or sunflower oil, the brain is absorbing too much omega 6, and that effectively forces out omega 3,” Prof Stein said according to the Daily Telegraph.</p>
<p>“I believe the lack of omega 3 is a powerful contributory factor to such problems as increasing mental health issues and other problems such as dyslexia.”</p>
<p>The issue had not received enough attention by health organisations or the food industry, experts added.</p>
<p>Olive oil, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/mediterranean-diets-are-better-for-your-brain-providing-you-eat-extra-virgin-olive-oil-and-nuts-with-10243725.html">has been repeatedly linked</a> to health benefits.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another excerpt from Jeff Nobbs</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Meanwhile, as vegetable oil consumption has grown, rates of obesity, cancer, and diabetes–among other chronic illnesses–have surged to <a href="https://www.jeffnobbs.com/posts/what-kills-us-should-drive-us">unprecedented levels</a>. Six in ten adults in the US have a chronic disease and four in ten adults have two or more [<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/index.htm">2</a>].</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Excerpt from <a href="https://kresserinstitute.com/what-really-causes-oxidative-damage/">Kesser Institute</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Our cell membranes are composed mainly of delicate fatty acids, the composition of which is directly influenced by the types of fats we eat. The consumption of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids has beneficial effects on cell membrane structure and function. <strong>Conversely, the consumption of rancid dietary fats compromises cell membrane health and promotes oxidative damage.</strong> The primary sources of rancid fats in the Standard American Diet are industrial vegetable oils.</p>
<p>Industrial vegetable oils, including canola, soybean, peanut, and safflower oils, are high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Omega-6 PUFAs are delicate and quite susceptible to damage from factors such as heat and light. <strong>Unfortunately, the very process by which industrial vegetable oils are made exposes omega-6 PUFAs to heat, metals, and other chemicals; this process oxidatively damages the fatty acids and produces “rancid” fats.</strong> However, the damage doesn’t stop there; vegetable oils are further oxidized when they are heated during the cooking process.</p>
<p>The oxidation of unsaturated fats in industrial vegetable oils produces advanced lipid oxidation end products (ALEs), which pose a significant risk to human health. <strong>ALEs are absorbed from the gut into the circulatory system, where they activate an inflammatory response that generates cytotoxic and genotoxic compounds. They are also incorporated into cell membranes, where they increase membrane permeability and impair cell function.</strong> (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17854006"><strong>5</strong></a>)</p>
<p>To make matters worse, ALEs also co-oxidize vitamins A, C, and E, depleting the body’s antioxidant stores. <strong>The combination of inflammation and antioxidant depletion caused by the consumption of industrial vegetable oils propagates a chain reaction of oxidative damage in the body.</strong></p>
<p>However, omega-6 in and of itself may not be the problem; it’s the way omega-6 fatty acids are handled during processing and cooking that cause them to become damaged and pro-inflammatory. We needn’t vilify all forms of omega-6 fatty acids. While it is best to avoid industrial vegetable oils entirely, fresh, whole foods high in omega-6, such as poultry, avocados, and nuts, can be part of a healthy diet. For more information on omega-6 fatty acids, see my previous blog post “<a href="https://chriskresser.com/an-update-on-omega-6-pufas/"><strong>An Update on Omega-6 PUFAs</strong></a>.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p><img src="https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5e20f576d0e9d12be5abc763/5eb443eea10ed68224543608_1*XWZ8PCsS1-qnWhWXo7vwUQ.png" alt=""></p>
<p>I&rsquo;d suggest you switch to Butter, Ghee, Lard, Avocado, and/or Olive oil.</p>
<p>One thing I can say about this is, heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure among other chronic illnesses have been on the rise despite the removal of saturated fats which were initially blamed as the root cause.</p>
<p>More and more people have high cholesterol despite most(all) vegetable oils being labeled as heart-friendly with zero cholesterol.</p>
<p>Now, I&rsquo;d like to bring to your attention a scheme in the 1950s where tobacco companies paid medical associations and scientists to cover up the fact that tobacco use caused cancer. My belief is that the same thing is happening now with big food and medical associations. Wheat is being peddled despite the fact that gluten causes inflammation and is one of the causes of cancer. We&rsquo;ll get to that in a minute.</p>
<p>I leave you to make the decision.</p>
<p>To learn more about how big oil and big tobacco did this, visit this link: <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/3/21/8267049/merchants-of-doubt">How Big Oil and Big Tobacco get respected scientists to lie for them - Vox</a></p>
<h2 id="2-processed-meat">2. Processed Meat</h2>
<p>According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is “<a href="https://www.who.int/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/"><strong>convincing evidence”</strong></a> that processed meat causes cancer. Classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, it is connected specifically to colorectal and stomach cancer.</p>
<p>Examples of processed meats that have carcinogenic properties include: Frankfurter hotdogs, ham, sausages, corned beef, beef jerky and canned or lunch meat.</p>
<h2 id="3-environmental-toxins">3. Environmental Toxins</h2>
<p>These are mainly toxins that are made in industries or natural occurring toxins or are byproducts of things made in industries.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s an excerpt from <a href="https://kresserinstitute.com/what-really-causes-oxidative-damage/">Kesser Institute</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The slew of <a href="https://kresserinstitute.com/environmental-toxins-drug-metabolism-microbiome/"><strong>environmental toxins</strong></a> to which we are exposed daily is a significant source of oxidative stress. A patient’s living environment can be a significant source of oxidative stress**. Exposure to particulate air pollution in urban areas and mold and biotoxins in water-damaged buildings promotes oxidative stress by depleting antioxidant reserves.** (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-010-0101-8"><strong>11</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3179161/"><strong>12</strong></a>) You can learn more about the harmful health effects of mold and biotoxins by reading my article “<a href="https://chriskresser.com/5-things-you-should-know-about-toxic-mold-illness/"><strong>5 Things You Should Know about Toxic Mold Illness</strong></a>.”</p>
<p>Plastics are well known for their endocrine-disrupting effects. <strong>However, research suggests that plastics also induce oxidative stress.</strong> In the body’s attempts to detoxify BPA, a ubiquitous plastic chemical, free radicals are generated via activation of cytochrome P450 enzymes in the liver. The induction of free radicals and oxidative stress by BPA is believed to contribute significantly to the toxicity and carcinogenicity of this compound. (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28181297"><strong>13</strong></a>)</p>
<p>Pesticides and heavy metals also provoke oxidative stress. <strong>Exposure to organophosphate insecticides (OPs), the residues of which can be found on conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, induces oxidative stress by activating cytochrome P450 enzymes and by disturbing the cell redox system, which reduces cellular energy and makes cells unable to neutralize free radicals.</strong> (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048357510001355"><strong>14</strong></a>) Heavy metals, found in dental amalgams, air and soil, and our water supply, induce oxidative stress by altering the activities of key antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-s-transferase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3087445/"><strong>15</strong></a>)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here&rsquo;s an excerpt from <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-many-cancers-are-caused-by-the-environment/">Scientific America</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The <a href="http://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a> has classified 54 compounds as known human carcinogens based on studies indicating they cause at least one type of cancer in people, according to the nation’s 11th Report on Carcinogens. The highest exposures occur in an occupational setting, but there are environmental exposures as well.</p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=even-at-low-levels-benzen">benzene</a>, a known cause of human leukemia, is a common pollutant in vehicle exhaust. Radon, a natural radioactive gas found in many homes, raises the risk of lung cancer. <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=dangerous-drinking-water-arsenics-t-2010-02-23">Arsenic</a>, linked to skin, liver, bladder and lung cancer, contaminates some drinking water supplies. Other known human carcinogens include asbestos, hexavalent chromium, aflatoxins and vinyl chloride.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Now remember, some of these chemicals are in our cosmetics and grooming products. The skin is the largest organ so you can imagine the dangers of putting these things over the long term. I&rsquo;ve already talk about endocrine &amp; fertility disruptors found in grooming and cosmetic products, find that here: <a href="https://stephenajulu.com/blog/endocrine-hormonal-disruptors-in-grooming-products-and-cosmetics/">Endocrine(Hormonal) Disruptors in Grooming Products and Cosmetics | Stephen Ajulu · Entreprenuer, Writer, Designer &amp; Creator</a></p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s a list of some cancer causing toxins;</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/aflatoxins">Aflatoxins</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/aristolochic-acids">Aristolochic Acids</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/arsenic">Arsenic</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/asbestos">Asbestos</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/benzene">Benzene</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/benzidine">Benzidine</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/beryllium">Beryllium</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/butadiene">1,3-Butadiene</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/cadmium">Cadmium</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/coal-tar">Coal Tar and Coal-Tar Pitch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/coke-oven">Coke-Oven Emissions</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/crystalline-silica">Crystalline Silica (respirable size)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/erionite">Erionite</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/ethylene-oxide">Ethylene Oxide</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/formaldehyde">Formaldehyde</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/chromium">Hexavalent Chromium Compounds</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/indoor-coal">Indoor Emissions from the Household Combustion of Coal</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/mineral-oils">Mineral Oils: Untreated and Mildly Treated</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/nickel">Nickel Compounds</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/radon">Radon</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/secondhand-smoke">Secondhand Tobacco Smoke (Environmental Tobacco Smoke)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/soot">Soot</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/inorganic-acid">Strong Inorganic Acid Mists Containing Sulfuric Acid</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/thorium">Thorium</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/trichloroethylene">Trichloroethylene</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/vinyl-chloride">Vinyl Chloride</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/wood-dust">Wood Dust</a></li>
</ul>
<p>There&rsquo;s a whole article on this, that I&rsquo;d suggest you read: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6546253/">Environmental exposures and cancer: using the precautionary principle - PMC (nih.gov)</a></p>
<h2 id="4-obesity">4. Obesity</h2>
<p>Obesity is linked to 13 types of cancer, including two of the most common—breast and prostate—but only <a href="http://www.aicr.org/assets/docs/pdf/education/aicr-awareness-report-2015.pdf">a little more than half</a> of Americans are aware that it’s a risk factor for cancer. In fact, physical inactivity and obesity together account for 25 percent to 30 percent of colorectal, breast, uterine, kidney and esophageal cancers, which are among the most common types. “Obesity has become so important in the field of oncology today that maintaining an appropriate weight is one of the most important ways you can protect yourself from cancer,” says Anthony Perre, MD, Chief of the Division of Outpatient Medicine at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA).</p>
<p>To help avoid obesity-related cancers, experts recommend you lose excess weight through diet and exercise. Be careful not to lose it too fast otherwise you&rsquo;ll be releasing tons of toxins that were stored in the fat.</p>
<h2 id="5-ionizing-radiation">5. Ionizing radiation</h2>
<p>Ionizing radiation is thought to cause about 1 percent of all cancers. It comes from cosmic rays that enter the Earth’s atmosphere, the radioactive gas radon—found naturally at low levels in soil—and from certain medical procedures, such as X-rays and radiation therapy. When cancer treatments increase your risk of developing another cancer later in life, the decision-making process often involves weighing the risks against the benefits, says Glynis Vashi, MD, Intake Physician and Chief of Medicine at our hospital near Chicago. “It takes years for a cancer to develop,” she says. “So you do what you have to do at the time, and then you take as many preventive steps as possible to improve the chance that you won’t develop another cancer in the future.”</p>
<h2 id="6-alcohol">6. Alcohol</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcohol-fact-sheet">Research</a> has found that the more alcohol someone drinks—especially regular use over time—the higher the risk of cancer. For example, people who have three-and-a-half drinks or more a day are two to three times more likely to develop head and neck cancer than those who don’t drink. Alcohol consumption also has been linked to liver, esophageal, colorectal and breast cancers.</p>
<p>Alcohol increases cancer risk by damaging cell DNA and proteins, as well as the body’s ability to break down nutrients, and by increasing estrogen levels. People who use both alcohol and tobacco have much higher risks of developing head and neck cancer than those who use alcohol or tobacco alone.</p>
<h2 id="7-tobacco">7. Tobacco</h2>
<p>The most significant environmental risk factor for cancer is tobacco, whether they’re using products like cigarettes, pipes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff or vaping, or being exposed to secondhand smoke. In fact, tobacco accounts for <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/basic_info/risk_factors.htm">80 percent to 90 percent</a> of all cases of lung cancer, which is the <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/small-cell-lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html">second most common cancer</a> in both men and women.</p>
<p>To reduce your risk of lung cancer, avoid tobacco altogether—don’t start the habit, and if you have, quit as soon as possible, and steer clear of secondhand smoke.</p>
<h2 id="8-oxidative-stress">8. Oxidative Stress</h2>
<p>A condition that may occur when there are too many unstable molecules called free radicals in the body and not enough antioxidants to get rid of them. This can lead to cell and tissue damage. There are many factors that may lead to oxidative stress, including obesity, poor diet, smoking, drinking alcohol, taking certain medicines, and exposure to environmental factors such as radiation, toxins, air pollution, pesticides, and sunlight. Long-term oxidative stress may play a role in aging and the development of chronic inflammation, cancer, and other diseases.</p>
<p>Diets, especially high-fat or high-carbohydrate diets, have been shown to be associated with oxidative stress by elevating the levels of protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation products while reducing the antioxidant defense status [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8391153/#B1-foods-10-01854">1</a>]. In obesity, chronic oxidative stress and associated inflammation are the underlying factors that cause insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease by disrupting signaling and metabolism [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8391153/#B4-foods-10-01854">4</a>,<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8391153/#B5-foods-10-01854">5</a>]. Obesity-associated insulin resistance greatly increases oxidative stress and the risk of hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8391153/#B6-foods-10-01854">6</a>].</p>
<p>In general oxidative stress is the leading cause of cancer due to byproducts called free radicals. Most of the causes listed above cause oxidative stress which in turn cause free radicals. How do you avoid them?</p>
<h2 id="how-can-we-prevent-oxidative-damage">How Can We Prevent Oxidative Damage?</h2>
<p>There are many dietary and lifestyle strategies we can implement with our patients to help them prevent oxidative damage.</p>
<p><strong>Avoid rancid vegetable oils.</strong> You should steer clear of processed, packaged foods and toss out any canola, soybean, safflower, sunflower, peanut, or grapeseed oil you may have sitting in your pantries. When eating out at restaurants, where industrial vegetable oils saturate most foods, ask to have your vegetables cooked in butter and your salads dressed with olive oil. Eat anti-inflammatory fats found in extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, wild-caught seafood, butter, tallow and sprouted or lightly roasted nuts and seeds.</p>
<p><strong>Eat an antioxidant-rich, whole-foods diet.</strong> This type of diet supplies the body with the antioxidants and cofactors it needs to combat oxidative stress.</p>
<h2 id="stop-smoking">Stop smoking.</h2>
<p><a href="https://kresserinstitute.com/health-coaching-and-stress-management/"><strong>Emphasize the importance of daily stress-reduction practices</strong></a><strong>.</strong> Meditation, yoga, spending time in nature, and taking “technology breaks” alleviate chronic stress, which causes oxidative stress when allowed to continue unabated.</p>
<p><strong>Strategies to help you reduce your environmental toxin exposure.</strong> Stop using pesticides on your lawns and gardens. Buy organic food as often as possible, avoid storing food in plastic containers and handling receipts, safely eliminate sources of heavy metal exposure such as dental amalgams, and filter drinking and bathing water.</p>
<p><strong>Emphasize the importance of circadian rhythms and sleep hygiene.</strong> Aiming for a regular sleep schedule, avoiding blue light at night, and getting plenty of sunlight during the day helps to sync circadian rhythms.</p>
<p><strong>Treat infections.</strong> Chronic infections are a significant cause of oxidative stress and must be addressed to halt the free radical cascade.</p>
<p><strong>Get regular exercise.</strong> Aim for 30 or more minutes of exercise four to five days a week. Also engage in light, intermittent physical activity throughout the workday by alternating sitting with working at a standing desk or by taking time to go for a walk at lunch.</p>
<p><strong>Address iron overload.</strong> Iron overload is a complex topic, and there are many ways to go about treating this condition. Briefly, curcumin and green tea are two options for attenuating iron overload-induced oxidative damage. (<a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0134156"><strong>27</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319562X17302127"><strong>28</strong></a>)</p>
<p><strong>Try</strong> <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-guide"><strong>Intermittent Fasting</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/one-meal-a-day"><strong>OMAD</strong></a> <strong>or</strong> <a href="https://2mealday.com/article/intermittent-fasting-omad-vs-2mad-which-is-better/"><strong>2MAD</strong></a>. As shown above, frequent eating increases your chance of becoming obese which is then correlated with an increase in cancer.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/national-cancer-institute-yg1zayn0few-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Outlier Male Series: Mind, Body and Spirit</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/outlier-male-series-mind-body-and-spirit/</link><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2023 13:00:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/outlier-male-series-mind-body-and-spirit/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Hello Guys,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Now here&amp;rsquo;s the game plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We&amp;rsquo;ll focus primarily on Mind, Body and Spirit and our secondary focus will be Wealth/Riches. Now I do remember telling you that we should focus on 3 things only but things change.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I&amp;rsquo;m going to add URGENCY.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Group link: &lt;a href="https://t.me/+rbD6JMGpnH5kYjg0"&gt;The OUTLIER MALE Telegram group&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1 id="mind"&gt;Mind&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Here&amp;rsquo;s a simple guideline to follow.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 id="1-learn-digital-marketable-skills"&gt;1. Learn Digital Marketable Skills&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Digital marketable skills are skills you can use to make money ONLINE. Everything is going online. You need to align yourself with the massive paradigm shift that&amp;rsquo;s going on&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello Guys,</p>
<p>Now here&rsquo;s the game plan.</p>
<p>We&rsquo;ll focus primarily on Mind, Body and Spirit and our secondary focus will be Wealth/Riches. Now I do remember telling you that we should focus on 3 things only but things change.</p>
<p>I&rsquo;m going to add URGENCY.</p>
<p>Group link: <a href="https://t.me/+rbD6JMGpnH5kYjg0">The OUTLIER MALE Telegram group</a>.</p>
<h1 id="mind">Mind</h1>
<p>Here&rsquo;s a simple guideline to follow.</p>
<h3 id="1-learn-digital-marketable-skills">1. Learn Digital Marketable Skills</h3>
<p>Digital marketable skills are skills you can use to make money ONLINE. Everything is going online. You need to align yourself with the massive paradigm shift that&rsquo;s going on</p>
<p>Here are some. Pick your poison(skills). Now I&rsquo;d suggest you pick more than 1.</p>
<ol>
<li>Copywriting</li>
<li>UI/UX Design</li>
<li>Web Development</li>
<li>Search Engine Optimization</li>
<li>Social Media Marketing</li>
<li>Search Engine Ads(Google)</li>
<li>Graphic Design</li>
<li>Blockchain Development</li>
<li>Social Media Management</li>
<li>Writing</li>
<li>Data Science</li>
<li>Cloud Computing</li>
<li>Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, and Machine Learning</li>
<li>Animation</li>
<li>Video Editing(both short form and long form)</li>
<li>Email Marketing(+cold emailing)</li>
<li>Affiliate Marketing</li>
<li>App/Software Development</li>
<li>Illustration + NFT Art + Digital Art</li>
<li>Web Scraping</li>
<li>Hacking</li>
<li>Video/Audio Production</li>
<li>System Automation</li>
</ol>
<p>These are the ones I know off the top of my head. If you have another one, feel free to post it below in the comments.</p>
<h4 id="the-key-to-this-is-to-reach-10000-hours-of-mastery-with-the-skill-youve-chosen-or-with-this-whole-outlier-male-journey-thats-when-youll-start-to-see-the-progress-youve-made">The key to this is to reach 10,000 hours of mastery with the skill you&rsquo;ve chosen or with this whole outlier male journey, that&rsquo;s when you&rsquo;ll start to see the progress you&rsquo;ve made.</h4>
<h3 id="2-optimize-your-sleep">2. Optimize Your Sleep</h3>
<p>Here are some tips by <a href="https://hubermanlab.com/toolkit-for-sleep/">Dr. Huberman</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>High-quality sleep is critical! Sleep is the foundation of mental health, cognitive health, and performance</li>
<li>Viewing direct morning sunlight within 30-60 minutes of waking will help you fall asleep and stay asleep at night, and optimize cortisol &amp; adenosine levels</li>
<li>Layer in multiple levers to be more alert: morning sunlight viewing, increasing body temperature, delaying caffeine, movement/exercise upon waking, light breakfast</li>
<li>Stack the deck to give your body predictable autonomic timing and properly set circadian rhythm to optimize sleep and wakefulness – even if you’re tired, exercise a little (doesn’t have to be intense) and eat a light breakfast, etc.</li>
<li>Avoid overhead fluorescent light as much as possible between 10 pm-4 am – these lights will eliminate melatonin circulating in the brain &amp; body and will hinder the ability to fall and stay asleep (instead, try soft lamps and dim screens as much as possible without straining eyes)</li>
<li>Viewing afternoon sunlight from sunset can help offset some of the negative effects of light viewing in the evening (10 pm-4 am)</li>
<li>Try to maintain a consistent sleep/wake schedule (+/- 1 hour) 7 days a week!</li>
<li>When all else fails, try this sleep stack cocktail (buy single ingredient supplements so you can use what works, ditch what doesn’t): magnesium threonate (145mg, 30-60 minutes before bed) + theanine (100-400mg, 30-60 minutes before bed) + apigenin (50mg, 30-60 minutes before bed)</li>
<li>Sleep apnea can have very damaging effects on sleep and health – train nasal breathing with these methods: (1) use medical tape to tape your mouth shut during sleep; (2) practice nasal breathing only during light exercise/cardio bouts</li>
</ul>
<p>Remember</p>
<ul>
<li>Best nootropic: sleep</li>
<li>Best stress-relief: sleep</li>
<li>Best trauma release: sleep</li>
<li>Best immune booster: sleep</li>
<li>Best hormone augmentation: sleep</li>
<li>Best emotional stabilizer: sleep</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="3-build-focus">3. Build Focus</h3>
<p>Some more tips from Dr. Huberman:</p>
<ul>
<li>Epinephrine/adrenaline, acetylcholine, and dopamine work together to facilitate the ability to get focused, direct focus, and stay focused over time</li>
