Your body uses inflammation to fight off illness and heal injuries, but chronic, long-term inflammation can be dangerous: <ul><li>It <a href="https://www.foxchase.org/blog/chronic-inflammation-and-cancer-what%E2%80%99s-connection">damages cell DNA </a>, which can lead to cancer. </li><li>It <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6523054/">increases insulin resistance </a>, which can cause diabetes. </li><li>It <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/fight-inflammation-to-help-prevent-heart-disease">promotes the growth </a>of plaques in arteries and triggers blood clots, which can cause heart disease. </li> </ul>

Inflammation in the 

Foods that are high in sugar like soda and baked goods can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5986486/">trigger inflammation </a>in two ways:<ol><li>Sugar <a href="https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/shows.php?shows=0_7frg4jjd">stimulates the production of fatty acids </a>in your liver. </li><li>Eating sugary foods causes your body to produce more of the hormone insulin, which, in turn, can boost body fat. This is a problem because fat cells can produce chemicals in the body that <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.01607/full">lead to inflammation </a>.</li></ol>

1. Sugary Foods

Processed meats are meats that have been modified through curing, salting, smoking, or adding preserving chemicals. Some examples of processed meats are:<ul><li>Bacon.</li><li>Deli meats.</li><li>Hot dogs.</li><li>Beef jerky.</li><li>Chicken nuggets.</li></ul>Both processed and red meats tend to be high in saturated fat. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5540319/#R11">Studies have found </a>that eating fatty processed and red meats may cause weight gain and inflammation.

2. Processed Meats and Red Meats

Many common cooking oils contain a type of fat called <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/5-foods-that-can-cause-inflammation/">omega-6 fatty acids </a>. Omega-6 fats aren't necessarily bad — your body uses them for energy and normal growth. But your omega-6 fats need to be in a careful balance with <a href="https://www.insider.com/omega-3-benefits">omega-3 fats </a>that you can get from foods like salmon, mackerel, and flaxseed. If you eat too much omega-6 fat, it can throw off this balance, which triggers inflammation. Some common cooking oils that contain omega-6 fats include: <ul><li>Corn oil. </li><li>Canola oil. </li><li>Sunflower oil. </li><li>Safflower oil. </li><li>Peanut oil. </li> </ul>

3. Some Cooking Oils

Fried foods like chicken nuggets, doughnuts, and french fries are big inflammation culprits for several reasons, including:<ul><li>Fried foods tend to have high levels of omega-6 fatty acids.</li><li>Fried foods produce compounds in the body called advanced glycation end products, also known as AGEs. These compounds <a href="https://www.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2009/study-shows-that-reducing-processed-and-fried-food-intake-lowers-related-health-risks-and-restores-bodys-defenses">directly stimulate inflammation </a>in the body.</li></ul>

4. Fried Foods

There are also many <a href="https://www.insider.com/anti-inflammatory-diet">anti-inflammatory foods </a>that can help fight chronic inflammation. These foods are rich in key compounds like antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids that work to reduce your levels of inflammatory proteins.Some key anti-inflammatory foods to add to your diet include:<ul><li>Fatty fish.</li><li>Extra-virgin olive oil.</li><li>Fruits and veggies like oranges, broccoli, and peppers.</li><li>Nuts.</li><li>Berries.</li><li>Tomatoes.</li></ul>

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Avoiding inflammatory foods can help reduce your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

food

Food

health

Health

4 foods that cause DNA-damaging inflammation in your body

Meetings which require group thinking and discussion to make decisions and are going to be really mentally-challenging, those meetings are known as High-IQ meetings.Meetings are all about teams and collaboration and if you want your group to be at their best, you need to find a time where everyone can have optimal chance to be fully wake up and get the blood flowing.

'High-IQ Meetings'

"I like to do my high-IQ meetings before lunch, Anything that's going to be really mentally challenging--that's a 10 o'clock meeting. Because by 5 p.m., I'm like, 'I can't think about that today. Let's try this again tomorrow at 10.'"

<ul><li>Get enough sleep</li><li>Feed your soul</li><li>Identify your priorities</li></ul>

3 ways to make High-IQ meetings count

<a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy-sleep/sleep-science/the-science-of-sleep-understanding-what-happens-when-you-sleep">Research indicates that good sleep is vital for "brain plasticity,"</a> the brain's ability to learn and adapt.A good night's sleep also helps you concentrate better when you're awake, while reducing unforced errors and irritability. So, view getting enough sleep as a sound investment.

