Are you trying to lead a healthier lifestyle? This data visualization can help you filter out the marketing hype to help you find the vitamins, minerals, and herbs that deliver tangible benefits ... versus those that serve only as a "Guaranteed Genuine Placebo".
Here is an interactive model of the most current research data. It is interesting because of the health research itself ... and because models (like this) have far-reaching applications. Click the image to play with the interactive version on InformationIsBeautiful.
I was surprised to see how many of the supplements I take weren't high on the list. I was also surprised to find a few effective supplements on the list that I don't take.
Some of you have seen how many supplements I take a day. I take so many pills that I split them up into morning, lunch, dinner, and bedtime. Despite that, I always like finding what else might help.
As a reminder, supplements are meant to support your health goals, and the secret to longevity is not going to be found without you also putting in the work yourself.
Regardless, I appreciated this look at the performance data behind various supplements.
Let me know if you find something you think is worth sharing.
Getting old is tough ... and it gets tougher the older you get. As a result, finding your 'reasons for being' and joy in life become increasingly important.
The past couple of years have been a period of massive upheaval for many. Reasons for this include stress, change, pandemics, quarantine, new jobs, new goals ... or, at the other end of the spectrum, lack of change, lack of a job, or lack of purpose.
Most people know that life is much better than the alternative (and that life becomes even better when you learn to enjoy living and let go of what isn't serving you). Consequently, it makes sense to understand and search for the things that bring you pleasure or fulfillment.
A Japanese concept called "Ikigai" may help better define your motivating force and the things that give you a sense of purpose or a reason for living.
Ikigai centers around finding purpose as you grow older. Paradoxically, it makes sense to start the process as early as possible.
Here is an infographic that lays out some "Reasons for Being."
Finding your "reason to be" and living with purpose are keys to making the most of your time.
The beauty of 2022 being a fresh start is that you can also change your approach and your vision.
The graphic highlights something interesting (yet almost counter-intuitive) ... When two areas intersect, it creates something positive (e.g., a passion or a mission). However, where three areas intersect, it creates a pain point (for example, it could be what you're good at, you love doing it, the world needs it ... but it doesn't make you any money – so now you're struggling).
Worth examining and thinking about for a bit.
On a related note, this TEDx talks about the nine common diet and lifestyle habits that help people live past 100.
For Jews, Friday was the first night of Passover, a family-centric holiday that recounts the biblical story of the Exodus of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into the Promised Land. For me, it's a reminder to appreciate what we have – and how we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.
For Christians, today is Easter - the holiday honoring Jesus's resurrection.
The overlap can be seen in DaVinci's Last Supper, a Passover Seder, and Jesus's last meal before his Crucifixion.
For Jews, a notable part of the ritual dinner is recounting each of the ten plagues inflicted upon Biblical Egypt and saying, "Never again."
Last year, I joked that maybe COVID-19 should be added to the list.
And, just like the Jews making it through slavery, the plagues, and 40 years wandering through the wilderness and desert before entering the Promised Land ... We are finally approaching the promise of life post-COVID.
Of course, other global events remind us that while the world and our capabilities continue to improve and expand ... human nature stays maddeningly the same.
With the coming of spring, the return to normalcy, and the reminders from the stories of Exodus and Easter - it's a great time to do a mental and physical "spring cleaning". Mine your experiences for the things you want to keep doing (or continue not doing) as things go back to "normal".
Hope you celebrated with family, food, and a reverence for all the blessings around you.
During the time in question, males had an expected lifespan of between 35 and 40 years. In stark contrast, the founding fathers lived more than twice that long (except for Alexander Hamilton, who made the bad decision to embrace dueling).
I don’t believe this chart shows the disparity of “Haves” and “Have Nots”. Instead, it shows the importance of purpose. The Founding Fathers understood how important their efforts and ideas were (not only to their lives ... but also to the lives of the people who relied on them – and to future generations). They truly saw a bigger future and their part in its creation.
Common wisdom posits that a lot of longevity comes down to diet and exercise.
Clearly, sleep and stress management matter too. With that said, healthy mindsets potentially have the most significant impact on your health, well-being, and longevity.
Mindset Matters.
Dan Sullivan wrote an e-book called “My Plan for Living to 156”. His message was to stop being nostalgic about the past and anxious about the future.
Most people’s notion about how long they’ll live becomes an oppressive thought. They feel confined by their expected lifespan, often based on family history and averages. But what if you could extend your lifetime? What if you could increase the quality of the years you had left? How would adding extra years impact the way you live now?
The goal of living to 156 may sound outrageous. But in reading this book, you’ll find that imagination can have a huge impact on behavior and accomplishment. And, even if you don't make it to 156, the years you're left with will be better for it.
You don’t have to actually believe that you will live to 156 (or some other huge number). Simply adopting a mindset that you have extra time permits you to set longer-term goals and focus on bigger possibilities. As a result, those mindsets allow you to focus on continued learning and growth, rather than looking for an excuse or an easy off-ramp.