<li>Binaural beats (40 Hz), white noise, pink noise, and brown noise can enhance focus &amp; more importantly, decrease the amount of time it takes to get into a focused state by ramping up neurochemicals</li>
<li>Blocking time: use ultradian cycles (90-minute bouts) for intensely focused sessions; assume it will take about 5-10 minutes to ease in and then ramp up; when finished, spend 10-30 minutes to deliberately defocus</li>
<li>Both things are true: fasted states and fed states (sufficient glucose but not overly stuffed belly) stimulate neuronal activity – leverage this and try one focused 90-minute bout in the morning (fasted) and another in the afternoon (fed)</li>
<li>Tip: leverage the benefits of stress through cold exposure <strong>–</strong> try a cold shower (uncomfortably cold but safe to stay in) for 1-5 minutes to increase epinephrine and dopamine in the brain and body to get the body into a focused state – the positive effects of epinephrine last up to an hour or more</li>
<li>The focus will drift unless you are an experienced meditator – the most important component of meditation is refocusing back to meditation and back to the breath – try 13 minutes per day</li>
<li>Meditation caveat: focused meditation in the 4 hours prior to bed actually hindered the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep</li>
<li>Using visual field to improve focus: set a timer for 30 seconds per day and try to focus on one object; keep adding 5 seconds per day looking directly at the location (be sure to blink!) – you can use this to help onramp into 90-minute focused bout</li>
<li>As always, start with behavioral tools (and dialing in sleep), then focus on nutrition, and try supplementation – when all else fails and you’ve consulted a doctor, lean on prescription drugs</li>
<li>Really sleep-deprived or having trouble focusing? Stack tools – for example, take a cold shower, leverage the visual field, and take alpha-GPC</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="4-read-books">4. Read Books</h3>
<p>Here are some books I suggest you start reading that will build your knowledge in place of the experience you don&rsquo;t have:</p>
<ul>
<li>Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill</li>
<li>Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki</li>
<li>48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene</li>
<li>The Way of The Superior Man by David Deida</li>
<li>Rational Male Book 1 by Rollo Tomasi</li>
<li>The Male Advantage by Kris Sturmey</li>
<li>Meditations by Marcus Aurelius</li>
<li>The Art of War by Sun Tzu</li>
<li>12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson</li>
<li>Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung</li>
<li>Unscripted by MJ Demarco</li>
<li>The US Navy Seal Survival Handbook</li>
<li>The Obstacle is The Way by Ryan Holiday</li>
<li>Meditations by Marcus Aurelius</li>
<li>The Illustrated Art of Manliness: All Books by Brett McKay</li>
<li>The King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover by Robert Moore &amp; Douglas Gillette</li>
<li>How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie</li>
<li>Estrogeneration by Anthony G. Jay, Ph.D.</li>
<li>Ego is The Enemy by Ryan Holiday</li>
<li>Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury</li>
<li>100 Deadly Skills by Clint Emerson, Former Navy Seal</li>
<li>4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss</li>
<li>The Unplugged Alpha by Richard Cooper</li>
<li>Outliers by Malcom Gladwell</li>
<li>$100mOffers by Alex Hormozi</li>
</ul>
<p>These books are great and I suggest you read 10 pages a day and slowly build up to 20. These contain the experiences of more than 1,000 men.</p>
<p>Having their knowledge and being able to learn from their experiences is a blessing.</p>
<p>I&rsquo;d recommend you start with The Male Advantage by Kris Sturmey.</p>
<p>It will show you your worth as a man and how to further build it. I rate it 10/10.</p>
<h1 id="body">Body</h1>
<h3 id="1-work-outexercise">1. Work out/Exercise</h3>
<h2 id="principles-of-exercise--fitness">Principles Of Exercise &amp; Fitness</h2>
<p>The basic concepts of fitness are few, but the methods are vast</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The 9 main concepts of training:</strong>
<ol>
<li>Skill</li>
<li>Speed</li>
<li>Power (function of speed and strength)</li>
<li>Strength</li>
<li>Hypertrophy (growing muscle mass)</li>
<li>Muscular endurance</li>
<li>Anaerobic power (ability to produce and sustain work in short bursts)</li>
<li>VO2 max (max heart rate)</li>
<li>Long-endurance (30+ minutes with no break)</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>There are a handful of things you have to do in order to make all of the main concepts work, but you will not see changes in any domain without progressive overload</li>
<li><strong>Progressive overload</strong>: adaptation happens as a byproduct of stress – you have to push the system</li>
<li>If you do the same exercises over time, you will plateau</li>
<li>A progressive overload could be in the form of adding weights, adding repetitions, increasing frequency, varying complexity of movement</li>
</ul>
<p>Here are the exercises we&rsquo;ll focus on for the first year:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Push-ups or Bench presses</strong>: These work on the chest and arms. You can try multiple variations to suit you. If you are a beginner try Knee Push-ups</p>
<p>To begin, the push-up: Lie flat on the ground then push your body up without interfering with the natural curvature of the back.<br>
To begin, the bench press: Find the weights, load them, lie on your back, unrack and pull towards your body as far as possible then push up from your body as far as possible and repeat.<br>
<img src="/images/barbell-bench-press.gif" alt=""><img src="/images/close-grip-knee-push-up.gif" alt=""><img src="/images/barbell-bench-press.gif" alt=""></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Squats</strong>: This works the legs and the core(only slightly).<br>
To begin, stand up straight, then go down to a squat position, and then come up. How deep you go depends on your capacity but ensure you try to go deeper and repeat.<br>
To do this with weight simply depends on what kind of squat you are going to do. I recommend the back squat, whereby you load the weight to the back of your neck(wear thick clothing or place a hollow form then do a squat and repeat.<br>
<img src="/images/barbell-squat.gif" alt=""><img src="/images/barbell-bulgarian-split-squat.gif" alt=""></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Deadlifts</strong>: This works the legs, back and core.<br>
To begin, find weights, and place them near your feet while standing upright. Reach for the weights without bending your knees too much and bring them up until you are standing upright again then put them down and repeat.<br>
<img src="/images/barbell-deadlift.gif" alt=""><img src="/images/stiff-leg-deadlift.gif" alt=""></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Bent over rows or pull-ups</strong>: These work on the back and the arms<br>
To begin find a strong sturdy vertical pole that is placed slightly above your reach. Hold it with 2 arms and bring your chin over the pole then slowly drop down and repeat.<br>
To begin, find weights preferably a barbell or dumbbell, bend over extend your hands toward the floor while holding the weight then bring the weight to your chest then extend them back to the ground, and repeat.<br>
<img src="/images/barbell-bent-over-row.gif" alt=""><img src="/images/pull-up.gif" alt=""></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Military Overhead press</strong>: This works on the shoulders giving you that large shoulder and making that sexy V that girls love.<br>
To begin, find weights then bring them to your chest and push them upwards above your head then bring them down and repeat<br>
<img src="/images/barbell-military-press.gif" alt=""></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Calve raises</strong>: This works on the calves<br>
To begin: stand upright and stand on your toes like you are tiptoeing then come back to natural and repeat. You can add weights if desired.</p>
<p><img src="/images/dumbbell-calf-raise.gif" alt=""></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Plank</strong>: This strengthens the core which is responsible for keeping your upper body straight and provides spinal cord support. It does a bunch of other things which I believe you should research<br>
To begin lie flat on the ground then let your elbows and forearms touch the ground then lift and hold that position for a time.</p>
<p><img src="/images/plank.gif" alt=""></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Stretch</strong></p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>To start do 5 x 5 of each. That is 5 repetitions of 5 sets = 25 times if using weights. If using body weight do 5 x 10 = 50 times.</p>
<p>Do this 6 days a week unless you are over 35. If you are over 40 do 5 or 4 times a week.</p>
<p>Remember to set a rest day. Eat plenty of proteins and healthy fat. Increase weight, difficulty, intensity, or repetitions every week.</p>
<h3 id="2-diet">2. Diet</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Increase your protein intake especially from meat, eggs, and fish to maximize protein synthesis:</strong> consume 1.6-2.6g/kilogram of lean body mass
<ul>
<li>There aren’t noticeable benefits to going beyond this range</li>
<li>Protein is also more satiating</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Try fermented foods</strong></li>
<li><strong>Eat some dark and leafy vegetables</strong></li>
<li><strong>Have some fruit e.g. berries and watermelon</strong></li>
<li><strong>Limit refined carbs, sugar, and seed oils</strong></li>
<li><strong>Try fasting. Fasting puts the body into a mode of autophagy and conservation of resources which are beneficial to health</strong></li>
<li><strong>Try a ketogenic diet. Benefits of the ketogenic diet:</strong> influences neurotransmitter levels (particularly glutamate, GABA, adenosine), changes calcium channel regulation, changes gene expression, reduces brain inflammation, improves the health of the gut microbiome, improves insulin resistance and signaling</li>
<li>More extreme forms of fasting (24 hours, alternate day, etc.) have more noticeable effects on lean body mass than 16:8 fasting</li>
<li><strong>Eating 2-3 high-quality protein meals per day will probably make more of a difference on lean body mass than time-restricted eating</strong></li>
<li><strong>Choose fasting depending on your goal:</strong> if you’re a high-level athlete or similar, it’s unlikely you’ll gain much intermittent fasting – if you want to maintain or lose weight and lose body fat, a 16:8 fast is fine to help control calories</li>
<li><strong>Don&rsquo;t snack</strong></li>
</ul>
<h1 id="spirit">Spirit</h1>
<p>This one is simple.</p>
<h3 id="1-pray-every-day-when-you-wake-up-and-go-to-sleep">1. Pray every day when you wake up and go to sleep</h3>
<p>This will help connect you to your Creator and have Him guide you.</p>
<h3 id="2-read-the-biblequran">2. Read the Bible/Quran</h3>
<p>This will help know what He expects from you.</p>
<h3 id="3-meditate">3. Meditate</h3>
<p>This will help clear your mind and bring peace.</p>
<h3 id="4-journal">4. Journal</h3>
<p>This will help you chain your thoughts to the physical realm.</p>
<p>It will help you plan out life and it will be a reminder of all you haven&rsquo;t achieved.</p>
<h3 id="5-help-others">5. Help others</h3>
<p>This will bring you down to earth and help you stay humble.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s it guys that&rsquo;s the plan for this year.</p>
<p>I&rsquo;ll post the next year&rsquo;s plan before December.</p>
<p>For those who haven&rsquo;t joined the group yet.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s the link. It&rsquo;s a limited-time offer. It will soon be closed and paid.</p>
<h1 id="wealth">Wealth</h1>
<p>If you are in a 9 - 5. Start investing. We are close to a recession. Learn stocks, crypto, REITs, real estate, precious metals, watches, timber, and such.</p>
<p>Learn investing. Keep money aside and do dollar cost averaging(Put some money into investments every month/week/day)</p>
<p>Invest a little now then go head-deep in the middle of the recession. Millionaires are made in the middle of recessions just like diamonds are made under pressure or men are made during storms.</p>
<p>Learn investing.</p>
<p>If you are jobless, spend most of your time learning and testing(practicing) new skills and stack money for investment.</p>
<p>If you are an Investor, keep going.</p>
<p>If you are a business owner/entrepreneur stack money for investments.</p>
<p>Some good investments:</p>
<ol>
<li>Bitcoin</li>
<li>Ethereum</li>
<li>Small MarketCap Coins/Tokens</li>
<li>Gaming tokens</li>
<li>NFT tokens</li>
<li>Gold</li>
<li>Silver</li>
<li>Diamond</li>
<li>Healthcare REITs, Stocks, and ETFs</li>
<li>Energy REITS, Stocks, and ETFs</li>
<li>Utility NFTs</li>
<li>Government Bonds</li>
<li>Government Bills</li>
<li>Utility REITs, Stocks, and ETFs</li>
<li>Consumer staples Stocks, REITs, and ETFs</li>
</ol>
<iframe src="https://anchor.fm/stephenajulu/embed/episodes/Outlier-Male-Series-Mind--Body-and-Spirit-e1t0a29" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>Group link: <a href="https://t.me/+rbD6JMGpnH5kYjg0">The OUTLIER MALE Telegram group</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/photo-nic-khhukoxqo4k-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Outlier Male Series: My Plan to Become an Outlier Male in 5 years</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/here-s-how-i-m-going-to-be-an-outlier-top-10-male-in-5-years/</link><pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2022 14:00:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/here-s-how-i-m-going-to-be-an-outlier-top-10-male-in-5-years/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Hello guys, as the title says. Here&amp;rsquo;s how I plan to become an outlier male.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Why do I plan to become an outlier male?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I want my family to live a comfortable life&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I want to live a better life&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I want to have an abundance of top-quality women(Surface level)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I want to be healthy and strong&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I want to be financially free and have time freedom&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I want to pursue my genuine curiosity&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I want to enter a room and have people look. A king&amp;rsquo;s presence.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I want my lineage to be safe and secure&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I just want to be better. I want to be at the top. I want to be better than other men. I want to have an abundance.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I want to live a life well-lived.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are different pillars of a man&amp;rsquo;s life that need to be built up, these are:&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello guys, as the title says. Here&rsquo;s how I plan to become an outlier male.</p>
<p>Why do I plan to become an outlier male?</p>
<ol>
<li>I want my family to live a comfortable life</li>
<li>I want to live a better life</li>
<li>I want to have an abundance of top-quality women(Surface level)</li>
<li>I want to be healthy and strong</li>
<li>I want to be financially free and have time freedom</li>
<li>I want to pursue my genuine curiosity</li>
<li>I want to enter a room and have people look. A king&rsquo;s presence.</li>
<li>I want my lineage to be safe and secure</li>
<li>I just want to be better. I want to be at the top. I want to be better than other men. I want to have an abundance.</li>
<li>I want to live a life well-lived.</li>
</ol>
<p>There are different pillars of a man&rsquo;s life that need to be built up, these are:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Health/Body</strong>: Be in shape, healthy and active. Hormone, sleep, diet, and other optimizations</li>
<li><strong>Wealth/Money/Resources/Assets</strong>: Have resources and money. Investments. Crypto. Stocks. Real Estate.</li>
<li><strong>Relationships</strong>: Be good to my family. Build a good circle of primarily male friends who have similar goals of reaching the top. Cutting out untrustworthy friends. Building a do-or-die brotherhood who help each other. Finding a good woman. Leading your family.</li>
<li><strong>Faith</strong>: Get closer to God</li>
<li><strong>Mind</strong>: Amass knowledge. Practice. Learn skills. Learn new languages. Fix mindset. Reading books.</li>
<li><strong>Style</strong>: Dress better. Smell Better. Look freaking great.</li>
<li><strong>Others</strong>: Body language, experience, game, stoicism, leadership, accountability, responsibility, frame control, emotional control, sexual interactions, looks maxing, personal branding, fighting, manly skills &amp; more</li>
<li><strong>Life setup</strong> (Male Advantage years 25 -40): Getting things in place to look, feel and be high value e.g. nice car, nice house, nice everything.</li>
</ol>
<p>So, to begin, I&rsquo;ll focus on 3 things. I won&rsquo;t do more than 3 things at a time because then the transformation will be exhaustive and I&rsquo;ll quit mid-way. I&rsquo;ll only do more when I can.</p>
<p>My first focus will be on Health/Body, Mind &amp; Faith/Spirituality. But along the way, I&rsquo;ll incorporate Others into the plan.</p>
<p>We have 5 years. I&rsquo;ve broken this into:</p>
<h2 id="year-1--2-body-mind-and-spirit">Year 1 &amp; 2: Body, Mind, and Spirit</h2>
<h2 id="year-3--4-wealth-style--others">Year 3 &amp; 4: Wealth, Style &amp; Others</h2>
<h2 id="year-5-life-setup--relationships">Year 5: Life setup &amp; Relationships</h2>
<p>Here&rsquo;s how I think about it.</p>
<p>You can&rsquo;t have a nice house and a hot chick if you don&rsquo;t have money or relationship skills, you can&rsquo;t have money. if you don&rsquo;t have the skills.</p>
<p>Now, of course, you can be fat with mental issues and still be rich or you can have a nice body but still be broke. The key is not 100% of all these things but 70% even 60% across the board.</p>
<p>Now life setup and relationships are last, not because you should avoid your family or not set up your life well but rather because I believe you&rsquo;ll have more time and resources in the future that you can use to set them up better, let&rsquo;s take life setup, for example, it requires money. Relationships require time.</p>
<p>You don&rsquo;t want a situation where you are busy chasing girls while doing the above, it will likely end in a catastrophe. You can also decide to go the road of faking a good lifestyle but people will smell it on you that you don&rsquo;t have half of what you brag about on social media.</p>
<p>You should first build your body, this will allow you to &ldquo;focus&rdquo; on building the mind all while you are connecting to your spirituality. A healthy body + a healthy spirituality = an even healthier mind. You need all these pieces to go to step 2 which is where we primarily focus on making money, improving style and more. Once you are fit, clothes fit you better. And with the halo effect + hypergamy to your advantage, it becomes a done deal.</p>
<p>The Bible is an amazing book that can build the mind as well as your spirituality.</p>
<p>These three things are connected because they form you. No one can take your knowledge, skills, and strength from you of course except God.</p>
<p>But man can take your wealth, your clothes, your life setup, your cars, your girl and even destroy your relationships. That&rsquo;s why you need to build YOU first then build all the others because then you already have the skills, the knowledge, the experience, the body, the mind and the spirit, building whatever is stolen is easier. Plus once you follow this systematically, who would even dare try to take your stuff or your girl. You&rsquo;ll be rich, jacked, know how taekwondo or something and have The Almighty God by your side. No one will want to fuck with you because you are UNSTOPPABLE. This is what girls love in a man. Ambition. Wealth. Determination. Prespicacity as Andrew Tate, the top G says. These are the benefits of following this order.</p>
<p>Another thing about this is this order is the best way to build a foundation.</p>
<p>I&rsquo;ll go on this &ldquo;hero&rsquo;s journey&rdquo; with you. The goal or rather the light at the end of the tunnel is YOU being the top g, having time and financial freedom with an abundance of resources.</p>
<p>In the next post, I&rsquo;ll talk a bit about who I am, who an outlier male is, and why we should strive to become like him. ({ADONIS} in Hamza&rsquo;s voice)</p>
<p>In the next post after that, I&rsquo;ll cover my plans for body, mind, and spirit, the foundational pillars. And, by the way, you don&rsquo;t have to be a Christian to follow these. In spirituality, for example, you can meditate. I am however going to write it the way I&rsquo;m doing it.</p>
<p>Remember the goal is to become a truly top-tier man by the time 5 years a done.</p>
<p>For those who want to join in on this. By next week, I&rsquo;ll have set up a group where we can keep each other accountable and help each other.</p>
<h3 id="now-remember-we-are-all-beginners-even-me-i-dont-know-more-than-you-and-im-not-in-a-better-position-than-you-i-just-have-good-mentors-and-have-stolen-bits-and-pieces-from-their-word-and-have-made-this-so-you-dont-have-to-watch-100-self-improvement-videos-and-read-10-books-so-relax-lets-take-this-step-by-step">Now remember, we are all beginners, even me. I don&rsquo;t know more than you and I&rsquo;m not in a better position than you. I just have good mentors and have stolen bits and pieces from their word and have made this so you don&rsquo;t have to watch 100 self improvement videos and read 10 books. So relax, let&rsquo;s take this step by step.</h3>
<p>Thank you and have a good one.</p>
<p>P.S. Kindly note that this program is mainly targeted toward men but women are allowed to join. Also, while the program is free the group will be paid in order to avoid spam and disrespectful people from joining. The benefits of this group are endless. I&rsquo;ll talk about the group soon. The platforms are either Discord or Telegram.</p>
<p>This will eventually become paid once we are done with the first section, only those who join now, within the first 2 years since the posting of this article will get in for free.</p>
<iframe src="https://anchor.fm/stephenajulu/embed/episodes/How-Im-Going-to-Become-an-Outlier-Male-and-How-You-Can-Too-e1srjeu" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/photo-nic-khhukoxqo4k-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>YouTube video player</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/advice-from-a-multi-millionaire-on-life-optimization-alex-becker/</link><pubDate>Sat, 17 Dec 2022 17:00:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/advice-from-a-multi-millionaire-on-life-optimization-alex-becker/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;If you&amp;rsquo;re a young dude and you feel lost/directionless..especially in terms of success&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This is why. It comes down to 3 things&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Brain Deficiency, Brain Addictions, and Life Overcomplexity&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Fix these&amp;hellip;you&amp;rsquo;ll likely figure out what you want and make it faster than you think. Thread&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To make it you need clarity of thought, passionate thought at the RIGHT things, and focus of thought.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you have these you will know what you want &amp;amp; high-level thoughts towards this thing and it will be laser-focused.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&rsquo;re a young dude and you feel lost/directionless..especially in terms of success</p>
<p>This is why. It comes down to 3 things</p>
<p>Brain Deficiency, Brain Addictions, and Life Overcomplexity</p>
<p>Fix these&hellip;you&rsquo;ll likely figure out what you want and make it faster than you think. Thread</p>
<p>To make it you need clarity of thought, passionate thought at the RIGHT things, and focus of thought.</p>
<p>If you have these you will know what you want &amp; high-level thoughts towards this thing and it will be laser-focused.</p>
<p>Thus you will get very good at it fast. Here&rsquo;s how</p>
<h2 id="a-brain-deficiency">A) Brain deficiency.</h2>
<p>If your mind is always in a fog. This fog does 2 things.</p>
<p>1. Makes thinking hard<br>
2. KILLS motivation</p>
<p>If you have neither, you will not have the drive or clarity to understand what you want or pursue.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s an automatic game over at step 1.</p>
<p>Brain fog comes from inflammation OR the body being in an overloaded/healing state.</p>
<p>This comes from booze, drugs, sugar, processed food, too much food, or environmental factors.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s how you fix it.</p>
<p>STOP PUTTING STUPID SHIT IN YOUR BODY. Eat only low-inflammatory food.</p>
<p>Yes, there are supplements, etc.</p>
<p>95% of it is simply reducing your diet to clean meat, vegetables, and carbs.</p>
<p>Keyword REDUCTION. Keep a simple bland AF low inflammatory diet you can repeat.</p>
<p>Any diet can work.</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I-xTGAQUCG0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2 id="b-brain-addictions">B) Brain addictions</h2>
<p>Now that you can THINK/access motivation, your brain must DESIRE what will move you forward.</p>
<p>It cannot do this if you DESIRE other stuff.</p>
<p>The problem is your brain does not desire success, it desires whatever generates the most dopamine.</p>
<p>Your brain rigs itself to default to the source of most dopamine in an environment.</p>
<p>Social media/Video Games/Partying/TV etc. This gives your brain a HUGE hit.</p>
<p>THUS your brain will focus on these things and ignore successful things.</p>
<p>HOWEVER once removed, your brain&hellip;</p>
<p>Will again&hellip;default to the next highest thing.</p>
<p>REMOVE shit till your brain is so bored it defaults to something productive.</p>
<p>This is how you find your passion. Your brain will automatically find something to cling to</p>
<p>Remove things for it to cling to till it hits something good</p>
<p>When you do this since your brain can&rsquo;t get dopamine elsewhere it will become obsessed over the good things.</p>
<p>You will then be able to work on the good thing in the same way addicts play WoW for 24 hours straight</p>
<p>In short: Remove anything you find yourself focusing on that bad</p>
<p>Here is an example of me doing this.</p>
<p>While I play games now, while I was building my company (now valued at 9 figures)</p>
<p>I removed all sources of dopamine from my life.</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/868BlSS8Wg0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2 id="c-life-complexity">C) Life complexity</h2>
<p>Now you have motivation, clarity, and desire.</p>
<p>The last thing is life complexity.</p>
<p>Most men have SO MUCH SHIT in their life they have to deal with.</p>
<p>Car, furniture, friends/GF, rent, house. Think of all the shit you have to deal with every day and manage.</p>