Get Enough Sleep

Before starting your work, take out some time for yourself, figure out what would help you, your body, and your mind. <ul><li>Is it a workout? </li><li>Some time to reflect and meditate? </li><li>Or, a good breakfast with your loved ones?</li></ul>By feeding your soul first, you'll be prepared to do great work.

Feed your soul

Sometimes we confuse feeling productive with being productive. You might jump into your workday and knock out a bunch of small tasks.Completing this type of work isn't wrong; it's often necessary. But these are tasks that can often be completed quickly, later in the day.This gives you time to focus your prime thinking time on the more important decisions.The more responsibility you have, the more important focus becomes. So, identify your most important decisions for today, and make those your priority.

Identify your priorities

In a recent interview, Bezos shared some tips on how to make "high-IQ" meetings count.

productivity

Productivity

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

timemanagement

Time Management

Jeff Bezos Schedules His Most Important Meetings at 10 a.m. Here's Why You Should Too

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭, 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟏 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 .

ꜰɪᴛɴᴇꜱꜱ ɪꜱ ᴇQᴜᴀʟʟᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴘᴘɪɴᴇꜱꜱ. ᴇxᴇʀᴄɪꜱᴇ ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ. ᴄᴀʀᴅɪᴏᴠᴀꜱᴄᴜʟᴀʀ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ ᴇɴᴅᴏʀᴘʜɪɴꜱ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴏᴅʏ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪᴍᴘʀᴏᴠᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴍᴏᴏᴅ. ʀᴜɴɴɪɴɢ ᴏʀ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɪɴᴛᴇɴꜱᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋᴏᴜᴛꜱ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ʙᴏᴏꜱᴛ ᴀᴅʀᴇɴᴀʟɪɴᴇ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴀ ᴡᴏʀᴋᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ.

𝐓𝐢𝐩: 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐠𝐮𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫.

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟗𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐕 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝟐 𝐨𝐫 𝟓

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 🥱 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.📺

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲.

𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐝.

The author uses her extensive experience with intuition medicine to tap the body's energy effectively, presenting information on chakras, auras, and meditation through a combination of stories and step-by-step instructions. Original. 25,000 first printing. $25,000 ad/promo.

books

Books

Body of Health explores the power of personal energy, describing levels of awareness that can facilitate healing on many levels: spiritual, physical, and mental. The techniques covered here are designed to help readers increase their understanding of intuition, color, the chakra system, meditation, and other theories and methods as they work in healing. The author has developed these techniques over many years helping nurses, doctors, and other medical practitioners discover the source of pain and disease and guiding patients to more effective healing therapies. The areas covered in this wide-ranging yet accessible book include aura, color, meditation, kundalini, male/female energy, meditation, and affirmations and their role in healing. Each chapter examines one practice or theory of energy and offers examples, stories, and simple techniques that readers can use to test the concept. Included are descriptive charts, journal writing exercises, success stories, and step-by-step meditations.

Francesca McCartney

Body of Health

Transactional analysis (TA) is a theory informing a type of <a href="https://thehumancondition.com/psychotherapy-introduction-benefits/">psychotherapy</a> that psychologists use to facilitate growth and prosocial change in clients. TA can help people develop better <a href="https://thehumancondition.com/mindful-awareness-health-and-mental-wellness/">self-awareness</a>, communication skills, and improve how they relate to others. Practitioners use ideas from several modalities, including psychodynamic, behavioral, and <a href="https://thehumancondition.com/gestalt-therapy-and-the-path-to-wholeness/">Gestalt theories</a>.

Transactional Analysis (TA): Overview, Examples, and Effectiveness

Transactional analysis (TA) is a valuable resource for people who want to explore their ego states and unconscious life scripts to improve their personal development, self-awareness, and relationship skills.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

Transactional Analysis (TA): Overview, Examples, and Effectiveness - The Human Condition

Could three seconds a day of resistance exercise really increase muscular strength?That question was at the heart of a small-scale new study of almost comically brief weight training. In the study, men and women who contracted their arm muscles as hard as possible for a total of three seconds a day increased their biceps strength by as much as 12 percent after a month.