Purpose is a master key! It gives you direction, capabilities, and confidence.
As I think about these issues, I know that I want to be valuable and interesting to those around me as long as I’m here. That means I want to be healthy, fit, and vital as well! The reason? So I can focus on living ... rather than not dying.
I’ve heard it said many times, in many different ways, but one of the easiest ways to predict your life and lifestyle is to take the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Consequently, it’s important to surround yourself with people committed to bigger futures!
Likewise, it’s important to set goals and scorecards that keep you focused on what matters and continued progress.
Even if you don’t live until 156, I think it’s important and healthy to live now as if you will!
My wife is currently in Indonesia – and inflation is rising. What a perfect time to revisit the world’s most expensive coffee.
Indonesia is famous for coffee. For example, “Sumatra” is their biggest island – with “Java” coming in close behind (and both are synonymous with coffee).
They also make one of the most expensive coffees in the world … Luwak Coffee.
It is a very particular coffee, created using a very peculiar process.
In traditional coffee production, the cherries are harvested, and the beans are extracted, before being shipped to a roaster, ground into a pulp, and brewed by a barista at your local Starbucks.
In contrast, with Luwak coffee, something different happens.
The coffee cherries are harvested by wild animals.
Specifically, they’re harvested by the Asian Palm Civet, a small, cat-like animal that absolutely loves the taste of coffee cherries.
But,if the civets eat the cherries, how can they still be used to make coffee?
Here comes the gross part—the civets eat the coffee cherries, but their digestive tract can’t effectively process the beans, only the flesh surrounding them.
When the partially digested, partially fermented beans are eventually excreted, coffee producers harvest them. The beans are then cleaned, roasted, and used to make astonishingly expensive (“with retail prices reaching up to $1300 per kilogram”) coffee.
Now, is the coffee that mind-blowing?
No, not really. In fact, many critics will openly call it bad coffee, or as Tim Carman, food writer for the Washington Post put it, “It tasted just like…Folgers. Stale. Lifeless. Petrified dinosaur droppings steeped in bathtub water. I couldn’t finish it.”
To be fair, the Luwak coffee industry is not really about coffee ... it is about an experience. When I toured a plantation near Ubud, Bali, a smiling tour guide greeted and led me on an in-depth exploration of the forested property, where I was allowed to immerse myself in the various spices, roots, beans, and civets used to produce this one-of-a-kind coffee.
Here is a video I shot of the process.
If you think about it, I paid a premium to drink exotic cat poop coffee. Kind of strange!
I wouldn’t drink coffee made from people’s poop (or even domestic cat poop).
It’sthe story that allows this not-so-awesome coffee to fetch awesome prices. People are paying for the experience, not the commodity itself.
The same is true when you buy Starbucks. The coffee at 7-Eleven is cheaper – and Consumer Reports tell us that McDonald’s coffee is better.
Looking at the list, we see new editions like Clubhouse and Strava. Partially due to the quarantine, you're still seeing an increase in digital cash transfers with tools like Venmo, an increase in e-commerce shops like Shopify, and an increase in (you guessed it) collaboration tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Just to pick out some of the key figures in the chart this year.
Amazon users spend $283,000
6M people shop online
TikTok users watch 167M videos
and, Zoom hosts 856 minutes of webinars.
Before 2020, I already thought that big tech had a massive influence on our lives. Yet, somehow this past year has pushed their impact even higher.
One other thing this chart also helps put into perspective is the rapid rate of adoption. As you look at different year's charts, you can see how quickly apps have become part of the cultural zeitgeist.
How do you think these numbers will grow or change in 2022?
Wow, how time flies. We're past Thanksgiving, and Christmas and the New Year will be here quickly.
It turns out that tonight was and the last night of Chanukah - which is the Jewish festival of lights. This is the holiday that involves lighting the Menorah (Chanukah candles), eating latkes (potato pancakes), exchanging gifts, playing spin the Dreidel (a gambling game), and enjoying a sense of family togetherness for eight days and nights.
That's a long time, right?! Well, sometimes it seems even longer with my family.
As a gift to all of you, here is "The Chanukah Song," performed by comedian Adam Sandler on Saturday Night Live. It became an instant classic (and he since released a second, third, and fourth version.)
Here is the video. And, if you're feeling left out - here's Adam Sandler's Christmas Song.
The cynic in me believes the gift part of the holiday was invented by merchants.
Regardless, the Capitalogix team has been in a festive mood, and the office has been filled with holiday cheer. We recently celebrated a Thanksgiving Potluck as well.
Here Are Some Links For Your Weekly Reading - May 1st, 2022
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
Lighter Links:
Trading Links:
Posted at 08:50 PM in Books, Business, Current Affairs, Food and Drink, Games, Healthy Lifestyle, Ideas, Just for Fun, Market Commentary, Personal Development, Science, Sports, Trading, Trading Tools, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
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