<p>This eats up so much of your energy and time. This energy and time should be focused on making you successful.</p>
<p>Not dealing with trivial life bullshit. You will have all of your old age to collect furniture and horde and deal with your wife or own a boat.</p>
<p>Put it off&hellip;</p>
<p>In short. Move away from people, live somewhere cheap, own nothing, and voila. Your entire time/energy is free to chase your goals.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s a bigger thought explanation of it.</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i3IUsGxraHw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>If you do those 3. Voila.</p>
<p>You have clarity, motivation, desire &amp; energy, time, and focus. This is all a man needs to achieve what he wants.</p>
<p>Doing this has built me a 9 figure company, an income of millions per month, and a life of purpose where I just wake up and have fun every day.</p>
<p>The only PROBLEM with these 3 things is it requires you to actually sacrifice many things.</p>
<p>However, if you fail to sacrifice now, your goals/purpose/what you really want out of life will instead be the sacrifice.</p>
<p>So in short.</p>
<p>Stop being a beta male pussy ass boy who needs constant sugar, Tik Tok, women&rsquo;s approval, and house/objects that financially stretch you to feel &ldquo;okay&rdquo;.</p>
<p>Stop being a bitch who&rsquo;s scared of giving up the smallest comfort to get what you want.</p>
<p>The end.</p>
<p>BONUS: Stop reading self-help books. Stop chasing motivation. Stop with the RAW RAW &ldquo;GRINDING&rdquo; high talk low action Instagram lifestyle bull shit.</p>
<p>Stop being a Tik Tok boy, sacrifice the stupid shit that holds you back, and just get your fucking priorities in order.</p>
<h4 id="who-is-alex-becker">Who is Alex Becker?</h4>
<p>Alex Beker is a famous, multi-faceted online marketer, entrepreneur, author, and speaker who has made it big and continues to invest his wealth in projects that he believes will continue making him millions as he pursues his interests. He is the founder of Hyros(sold recently for 110 million dollars), and, Source Wave, MarketHero. He is currently building NeoTokyo. He is also a famous YouTuber.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/10-pillars-of-wealth-alex-becker-1024x686-1.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>8 Basic Laws Of Men</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/8-basic-laws-of-men/</link><pubDate>Thu, 10 Nov 2022 21:30:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/8-basic-laws-of-men/</guid><description>&lt;h3 id="law-1-build-your-foundation"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Law 1: Build Your Foundation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 id="law-2-equip-yourself-for-the-journey"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Law 2: Equip Yourself For The Journey&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 id="law-3-avoid-the-major-unnecessary-obstacles"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Law 3: Avoid The Major Unnecessary Obstacles&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 id="law-4-tap-into-your-masculine-energy"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Law 4: Tap Into Your Masculine Energy&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 id="law-5-find-a-brotherhood"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Law 5: Find A Brotherhood&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 id="law-6-pick-the-right-woman"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Law 6: Pick The Right Woman&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 id="law-7-inspire-with-your-victory"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Law 7: Inspire With Your Victory&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 id="law-8-grow-your-net-worth"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Law 8: Grow Your Net Worth&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Photo by &lt;a href="https://unsplash.com/@jens_lindner?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText"&gt;Jens Lindner&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText"&gt;Unsplash&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3 id="law-1-build-your-foundation"><strong>Law 1: Build Your Foundation</strong></h3>
<h3 id="law-2-equip-yourself-for-the-journey"><strong>Law 2: Equip Yourself For The Journey</strong></h3>
<h3 id="law-3-avoid-the-major-unnecessary-obstacles"><strong>Law 3: Avoid The Major Unnecessary Obstacles</strong></h3>
<h3 id="law-4-tap-into-your-masculine-energy"><strong>Law 4: Tap Into Your Masculine Energy</strong></h3>
<h3 id="law-5-find-a-brotherhood"><strong>Law 5: Find A Brotherhood</strong></h3>
<h3 id="law-6-pick-the-right-woman"><strong>Law 6: Pick The Right Woman</strong></h3>
<h3 id="law-7-inspire-with-your-victory"><strong>Law 7: Inspire With Your Victory</strong></h3>
<h3 id="law-8-grow-your-net-worth"><strong>Law 8: Grow Your Net Worth</strong></h3>
<p>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jens_lindner?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Jens Lindner</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/jens-lindner-dp6g1yjwqca-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B Peterson - Digested Book</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/book-summary-12-rules-by-jordan-peterson/</link><pubDate>Thu, 10 Nov 2022 20:50:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/book-summary-12-rules-by-jordan-peterson/</guid><description>&lt;blockquote&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;J&lt;/strong&gt;ust a few years ago, I was an unknown professor writing academic books that nobody read. Then, with God’s help, I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and develop my potential. Pinkos and wishy-washy liberals had cornered the market in cod psychology, so I guessed there must be a huge hunger for a self-help book, backed up with religion, mythology, CAPITAL LETTERS, and stating the obvious – one directed at responsible, socially minded conservatives craving some pseudointellectual ideology to prop up their beliefs. And bingo! Here are my 12 Rules for Life.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<p><strong>J</strong>ust a few years ago, I was an unknown professor writing academic books that nobody read. Then, with God’s help, I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and develop my potential. Pinkos and wishy-washy liberals had cornered the market in cod psychology, so I guessed there must be a huge hunger for a self-help book, backed up with religion, mythology, CAPITAL LETTERS, and stating the obvious – one directed at responsible, socially minded conservatives craving some pseudointellectual ideology to prop up their beliefs. And bingo! Here are my 12 Rules for Life.</p>
<p>Jordan Peterson</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="1-stand-up-straight-with-your-shoulders-straight"><strong>1 Stand up straight with your shoulders straight</strong></h3>
<p>Most lobsters are complete bastards left to their own devices. Most humans are complete bastards left to their own devices. This proves there is a God who wants us to have order. Order is Masculine and Chaos is Feminine. Therefore to move towards Order, we all need to man up. Happiness is pointless. We are all on this Earth to suffer. So learn to suffer like a man. Not everyone can be as rich and successful as me, but try to be less of a failure than you already are.</p>
<h3 id="2-treat-yourself-like-someone-you-are-responsible-for-helping"><strong>2 Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping</strong></h3>
<p>The story of the Garden of Eden shows that we are all touched by Original Sin But you have a choice. You can either seek Heaven or be dragged down into Hell. Yes, you have a shameful, sinful nature but for God’s sake just make a bit of an effort. Stop waiting for other people to dig you out of your pitiful hole.</p>
<h3 id="3-befriend-people-who-want-the-best-for-you"><strong>3 Befriend people who want the best for you</strong></h3>
<p>We are all Being. Just some of us are better Beings. Learn to tell the difference. Some people are beyond help. They are merely exploiting the willingness of good people to help them and, as Dostoyevsky rightly observes, will drag you down to their level. So stick with the winners. If people are determined to screw up, let them. They are nothing to do with the Divine Purpose.</p>
<h3 id="4-compare-yourself-to-who-you-were-yesterday-not-the-useless-person-you-are-today"><strong>4 Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not the useless person you are today</strong></h3>
<p>Face it, you’re never going to be that smart, so don’t compare yourself to someone who is. Start by getting on your knees to pray. Even if you don’t Believe in God. Atheists are merely people who are blinded to the true way of Being. There, you feel marginally less useless already.</p>
<h3 id="5-do-not-let-your-children-do-anything-that-makes-you-dislike-them"><strong>5 Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them</strong></h3>
<p>Remember that children are born with Original Sin and have a huge capacity for Evil. They are not Innocent Beings. They need Discipline if they are going to grow up to be even vaguely worthwhile humans. And slap them if necessary – don’t listen to what the lefties say.</p>
<h3 id="6-set-your-house-in-order-before-you-criticize-the-world"><strong>6 Set your house in order before you criticize the world</strong></h3>
<p>Remember the story of Cain and Abel? Well, read it then. Yes, Abel was a schmuck who deserved to die and Cain wasn’t quite as goddamn perfect as he thought he was. He deserved to die, too. We all deserve to die. So stop moaning if someone is richer and better-looking than you.</p>
<h3 id="7-pursue-what-is-meaningful-not-what-is-expedient"><strong>7 Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient</strong></h3>
<p>Life is suffering. The Book of Genesis tells us that. There is no easy way around this. So quit looking for shortcuts and start reading Nietzsche.</p>
<h3 id="8-tell-the-truth-or-at-least-dont-lie"><strong>8 Tell the truth. Or at least don’t lie</strong></h3>
<p>To be honest, I’m scrabbling around for things but my publishers tell me I need 12. By telling you the Truth about this, I am an Improved Being. Certainly better than you.</p>
<p><a href="https://kol.jumia.com/api/click/custom/b60029f6-9eb7-4fab-b6b9-7698d536aef4/0e1c47ed-cc97-3a21-846e-3217fd1ea92a?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jumia.co.ke%2Fjumia-books-12-rules-for-life-an-antidote-to-chaos-53122865.html">12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, by Jordan B Peterson (Jumia 1,800/=)</a></p>
<h3 id="9-assume-the-person-you-are-listening-to-knows-something-you-dont"><strong>9 Assume the person you are listening to knows something you don’t</strong></h3>
<p>Just shut up, quit moaning, and listen to me. I know things you don’t. So don’t expect me to listen to you. That’s not the way things work. I’m here to make you feel Better about Yourself by telling you things you already know in a way that makes you feel clever.</p>
<h3 id="10-be-precise-in-your-speech"><strong>10 Be precise in your speech</strong></h3>
<p>Confront the chaos of Being. Don’t try to beat about the bush. Things are going to be terrible. Oedipus killed his Dad. You may well kill yours. Get over it. Face up to the real horrors of the world.</p>
<h3 id="11-do-not-bother-children-while-they-are-skateboarding"><strong>11 Do not bother children while they are skateboarding</strong></h3>
<p>This is the rule that’s the real catnip for right-wingers everywhere. Want to know why the world is falling apart? It’s because liberals are turning boys into girlies with their namby-pamby ways. Let boys do boy things and girls do girl things. Nowhere in the Bible does God say anything about this trans nonsense. There’s nothing wrong with men having all the best jobs and women staying home to look after the kids. So back off, ladies, and give us men a break.</p>
<h3 id="12-pet-a-cat-when-you-encounter-one-in-the-street"><strong>12 Pet a cat when you encounter one in the street</strong></h3>
<p>OK. So I really am scraping the barrel now. We’re all going to die. Probably painfully. So just make the best of what you’ve got. If you see a cat, stroke it. You might feel better. Though probably not. And if there are no cats, pet something else. Like a dog.</p>
<p><strong>Digested read:</strong> Blessed are the Strong, for they shall inherit the Earth.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/book_nrd_20180319_french.webp" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Get Your Health and Life Back While Also Reversing Diseases</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/get-your-health-and-life-back-while-also-reversing-diseases/</link><pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 15:16:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/get-your-health-and-life-back-while-also-reversing-diseases/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Hello, to begin I&amp;rsquo;d like to inform you that 90% of all diseases man experiences are man-made.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;No, not in the way you think. They are man-made in that, man himself made them, e.g Diabetes, Cancer, Metabolic Syndrome, Lactose Intolerance, Allergies, Hypertension, Ulcers, Obesity, and many more. We made them when we decided to deviate away from our natural way of eating and living. We are currently looking at a 50% decline in fertility(both male and female) since 1960. That&amp;rsquo;s a lot considering the small gap.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello, to begin I&rsquo;d like to inform you that 90% of all diseases man experiences are man-made.</p>
<p>No, not in the way you think. They are man-made in that, man himself made them, e.g Diabetes, Cancer, Metabolic Syndrome, Lactose Intolerance, Allergies, Hypertension, Ulcers, Obesity, and many more. We made them when we decided to deviate away from our natural way of eating and living. We are currently looking at a 50% decline in fertility(both male and female) since 1960. That&rsquo;s a lot considering the small gap.</p>
<p>We have begun feeding ourselves toxic foreign materials that end up inflaming, restricting, and destroying our wonderful bodies. Not only are we eating the wrong things, but we are also eating the wrong way.</p>
<p>Today I&rsquo;ll tell you how to get your life and health back.</p>
<h3 id="step-1-remove-most99-processed-foods">Step 1: Remove MOST(99%) processed foods</h3>
<p>To begin we must first deduct before adding. Remove most of your processed foods, foods that have been marketed, and foods that come in packaging.</p>
<p>Leave the ones that have 1, 2, or 3 ingredients max.</p>
<h3 id="step-2-remove-everything-with-either-sunflower-soybean-grape-seed-canola-rapeseed-or-sesame-oil">Step 2: Remove EVERYTHING with either Sunflower, Soybean, Grape Seed, Canola, Rapeseed, or Sesame oil</h3>
<p>These oils have been known to be extremely toxic to all living things, especially humans. They go rancid very quickly and even cause cancer because they become oxidized when heated.</p>
<p>To learn more visit my article: <a href="https://stephenajulu.com/blog/why-i-advocate-for-saturated-fats-over-vegetable-oils/"><strong>Why I Advocate For Saturated Fats over &ldquo;Vegetable&rdquo; Oils</strong></a></p>
<p><strong>Replace all your vegetable oils except Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Butter, Tallow, Lard, or Ghee.</strong></p>
<h3 id="step-3-remove-all-processed-meats">Step 3: Remove all processed meats</h3>
<p>Processed meats have soy which is known to cause male infertility. Plus they also have vegetable oils and preservatives which disrupt your endocrine system, inadvertently affecting your fertility.</p>
<p>You can learn more about processed meats, soy, vegetable oils, and other endocrine disruptors here: <a href="https://stephenajulu.com/blog/endocrine-disruptors-what-they-are-how-to-avoid-them/"><strong>Endocrine Disruptors: What They Are and How To Avoid Them</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>
<h3 id="step-4-use-whole-unprocessed-foods">Step 4: Use whole, unprocessed foods</h3>
<p>These contain all your body needs to grow stronger and fight diseases.</p>
<h3 id="step-5-eat-plenty-of-beef-meat-lamb-meat-goat-meat-organ-meats-wild-fish-meat-and-poultry-eggs">Step 5: Eat plenty of beef meat, lamb meat, goat meat, organ meats, wild fish meat, and poultry eggs</h3>
<p>This will provide you with the vital amino acids that will repair your body and help it become stronger and more capable. If you eat fatty meat, it will also help provide the ready ingredients(<strong>Amino Acids + Cholestrol</strong>) used in hormonal synthesis.</p>
<h3 id="step-6-eat-full-fat-dairy-products-from-pasture-raisedfed-cattle">Step 6: Eat full-fat dairy products from pasture-raised/fed cattle</h3>
<h3 id="step-7-use-only-traditional-vegetable-oils-such-as-extra-virgin-olive-oil">Step 7: Use only traditional vegetable oils such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil</h3>
<h3 id="step-8-eat-fresh-organic-fruits-and-vegetables-especially-seasonal-fruits-and-lacto-fermented-vegetables-eg-saurkraut-limit-fruits">Step 8: Eat fresh organic fruits and vegetables especially seasonal fruits and Lacto-fermented vegetables e.g. Saurkraut. Limit fruits.</h3>
<h3 id="step-9-use-filtered-water-for-cooking-and-drinking">Step 9: Use filtered water for cooking and drinking</h3>
<h3 id="step-10-use-unrefined-salt-and-a-variety-of-organic-herbs-and-spices">Step 10: Use unrefined salt and a variety of organic herbs and spices</h3>
<h3 id="step-11-make-your-own-salad-dressing-using-raw-vinegarraw-apple-cider-vinegar-with-mother-extra-virgin-oil-andor-natural-honey">Step 11: Make your own salad dressing using raw vinegar(Raw apple cider vinegar with mother), extra virgin oil, and/or natural honey</h3>
<h3 id="step-12-use-traditional-sweeteners-eg-honey-in-moderation">Step 12: Use traditional sweeteners e.g honey in moderation</h3>
<h3 id="step-13-use-only-unpasteurized-wine-or-beer-in-strict-moderation">Step 13: Use only unpasteurized wine or beer in strict moderation</h3>
<h3 id="step-14-cook-only-in-stainless-steel-cast-iron-or-good-quality-ceramic-pans">Step 14: Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, or good quality ceramic pans</h3>
<h3 id="step-15-use-only-natural-food-based-supplements">Step 15: Use only natural, food-based supplements</h3>
<p>Synthetic supplements made in the lab are not bio-available and hence are not absorbed.</p>
<h3 id="step-16-get-plenty-of-sleep-exercise-and-natural-lightsun">Step 16: Get plenty of sleep, exercise, and natural light(sun)</h3>
<h3 id="step-17-think-positive-thoughts-and-practice-forgiveness">Step 17: Think positive thoughts and practice forgiveness</h3>
<h3 id="step-18-exercise-and-focus-on-compound-lifts">Step 18: Exercise and focus on COMPOUND LIFTS</h3>
<h3 id="step-19-journal-or-write-a-diary">Step 19: Journal or write a diary</h3>
<h3 id="step-20-prepare-homemade-stocks-from-bones-of-pastured-cows-goats-and-chicken">Step 20: Prepare homemade stocks from bones of pastured cows, goats, and chicken</h3>
<h3 id="step-21-use-whole-grains-legumes-and-nuts-avoid-wheat-and-any-other-grain-that-contains-gluten">Step 21: Use whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Avoid wheat and any other grain that contains gluten</h3>
<h3 id="step-22-stop-taking-sugar-and-msg">Step 22: STOP taking sugar and MSG!</h3>
<p>These are by far the most dangerous products aside from vegetable oils. They have been shown to grow cancer and cause insulin resistance. Avoid them at all costs. Limit fruits and honey as much as possible. I&rsquo;d even recommend that you avoid fruits, honey, artificial sweeteners, and MSG.</p>
<p>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@chrisjoelcampbell?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Christopher Campbell</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/healthy-woman?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/christopher-campbell-kfcdflbu6za-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Endocrine Disruptors: What They Are &amp; How To Avoid Them</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/endocrine-disruptors-what-they-are-how-to-avoid-them/</link><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2022 21:03:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/endocrine-disruptors-what-they-are-how-to-avoid-them/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;In this article, I will go over endocrine disruptors that disrupt normal hormonal health. Let&amp;rsquo;s first start with the definition and work of the endocrine system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 id="what-is-the-endocrine-system-and-what-are-its-functions"&gt;What is the endocrine system and what are its functions?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The endocrine system is a complex network of glands, hormones, and receptors. It provides the key communication and control link between the nervous system and bodily functions such as reproduction, immunity, metabolism, and behavior.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this article, I will go over endocrine disruptors that disrupt normal hormonal health. Let&rsquo;s first start with the definition and work of the endocrine system.</p>
<h4 id="what-is-the-endocrine-system-and-what-are-its-functions">What is the endocrine system and what are its functions?</h4>
<p>The endocrine system is a complex network of glands, hormones, and receptors. It provides the key communication and control link between the nervous system and bodily functions such as reproduction, immunity, metabolism, and behavior.</p>
<p><img src="https://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/endocrine/images/picture_body.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>In nearly all complex multicellular animals, there are two main systems controlling and coordinating the processes within the body:</p>
<ul>
<li>The nervous system exerts rapid point-to-point control by means of electrical signals passing down the nerves to particular organs or tissues.</li>
<li>The endocrine system, is a slower system based on chemical messengers, the hormones, which are secreted into the blood (or other extracellular fluids) and can reach all parts of the body.</li>
</ul>
<p>The nervous system works in tandem with the endocrine system to control all bodily functions and processes. The endocrine system has three main components:</p>
<p><strong><em>Endocrine glands</em></strong> are situated at various sites around the body, and in specialized areas of the brain. The cells in these glands secrete specific chemicals called hormones.</p>
<p><strong><em>Hormones</em></strong> circulate around the body via the bloodstream and modulate cellular or organ functions by binding with receptors in the target cells. Hormones that stimulate and control the activity of other endocrine glands are called trophic hormones.</p>
<p><strong><em>Receptors</em></strong> in the target cells, once activated by binding of the hormone, regulate the functions and processes in the tissue through interactions with the cell&rsquo;s DNA or other complex intracellular signaling processes.</p>
<p>The main human hormones and their functions are shown below :</p>
<table>
  <thead>
      <tr>
          <th>Gland</th>
          <th>Hormones</th>
          <th>Functions</th>
      </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
      <tr>
          <td>Hypothalamus</td>
          <td>Releasing hormones</td>
          <td>Stimulate pituitary activity</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
          <td>Pituitary</td>
          <td>Trophic (stimulating) hormones</td>
          <td>Stimulate thyroid, adrenal, gonadal and pancreatic activity</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
          <td>Thyroid</td>
          <td>Thyroid hormones</td>
          <td>Regulate metabolism, growth and development, behaviour and puberty</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
          <td>Adrenal</td>
          <td>Corticosteroid hormones Catecholamines</td>
          <td>Regulate metabolism Regulate behaviour</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
          <td>Pancreas</td>
          <td>Insulin and glucagon</td>
          <td>Regulate blood sugar levels</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
          <td>Gonads</td>
          <td>Sex steroid hormones (androgens and oestrogens)</td>
          <td>Regulate development &amp; growth, reproduction, immunity, onset of puberty and behaviour</td>
      </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>
<p>The production and circulating levels of hormones are controlled by means of negative feedback processes. For example, the synthesis of thyroid hormone is stimulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) produced by the pituitary gland. If blood levels of thyroid hormone fall, a part of the brain, the hypothalamus, responds to the change and releases thyroid hormone-releasing hormone (TRH), which stimulates a particular cell type in the pituitary to increase TSH synthesis. As thyroid hormone levels in blood again rise in response to TSH, TRH production is reduced and, in turn, TSH secretion is suppressed. Such feedback systems maintain the balance of various body systems (operating in a fashion analogous to the system that controls a domestic central heating system) - a process known as homeostasis.</p>
<p><img src="https://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/endocrine/images/graph/negative_feedback.gif" alt=""></p>
<p>Excerpt from: <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/endocrine/definitions/definitions_en.htm">European Commission</a></p>
<h4 id="what-are-some-of-the-examples-of-hormones-and-their-functions">What are some of the examples of hormones and their functions?</h4>
<p>Some examples of hormones secreted by the endocrine system are:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone)</strong> - is produced by the pituitary gland to influence the release of corticosteroid hormones from the adrenal glands.</li>
<li><strong>ADH (antidiuretic hormone, vasopressin)</strong> - is produced by the pituitary gland to stimulate water reabsorption by the kidney tubules.</li>
<li><strong>Adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine)</strong> - are two hormones formed in the adrenal gland that help the body to react (e.g., flight or fight, body defense mechanisms) under stressful conditions (they can increase the heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, blood clotting rate).</li>
<li><strong>Estrogen</strong> - a female sex hormone produced by the ovaries prior to ovulation</li>
<li><strong>Testosterone</strong> - is a male sex hormone produced by the testes, ovaries, and adrenal glands.</li>
<li><strong>Insulin</strong> - is secreted by the pancreas and regulates the storage and use of carbohydrates in the body.</li>
<li><strong>Thyroid hormone</strong> - is produced in the thyroid and influences the function of virtually every cell in the body (growth, development, and metabolism).</li>
<li><strong>Progesterone</strong> - a female hormone that is secreted by ovaries after ovulation. Necessary for childbearing &amp; birth</li>
</ul>
<h4 id="what-are-endocrine-disruptors">What are endocrine disruptors?</h4>
<p>Chemicals are an essential component of our daily lives. But some chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors, can have harmful effects on the body&rsquo;s endocrine (hormone) system. Hormones act in very small amounts and at precise moments in time to regulate the body&rsquo;s development, growth, reproduction, metabolism, immunity, and behavior. Endocrine disruptors interfere with natural hormone systems, and the health effects can be felt long after the exposure has stopped. Exposure to endocrine disruptors in the womb can have life-long effects and can even have consequences for the next generation.</p>
<h4 id="what-are-the-mechanisms-of-disruption">What are the mechanisms of disruption?</h4>
<p>Some chemicals can act on the endocrine system to disturb the homeostatic mechanisms of the body or to initiate processes at abnormal times in the life cycle. The chemicals can exert their effects through a number of different mechanisms:</p>
<ul>
<li>They may mimic the biological activity of a hormone by binding to a cellular receptor, leading to an unwarranted response by initiating the cell&rsquo;s normal response to the naturally occurring hormone at the wrong time or to an excessive extent (<strong>agonistic effect</strong>).</li>
<li>They may bind to the receptor but not activate it. Instead, the presence of the chemical on the receptor will prevent the binding of the natural hormone (<strong>antagonistic effect</strong>).</li>
<li>They may <strong>bind to transport proteins</strong> in the blood, thus altering the amounts of natural hormones that are present in the circulation.</li>
<li>They <strong>may interfere with the metabolic processes</strong> in the body, affecting the synthesis or breakdown rates of the natural hormones.</li>
</ul>
<h4 id="what-are-the-types-of-endocrine-disruptors">What are the types of endocrine disruptors?</h4>
<ol>
<li><strong>Natural Hormones:</strong><br>
Released into the environment from an animal and chemicals produced by one species that exert hormonal actions on other animals. For example, human hormones unintentionally reactivated during the processing of human waste in sewage effluent may result in changes to fish.</li>
<li><strong>Natural Chemicals:</strong><br>
Includes toxins produced by components of plants (the so-called <strong>phytoestrogens</strong>, such as genistein or coumestrol) and certain fungi.</li>
<li><strong>Synthetically Produced Pharmaceuticals:</strong><br>
These are intended to be highly hormonally active. Examples include the contraceptive pill and treatments for hormone-responsive cancers. These may also be detected in sewage effluent.</li>
<li><strong>Man-made Chemicals:</strong><br>
and by-products released into the environment. Laboratory experiments have suggested that some man-made chemicals might be able to cause endocrine changes. These include some pesticides (including DDT and other chlorinated compounds), chemicals in some consumer and medical products (such as some plastic additives), and a number of industrial chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins).</li>
</ol>
<h4 id="what-are-the-known-endocrine-disruptors">What are the known endocrine disruptors?</h4>
<ol>
<li><strong>Fluoride</strong> - Commonly in tap water, and fluoride toothpaste among other fluoride products</li>
<li><strong>Bisphenol A (BPA), Phthalates &amp; Phenol</strong> - Found in plastics and food storage materials</li>
<li><strong>Fabrics that are treated with flame retardants</strong></li>
<li><strong>Most products with fragrance, and anti-bacterial soaps</strong></li>
<li>S<strong>oy-based products</strong> - Contain phytoestrogens, which are chemicals produced by plants that mimic estrogen</li>
<li><strong>DDT, Chlorpyrifos, Atrazine, 2, 4-D &amp; Glyphosate</strong> - Found in pesticides</li>
<li><strong>Lead &amp; cadmium</strong></li>
<li><strong>Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Brominated Flame Retardants &amp; Dioxins</strong> - Found in industrial solvents, lubricants, electronics, and building materials</li>
<li><strong>Parabens &amp; UV Filters</strong> - Found in personal care products, medical tubing, and sunscreen</li>
<li><strong>Triclosan</strong> - Found in antibacterial soaps and Colgate total</li>
<li><strong>Perfluorochemicals</strong> - Found in textiles, clothing, non-stick food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, and old Teflon cookware</li>
<li><strong>Insecticides &amp; Pesticides</strong></li>
<li><strong>Most cosmetics</strong></li>
<li><strong>Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)</strong> - Used in non-stick coated pans and cookware</li>
</ol>
<h4 id="what-are-the-effects-of-endocrine-disruptors">What are the effects of endocrine disruptors?</h4>
<h5 id="response-to-psychological-stress">Response to psychological stress</h5>
<ul>
<li>Neurological and behavioral changes</li>
<li>Reduced ability to handle stress</li>
</ul>
<h5 id="metabolism">Metabolism</h5>
<ul>
<li>Some EDCs have been linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes</li>
<li>Some industrial chemicals and flame retardants can interfere with thyroid function</li>
</ul>
<h5 id="reproduction">Reproduction</h5>
<ul>
<li>Some classes of EDCs (DDT, BPA, phthalates, PCBs, and others) can affect reproductive health by mimicking or blocking the effects of male and female sex hormones this, in turn, causes <strong>low sperm count and infertility, especially in men</strong></li>
</ul>
<h5 id="growth-and-development">Growth and development</h5>
<ul>
<li>High exposures to EDCs during gestation can lead to low-birth-weight</li>
<li>Altered development</li>
<li>Disrupted sexual development</li>
<li>Weakened immune system</li>
</ul>
<h5 id="cancer">Cancer</h5>
<ul>
<li>Exposure to estrogen or androgen mimicking EDCs can promote breast and prostate cancer growth and/or interfere with hormonal cancer therapy</li>
<li>Prenatal exposure to some EDCs may after mammary gland development and increase breast cancer risk later-in-life</li>
</ul>
<h1></h1>
<h3 id="how-to-avoid-endocrine-disruptors">How to Avoid Endocrine Disruptors</h3>
<p>You can&rsquo;t eliminate all contact with endocrine disruptors, but you can reduce your contact. Try these strategies when cleaning or cooking:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Buy organic produce.</strong> If organic food is not available or you can&rsquo;t afford it, wash your produce well, or peel it if possible.</li>
<li><strong>Buy simple foods</strong>. Choose foods that are less processed and come with a minimum of packaging.</li>
<li><strong>Choose products that don&rsquo;t contain fragrances.</strong> Manufacturers don&rsquo;t have to disclose what chemicals they use to make fragrances, but they are certain chemicals you don&rsquo;t need.</li>
<li><strong>Wash your hands often.</strong> By doing so, you&rsquo;ll get rid of chemicals that you may have picked up. Choose the plainest soap you can find, one without antibacterial properties or a fragrance. Your hands will get cleaner if you rub them briskly.</li>
<li><strong>Avoid plastics.</strong> See how many plastic products you can eliminate in your home. Store foods in glass or stainless steel.</li>
<li><strong>Keep it clean.</strong> Reduce particles of chemicals in the home by vacuuming often and wiping away dust with a damp cloth. Choose a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter and change other air filters often.</li>
<li><strong>Choose basic cleaners.</strong> Use vinegar, baking soda, and other basic cleaners as much as possible. If you need something stronger, look for a product that lists its ingredients.</li>
<li><strong>Increase animal protein and animal fat intake</strong>. This for example will raise testosterone and balance other key hormones due to the fact most hormones are made from protein and cholesterol. Animal protein and fat are chemically similar to our own hence making it easier to convert into the much-needed resources for hormonal protein synthesis</li>
<li><strong>Filter tap water.</strong> Tap water contains fluoride, estrogen, and a number of other endocrine disruptors and toxic chemicals. Choose a filter that uses solid block carbon.</li>
<li><strong>Avoid canned foods.</strong> Canned foods are lined with PBA.</li>
<li><strong>Switch to fluoride-free toothpaste</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>That&rsquo;s it for today. Let me know if you&rsquo;d like me to cover a topic. This is not medical advice and as such do your own research. Seek professional medical advice.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/benjamin-lehman-gkz-k3xf25w-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Why I Advocate For Saturated Fats Over Vegetable Oils(Updated)</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/why-i-advocate-for-saturated-fats-over-vegetable-oils/</link><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2022 19:19:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/why-i-advocate-for-saturated-fats-over-vegetable-oils/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Here&amp;rsquo;s why I believe saturated animal fats, coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil should replace ALL your vegetable oils:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 id="1-vegetable-oils-are-not-actually-made-from-vegetables"&gt;1. Vegetable oils are not actually made from vegetables&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you carefully examine every vegetable oil ingredient you&amp;rsquo;ll find that they are actually made from seeds and not vegetables. There are no oils made from vegetables unless you decide an avocado is a vegetable. The fact that they lie to consumers that what you are cooking was made from vegetables proves the point that they are not good as they are using clever marketing, since it&amp;rsquo;s believed vegetables are good and healthy.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here&rsquo;s why I believe saturated animal fats, coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil should replace ALL your vegetable oils:</p>
<h3 id="1-vegetable-oils-are-not-actually-made-from-vegetables">1. Vegetable oils are not actually made from vegetables</h3>
<p>If you carefully examine every vegetable oil ingredient you&rsquo;ll find that they are actually made from seeds and not vegetables. There are no oils made from vegetables unless you decide an avocado is a vegetable. The fact that they lie to consumers that what you are cooking was made from vegetables proves the point that they are not good as they are using clever marketing, since it&rsquo;s believed vegetables are good and healthy.</p>
<h3 id="2-seed-vegetable-oils-are-unstable">2. Seed &ldquo;vegetable&rdquo; oils are unstable</h3>
<p>Vegetable oils are either polyunsaturated or trans fats/oils.</p>
<h5 id="heres-an-excerpt-from-a-nuffield-health-article-on-polyunsaturated-oils">Here&rsquo;s an excerpt from a <a href="https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/cooking-oils-a-guide-to-the-healthiest-fats#:~:text=Because%20of%20these%20multiple%20%27unsaturated,t%20be%20used%20in%20cooking.">Nuffield Health</a> article on polyunsaturated oils:</h5>
<p>Polyunsaturated fat, found in nut and seed oils, is liquid at room temperature. These fats, which include the popular sunflower seed oil, have more than one (poly) double bond in their carbon chain, and these carbon bonds are missing their hydrogen atoms.</p>
<p>Because of these multiple ‘unsaturated’ or ‘incomplete’ double bonds, polyunsaturated fats are chemically unstable and prone to oxidation. This makes them the worst oils to cook with, as heat produces damaging free radicals within the oils.</p>
<h5 id="heres-an-excerpt-from-a-medlineplus-article-on-trans-fats">Here&rsquo;s an excerpt from a <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000786.htm#:~:text=Trans%20fat%20is%20a%20type,fats%2C%20like%20shortening%20or%20margarine."><strong>MedlinePlus</strong></a> article on trans fats:</h5>
<p>Trans fat is a type of dietary fat. Of all the fats, trans fat is the worst for your health. Too much trans fat in your diet increases your risk for heart disease and other health problems.</p>
<p>Trans fats are made when food makers turn liquid oils into solid fats, like shortening or margarine. Trans fats can be found in many fried, &ldquo;fast&rdquo; packaged, or processed foods, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Anything fried and battered</li>
<li>Shortening and stick margarine</li>
<li>Cakes, cake mixes, pies, pie crust, and doughnuts</li>
</ul>
<p>Animal foods, such as red meats and dairy, have small amounts of trans fats. But most trans fats come from processed foods.</p>
<p>As you can see, both polyunsaturated oils and trans fats are detrimental to you health.</p>
<h3 id="3-seed-vegetable-oils-contain-radicals">3. Seed &ldquo;vegetable&rdquo; oils contain radicals</h3>
<h5 id="here-are-excerpts-on-radicals-especially-in-vegetable-oils-and-fats">Here are excerpts on radicals especially in vegetable oils and fats:</h5>
<p>Free radicals roam inside our bodies, damaging our cells and our DNA by oxidizing them. (What’s oxidation? Think rust. And for the science geeks, free radicals are molecules with an unpaired electron.)</p>
<p><strong>Fats and oils.</strong> Fats and oils can become oxidized from exposure to light, air, or heat. Not only does this create free radicals, but it also causes the unpleasant odors and flavor that we associate with rancidity. When you heat fats or oils to high temperatures, as with deep-frying, they can become oxidized, creating free radicals. This effect is amplified when cooking fats are reused, as they may be in restaurants. For this reason, don’t use these delicate oils for cooking: flaxseed oil and nut and seed oils.</p>
<h3 id="4--vegetable-oils-cause-modern-day-lifestyle-illnesses-such-as-hypertension-cancer-heart-disease-and-more">4.  Vegetable oils cause modern-day lifestyle illnesses such as hypertension, cancer, heart disease, and more</h3>
<h5 id="excerpts-from-lifespa">Excerpts from <a href="https://lifespa.com/diet-detox/diet/vegetable-oil-pufas/">LifeSpa</a></h5>
<p>Vegetable cooking oils were once touted as heart-healthy replacements for butter and lard. Unfortunately, they are the newest culprit in today’s rising levels of heart disease.</p>
<p>Sadly, because of the processed nature of these oils, much of it ends up deposited in fat cells. In fact, from 1959 to 2008, the amount of linoleic acid deposited in subcutaneous fat jumped from 9.1% to 21.5%.</p>
<p>One 2018 study reports that linoleic acid promotes oxidative stress, oxidized LDL (bad cholesterol), chronic low-grade inflammation, and atherosclerosis, and is likely a major dietary culprit for causing coronary heart disease, especially when consumed in the form of industrial seed oils commonly referred to as “vegetable oils.”</p>
<p>The amount of linoleic acid (processed vegetable oils) deposited in fat (belly fat, hips, cellulite) is associated with the risk of arterial health issues. <strong>Furthermore, high levels of omega-6 fatty acids built up in fat stores will reduce concentrations of heart-healthy long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]), most commonly found in fish oils.</strong></p>
<h5 id="for-those-opposing-the-above-point-my-question-to-you-is-this-why-is-it-that-heart-disease-cancer-and-hypertension-are-on-the-rise-despite-the-heart-healthy-free-of-cholesterol-vegetable-oils-commonly-used-today-why-is-it-that-since-we-replaced-saturated-and-monounsaturated-fatsoils-lifestyle-diseases-have-been-on-the-rise-answer-in-the-comments-just-look-at-obesity-we-are-a-morbidly-obese-race-never-before-has-humanity-been-this-fat-i-further-emphasize-these-points-with-this-excerpt">For those opposing the above point, my question to you is this. Why is it that heart disease, cancer, and hypertension are on the rise despite the &ldquo;heart-healthy&rdquo; &ldquo;free of cholesterol&rdquo; vegetable oils commonly used today? Why is it that since we replaced saturated and monounsaturated fats/oils lifestyle diseases have been on the rise? Answer in the comments. Just look at obesity. We are a morbidly obese race. Never before has humanity been this fat. I further emphasize these points with this excerpt:</h5>
<p>In the early 1900s, before the soybean introduction, vegetable oils were available for culinary use, but they looked much different than today. Seed oils were cold-pressed in dark warehouses and delivered in dark brown bottles in the wee hours of the morning—much like the milkmen we know of today. These oils were so volatile to oxidation that any light exposure would accelerate their rancidity.</p>
<p>Today, vegetable seed oils are industrially processed and oxidized to such an extent that for commercial cooking oils to have a stable shelf life, all the nutrients and protective antioxidants in the seed are processed out. These vegetable seed oils are boiled to over 400° Fahrenheit, denatured, bleached, and then deodorized because they smell so bad after processing. Contrary to the oils pressed and sold in dark rooms and dark bottles, today’s seed oils are void of the nutrients that once graced the seeds, so they can be sold 24/7 in clear plastic bottles in fully lit grocery stores.</p>
<p>Highly processed high linoleic acid vegetable oils are so stable, they use them to preserve food and extend shelf life. You will find them all in packaged food in the middle of your grocery store. Linoleic acids are so fully oxidized that not only are they toxic and damaging to the arterial wall, but intestinal microbes that typically feed on essential fatty acids and fiber won’t touch them.</p>
<p>Bread, for example, years ago would get hard and stale in just one day, making your local baker a regular stop on your shopping list. Today, bread stays soft for months thanks to highly processed vegetable oils used to extend shelf life—but not your life.</p>
<p>Beneficial microbes ingest good fats, but if microbes will not eat the processed fats in your bread, your bread will not go bad or mold. But when you eat the processed bread, those same microbes now in your gut won’t eat or digest them either. All the indigestible omega-6 fats end up in the liver to be broken down as toxic waste or stored in your fat as a toxic waste dump.</p>
<p>Today, gallbladder removal is the most common elective abdominal surgery in America. Gallstones, just one reason the gallbladder fails, affecting 10-15% of Americans, or 20-25 million people.</p>
<p>More importantly, why has gallbladder disease risen by 20%+ in the last 30 years? In large part, the answer is oxidized fats.</p>
<p>Heating PUFAs accelerates the free radical cascade of damage and oxidation in the body. In a famous New Zealand study, researchers evaluated arterial blood flow after a fried food meal. They used a blood pressure cuff to see how fast blood vessels would dilate back to normal after ingestion of a meal cooked in used fast food fryer oil.</p>
<p>The results were dramatic. Four hours after ingesting the meal cooked in one-week-old high omega-6 vegetable oil, they measured how quickly the artery would recover from the pressure of the blood pressure cuff. Before the meal, the vessels dilated normally, but afterward, there was almost no dilation!</p>
<p>What kinds of oils are making their way into your body? Hopefully now, armed with this information, you’ll look a little more carefully at processed foods and vegetable cooking oils, and opt instead for fresh foods and oils. They may go bad quicker, but they will keep you healthier.</p>
<h3 id="5-cholesterol-and-saturated-fats-are-essential">5. Cholesterol and saturated fats are ESSENTIAL</h3>
<p>No, your brain is not made up of 90% water. It&rsquo;s in fact made up of 60% fat. Are you aware your cell membrane is made up of cholesterol? Are you aware that up to 70% of your hormones are made from cholesterol? Are you aware that one of the reasons testosterone, fertility in women, and sperm count is due to lower dietary intake of saturated fats? Are you aware that animal fat and your own fat are almost chemical similar? What does this mean? This means that your body is better capable of processing animal fats than any other fat/oil on the planet. Are you aware that your own body produces up to 60% cholesterol? Are you aware that a majority of doctors and their societies/corporations have been in cahoots with food processing companies for financial gain? Why is medicine one of the most paid careers in the world? Why do patients taking statins also experience a hit/decrease in sexual desire and even develop erectile dysfunction?</p>
<p>Ask yourselves these questions and arrive at your own conclusions.</p>
<h3 id="6-conclusion">6. Conclusion</h3>
<p>We(Mankind) have been eating foods high in saturated fats and our diets have primarily consisted of red meat. Why is it that we are now experiencing the effects? Why now? I have the answer: Industrialization! How can a company sell a product? Through marketing. What&rsquo;s the best form of marketing? Playing with the emotions of the customer. How can big food corps do this? By paying doctors who you believe have your self-interests at heart to tell you this is healthy. How do they crush the competition? Having the same doctors tell you that is not healthy. It&rsquo;s really that simple. Think. I hope all of you have seen/read the best answer to: &ldquo;Sell me this pen&rdquo;. The best answer doesn&rsquo;t involve explaining just its features to the customer but rather socially engineering a person by involving their feelings. An example answer to the above question: &ldquo;Because this pen embodies functionality and class. Imagine pulling this out to write checks. You&rsquo;ll look like a boss. To top this off it&rsquo;s even refillable, this way you&rsquo;ll always have your trusty sidekick who will never let you down. With this meter, you&rsquo;ll easily know when your sidekick requires refilling, this way you stand out from the pack by being the only one who came with his own pen! This right here is a power move.&rdquo; Something like that.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s a compiled list of the dangers of PUFA and Trans fats:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Blood Sugar</strong> - PUFAs can damage the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. If you want to lose body fat and achieve a high level of health, you want a very effective blood sugar handling system. PUFAs can damage this system. For those with blood sugar handling issues, the primary focus is usually reducing sugar intake, however, I believe it makes more sense to eliminate PUFAs from your diet.</li>
<li><strong>Skin health</strong> - PUFAs are closely linked to age pigment formation. In addition, a high level of PUFA in your body means when you are exposed to the sun, free radical damage is more likely. Free radical damage to the skin could lead to skin cancer.</li>
<li><strong>Metabolism</strong> - PUFAs can stress various systems in your body, particularly the rate at which your cells produce energy (i.e. your metabolism). This has numerous implications for thyroid health and general hormonal balance.</li>
<li><strong>Digestion / Immune System</strong> - PUFAs can impair protein digestion. Digestion problems are rampant in this day and age, and eliminating PUFAs is an often overlooked and very effective way of supporting digestion. Your immune system is closely linked to your digestive system, a problem with digestion almost guarantees a poorly functioning immune system.</li>
<li><strong>Detoxification</strong> - The liver plays a major role in detoxification, PUFAs can overburden the liver. That sluggish feeling you feel after eating out? You may have just consumed PUFAs.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="plan-of-action">Plan of Action</h2>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Avoid PUFA oils completely, especially for cooking.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Always use heat-stable fats for cooking (i.e. coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, butter, tallow).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Limit the number of times per week you eat out and follow the eating out tips below.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Consume high PUFA foods (i.e. nuts, seeds, fatty fish) in limited quantities (i.e. a few times a week instead of daily)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If you consume animal products ensure that the animals are not fed any PUFA. This means consuming grass-fed beef and pasture-raised eggs and poultry. There are many other benefits to this approach as well.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If you are a vegan or vegetarian and nuts and seeds are a significant component of your diet it may be beneficial to consume lots of coconut oil and possibly to supplement with Vitamin E.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If you are a vegan or vegetarian and nuts and seeds are a significant component of your diet it may be beneficial to consume lots of coconut oil and possibly to supplement with Vitamin E.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Vitamin E is a very powerful antioxidant and may help offset the damage caused by PUFAs. When you go out to a restaurant or if you are in the mood for some French fries, take some vitamin E when you get home.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Eat more saturated fat in general, but especially on days when you will be consuming PUFAs (whether intentionally or unintentionally). Saturated fat can offset the damage caused by PUFAs.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If you only want to do one thing for your health, limit your exposure to PUFAs.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>It is rumored that pig farmers attempted to feed their pigs coconut oil to fatten them up (in the days when coconut oil, was cheap). Apparently, the pigs got lean and muscular on the coconut oil diet. Only after they started feeding them corn, soybeans, and grains did they begin to bulk up.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>When eating out look for farm-table restaurants and ask that your food be cooked in olive oil or butter (coconut oil would be great but this is very uncommon).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If you have been consuming a high PUFA diet for many years and carry around high levels of body fat, chances are you are storing lots of PUFA in your own tissues. While reduced body fat should be your goal, you should be sure not to rush your weight loss. When you begin to shed those pounds you can release PUFA into circulation in the body. If done too quickly, this can be particularly damaging and stressful to the body (see the various televised weight-loss competitions).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Avoid omega-6 oils. Read the labels on packages carefully and severely limit or avoid corn, soybean, canola, and cottonseed oils, and all foods made with them. This includes fried foods from restaurants, and most snack foods like chips, popcorn, etc.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Eliminate trans fats. Totally avoid <em>partially hydrogenated</em> or <em>hydrogenated</em> fats of any kind. If vegetable and seed oils weren’t bad enough, hydrogenating them turns them into the dangerous, heart-harming trans fats that everyone is warning about these days. <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070116131545.htm">Research</a> shows that these fats “may raise blood sugar levels” and “alter metabolism in humans.”</p>
<p>Read your labels carefully: Commercial baked goods—such as crackers, cookies, hempseed, and cakes—and many fried foods, such as doughnuts and french fries—may contain hydrogenated trans fats. Shortenings and some margarine can contain hydrogenated trans fats too.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Use only healthy, traditional fats, such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lard (non-hydrogenated, especially from pasture-raised pigs)</li>
<li>Tallow (especially from grass-fed cows)</li>
<li>Butter (especially from grass-fed cows)</li>
<li>Coconut Oil (cold-pressed, unrefined “virgin” oil is best)</li>
<li>Olive Oil (only cold-pressed, extra-virgin in dark bottles or cans)</li>
<li>Avocado Oil (cold-pressed; great for high-heat)</li>
</ul>
<p>These fats are incredibly stable and have been enjoyed safely by humans for thousands of years. They almost never go rancid and many can last for years stored in your pantry.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Eat more greens. Leafy greens have a better balance of omega-3s to omega-6s than most seeds and grains (though flax and hemp seeds are notable exceptions). Omega-3s live in leaves, flax, and hemp seed as the omega-3 ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). Animals (like us) can convert ALA into even more dynamic omega-3s: EPA and DHA, which are essential for heart and brain health, especially in children. This conversion is <em>very</em> inefficient in humans, however, and that’s why the next two steps are so important.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Eat healthier meats. Cows raised on grass produce meat, milk, and cheese with substantially more omega-3s than their corn-and soy-fed counterparts. Chickens fed a diet rich in bugs, flax and greens produce eggs that are as high in EPA and DHA as many species of fish. Grass-fed meats, dairy, and eggs are more expensive than grain-fed, but the money you spend today is minor compared to the very steep medical price tag attached to a diet high in omega-6s.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Eat fish. Wild-caught fish can also be a sustainable part of your new diet, as moderate fish consumption will be more effective when your diet has fewer omega-6s. Try to eat at least two meals of wild-caught, minimal-mercury fish per week. (Avoid farmed fish because they are fed GMO corn and soy!) Fish oil supplements can also help, though they’re not a long-term solution to this widespread nutritional deficiency.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h4 id="some-good-news-the-american-heart-association-recently-said-that-there-is-no-evidence-linking-dietary-saturated-fat-and-cholesterol-to-cardiovascular-disease-and-obesity">Some good news: The American Heart Association recently said that there is <a href="http://www.drbriffa.com/2009/04/17/no-evidence-that-saturated-fat-causes-heart-disease-its-official/">no evidence</a> linking dietary saturated fat and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8SSCNaaDcE&amp;eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cheeseslave.com%2F2009%2F08%2F26%2Fdoes-cholesterol-cause-heart-disease%2F&amp;feature=player_embedded">cholesterol</a> to cardiovascular disease and obesity.</h4>
<h3 id="polyunsaturated-cooking-oils">Polyunsaturated cooking oils.</h3>
<p>Polyunsaturated cooking oils like corn, soybean, canola, safflower, and sunflower oils are often touted as “healthy” oils. While agribusiness conglomerates have done a good PR job with their number one, best-selling product, nothing could be further from the truth. <em>(Note: Also see “</em><a href="https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/the-skinny-on-fat-part-2" title="The Skinny on Fat, Part 2"><em>The Skinny on Fat, Part 2: How Carbohydrates Make You Fat</em></a><em>” for the complete story.)</em></p>
<p>In addition to rancidity, oxidation, and an overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids, yellow seed oils have a host of environmental problems too.</p>
<p>Yellow seed oils are brand new to humankind, and they only exist because the chemical processes and machinery invented during the industrial revolution made it possible to extract them. Today, the majority of these industrial oils are manufactured from <em>genetically engineered</em> corn, soybeans, and rapeseed (canola) which have been heavily sprayed with Round-up (glyphosate) or atrazine, highly toxic, endocrine-disrupting herbicides, and other toxic pesticides.</p>
<p>Then these oils are extracted and refined using carcinogenic <em>hexane</em> (two carbon atoms short of octane—as in gasoline!) and are then finally <em>bleached</em> and <em>deodorized</em> to disguise their rancidity. The final product is not only essentially bad for you but it is also contaminated with traces of several highly toxic petrochemicals.</p>
<h1></h1>
<h3 id="did-you-know-that-margarine-is-one-molecule-away-from-plastic-well-now-you-do">Did you know: That margarine is one molecule away from plastic? Well, now you do!</h3>
<p>This article is a compilation of my thoughts, research, investigations, and excerpts from credible sources.</p>
<p>PS: Sources, if you believe I have not linked your website here yet have used your content, kindly write to me via the contact form: <a href="https://stephenajulu.com/contact">here</a>.</p>
<p>Have a great day!</p>
<iframe src="https://anchor.fm/stephenajulu/embed/episodes/Monounsaturated-and-Saturated-vs-Polyunsaturated-and-Trans-FatsOils-e1sru8q/a-a940k28" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>Additional Resources:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/cooking-oils-a-guide-to-the-healthiest-fats#:~:text=Because%20of%20these%20multiple%20%27unsaturated,t%20be%20used%20in%20cooking.">Healthiest Cooking Fats</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/diet-fitness/a10965/pufa-free-diet/">Why You Should Avoid PUFAs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/ajcn-publishes-a-new-pufa-study-that-should-make-us-long-for-the-old-days/">PUFA Study</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/ajcn-publishes-a-new-pufa-study-that-should-make-us-long-for-the-old-days/">PUFA Study 2</a></li>
<li><a href="https://stephenajulu.com/blog/key-ideas-in-the-big-fat-surprise-by-nina-teicholz/">Book Summary: The Big Fat Suprise by Nina Teicholz</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/the-skinny-on-fat-part-2" title="The Skinny on Fat, Part 2">The Skinny on Fat, Part 2: How Carbohydrates Make You Fat</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@suicide_chewbacca?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Ashwini Chaudhary(Monty)</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/ashwini-chaudhary-monty-w0oykevw9n4-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Here''''''''s Why Salt is Actually Good For You: Benefits and Recommended Daily</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/here-s-why-salt-is-actually-good-for-you-benefits-and-recommended-daily-consumption/</link><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 2022 15:54:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/here-s-why-salt-is-actually-good-for-you-benefits-and-recommended-daily-consumption/</guid><description>&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Salt aids blood sugar control by improving insulin sensitivity&lt;/strong&gt;. A low-salt diet &lt;strong&gt;increases insulin resistance&lt;/strong&gt; and even moderate dietary salt restriction is shown to cause systemic insulin resistance (study &lt;a href="http://www.metabolismjournal.com/article/S0026-0495(10)00329-X/abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#1&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10371376"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#2&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Salt is a natural antihistamine&lt;/strong&gt;. A pinch of salt sprinkled on the tongue may help improve an allergic reaction or an asthma attack (&lt;a href="http://amzn.to/163MtZS"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;source&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your body needs salt to maintain the proper stomach pH&lt;/strong&gt;. Stomach acid is hydro_chloric_ acid and salt is sodium &lt;em&gt;chloride&lt;/em&gt;. Proper stomach acid levels are absolutely foundational for good digestion, but 90% of Americans have low stomach acid.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Salt aids blood sugar control by improving insulin sensitivity</strong>. A low-salt diet <strong>increases insulin resistance</strong> and even moderate dietary salt restriction is shown to cause systemic insulin resistance (study <a href="http://www.metabolismjournal.com/article/S0026-0495(10)00329-X/abstract"><strong>#1</strong></a> and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10371376"><strong>#2</strong></a>).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Salt is a natural antihistamine</strong>. A pinch of salt sprinkled on the tongue may help improve an allergic reaction or an asthma attack (<a href="http://amzn.to/163MtZS"><strong>source</strong></a>).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Your body needs salt to maintain the proper stomach pH</strong>. Stomach acid is hydro_chloric_ acid and salt is sodium <em>chloride</em>. Proper stomach acid levels are absolutely foundational for good digestion, but 90% of Americans have low stomach acid.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Salt lowers adrenaline spikes</strong>. Adrenaline is a necessary and important stress hormone, but it is just that… a stress hormone. When adrenaline patterns are out of rhythm, it takes a toll on the body (<a href="http://empoweredsustenance.com/eatforheat"><strong>source</strong></a>).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>alt improves sleep quality</strong>. It boasts anti-stress and anti-excitatory qualities due to its suppression of stress hormones and its increasing metabolic rate. This may explain why many people report that a low sodium diet interferes with sleep and an adequate amount of dietary salt improves sleep quality.</p>
<p>Interestingly, if you often wake up with your heart pounding between 2 and 4 AM, it is probably because of an adrenaline spike. The most important change is to reduce both physical and mental stress, as well as eat a healthy diet. But one immediate fix to help you go back to sleep is just a pinch of salt and sugar (or salt and honey, if you prefer) sprinkled on the tongue to calm the adrenaline peak (read more about it in <a href="http://empoweredsustenance.com/eatforheat"><strong>this book!)</strong></a>.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Adequate salt consumption encourages a healthy weight and fast metabolism</strong>. First, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12970284"><strong>one study</strong></a> showed that <strong>increased salt intake leads to an increase in the elimination of cortisol and lower blood cortisol levels.</strong> Imbalanced or excess cortisol means weight gain and a stagnant metabolism.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Salt supports thyroid function</strong> by reducing circulating stress hormones. For example, cortisol is anti-thyroid, but salt combats excess cortisol.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Salt supports the hyperosmolarity of the extracellular fluid</strong>. Slight hyperosmolarity–more solutes in the extracellular fluid than in the cell–actually increases the cell’s metabolic rate (<a href="http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/salt.shtml"><strong>source</strong></a>). That means salt can speed up <em>your</em> metabolism! On the other hand, when the extracellular fluid is hypo-osmotic in relation to the cell, it impairs the breakdown of proteins and glucose and thereby lowers the cell’s metabolism.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Increased sodium intake also correlates with increased thermogenesis</strong>–heat production by the body (the study is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6086543"><strong>here</strong></a>).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Adequate salt supports balanced hormones</strong>. Hormone and nutrition researcher <a href="http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/salt.shtml"><strong>Ray Peat</strong></a> explains the correlation between the salt-regulating hormone aldosterone and mineral loss:</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Promotes good vascular health.</strong> When it comes to salt, it actually has <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5328355/">protective effects against heart disease</a>. The findings on how salt helps heart disease markers <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-end-the-war-on-salt/">directly contradict the years of recommendations</a> against salt in diets – it’s just important which type of salt you’re using.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h4 id="how-much-salt-should-i-eat">How much salt should I eat?</h4>
<p><strong>Food should be salted freely and to taste</strong>. When the metabolism is slow and the thyroid is not optimally functioning, it may be beneficial to consume extra salt whenever possible. This could include salting all beverages and using liberal salt when cooking and baking.</p>
<p>If you have kidney disease or hypertension, it is a good idea to consult with a medical practitioner before increasing salt intake.</p>
<p>Most importantly, <strong>listen to your body</strong>. Let your salt craving and desire for seasoning dictate how much salt to consume.</p>
<p>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@makstron?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Maksym Sirman</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/salt?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/maksym-sirman-mutyusmedss-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Live Like Your Ancestors In This Concrete Jungle</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/live-like-your-ancestors-in-this-concrete-jungle/</link><pubDate>Sun, 22 May 2022 13:10:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/live-like-your-ancestors-in-this-concrete-jungle/</guid><description/><content:encoded></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/surya-prakosa-qqzqrn7ithy-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Health Tips That Will Reverse Hypertension, High Blood Sugar and Other Illnesses</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/health-tips-that-will-reverse-hypertension-high-blood-sugar-and-other-illnesses/</link><pubDate>Tue, 17 May 2022 12:00:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/health-tips-that-will-reverse-hypertension-high-blood-sugar-and-other-illnesses/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Here are health tips that will reverse hypertension, high blood sugar, cancer, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and other illnesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 id="1-eat-meals-with-less-fibre-and-less-starchy-carbs"&gt;1. Eat meals with less fibre and less starchy carbs&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="2-keep-off-sugar-completely"&gt;2. Keep off sugar completely&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="3-avoid-fruits-and-eat-fewer-vegetables"&gt;3. Avoid fruits and eat fewer vegetables&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="4-use-and-eat-saturated-fats-especially-animal-fats"&gt;4. Use and eat saturated fats, especially animal fats&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="5-eat-more-salt"&gt;5. Eat more salt&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="6-exercise"&gt;6. Exercise&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="7-skip-breakfast-practice-intermittent-fasting-or-one-meal-a-day-or-two-meals-a-day"&gt;7. Skip breakfast. Practice intermittent fasting or one meal a day or two meals a day.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="8-drink-water-when-thirsty"&gt;8. Drink water when thirsty&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="9-get-in-the-sun"&gt;9. Get in the sun&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="10-eat-more-meat-and-eggs"&gt;10. Eat more meat and eggs&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="11-avoid-synthetic-vitamins"&gt;11. Avoid synthetic vitamins&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="12-avoid-packaged-fortified-and-processed-food"&gt;12. Avoid packaged, fortified and processed food&lt;/h4&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here are health tips that will reverse hypertension, high blood sugar, cancer, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and other illnesses.</p>
<h4 id="1-eat-meals-with-less-fibre-and-less-starchy-carbs">1. Eat meals with less fibre and less starchy carbs</h4>
<h4 id="2-keep-off-sugar-completely">2. Keep off sugar completely</h4>
<h4 id="3-avoid-fruits-and-eat-fewer-vegetables">3. Avoid fruits and eat fewer vegetables</h4>
<h4 id="4-use-and-eat-saturated-fats-especially-animal-fats">4. Use and eat saturated fats, especially animal fats</h4>
<h4 id="5-eat-more-salt">5. Eat more salt</h4>
<h4 id="6-exercise">6. Exercise</h4>
<h4 id="7-skip-breakfast-practice-intermittent-fasting-or-one-meal-a-day-or-two-meals-a-day">7. Skip breakfast. Practice intermittent fasting or one meal a day or two meals a day.</h4>
<h4 id="8-drink-water-when-thirsty">8. Drink water when thirsty</h4>
<h4 id="9-get-in-the-sun">9. Get in the sun</h4>
<h4 id="10-eat-more-meat-and-eggs">10. Eat more meat and eggs</h4>
<h4 id="11-avoid-synthetic-vitamins">11. Avoid synthetic vitamins</h4>
<h4 id="12-avoid-packaged-fortified-and-processed-food">12. Avoid packaged, fortified and processed food</h4>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/hush-naidoo-jade-photography-pa0uoltkwao-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>The Best Oils and Fats For Cooking</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/the-best-oils-and-fats-for-cooking/</link><pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2022 15:33:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/the-best-oils-and-fats-for-cooking/</guid><description>&lt;h4 id="1-butter"&gt;1. Butter&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="2-olive-oil"&gt;2. Olive Oil&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="3-lard"&gt;3. Lard&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="4-schmaltz"&gt;4. Schmaltz&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="5-suet"&gt;5. Suet&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="6-avocado-oil"&gt;6. Avocado Oil&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="7-tallow"&gt;7. Tallow&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Vegetable oils especially those from seeds e.g Sunflower, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Soya Bean, and Rice are carcinogenic, contain free radicals, oxidize much faster, and are unstable. Keep off them and switch to these healthier alternatives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you prefer unsaturated fats stick with coconut oil and avocado oil. But saturated fats are also very important.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4 id="1-butter">1. Butter</h4>
<h4 id="2-olive-oil">2. Olive Oil</h4>
<h4 id="3-lard">3. Lard</h4>
<h4 id="4-schmaltz">4. Schmaltz</h4>
<h4 id="5-suet">5. Suet</h4>
<h4 id="6-avocado-oil">6. Avocado Oil</h4>
<h4 id="7-tallow">7. Tallow</h4>
<p>Vegetable oils especially those from seeds e.g Sunflower, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Soya Bean, and Rice are carcinogenic, contain free radicals, oxidize much faster, and are unstable. Keep off them and switch to these healthier alternatives.</p>
<p>If you prefer unsaturated fats stick with coconut oil and avocado oil. But saturated fats are also very important.</p>
<p>Remember the brain, hormones(testosterone), and cell membrane are composed of fats.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/megumi-nachev-xhounxvvb6s-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>10 Most Important Minerals and Where To Get Them (especially for men)</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/10-most-important-minerals-and-where-to-get-them-especially-for-men/</link><pubDate>Wed, 04 May 2022 09:17:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/10-most-important-minerals-and-where-to-get-them-especially-for-men/</guid><description>&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Zinc&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sals&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Selenium&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Boron&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Magnesium&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chromium&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Iron&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Copper&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chlorine&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Iodine&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Potassium&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Best overall source&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meat&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Organ meats&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Seafood&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Eggs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pumpkins(+Pumpkin seeds)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Brazil nuts&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avocados&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sweet potatoes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<ol>
<li>Zinc</li>
<li>Sals</li>
<li>Selenium</li>
<li>Boron</li>
<li>Magnesium</li>
<li>Chromium</li>
<li>Iron</li>
<li>Copper</li>
<li>Chlorine</li>
<li>Iodine</li>
<li>Potassium</li>
</ol>
<p>Best overall source</p>
<ol>
<li>Meat</li>
<li>Organ meats</li>
<li>Seafood</li>
<li>Eggs</li>
<li>Pumpkins(+Pumpkin seeds)</li>
<li>Brazil nuts</li>
<li>Avocados</li>
<li>Sweet potatoes</li>
</ol>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/ktryna-wq7verajaae-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>How To Improve Your Life</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/how-to-improve-your-life/</link><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2022 20:26:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/how-to-improve-your-life/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Here are a few things that will improve your life:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 id="love-yourself-become-selfish"&gt;Love yourself (become selfish)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="commit-to-nofap"&gt;Commit to nofap&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="work-out-at-least-3-times-a-week"&gt;Work out at least 3 times a week&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="invest-your-money-crypto-stocks-real-estate-etfs-funds"&gt;Invest your money (crypto, stocks, real estate, etfs, funds)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="stop-bad-habits-snoozing-gossiping-procrastinating"&gt;Stop bad habits (snoozing, gossiping, procrastinating)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="plan-your-days"&gt;Plan your days&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="learn-how-to-cook-and-eat-healthier-meals"&gt;Learn how to cook and eat healthier meals&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="weekly-walks-in-nature-no-headphonesairpodsmusicdistractions"&gt;Weekly walks (in nature, no headphones/airpods/music/distractions)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="drink-water-daily-1-2-liters"&gt;Drink water daily (1-2 liters)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="read-at-least-5-10-pages-of-an-ebook"&gt;Read at least 5-10 pages of an (e)book&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="quit-drugsalcohol-you-dont-need-that-bs"&gt;Quit drugs/alcohol (you don&amp;rsquo;t need that bs)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="meditate-or-practice-the-wim-hof-method"&gt;Meditate or practice the wim hof method&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="give-to-the-less-fortunate"&gt;Give to the less fortunate&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="cut-out-bad-friends--family"&gt;Cut out bad friends &amp;amp; family&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="practice-minimalism"&gt;Practice minimalism&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="learning-a-skill-coding-music-designing-marketing-storytelling"&gt;Learning a skill (coding, music, designing, marketing, storytelling)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="build-something-valuable-a-business-podcast-blog-vlog-brand-product"&gt;Build something valuable (a business, podcast, blog, vlog, brand, product)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="protect-your-family"&gt;Protect your family&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="embrace-traditional-gender-roles"&gt;Embrace traditional gender roles&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="talk-to-your-creator"&gt;Talk to your Creator&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="take-cold-showers"&gt;Take cold showers&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="drink-something-bitter-once-in-a-while"&gt;Drink something bitter once in a while&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="take-risks-and-be-adventurous"&gt;Take risks and be adventurous&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="conquer-a-fear"&gt;Conquer a fear&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Photo by &lt;a href="https://unsplash.com/@coopery?utm_source=unsplash&amp;amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;amp;utm_content=creditCopyText"&gt;Mohamed Nohassi&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/life?utm_source=unsplash&amp;amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;amp;utm_content=creditCopyText"&gt;Unsplash&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here are a few things that will improve your life:</p>
<h4 id="love-yourself-become-selfish">Love yourself (become selfish)</h4>
<h4 id="commit-to-nofap">Commit to nofap</h4>
<h4 id="work-out-at-least-3-times-a-week">Work out at least 3 times a week</h4>
<h4 id="invest-your-money-crypto-stocks-real-estate-etfs-funds">Invest your money (crypto, stocks, real estate, etfs, funds)</h4>
<h4 id="stop-bad-habits-snoozing-gossiping-procrastinating">Stop bad habits (snoozing, gossiping, procrastinating)</h4>
<h4 id="plan-your-days">Plan your days</h4>
<h4 id="learn-how-to-cook-and-eat-healthier-meals">Learn how to cook and eat healthier meals</h4>
<h4 id="weekly-walks-in-nature-no-headphonesairpodsmusicdistractions">Weekly walks (in nature, no headphones/airpods/music/distractions)</h4>
<h4 id="drink-water-daily-1-2-liters">Drink water daily (1-2 liters)</h4>
<h4 id="read-at-least-5-10-pages-of-an-ebook">Read at least 5-10 pages of an (e)book</h4>
<h4 id="quit-drugsalcohol-you-dont-need-that-bs">Quit drugs/alcohol (you don&rsquo;t need that bs)</h4>
<h4 id="meditate-or-practice-the-wim-hof-method">Meditate or practice the wim hof method</h4>
<h4 id="give-to-the-less-fortunate">Give to the less fortunate</h4>
<h4 id="cut-out-bad-friends--family">Cut out bad friends &amp; family</h4>
<h4 id="practice-minimalism">Practice minimalism</h4>
<h4 id="learning-a-skill-coding-music-designing-marketing-storytelling">Learning a skill (coding, music, designing, marketing, storytelling)</h4>
<h4 id="build-something-valuable-a-business-podcast-blog-vlog-brand-product">Build something valuable (a business, podcast, blog, vlog, brand, product)</h4>
<h4 id="protect-your-family">Protect your family</h4>
<h4 id="embrace-traditional-gender-roles">Embrace traditional gender roles</h4>
<h4 id="talk-to-your-creator">Talk to your Creator</h4>
<h4 id="take-cold-showers">Take cold showers</h4>
<h4 id="drink-something-bitter-once-in-a-while">Drink something bitter once in a while</h4>
<h4 id="take-risks-and-be-adventurous">Take risks and be adventurous</h4>
<h4 id="conquer-a-fear">Conquer a fear</h4>
<p>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@coopery?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Mohamed Nohassi</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/life?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/mohamed-nohassi-odxb5oig_ia-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Beneficial Yet Controversial Health Tips for The Modern Human Being</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/beneficial-yet-controversial-health-tips-for-the-modern-human-being/</link><pubDate>Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:00:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/beneficial-yet-controversial-health-tips-for-the-modern-human-being/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Hello Everyone! How are you doing?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Here are some of the most beneficial yet controversial health tips.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;DISCLOSURE: I AM NOT A MEDICAL DOCTOR.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 id="1-literally-everything-popular-is-wrong"&gt;1. Literally everything popular is wrong.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The exact opposite is true e.g. salt, sugar, red meat, complex carbs, water intake, etc etc. (I will explain more)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 id="2-theres-nothing-more-unhealthy-than-caring-too-much-about-your-health"&gt;2. There’s nothing more unhealthy than caring too much about your health&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 id="3-slow-metabolism--unhealthy"&gt;3. Slow metabolism = unhealthy.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Here are common things that slow down metabolism: PUFA(“Vegetable” Seed Oils), Blue light, Routine, Gut irritants/endotoxin (Mostly from vegetables and grains), Estrogen, BPA / Plastics, Anger / Stress, Sedentary lifestyle, Poor sleep, Excessive endurance exercise / Frequent long-distance running&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello Everyone! How are you doing?</p>
<p>Here are some of the most beneficial yet controversial health tips.</p>
<p>DISCLOSURE: I AM NOT A MEDICAL DOCTOR.</p>
<h4 id="1-literally-everything-popular-is-wrong">1. Literally everything popular is wrong.</h4>
<p>The exact opposite is true e.g. salt, sugar, red meat, complex carbs, water intake, etc etc. (I will explain more)</p>
<h4 id="2-theres-nothing-more-unhealthy-than-caring-too-much-about-your-health">2. There’s nothing more unhealthy than caring too much about your health</h4>
<h4 id="3-slow-metabolism--unhealthy">3. Slow metabolism = unhealthy.</h4>
<p>Here are common things that slow down metabolism: PUFA(“Vegetable” Seed Oils), Blue light, Routine, Gut irritants/endotoxin (Mostly from vegetables and grains), Estrogen, BPA / Plastics, Anger / Stress, Sedentary lifestyle, Poor sleep, Excessive endurance exercise / Frequent long-distance running</p>
<h4 id="4-disease-often-starts-in-the-gut-via-endotoxin-production-and-inflammation">4. Disease often starts in the gut via endotoxin production and inflammation.</h4>
<p>This leads to a cascade of increased stress, lower metabolism, a shift to aerobic glycolysis, and decreased protective hormones. Cutting gut irritants is a powerful way to improve health.</p>
<h4 id="5-seedvegetable-oils-are-the-major-cause-of-disease-today">5. Seed(vegetable) oils are the major cause of disease today.</h4>
<p>They are hidden in everything. All restaurants cook with them. Cook with tallow, lard, suet, ghee, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, or butter instead. Avoid packaged food.</p>
<h4 id="6-vegan-diets-kill-more-animals-than-a-grass-fed-carnivore-diet">6. Vegan diets kill more animals than a grass-fed carnivore diet</h4>
<h4 id="7-carbohydrates-are-essential-for-brain-adrenals-youth-hormones-thyroid-and-gut-health">7. Carbohydrates are essential for brain, adrenals, youth hormones, thyroid, and gut health.</h4>
<h4 id="8-steak-is-a-superfood">8. Steak is a superfood.</h4>
<p>Easily digestible protein, highly nutritious, loaded with bioactive like taurine, carnitine, carnosine, creatine, and anserine that you can&rsquo;t get elsewhere. It needs to be a dietary staple.</p>
<h4 id="9-do-not-drink-tap-water">9. Do not drink tap water.</h4>
<p>Do not shower in tap water. Tap water is incredibly toxic. Use a filter.</p>
<h4 id="10-vegetables-are-not-healthy-foods">10. Vegetables are not healthy foods.</h4>
<p>Most have very few nutrients and are loaded with pesticides and gut irritants.</p>
<h4 id="11-most-nuts-and-grains-arent-healthy">11. Most nuts and grains aren’t healthy.</h4>
<p>Most are loaded with omega 6 and compounds that irritate your gut like lectins(nuts) and gluten(wheat)</p>
<h4 id="12-salt-is-very-important-and-you-are-likely-taking-too-little">12. Salt is very important and you are likely taking too little.</h4>
<p>It’s a master electrocyte and helps control other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium</p>
<h4 id="13-arbitrary-water-limits-and-the-general-advice-to-chug-water-is-terrible">13. Arbitrary water limits and the general advice to chug water is terrible.</h4>
<p>Thirst is an evolutionary conserved mechanism to regulate hydration and mineral balance. Excess water dilutes sodium and causes stress. Drink when thirsty</p>
<h4 id="14-soy-is-bad-especially-for-men-as-it-lowers-testosterone-and-destroys-sperms">14. Soy is bad especially for men as it lowers testosterone and destroys sperms.</h4>
<h4 id="15-pay-the-farmer-now-or-the-doctor-later">15. Pay the farmer now or the doctor later.</h4>
<p>Pay up for quality food. It will make you more money now and save you more money later.</p>
<h4 id="16-progesterone-is-the-real-female-hormone-not-estrogen">16. Progesterone is the real female hormone, not estrogen.</h4>
<p>Incredibly protective, stabilizing, anti-cancer, pro-GABA, mood-boosting, metabolism increasing. It is produced in the 2nd half of a Women’s cycle, but due to excessive birth control usage, most women have low progesterone to estrogen.</p>
<h4 id="17-walking-is-strong-medicine">17. Walking is strong medicine.</h4>
<p>Helps with hormonal function, energy levels, digestion, mood, and lymphatic circulation. Walk in the sun every AM barefoot.</p>
<h4 id="18-moving-out-of-a-city-and-quitting-the-job-you-hate-are-the-two-most-underrated-ways-to-improve-health">18. Moving out of a city and quitting the job you hate are the two most underrated ways to improve health.</h4>
<h4 id="19-dht-doesnt-cause-hair-loss-stress-estrogen-calcification-low-thyroid-and-nutrient-deficiencies-do">19. DHT doesn’t cause hair loss. Stress, estrogen, calcification, low thyroid, and nutrient deficiencies do.</h4>
<h4 id="20-plastic-is-poison-bpa-free-means-nothing">20. Plastic is poison. BPA-free means nothing.</h4>
<h4 id="21-parabens-and-phalates-are-toxic-avoid-them">21. Parabens and Phalates are toxic. Avoid them.</h4>
<h4 id="22-have-fun">22. Have fun.</h4>
<p>Constructively that is. Find a hobby you like that gives other people value and do it to your heart’s content. In fact, make it your job. As long as you have fun, you’ll be great.</p>
<h4 id="23-sun-your-genitals">23. Sun your genitals.</h4>
<h4 id="24-beef-liver-is-essential">24. Beef liver is essential.</h4>
<p>It is loaded with b vitamins you can’t get elsewhere. Vit A &amp; copper work together to produce ceruloplasmin the master antioxidant w. delivers copper to cells to generate ATP. Vitamin A is required for hormone synthesis, skin health, immune function, etc. It’s tough to be at your optimal health without eating beef liver.</p>
<h4 id="25-eat-only-when-you-are-hungry-but-because-modernity-has-destroyed-most-of-our-senses">25. Eat only when you are hungry but because modernity has destroyed most of our senses.</h4>
<p>Try eating 2 meals a day then move to one meal a day. Trust me, if you load this 1 meal with grass-fed meat, eggs, complex carbohydrates e.g tubers, saturated fat, and a bit of vegetable. You’ll be fuller and feel great.</p>
<h4 id="26-your-stomach-acid-is-supposed-to-be-highly-acidic">26. Your stomach acid is supposed to be highly acidic.</h4>
<p>Not basic not neutral. There’s a reason some of us are incapable of drinking milk. Increase its acidity by eating the right foods and fasting(IF, 2MAD, OMAD).</p>
<h4 id="27-if-your-great-grandparents-never-ate-it-then-its-probably-not-healthy">27. If your great grandparents never ate it then it&rsquo;s probably not healthy.</h4>
<h4 id="28-a-long-walk-a-day-will-keep-depression-at-bay">28. A long walk a day will keep depression at bay</h4>
<p>And that’s it for today. Remember: none of this is medical advice. Kindly experiment and see if these changes lead to a positive impact. Of which I can vouch that they do.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/emma-simpson-mngaalewep0-unsplash.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Why EVERY Man Should Wear a Watch</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/why-every-man-should-wear-a-watch/</link><pubDate>Mon, 09 Aug 2021 17:06:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/why-every-man-should-wear-a-watch/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;I often talk about how important accessories are to your overall look and wardrobe. When done well, they add that extra 20% that pulls everything together and really lets your personality shine. I don’t recommend a ton of accessories but watches are one of the most important ones. It’s true that the watch you wear says a lot about you, whether you like it or not. Here is data collected from both men and women on why every man should wear a watch.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I often talk about how important accessories are to your overall look and wardrobe. When done well, they add that extra 20% that pulls everything together and really lets your personality shine. I don’t recommend a ton of accessories but watches are one of the most important ones. It’s true that the watch you wear says a lot about you, whether you like it or not. Here is data collected from both men and women on why every man should wear a watch.</p>
<p><img src="https://ajulusthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/oniakna.jpg?w=1024" alt=""></p>
<h3 id="1-watches-are-convenient">1. Watches Are Convenient</h3>
<p>Phones don’t keep you punctual. Watches do.</p>
<p>A wristwatch is the most convenient way to tell the time.</p>
<p><em>I don’t need a watch because I have a phone</em>, which is a common response from a generation who are now questioning the adverse effects of constant cellphone use. Fishing for a cell phone on regular occasions just to check the time looks desperate.</p>
<p><a href="https://vincerowatches.com/products/marble-black-verde"><img src="https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/worst-fashion-trends-vincero-italian-marble-black-verde.jpg" alt="worst fashion trends vincero italian marble black verde"></a></p>
<p>A quick glance towards your wrist is a much classier way to keep tabs on time during a date or a meeting. Not to mention how rude it would seem to your companions if you pulled out your phone during a conversation.</p>
<p>On other occasions where it’s advisable to leave the phone concealed – like the beach, a funeral, a wedding, a watch is a much more subtle and convenient way to check the time.</p>
<h3 id="2-watches-are-functional">2. Watches Are Functional</h3>
<p>Any item inspired by the military has a functional use. Wristwatches included.</p>
<p>Wristwatches were first used in the 19th century by the military to synchronize maneuvers during the war. Since then, specialized watches have been used in the depths of the ocean by divers and high up in the sky by aviators.</p>
<p>One of the big advantages of a watch – especially over a smartphone – is how long it can operate in the field. Many watches are made to either be self-powered through motion or use a small amount of energy from a battery. Think years of maintenance-free time telling…..compare that to a smartphone’s 8 hours!</p>
<p><a href="https://vincerowatches.com/"><img src="https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/vincero_olive_chrono_s.jpg" alt="vincero_olive_chrono_s"></a></p>
<p>A <em>complicated</em> watch is designed with features beyond the basic function of displaying the time and date. Such functionality is called a <em>complication</em>. Two of the popular complications are the <strong>chronograph</strong>, which allows the watch to function as a stopwatch, and the <strong>moon phase</strong> complication, which displays the lunar phase.</p>
<h3 id="3-watches-provide-simplicity">3. Watches Provide Simplicity</h3>
<p>The best watches don’t use the latest technology. They are powered by ingenious mechanical clockwork technology that predates electricity. So when your cellphone runs out of battery – you can trust the technology that keeps running on your wrist.</p>
<p>When you wear a watch – it’s less likely you will fall back on your phone as a distraction. Often, checking the phone for time results in a rabbit hole of activities including checking every messenger app, email, and Facebook.</p>
<p>When you need to keep track of something as important as time – a unique device to measure and manage it is justified.</p>
<p>![](<a href="https://ajulusthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/vintage-watches-can-be-a-good-conversation-piece-like-this-omega-de-ville-1030x773-1.jpg?w=1024">https://ajulusthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/vintage-watches-can-be-a-good-conversation-piece-like-this-omega-de-ville-1030x773-1.jpg?w=1024</a> =582x436)</p>
<h3 id="4-watches-signal-style">4. Watches Signal Style</h3>
<p><strong><em>Compliments.</em></strong></p>
<p>The range of acceptable jewelry for a man is limited. Many men are only going to be seen with three main accessories decorating their hands – a nice watch, a stylish pair of cuff links, and a simple wedding band if they’re married.</p>
<p>In addition to helping wearers stick to their schedules, wristwatches make it easier for them to display their sense of style. They are a form of self-expression – reflecting a hint of danger, adventure, and sports depending on the make of the watch.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.gshock.com/collections/master-of-g/mudmaster-GG1000"><img src="https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/water-resistant-g-shock-mudmaster.jpg" alt="water resistant g-shock mudmaster"></a></p>
<p>Watches can communicate a lot about the wearer’s personality. For those that prefer a bit of high-status bling on their wrist, a Rolex can be an understated, timeless, and incredibly masculine accessory.</p>
<p>As the saying goes – <strong><em>boys look at their smartphones to check time – men look at a watch.</em></strong></p>
<p>Call it what you will, a quality luxury watch is a man’s equivalent to the engagement ring.</p>
<h3 id="5-watches-embody-craftsmanship">5. Watches Embody Craftsmanship</h3>
<p>A wristwatch is more than a time-keeper. It is a symbol of tradition and history encased in a showpiece with extreme craftsmanship.</p>
<p>Not many men realize that they are wearing pieces of art on their wrists. Some watch houses have four craftsmen working on one watch for several months – designing complex pieces of technology by hand.</p>
<p><strong><em>It’s detailed art at the higher end of human ingenuity and creativity.</em></strong></p>
<p>An analog watch has a simple and consistent mechanism. The way of expressing it is where the bulk of the creativity comes in. Watch design is inherently artistic. There is a lot of generic and non-inspiring watch styles out there, but the best stuff is beautiful and how often do you call a tool beautiful?</p>
<p>Art on a watch can come in multiple forms. The dial can literally be a painting, or the design of the instrument itself is pure art. For many people – the movement arouses as much fascination as the dial and case.</p>
<p>![](<a href="https://ajulusthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/watches.jpg?w=1024">https://ajulusthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/watches.jpg?w=1024</a> =691x518)</p>
<h3 id="6-watches-make-great-heirlooms">6. Watches Make Great Heirlooms</h3>
<p>Not only is a timepiece the quintessential gift – <strong>it is the quintessential heirloom</strong>. No matter what your philosophy is at the end of life, we can all agree that people can live on through the memories of those that knew them.</p>
<p>Owning timepieces from a different era is a remembrance of people who lived before you. Having their watches makes you think of them, in a real way. They wore these same watches which show signs of use, care, and love.</p>
<p><img src="https://ajulusthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/watchsvcev.jpg?w=1024" alt=""></p>
<p>A watch collection is also a legacy. It doesn’t necessarily have to be worth a mini treasure – but leaving your watch(es) to someone you care about is in essence passing on values that were important to you, to someone else.</p>
<h3 id="7-watches-help-you-create-a-relationship-with-time">7. Watches Help You Create A Relationship With Time</h3>
<p>Since the days of the sundial (and probably before) – men have been obsessed with devices that measure time. A reminder that our time is limited.</p>
<p>Wearing a watch has a positive effect on my attitude towards time. I am more attentive to how I spend my 24 hours.</p>
<p>Beyond the technical and mechanical intricacies of a watch, men are fascinated by these devices that claim to mark and control time.</p>
<p>There is a passionate community of watch lovers who dive into the details of watch-making and collecting.</p>
<p><img src="https://ajulusthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/kjgj.jpg?w=1024" alt=""></p>
<p>The only other obsession matched with the passion for this inanimate object is the passion men share for cars. A watch collection is far easier to maintain and less expensive as a hobby.</p>
<p>Everyone can rock a watch. Wearing a watch is a great way to add interest to an outfit, especially if you’re a guy.</p>
<h3 id="8-shows-something-about-your-lifestyle">8. Shows Something About Your Lifestyle</h3>
<p>Whether you’re wearing a <a href="https://www.timex.com/">Timex</a>, <a href="https://ashleyweston.com/mens-essentials-accessories/are-smartwatches-fashionable/">Apple Watch</a>, or a <a href="https://www.bobswatches.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI55nAwOqU5QIVl9hkCh0VlQoUEAAYASAAEgI0y_D_BwE">Rolex</a>, the watch you wear will give a woman a few clues as to what your lifestyle is like, and that’s important when we are getting to know you. Maybe you’re a sporty guy and you’re into a <a href="https://www.gshock.com/">G-Shock</a>. Or, you’re more of a tech guy and an <a href="https://www.apple.com/watch/">Apple watch</a> is your vibe. Either way, it lets women know a bit about who you are.</p>
<p><img src="https://ashleyweston.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/NATO-Strap-Watches-Ashley-Weston.jpg" alt=""></p>
<h3 id="9-shows-you-pay-attention-to-the-details">9. Shows You Pay Attention To The Details</h3>
<p>Like with all of your wardrobe, the details matter, and women notice the details. From the fit of your clothes to your haircut, each small component combines to form an important part of the whole. Watches are no different. The right watch and style choices on your wrist show you care about the right details.</p>
<p><img src="https://ashleyweston.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/watch-1.jpg" alt=""></p>
<h3 id="10-shows-how-cultured-you-are-or-arent">10. Shows How Cultured You Are or Aren’t</h3>
<p>Maybe you think watches are redundant since you have a phone, sure, we get that. But, going that extra step is going to add another layer to your style and show that you’re about more than just the absolute bare minimum, and that’s definitely really sexy. But, it’s important to consider what you’re wearing and when just like your shoe choice. You wouldn’t wear Jordans to a wedding so you should consider what watch choices you’re making too.</p>
<p><img src="https://ashleyweston.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/watch-2.jpg" alt=""></p>
<h3 id="11-indicates-where-you-might-be-in-life">11. Indicates Where You Might Be In Life</h3>
<p>No matter where you are on your journey, personal or style-wise, your watch choice is a big indicator of where you are and where you are going. Like we said before, women (well, the right women anyway) aren’t concerned with how fancy or expensive your watch is, but knowing where you’re at and where you’re going is important.</p>
<p>![](<a href="https://ajulusthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/watchesohkvf.jpg?w=474">https://ajulusthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/watchesohkvf.jpg?w=474</a> =442x276)</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/watch1.jpg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Invest In Yourself(Old Post)</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/invest-in-yourself-old-post/</link><pubDate>Mon, 09 Aug 2021 05:17:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/invest-in-yourself-old-post/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Hey guys, what’s up? It’s your guy, Stephen Ajulu. And today’s topic is Investing in yourself, now I am in no way a certified advise-man, but this is something many self-made recognize and encourage. This is what Warren Buffet said,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The most important investment you can make is in yourself&lt;/strong&gt;. Very few people get anything like their potential horsepower translated into the actual horsepower of their output in life. Potential exceeds realization for many people…&lt;strong&gt;The best asset is your own self. You can become to an enormous degree the person you want to be.&lt;/strong&gt; “&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hey guys, what’s up? It’s your guy, Stephen Ajulu. And today’s topic is Investing in yourself, now I am in no way a certified advise-man, but this is something many self-made recognize and encourage. This is what Warren Buffet said,</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>“The most important investment you can make is in yourself</strong>. Very few people get anything like their potential horsepower translated into the actual horsepower of their output in life. Potential exceeds realization for many people…<strong>The best asset is your own self. You can become to an enormous degree the person you want to be.</strong> “</p>
<p><strong>Warren Buffett</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The very best investment you can make is one that “you can’t beat,” can’t be taxed and not even inflation can take away from you. And that is you!</p>
<p>Without working on ourselves and improving ourselves every day, it would be unrealistic for us to expect a much different future from the one we have right now, it would also be unrealistic for us to perform better in the future because we will be no different tomorrow from the person we are today.</p>
<p><strong><em>That is why YOU and GOD are the most important people you can place your time and money on.</em></strong></p>
<p>An investment in yourself is a great example of self-love, and may very well be the most profitable investment you will ever make.</p>
<p>The worst thing you can do that will self-sabotage the ‘future” you is continuing to do the same thing and assuming that you will automatically improve and advance to where you wish to be. That is definitely wishful thinking. Let’s not forget that madness is doing something over and over expecting the same good results.</p>
<p>No improvement in our lives will happen automatically without us working on them. If we want to get better then we have to work on it.</p>
<p><em>And no one is exempt from this fact.</em></p>
<p>Whether you are a powerful CEO wanting to expand his company and build his legacy or an employee at the lowest point in the corporate ladder wishing to climb it faster, self-investment, therefore making yourself become more valuable to others around you is what will make you achieve those objectives.</p>
<p>When you are bold enough to take steps that will improve your performance and overall well-being, the universe will respond by granting you amazing results.</p>
<p>The effort you put into consistently investing in yourself will also play a large role in determining the quality of your life now and in the future.</p>
<p>The surest way to achieve a better quality life, to be successful, productive, and satisfied is to place a priority on investing in both personal and professional growth. The effort you put into consistently investing in yourself plays a large role in determining the quality of your life now and in the future.</p>
<p><img src="https://ajulusthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/bronzeman.jpeg" alt=""></p>
<p>Consider these:-</p>
<h2 id="1-develop-your-skills">1. Develop Your Skills</h2>
<p>Improving your skills doesn’t always mean investing in higher education, though that’s surely an option, and perhaps a necessary one depending upon your career field. Investing in your knowledge and skills can take many forms. We live in the information age, you can literary learn and grow your career for free. Think YouTube, Curiosity(The App), Lifehack, etc</p>
<p>In addition, expanding your level of knowledge and skill isn’t limited to the business arena and doesn’t necessarily need to be formal. There are many “skill investment” avenues.</p>
<ul>
<li>Advance your education – extra classes, advanced degrees, relevant certifications, are all valuable investments. Take classes, either in person or online. (Lifehack also offers this Masterclass that helps you to break free from limitations.)</li>
<li>Utilize available training – enroll in workshops, attend conferences or participate in webinars.</li>
<li>Expand your knowledge – there’s a lot of information available on nearly any subject imaginable. Read books, articles, white papers, anything related to the talent or skill you want to work on.</li>
<li>Keep current – stay abreast of the latest trends or advancements. Subscribe to publications, read blogs of experts, and follow the latest news.</li>
<li>Stay tuned to my blog <img src="https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/twemoji/2/svg/1f609.svg" alt="😉"> – I post on topics touching Technology, Cybersecurity, Self Improvement, Fitness, Fashion, and Lifestyle. Subscribe!</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="2-explore-your-creative-side">2. Explore Your Creative Side</h2>
<p>There is a fountain of creativity within most of us that has never been tapped or certainly hasn’t been used to its highest potential. We may need to unearth and hone our individual creativity.</p>
<p>Creativity, in any form, helps us to grow personally and professionally, to view problems and solutions in different ways, and to utilize other parts of our mind that may have been previously untapped. It’s important to keep in mind that creativity has many faces. It’s far broader than being a painter or sculptor; it’s also about trying new things.</p>
<ul>
<li>Learn a new language – take a class or use language training software.</li>
<li>Try gourmet cooking – enroll in a formal class, buy a new cookbook, or ask someone you know who enjoys cooking in a different way.</li>
<li>Write something – a book, short stories, poetry, anything.</li>
<li>Explore the outside world – try gardening, bird watching, or landscape photography.</li>
<li>Enjoy music – play an instrument, learn a new one or join a music group of some kind.</li>
<li>Create something tangible – paint, sculpt, make pottery, make jewelry or design your own clothes.</li>
</ul>
<p>Choose some form of activity that you have never tried, haven’t practiced in years, or have never explored fully.</p>
<h2 id="3-nurture-your-mind-and-body">3. Nurture Your Mind and Body</h2>
<p>Nurturing both your mind and body allows you to have more to give now and in the future — more energy, more knowledge, more compassion, more ideas, greater strength, physical and mental endurance.</p>
<p><strong>Expand your mind.</strong> Learning new things and keeping your mind active even in simple ways helps to grow and maintain your mental ability.</p>
<ul>
<li>Read – anything and everything.</li>
<li>Explore culture – attend performances, listen to different music, travel, or join an organization or group comprised of people from different backgrounds.</li>
<li>Open your mind – engage in conversations with those who disagree with you. Look at an argument and try to make a case for the opposing point of view.</li>
<li>Keep your mind active – play word games, (yes, even Words with Friends counts,) board games that include strategy, or try using your brain to perform simple calculations rather than relying on a calculator.</li>
<li>SLEEP – Yes sleep is important. It helps consolidate memories. Helps heal the brain. Helps the brain eliminate toxins. Improves focus, attention, retention, and clarity. Skipping even an hour is detrimental to your overall health. 8 hours is recommended. If you can 10 hours. And just like junk food, its effects seem nonexistent, at first but as the days and years go by things start becoming worse. Just adding 1 hour of sleep to your 8-hour schedule increases your lifespan. So stop listening to your parents. Use your “software”. Keep it up to date and “patched” otherwise you’ll end up using your “hardware”.</li>
<li>Meditation – Try it, am sure you are already well acquainted with the word.</li>
<li>Drink water, take a little more sodium(salt), and if possible add some Omega 3s.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Care for your body.</strong> Your body is like a well-oiled machine. If you care for it in the way that you might maintain an expensive car, it will perform marvelously and last for a very long time. Remember the basics:</p>
<ul>
<li>Give it high-quality fuel – meaning to make healthy food choices as often as possible. What you eat does play a large role in your energy and ability to perform. You truly are what you eat.</li>
<li>Don’t push it too hard – meaning to rest and relax often, slow down, and don’t overload your system. Also, don’t shift gears too quickly; it causes stress and damage to “your machine,” A.K.A. your body.</li>
<li>Get regular and necessary maintenance – meaning to go to the doctor when you’re sick – don’t put it off until you totally break down. Better yet, use preventative maintenance; get check-ups, take appropriate vitamins and pay attention to irregular or erratic behavior.</li>
<li>Polish the exterior – meaning to take care of the outside too. Many people dismiss this as frivolous and self-indulgent, but it’s not as long as you don’t go overboard. We’re not talking about facelifts and Botox, we’re talking about getting a fabulous haircut, and wearing clothes that make you feel confident and attractive.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="4-invest-in-your-finances">4. <strong>Invest in your finances</strong></h2>
<p>A lot of people say that money won’t bring you any happiness, and that may very well be true, but you can’t ignore the fact that being financially independent will give you the freedom to do the things you love a lot more.</p>
<p>And that definitely does bring a measure of fulfillment and happiness.</p>
<p><strong><em>It does pay to be financially independent, that is why you must invest time in maintaining and managing your finances wisely.</em></strong></p>
<p>As many financial planners will tell you, building wealth is a process made of many small actions that add up over time. So if you want to see your bank account grow over the next year, adopting new money and lifestyle habits now is a smart way to start.</p>
<p>So learn how to save more, read on and talk to the people who are successful financially, and devote 10 minutes a day to building a new financial skill. This will be of great value to you throughout your entire lifetime.</p>
<h2 id="5-invest-in-your-self-confidence">5. <strong>Invest in your self-confidence</strong></h2>
<p><em>Confidence in yourself will take you places</em>.</p>
<p>Self-confidence will determine whether you stand up for yourself or not. It will determine whether you find the courage to leave a dysfunctional relationship or continue staying in one. It will make you act on your business plan or not. And it will mostly be the determining factor in whether you succeed or not.</p>
<p>So find the time to invest in building your self-confidence. Learn to have the courage to speak your truth. The more you love yourself and own the value that you offer, the more confident you will become in sharing it with others.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Investing in your personal confidence is a great investment that will even inspire others to do the same.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="6-invest-in-your-relationships">6. <strong>Invest in your relationships</strong></h2>
<p>One thing we can’t use an <em>‘instant results’</em> business model on and expect it to flourish is ‘our personal relationships’.</p>
<p>Relationships add more value to who we are and they take time to build. Your priceless most valuable relationships won’t take one day to build; they will take years and years. But they are also not built automatically without us putting in any effort. Go out there build your communication skills. Keep in touch with friends, family, and acquaintances. Unfortunately for me, I sweat and get anxious at the thought of starting conversations especially with people i don&rsquo;t know so well. I am an Introvert and an INFJ to be more specific. Still, I can be quite the blabbermouth when I genuinely and truly know someone and they do me.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We need to work on building them all the time otherwise they will slowly fade and die off.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This applies to business relationships as well.</p>
<p>The benefits reaped from building our relationships can be measured and seen over their lifetime value. The more they grow, the more value they will have and the more valuable benefits you will see.</p>
<h2 id="final-thoughts">FINAL THOUGHTS</h2>
<p>Investing in yourself emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially truly makes a difference in your life, your well-being, and your ability to thrive and perform to the best of your ability. The extent to which you invest in yourself, mind and body, not only shapes the way you interact with the outside world, it often reflects the opinion you have of yourself and this will affect your chances of success in the future.</p>
<p>Your future is in large part determined by your willingness and ability to invest in yourself now.</p>
<p>One of the most important rules in life is for you to <em>“Invest in yourself”</em>. <strong>If you don’t, who else will?</strong> You and only you have to be proactive enough to take that responsibility.</p>
<p><strong><em>Be yourself, and do what you can to make yourself the best you can be.</em></strong></p>
<h1></h1>
<h3 id="if-you-are-a-man-then-you-must-absolutely-do-this-as-the-world-demands-it-we-are-called-to-be-builders-and-providers">If you are a man then you must absolutely do this as the world demands it. We are called to be builders and providers.</h3>
<p>So invest in yourself, because your future depends on it. R</p>
<p>That’s it for today, have a wonderful day.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/bronzeman.jpeg" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Key Ideas In "The Big Fat Surprise" by Nina Teicholz</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/key-ideas-in-the-big-fat-surprise-by-nina-teicholz/</link><pubDate>Sun, 27 Jun 2021 15:23:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/key-ideas-in-the-big-fat-surprise-by-nina-teicholz/</guid><description>&lt;h2 id="the-big-fat-surprise-key-idea-1-not-all-fats-are-created-equal"&gt;The Big Fat Surprise Key Idea #1: Not all fats are created equal&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To best understand the two main types of fats and how they affect your body, it’s important to grasp the chemical composition of each.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In general, fat is made up of chains of carbon atoms, surrounded by hydrogen atoms. These carbon and hydrogen atoms are connected by &lt;em&gt;bonds.&lt;/em&gt; There are two kinds of bonds: single and double.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 id="the-big-fat-surprise-key-idea-1-not-all-fats-are-created-equal">The Big Fat Surprise Key Idea #1: Not all fats are created equal</h2>
<p>To best understand the two main types of fats and how they affect your body, it’s important to grasp the chemical composition of each.</p>
<p>In general, fat is made up of chains of carbon atoms, surrounded by hydrogen atoms. These carbon and hydrogen atoms are connected by <em>bonds.</em> There are two kinds of bonds: single and double.</p>
<p>Imagine a bond as a sort of handshake between a carbon and hydrogen atom. In a <em>single</em> bond, the atoms are connected by one hand each. In a <em>double</em> bond, the atoms hold both hands together.</p>
<p>If a chain of fat is connected by single bonds, it&rsquo;s called <em>saturated fat</em>. If the chain has at least one double bond, it&rsquo;s called <em>unsaturated fat</em>.</p>
<p>Animal fats, such as butter, cheese, or meat, are saturated fats. Olive oil or other vegetable oils are unsaturated fats.</p>
<p>Importantly, the differences in the bonds of saturated and unsaturated fat explain some of their characteristics.</p>
<p>Saturated fat is called thus as it is saturated with hydrogen; its single bond can’t grab any other molecules to add to its chain, which makes it stable. These single bonds pack molecules together densely, which is why saturated fats – like butter – are solid at room temperature.</p>
<p>Unsaturated fats, with their double bonds, are essentially “looser” as the extra “hand” can grab other molecules, such as oxygen in the air. When unsaturated fats are exposed to air, they <em>oxidize</em> or go rancid, quickly. These types of fats are usually liquid – like cooking oil – at room temperature.</p>
<p>Saturated and unsaturated fats are the two most important kinds of fat. Understanding how they are chemically composed is important in understanding how they affect your body.</p>
<h2 id="the-big-fat-surprise-key-idea-2-nutritionist-ancel-keys-in-the-1950s-found-a-link-between-fat-cholesterol-and-heart-disease">The Big Fat Surprise Key Idea #2: Nutritionist Ancel Keys in the 1950s found a link between fat, cholesterol, and heart disease.</h2>
<p>Your local supermarket probably carries a range of milk with different fat contents: nonfat, skim, 2 percent, and so on. Why do we make these distinctions?</p>
<p>A nutritionist named Ancel Keys played an early role in the debate over dietary fat. One of his prime fields of study was food and starvation. During World War II, he developed what was known as the “K-ration,” a ready-to-eat meal for soldiers of hard biscuits and sausages, among other items.</p>
<p>Keys also had a passion for physiology and began researching heart disease. He combined this with his work in nutrition and discovered an interesting link: that a person’s fat intake played a crucial role in the development of heart disease.</p>
<p>The reason for this is straightforward: the fat you eat affects your level of <em>cholesterol</em>. If you have high levels of cholesterol, that can increase your chance of getting heart disease.</p>
<p>Though having high levels of cholesterol can be dangerous, our bodies regardless do need a certain amount of cholesterol to function. Cholesterol is present in the membrane of every cell in your body, helping to control what goes in and out of your cells.</p>
<p>However, cholesterol is also a primary element in the <em>plaque</em> that can build in your arteries. The plaque thickens the walls of your arteries, restricting blood flow, and thus increasing your blood pressure. This eventually can lead to serious heart disease.</p>
<p>In 1958, Keys conducted an experiment in which he fed participants meals with either saturated or unsaturated fats, and then measured the participants’ cholesterol levels. He found that the cholesterol levels of participants who ate saturated fats went up, while the cholesterol levels of those on an unsaturated fat diet went down.</p>
<p>He thus concluded that saturated fats were unhealthy while unsaturated fats in contrast were healthy, as they lowered cholesterol levels and in turn, the risk of heart disease.</p>
<p>As we’ll see in the next book summary, Keys&rsquo; conclusion had a profound effect on our understanding of fat.</p>
<h2 id="the-big-fat-surprise-key-idea-3-keys-diet-heart-hypothesis">The Big Fat Surprise Key Idea #3: Keys&rsquo; diet-heart hypothesis</h2>
<p>Keys&rsquo; hypothesis – that saturated fats cause heart disease – quickly spread through society as he worked tirelessly to convince influential institutions to embrace his ideas.</p>
<p>The first major supporter was the American Heart Association (AHA). The AHA was founded to gain more understanding about heart disease, and it quickly became the leading source of information on the topic. In 1961, Keys became part of the AHA&rsquo;s nutrition committee.</p>
<p>Shortly after Keys joined the organization and largely because of his influence, the AHA released a report linking fat and heart disease. Just two weeks after that report was published, the weekly magazine <em>Time</em> published a cover story on Keys and his work. The magazine’s reach (at the time it was one of the most influential news magazines in the world) generated serious publicity for Keys&rsquo; ideas.</p>
<p>Another study cemented Keys&rsquo; hypothesis. Called the <em>Framingham Study</em>, it monitored a group of some 5,000 people over the span of six years. Researchers analyzed how different factors, such as what participants ate or whether they smoked, affected their chances of developing heart disease.</p>
<p>The Framingham researchers concluded that participants were more likely to develop heart disease when they had high levels of cholesterol. This result, combined with media coverage and AHA reports, led to the widespread acceptance of Keys&rsquo; ideas.</p>
<p>Keys&rsquo; hypothesis – that saturated fat causes heart disease by increasing cholesterol levels – became known as the <em>diet-heart hypothesis</em>.</p>
<h2 id="the-big-fat-surprise-key-idea-4-once-saturated-fats-were-deemed-dangerous-food-makers-turned-to-something-even-worse">The Big Fat Surprise Key Idea #4: Once saturated fats were deemed dangerous, food makers turned to something even worse.</h2>
<p>After it became widely accepted that consuming saturated fats could lead to heart disease, food manufacturers had to start looking for fat alternatives.</p>
<p>Keys&rsquo; diet-heart hypothesis was so influential that even the American government started pushing the food industry to find a replacement for saturated fats.</p>
<p>Unsaturated vegetable oils were the first choice; however, as unsaturated vegetable oil is liquid at room temperature, it wasn’t ideal, as solid fat was preferred.</p>
<p>Yet unsaturated vegetable oil can be treated through a process called <em>partial hydrogenation</em>, which “saturates” oils with just enough hydrogen to make the oil more solid.</p>
<p>By the late 1980s, partial hydrogenation was a very common process. You’d find partially hydrogenated oils in margarine, potato chips, cookies, and other baked goods. The problem of saturated fats solved, hydrogenated vegetable oil quickly become the backbone of the processed food industry.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, partially hydrogenated oils presented some serious problems, too.</p>
<p>The process of hydrogenation produces <em>trans-fatty acids</em>, which are dangerous for human health. <em>Trans fats</em> rarely occur naturally but are usually the result of artificial processing.</p>
<p>The first research papers showing the dietary dangers of trans fats were published in the 1960s. Yet they were mostly ignored, as influential scientists who happened to work for food manufacturing companies wrote rebuttals against the papers’ claims.</p>
<p>The first study that <em>did</em> have an impact was conducted in 1994 by a researcher named Joseph Judd. In his study, participants consumed a diet either high in olive oil, high in trans fats, or moderate in trans fats.</p>
<p>Interestingly, Judd found that a diet high in trans fats caused a rise in cholesterol levels.</p>
<p>Following this study, people more and more began to oppose the use of trans fats in processed foods, and they were even banned in some cities and states in the United States.</p>
<p>Food manufacturers now had to find another fat replacement. Unfortunately, the choices they made were still dangerous to our health.</p>
<h2 id="the-big-fat-surprise-key-idea-5-mcdonalds-tries-to-make-the-healthy-choice-but-learns-that-even-vegetable-oil-poses-problems">The Big Fat Surprise Key Idea #5: McDonald’s tries to make the healthy choice, but learns that even vegetable oil poses problems.</h2>
<p>There are a few possible alternatives to trans fats. Some food makers returned to palm oil – often used for baked goods or potato chips – which they&rsquo;d used before trans fats were introduced in the 1980s.</p>
<p>Other companies experimented with genetically engineered soybeans. Soybeans have some good health characteristics, such as being high in <em>oleic acids</em>, which are also found in olive oil. Ultimately, genetically engineered soybeans weren&rsquo;t a viable option as beans were in short supply.</p>
<p>Some manufacturers tried to use liquid vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil. Vegetable oils are useful for fried products, but they couldn&rsquo;t be used in most packaged foods as they go rancid too easily.</p>
<p>Even using vegetable oil for frying can have serious consequences. In 2007, for example, fast-food chain McDonald’s started using vegetable oil in its fryers, believing it was a healthier choice. However, when vegetable oils are heated, they can create dangerous substances called <em>toxic breakdown products.</em></p>
<p>One especially dangerous toxic breakdown product called <em>aldehyde</em> can interfere with your DNA. Aldehyde is also very chemically reactive, which means it can interact with chemicals in your body and potentially destroy your cells.</p>
<p>In 2010, a report by the Agency for Research on Cancer further illustrated the dangers of frying with vegetable oil. The report suggested that when vegetable oil is heated at a temperature often used in restaurant fryers, it releases emissions that are carcinogenic to humans.</p>
<p>In short, consuming foods fried in vegetable oils under certain circumstances could increase your chances of getting cancer.</p>
<p>So food producers found themselves back at square one: saturated fats were bad, but trans fats were worse. And to boot, even seemingly healthy vegetable oils could pose health problems.</p>
<h2 id="the-big-fat-surprise-key-idea-6-a-kenyan-tribe-eats-a-hole-in-keys-hypothesis">The Big Fat Surprise Key Idea #6: A Kenyan tribe eats a hole in Keys’ hypothesis</h2>
<p>While Keys’ diet-heart hypothesis was widely accepted, not everyone was convinced by it. Some studies did question its premise, yet few paid much attention to the counter-arguments.</p>
<p>One study in the 1950s had participants eat a diet that cut back on red meat, which itself is high in saturated fat. Much later, in 1962, the <em>New York Times</em> published the study’s preliminary results.</p>
<p>The results were interesting: they suggested that people who ate less red meat had lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and thus faced a lower risk of contracting heart disease.</p>
<p>Time passed and members of the study group too passed away: 26 members from the low-red-meat group died, while six members from the control group died. Curiously, <em>none</em> of the deaths in the control group were a result of heart disease (even though they ate a diet with red meat), while <em>eight</em> of the deaths in the low-red-meat diet group were caused by heart disease.</p>
<p>The takeaway? That perhaps eating red meat was not as unhealthy as previously thought.</p>
<p>The eating habits of a Kenyan tribe called the Masai also countered Keys’ diet-heart hypothesis. Some 60 percent of the total calories a tribal individual consumes comes from foodstuffs high in saturated fats: meat, blood, and milk.</p>
<p>In the 1960s, a group of researchers went to Kenya to measure the blood pressure of Masai tribesmen. Interestingly, they found that a tribesman’s blood pressure was 50 percent <em>lower</em> than an average American.</p>
<p>Although the dietary habits of the Masai appeared to disprove Keys’ diet-heart hypothesis, he argued against the study’s methodology and convinced other scientists that the results couldn&rsquo;t be trusted.</p>
<p>While studies against the diet-heart hypothesis were mostly ignored, the data still created enough doubt within the scientific community that some researchers continued to pursue the link between what we eat and our chances of heart disease.</p>
<h2 id="the-big-fat-surprise-key-idea-7-studies-show-that-children-need-fat-to-develop-normally-women-may-benefit-too">The Big Fat Surprise Key Idea #7: Studies show that children need fat to develop normally; women may benefit, too.</h2>
<p>Inundated with messages from trusted sources that saturated fat is dangerous, many parents made sure their children ate a low-fat diet.</p>
<p>The diet-heart hypothesis was so widely accepted that many Americans changed their buying habits. Between 1970 and 1997, the consumption of whole milk dropped from 214 pounds per person per year to 73 pounds. At the same time, the consumption of low-fat milk increased from 14 pounds per person per year to 124 pounds.</p>
<p>In 1995, a survey of thousands of mothers found that 88 percent believed a low-fat diet was “important” or “very important” for their children. Moreover, 83 percent reported that they sometimes or <em>always</em> avoided giving fatty foods to their children.</p>
<p>However, one British study suggested that feeding children a low-fat diet could actually be harmful. In the study, a group of Gambian infants was fed a diet with much less saturated fat than a diet fed to a group of British infants. By age three, the Gambian children weighed 75 percent less than normal for their age.</p>
<p>Women and low-fat diets were also a topic of research. While few studies focused on the effects of a low-fat diet on women specifically, some data showed that a low-fat diet might have a different effect on women than on men, for example. Unfortunately, most findings were ignored as none was as convincing or as seemingly complete as was the prevailing diet-heart hypothesis.</p>
<p>In the Framingham Study mentioned in a previous book summary, for instance, there was no significant correlation between high cholesterol and death from heart disease in women over 50 years old. In 1992, a review of all heart disease data found that women with high cholesterol had in fact a <em>lower</em> mortality rate than men with low cholesterol.</p>
<p>So a diet low in saturated fats seems to affect women and children differently. But why? It turns out that there are different types of cholesterol, and not all of them are bad.</p>
<h2 id="the-big-fat-surprise-key-idea-8-get-to-know-the-two-types-of-cholesterol">The Big Fat Surprise Key Idea #8: Get to know the two types of cholesterol</h2>
<p>Keys’ diet-heart hypothesis was popular in part as it was so simple and easy to understand. However, it turned out to be a little <em>too</em> simple.</p>
<p>The diet-heart hypothesis warned against cholesterol but didn’t differentiate between the <em>two kinds</em> of cholesterol.</p>
<p>The two kinds of cholesterol are characterized by the density of their <em>carriers</em> or lipoproteins. These carriers help cholesterol travel through your veins and arteries.</p>
<p>There are <em>high-density</em> lipoproteins (HDL) and <em>low-density</em> lipoproteins (LDL). HDLs carry HDL cholesterol, while LDLs carry LDL cholesterol.</p>
<p>Researchers found that high levels of LDL-cholesterol were associated with people who smoked, were overweight, didn’t exercise, and had high blood pressure, while HDL-cholesterol was associated with just the opposite: people who exercised didn’t smoke and had a healthy body weight.</p>
<p>Thus, LDL cholesterol was dubbed “bad” cholesterol and HDL cholesterol was “good” cholesterol.</p>
<p>There is some truth to these labels. LDLs fix cholesterol into the walls of our arteries, whereas HDLs clear the cholesterol out of our arteries.</p>
<p>Studies have actually suggested that HDL-cholesterol helps to <em>fight</em> heart disease. In a follow-up of the Framingham Study, researchers found that low levels of HDL cholesterol were directly associated with heart attacks.</p>
<p>In fact, the rate of heart attacks among people with low HDL cholesterol was <em>eight times higher</em> than the rate of people with high HDL cholesterol.</p>
<p>Raising your level of HDL cholesterol is actually the best way to combat heart disease. However, many influential organizations, like the AHA, advocate instead for lowering your LDL-cholesterol levels, which is not as effective.</p>
<p>The two types of cholesterol have very different effects, and it&rsquo;s important to understand these differences. There is a reason HDL cholesterol is “good” and LDL-cholesterol is “bad.”</p>
<h2 id="the-big-fat-surprise-key-idea-9-olive-oil-and-the-mediterranean-diet-showed-we-could-eat-certain-fats-and-still-stay-healthy">The Big Fat Surprise Key Idea #9: Olive oil and the Mediterranean Diet showed we could eat certain fats and still stay healthy.</h2>
<p>Since the primary focus in the 1980s was on lowering LDL cholesterol, many popular diets focused on that aspect. Olive oil was thought to lower LDL cholesterol, which is why the <em>Mediterranean Diet</em> became popular.</p>
<p>In the early 1980s, an Italian researcher was studying the benefits of olive oil in maintaining cholesterol levels in the body. In one study, he found that when participants replaced olive oil with butter, their levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol increased by 19 percent after only six weeks.</p>
<p>This and other similar studies led researchers to focus more on olive oil and its potential for decreasing LDL cholesterol. In the following years, several studies on olive oil were conducted, but they produced mixed results. For instance, it couldn&rsquo;t be proven that olive oil reduced blood pressure or had other beneficial health effects, such as reducing the chance of cancer.</p>
<p>Regardless, researchers pointed to what became known as the <em>Mediterranean Diet</em> as a way to help combat heart disease. Such a diet, traditionally enjoyed by people living in Mediterranean countries such as Greece and Italy, includes high amounts of unsaturated fats, by using olive oil rather than animal fats. It also includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, and lean meat.</p>
<p>The Mediterranean Diet is still popular, largely because of recent studies further showing the benefits of such a combination of foods. In 2008, for example, one study found that such a diet lowered participants&rsquo; LDL cholesterol more than a diet low in carbohydrates or fats.</p>
<p>In 2013, another study tracked the health of over 7,000 individuals who either ate a Mediterranean Diet or were in a control group. In the control group over a period of time, 109 people suffered a “cardiovascular event” such as a stroke, heart attack, or heart-disease-related death, compared to only 83 people on the Mediterranean Diet.</p>
<p>These results have bolstered the credibility of the Mediterranean Diet. Although it was initially viewed with skepticism, the Mediterranean Diet is now seen as one way to maintaining a healthy body.</p>
<h2 id="the-big-fat-surprise-key-idea-10-a-diet-low-in-carbs-has-shown-encouraging-results-in-fighting-heart-disease-and-weight-issues">The Big Fat Surprise Key Idea #10: A diet low in carbs has shown encouraging results in fighting heart disease and weight issues.</h2>
<p>How else can we fight heart disease? It turns out that cutting out carbs, or foods high in starch or sugar, can help keep your heart healthy and keep you slim, too.</p>
<p>It turns out that a diet recommending the consumption of fat instead of sugars, that is, a low-carb diet, has been around as long as 1863. That’s right: this is a diet that’s more than 150 years old!</p>
<p>Reducing your intake of carbohydrates – whether complex carbs such as pasta and bread or simple carbs such as desserts and candy – has been lauded for its positive effects for some time. In 1919, a physician named Blake Donaldson recommended for his patients a diet low in carbohydrates.</p>
<p>Not only did Donaldson’s patients, in general, lose weight, but also they struggled less with heart disease, gallstones, and diabetes.</p>
<p>The cardiologist Robert Atkins wrote his bestseller, <em>Dr. Atkins&rsquo; Diet Revolution,</em> in 1972. It was heavily criticized by the scientific community at the time as it promoted the consumption of fat, which was thought to be unhealthy.</p>
<p>In the late 1990s however, the effects of the Atkins Diet were tested scientifically. In over 15 tightly controlled trials, researchers found that the diet increased a person&rsquo;s “good” HDL cholesterol. Another experiment showed that the diet could also help to reduce blood pressure.</p>
<p>Some researchers studied the Atkins Diet alongside the Mediterranean Diet and concluded that the combination of the two was the most effective way to avoid heart disease. This is why diets that are relatively high in fat, like the Atkins Diet, are generally healthier than most people assume.</p>
<p>Diets low in carbohydrates have been proven to be beneficial, similarly as diets like the Mediterranean Diet have shown to increase “good” cholesterol and keep heart disease at bay.</p>
<p>It turns out that fat has an important place in a healthy diet after all!</p>
<h3 id="in-review-the-big-fat-surprise-book-summary">In Review: The Big Fat Surprise Book Summary</h3>
<p>The key message in this book:</p>
<p><strong>Don’t blindly avoid saturated fats! It’s actually important to eat them. Fats have a wide variety of positive effects and balanced diets that are high in “good” fats and low in carbohydrates can keep you healthy.</strong></p>
<p>Actionable advice:</p>
<h2 id="want-to-lose-weight-try-a-diet-low-in-carbohydrates">Want to lose weight? Try a diet low in carbohydrates.</h2>
<p>A diet high in “good” fats, like olive oil, and low in carbohydrates, like pasta, has consistently been shown to help you lose weight and keep it off. So if you want to slim down, eating fat won’t make you fat: instead, cut back on bread and other foods high in carbs.</p>
<p><strong>Suggested</strong> <strong>further</strong> <strong>reading: <em>Why We Get Fat</em> by Gary Taubes</strong></p>
<p><em>Why We Get Fat</em> explains why certain types of carbohydrates are the main reason we get fat. The book not only shows why people gain weight but why the topic is so controversial. It also talks about why some people get fat and others do not, the role genetic predispositions play in this process, and which foods we should all avoid.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/thebigfatsuprisekeyideas.png" medium="image"/></item><item><title>How to Become Healthy + My Tips</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/how-to-become-healthy-my-tips/</link><pubDate>Sun, 27 Jun 2021 13:25:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/how-to-become-healthy-my-tips/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Hi there!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Today I&amp;rsquo;d like to take this opportunity to share with you tips and tricks that will help you get your health back and keep it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 id="nb-i-am-not-a-doctor-or-a-nutritionist-these-are-just-my-thoughts-that-i-have-seen-others-benefit-from-and-have-benefitted-from-myself-take-them-with-a-grain-of-salt-research-and-adjust-accordingly"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NB: I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. These are just my thoughts that I have seen others benefit from and have benefitted from, myself. Take them with a grain of salt, research, and adjust accordingly.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h2 id="1-cut-out-sugar-completely"&gt;1. Cut out sugar completely&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Many don&amp;rsquo;t realize that sugar is as addictive as cocaine, or that it&amp;rsquo;s the number 1 food for cancer(No 2 being &lt;a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5746034/"&gt;MSG&lt;/a&gt;). Cut it out completely, this means no sugar, no honey, no fruits, and no &amp;ldquo;hidden&amp;rdquo; sugars. Sugar causes inflammation and puts stress on the body. Plus there&amp;rsquo;s the fact that it spikes insulin. I don&amp;rsquo;t want to offend doctors and others but they keep endorsing foods with sugar, knowing very well how bad it is to the body.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi there!</p>
<p>Today I&rsquo;d like to take this opportunity to share with you tips and tricks that will help you get your health back and keep it.</p>
<h4 id="nb-i-am-not-a-doctor-or-a-nutritionist-these-are-just-my-thoughts-that-i-have-seen-others-benefit-from-and-have-benefitted-from-myself-take-them-with-a-grain-of-salt-research-and-adjust-accordingly"><strong>NB: I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. These are just my thoughts that I have seen others benefit from and have benefitted from, myself. Take them with a grain of salt, research, and adjust accordingly.</strong></h4>
<h2 id="1-cut-out-sugar-completely">1. Cut out sugar completely</h2>
<p>Many don&rsquo;t realize that sugar is as addictive as cocaine, or that it&rsquo;s the number 1 food for cancer(No 2 being <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5746034/">MSG</a>). Cut it out completely, this means no sugar, no honey, no fruits, and no &ldquo;hidden&rdquo; sugars. Sugar causes inflammation and puts stress on the body. Plus there&rsquo;s the fact that it spikes insulin. I don&rsquo;t want to offend doctors and others but they keep endorsing foods with sugar, knowing very well how bad it is to the body.</p>
<h2 id="2-cut-out-vegetable-fats-embrace-animal-fats">2. Cut out vegetable fats, embrace animal fats</h2>
<p>I know how controversial this is. But vegetable fat especially the liquid versions is unstable. It was found out to be one molecule away from plastic(we all know how bad plastic is to our bodies). It&rsquo;s just not right for you. Before we used to eat animal fats, people were healthy, low heart and artery issues. Now just look at the world. If vegetable fat was good then things out to have changed, even a little bit. We are literally eating machine/engine lubricant. Don&rsquo;t be fooled by these industries, they are lying to you to fill their pockets, and then the health guys benefit from this.</p>
<p>Kindly read the book &ldquo;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451624433/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1451624433&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stephenajulu-20&amp;linkId=505998cbd172625f0bb6b834c1d53b39">The Big Fat Suprise by Nina Teicholz</a>&rdquo; and learn how important saturated fats are for your body and the whole lie surrounding them. Testosterone is on the decline due to a lack of adequate saturated fats.</p>
<h2 id="3-eat-more-meat-and-eggs">3. Eat more meat and eggs</h2>
<p>Meat and eggs are important for your body. Forget vegetable protein. Animal meat and eggs are rich in proteins and crucial amino acids. Go for free-range products or as Kenyans call it &ldquo;Kienyeji&rdquo;. These have more nutrients. Especially Eggs, they are superfoods, eat more of them. Try the <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/carnivore-diet#:~:text=The%20Carnivore%20Diet%20is%20a,grains%2C%20nuts%2C%20and%20seeds.">carnivore diet</a>.</p>
<h2 id="4-exercise-at-least-twice-a-week-and-for-40-minutes">4. Exercise at least twice a week and for 40 minutes</h2>
<p>Self-explanatory. Extremely underrated.</p>
<h2 id="5-fast-more-often-and-for-longer-periods-of-time">5. Fast more often and for longer periods of time</h2>
<p>Fasting isn&rsquo;t just limited to religious reasons. Fasting has been known to promote <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjktf2BvbfxAhWdA2MBHbTPDWAQFjAHegQIBhAD&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthline.com%2Fhealth%2Fautophagy%23%3A~%3Atext%3DAutophagy%2520is%2520the%2520body%27s%2520way%2Cis%2520%25E2%2580%259Cself%252Deating.%25E2%2580%259D&amp;usg=AOvVaw1f16D_Ph_bw0wUUWK1c2Vi&amp;cshid=1624785393855347">autophagy</a>. Which is a very important process that cleans up your body. It also gives your body rest. All the constant eating and snacking is sure to affect your digestive system.</p>
<h2 id="6-eatdrink-more-fermented-products">6. Eat/drink more fermented products</h2>
<p>I don&rsquo;t know where to begin. Properly fermented food has been shown to increase and diversify your gut microbiome which has been shown to improve mood and health. So try to incorporate fermented foods into your diet.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s the full list of benefits: <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/about-us/news/blogs/fermented-foods-the-latest-trend">What Are Fermented Foods? - Heart Foundation</a></p>
<h2 id="7-more-green-leafy-and-cruciferous-vegetables">7. More green leafy and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi-qbyOvrfxAhUnAGMBHRbyCWAQFjAHegQIBRAD&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancer.gov%2Fabout-cancer%2Fcauses-prevention%2Frisk%2Fdiet%2Fcruciferous-vegetables-fact-sheet&amp;usg=AOvVaw06Rs6U1Fooyphm57GAQ62B">cruciferous</a> vegetables</h2>
<p>This has been shown to slow down and eradicate cancer among so many benefits.</p>
<h2 id="8-avoid-processed-and-fortified-foods">8. Avoid processed and fortified foods</h2>
<p>For food to be fortified, it means the food has been processed to the point most natural nutrients are gone, and now are therefore adding synthetic versions to make it &ldquo;nutritious&rdquo;. Avoid them. Avoid processed foods, and yes Kenyans including ugali made from these factories.</p>
<h2 id="9-sunbathe">9. Sunbathe</h2>
<p>The sun is an important factor in our lives, it strengthens the bones, boosts sperm production(when used properly, remember heat isn&rsquo;t good for our little guys), among a plethora of reasons. So sunbathe, &hellip;&hellip; nude if possible.</p>
<h2 id="10-sleep-at-least-6-hours-per-day">10. Sleep at least 6 hours per day</h2>
<p>Sleep improves critical thinking. It has also been noted that the growth hormone and testosterone increase while asleep, hence the morning erections. Aside from this, sleep is when the body cleanses the mind(through the use of cerebral fluid) and consolidates memory.</p>
<h2 id="11-eat-less">11. Eat less</h2>
<p>No by no means am I telling you not to have your fill. I mean try adopting the <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/one-meal-a-day">OMAD</a>(One Meal A Day) feeding pattern where you eat one large meal every day and then sugarless coffee or tea(no milk) when you get hungry or <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiy06bix7fxAhXLDWMBHam4DXYQFjAAegQIBBAD&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D2uXfo5pF6U0&amp;usg=AOvVaw3STYFwAsLRvhQKqavn-4JG">OAAHM</a>(One and A Half Meals, A Day).</p>
<h2 id="12-add-a-little-more-salt">12. Add a little more salt</h2>
<p>Now, listen. Salt is a key electrolyte and helps the body perform a lot of things, including removing toxins and waste from cells. You are probably taking too little. Up your salt intake. Check these articles out.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-dangers-of-sodium-restriction#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2">6 Little-Known Dangers of Restricting Sodium Too Much (healthline.com)</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-events/news/6-things-about-salt-that-arent-true">6 things you thought you knew about salt that just isn’t true | Queensland Health</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/salt-health-benefits-risks-types-how-cut-back-more/">All About Salt: Health Benefits, Risks, Types, How to Cut Back, and More | Everyday Health</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.intoxicatedonlife.com/17-surprising-reasons-to-eat-more-salt/">13 Surprising Reasons to Eat More Salt. You heard me. (intoxicatedonlife.com)</a></p>
<h2 id="13-avoid-red-dyeartificial-msg-heat-and-soy-especially-in-men">13. Avoid <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjuyfeRxrfxAhXWCWMBHTCeDWAQFjALegQIBBAD&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthline.com%2Fnutrition%2Fred-dye-40&amp;usg=AOvVaw228KK0vojHOlOZotmBKyuK">red dye</a>(artificial), MSG, heat, and soy, especially in men</h2>
<p>They have been shown to negatively affect testosterone and sperm production plus boost cancer. MSG is present in bouillon cubes(royco).</p>
<p>The red dye is used in &ldquo;mabuyus&rdquo;, ice cream, among others. Linked to ADHD, Allergies, Low Sperm Count, Low Testosterone(possibly due to the fact it&rsquo;s similar to estrogen chemically)</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5746034/">Targeting Glutamine Metabolism for Cancer Treatment (nih.gov)</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-dye-40" title="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-dye-40">https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-dye-40</a></p>
<h3 id="what-is-msg">What is MSG?</h3>
<p>Full Name: MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE</p>
<p>It is an artificial glutamic acid known as D- glutamic acid. This acid is combined with corn starch or soy starch to trick your taste buds into believing that the food you are eating is tasty &amp; of nutritional quality. It contributes to cancer.</p>
<p>We need to stop asking the wrong questions and instead ask ourselves why male fertility is on the decline.</p>
<h2 id="summary">Summary</h2>
<ul>
<li>Let half your plate be comprised of meat and fats(25% 25%), 40% vegetables(specifically cruciferous), 10% carbohydrates(especially arrowroots/tubers).</li>
<li>Incorporate fermented foods such as fermented milk, greek/sugarless yogurt, wine, apple cider, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut(fermented cabbage), tempeh, and others as they contain good bacteria.</li>
<li>Exercise atleast twice a week</li>
<li>Avoid sugar in all its forms</li>
<li>Walk around after an hour of sitting</li>
<li>Avoid artificial red dye, msg, plastics, vegetable oil and soy</li>
<li>Sunbathe frequently nude</li>
<li>Sleep at least 6 hours</li>
<li>Fast frequently</li>
<li>Try OMAD, OAAHM, or the Carnivore diet</li>
<li>Eat more salads</li>
<li>Eat more salt</li>
</ul>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/healthytips.png" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Resetting My Wardrobe</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/resetting-my-wardrobe/</link><pubDate>Sun, 27 Jun 2021 11:09:00 +0300</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/resetting-my-wardrobe/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;I recently took a good look into my wardrobe and what I realized was eye-opening.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Many times we keep old torn clothes and there are some clothes we rarely wear. I believe every year we need to do something I call &amp;ldquo;a wardrobe refresh&amp;rdquo;, where we get rid of clothes we don&amp;rsquo;t wear, the torn ones and the impractical ones and buy a new set.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So I recently realized, just having&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I recently took a good look into my wardrobe and what I realized was eye-opening.</p>
<p>Many times we keep old torn clothes and there are some clothes we rarely wear. I believe every year we need to do something I call &ldquo;a wardrobe refresh&rdquo;, where we get rid of clothes we don&rsquo;t wear, the torn ones and the impractical ones and buy a new set.</p>
<p>So I recently realized, just having</p>
<ol>
<li>2 black round-neck and v-neck T-shirts(2 sizes)</li>
<li>2 grey round-neck and v-neck T-shirts(2 sizes)</li>
<li>2 white round-neck and v-neck T-shirts(2 sizes)</li>
<li>4 pairs of sweatpants</li>
<li>4 hoddies</li>
<li>6 Suits</li>
<li>4 Pull/Turtle Neck Sweaters</li>
<li>2 Coats(one for really cold days)</li>
<li>Trenchcoat</li>
<li>Gloves</li>
<li>2 Scarfs</li>
<li>7 boxers/briefs</li>
<li>2 shorts</li>
<li>6 pairs of jeans(light wash blue, dark wash blue, black, white, &ldquo;designer&rdquo; and grey)</li>
<li>3 pairs of shoes</li>
<li>and 3 knit Sweaters</li>
</ol>
<p>Is enough. You don&rsquo;t need a whole lot of clothes. Some in this list can be substituted and others removed completely.</p>
<p>So now I have begun my wardrobe refresh, slowly phasing and replacing the old while adding the new as I go. And the best thing is, you can give your old clothing to charity and children&rsquo;s homes. I believe in charity and zero waste. I embrace minimalism, essentialism, and frugal living.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s it for now, please share, subscribe and comment.</p>
<p>Before you go. I found a great place where you can buy essential items for your wardrobe refresh and this place&rsquo;s name is <a href="https://www.esntls.co/?ref=kuzqn53jomp-">ESNTLS</a>(Essentials). They have given me coupon code where you can get 10% off all their products. Here&rsquo;s their link: <a href="https://www.esntls.co/?ref=kuzqn53jomp-" title="https://www.esntls.co/?ref=kuzqn53jomp-">https://www.esntls.co/?ref=kuzqn53jomp-</a> and here&rsquo;s the coupon code I was given: STEPHENAJULU. The link already has this coupon code applied. This is a great place to refresh your wardrobe, they have clothing for both ladies and gentlemen, I suggest you check it out, I am also working on buying most of the things I need from them.</p>
<h4 id="well-bye">Well, Bye!</h4>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/resetwardrobe.png" medium="image"/></item><item><title>Must Have Eye Wear</title><link>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/must-have-eye-wear/</link><pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2021 04:45:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/must-have-eye-wear/</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;Hi everyone, welcome back. Today, I&amp;rsquo;ll be talking about the importance of having at least 2 different types of eyewear.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So let&amp;rsquo;s dive in!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The first kind of eyewear you need is obvious.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 id="1-sunglassess"&gt;1. Sunglassess&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sun glasses not only protect you from the visible light but also from invisible light know as ultraviolet light. This kind of light is emitted by the sun and on sunny days can cause degeneration and strain. Remember these light also reflect on water so not only are sunglasses going to protect you from ultraviolet rays from the sun but also reflected UV. Aside from this, sunglasses can reduce light input helping you function where light is focused on you.&lt;/p&gt;</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi everyone, welcome back. Today, I&rsquo;ll be talking about the importance of having at least 2 different types of eyewear.</p>
<p>So let&rsquo;s dive in!</p>
<p>The first kind of eyewear you need is obvious.</p>
<h3 id="1-sunglassess">1. Sunglassess</h3>
<p>Sun glasses not only protect you from the visible light but also from invisible light know as ultraviolet light. This kind of light is emitted by the sun and on sunny days can cause degeneration and strain. Remember these light also reflect on water so not only are sunglasses going to protect you from ultraviolet rays from the sun but also reflected UV. Aside from this, sunglasses can reduce light input helping you function where light is focused on you.</p>
<p>Let&rsquo;s not forget their usefulness when you have a pink, black eye, eye bags and other eye issues(Fighting is greatly discouraged here, solve things like grown up adults).</p>
<p>It can also prevent <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photokeratitis"><strong>Photokeratitis</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>
<p>Make sure not to go too much into the dark side 🧛‍♀️🧛‍♂️ because that can cause your pupils to expand in order to help you see better therefore allowing more light and you know why that&rsquo;s wrong right? UV rays!</p>
<p>They also make you look cool and hot(contradictory huh).</p>
<p>Also remember eyelid skin is one of the thinnest, so putting on some shades may prevent darkening and damage.</p>
<h5 id="things-to-look-for-when-shopping-or-looking-for-sunglasses">Things to look for when shopping or looking for sunglasses</h5>
<ul>
<li>90 percent and above UV protection(Very Important).</li>
<li>A wraparound style.</li>
<li>Polarization(Optional. Reduces Glare).</li>
<li>Tinting(Purely Cosmetic. Choose one you like).</li>
</ul>
<p>Now note UV is not bad, it&rsquo;s the amount you get that should be reduce. Your body requires this. So just remember too much of something is the issue. The same can be said about the next one Blue Light.</p>
<h3 id="2-geekcomputer-glassesaka-blue-light-clear-glasses">2. Geek/Computer Glasses(aka Blue light Clear Glasses)</h3>
<p>If you are like me, spending a lot of time in front of a computer screen then you need this. These protect your eyes from bluelight released by our devices. This means, laptops, phones, computer monitors, smart watches and such.</p>
<p>Blue light is harmful because it causes ocular degeneration and it&rsquo;s everywhere, i just mentioned a few, there&rsquo;s the sun, fluorescent and LED light bulbs.</p>
<p>Blue light also causes eye strain and disruptive sleep and circadian rhythms.</p>
<p>Look for one that promises 40% and above.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>And that&rsquo;s it for today, I&rsquo;d like to introduce you to my sponsor today <a href="">Jade Black</a>.</p>
<p>They provide some quality and affordable eye wear with international free shipping for orders above 15,892.00 Kenyan Shillings or 145 dollars.</p>
<p>They have a huge catalog that I am sure, can cater for your eye wear needs and tastes.</p>
<p>Here are some of the sunglasses and digital protection glasses I was able to find, note they&rsquo;ll be affiliate links so each purchase you make will be helpful in supporting me and keeping this blog on &ldquo;fire&rdquo;.</p>
<p>You could get your loved one, something for valentines. If you buy 4(men 😉 2 for you and 2 for her, you get free shipping and down below i have a coupon code where you can get 10% off every purchase.</p>
<h4 id="for-him">For Him</h4>
<h5 id="sunglasses">Sunglasses</h5>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.jadeblack.co/collections/mens/products/emperors-gold?ref=kuzqn53jomp-">Emperors Gold - 44 Dollars or 4,558 Kenyan Shillings</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.jadeblack.co/collections/mens/products/the-scholars-1?ref=kuzqn53jomp-">Scholars L - 44 Dollars or 4558 Kenyan Shillings</a></li>
</ul>
<h5 id="cleardigital-protectionbluelight-glasses">Clear/Digital Protection/Bluelight Glasses</h5>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.jadeblack.co/collections/mens/products/commanders-prism-1?ref=kuzqn53jomp-">Commanders Prism, Black and Gold - 44 Dollars or 4558 Kenyan Shillings</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.jadeblack.co/collections/mens/products/scholars-prism-gold?ref=kuzqn53jomp-&amp;s=recomatic">Scholars Prism - 44 Dollars or 4558 Kenyan Shillings</a></li>
</ul>
<h4 id="for-her">For Her</h4>
<h5 id="sunglasses-1">Sunglasses</h5>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.jadeblack.co/collections/womens-sunglasses/products/bellas?ref=kuzqn53jomp-">Bellas, Black - 44 Dollars or 4558 Kenyan Shillings</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.jadeblack.co/collections/womens-sunglasses/products/the-saints?ref=kuzqn53jomp-">Saints, Grey - 44 Dollars or 4558 Kenyan Shillings</a></li>
</ul>
<h5 id="cleardigital-protectionbluelight-glasses-1">Clear/Digital Protection/Bluelight Glasses</h5>
<ul>
<li><a href="">Commanders Prism, Black and Gold - 44 Dollars or 4558 Kenyan Shillings</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.jadeblack.co/collections/womens-prism/products/copy-of-generals-prism-gold?ref=kuzqn53jomp-">Generals Prism, Gold - 44 Dollars or 4558 Kenya Shillings</a></li>
</ul>
<h4 id="you-can-also-check-out-their-store-for-morethey-have-more-than-20-in-store--jadeblackco">You can also check out their store for more(they have more than 20 in store! 🤩): <a href="https://www.jadeblack.co/?ref=kuzqn53jomp-">JadeBlack.Co</a></h4>
<h3 id="to-get-10-off-use-my-coupon-code-stephenajulu">To get 10% off, use my coupon code: STEPHENAJULU</h3>
<p>Have a great day everyone and to all the ladies Happy Valentines in advance 😘.</p>
]]></content:encoded><media:content url="https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/more-color_1800x.jpg" medium="image"/></item></channel></rss>