Three Seconds of Resistance Exercise Every Day

The findings add to mounting evidence that even tiny amounts of exercise — provided they are intense enough — can aid health. I have written about the unique ways in which our muscles, hearts, lungs and other body parts respond to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/well/move/can-4-seconds-of-exercise-make-a-difference.html">four seconds of strenuous biking</a>, for instance, or <a href="https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/29/a-way-to-get-fit-and-also-have-fun/">10 seconds of all-out sprinting</a>, and how such super-short workouts can trigger the biological responses that lead to better fitness.

The Little Movements Help

The three-second workout could also be useful as a stopgap to help maintain or even add to our arm strength for those of us who are buried under work or family commitments and are unable to get to the gym.<ol><li>Just find a dumbbell that feels heavy — you might start with a 10-pound version, for instance, if you are new to weight training. </li><li>Lift it with both hands, to start a biceps curl, then lower it with one hand through a count of three seconds to complete a short, sharp and draining eccentric contraction.</li></ol>

Just Do It, It's Only Three Seconds Of Work

Men and women who briefly contracted their arm muscles as hard as possible once daily increased their biceps strength by up to 12 percent in a month.

exerciseandfitness

Exercise & Fitness

Stronger Muscles in 3 Seconds a Day

The snooze button solves a simple problem: Instead of having to go through a bunch of steps to re-set your alarm when it goes off in the morning, you just give it one touch and you gain a few more precious minutes of sleep.But that's not really why the snooze button exists. Hundreds of millions of people use their snooze button every day because they're sleep-deprived. When their alarms go off, their first thought isn't, "Time to get up." Their first thought is, "I need to sleep longer." The real problem isn't an inconvenience. The real problem is sleep deprivation.

The Snooze Button Isn't a Tool. It's a Warning

No matter how busy you feel, pick a number  (7 hours) and work backward. If you need to get up at 6:30, that means falling asleep by 11:30. Stop drinking caffeine sometime in the afternoon. Stop using your devices about 30 minutes before you need to fall asleep.  Then shut off the lights around 11:15. Relax. Let your mind wander. Don't think about going to sleep. Don't try to go to sleep. Just chill. If it takes you a long time to fall asleep, that's OK. Don't take a nap the next day. Just go to bed at the same time. Because as with most things, consistency is the key. And don't press snooze.

You Need Around 7.5 Hours of Sleep. Plan Accordingly

The snooze button isn't a handy tool. It's a warning sign for physical performance, mental acuity, and long-term health.

career

Career

Millions of People Hit the Snooze Button Every Morning. Here's Why Science Says That's a Problem

Putting a name to your feelings decreases their intensity. So whether you're feeling sad, anxious, angry, or scared, acknowledge it--at least to yourself. Also, pay attention to the way those emotions can affect your choices. When you're feeling anxious you may be less inclined to take risks. When you're excited you may be more impulsive. Increasing your awareness of your emotions can decrease the chances that you'll make irrational decisions based on emotions only.

1. Practice labeling your emotions.

Naming your emotions is only part of the battle--you also need skills to regulate your emotions. Think about your current coping skills.Do you eat when you're nervous? Do you drink to calm down? Do you vent to your friends when you're angry? Do you stay home when you're anxious? Those common strategies may make you feel better in the moment but they will make you feel worse over the long-term.Look for coping skills that are good for you over the long-term (ones that will help regulate your emotions now without wreaking havoc on your health, relationships, or tasks in the long-term).

2. Establish healthy ways to deal with uncomfortable emotions.w

The way you think affects how you feel and how you behave. Thinking things like, "I can't stand this," or "I'm such an idiot," robs you of mental strength. Respond to unproductive and irrational thoughts with something more helpful. So instead of saying, "I'm going to mess this up," remind yourself, "This is my chance to shine and I'm going to do my best." Changing those conversations you have with yourself can be the most instrumental thing you could do to change your life.

3. Identify and replace unhealthy thought patterns.

The best way to train your brain to think differently is by changing your behavior. Do hard things--and keep doing them even when you think you can't. You'll prove to yourself that you're stronger than you think.Establish healthy daily habits as well. Practice gratitude, exercise, get plenty of sleep, and eat a healthy diet so your brain and your body can be at their best.Seek out people who inspire you to be your best. And create an environment that supports your efforts to build a healthy lifestyle.

4. Take positive action.

Pay attention to your bad habits that rob you of mental strength (we all have them). Whether you feel sorry for yourself or you resent other people's success, it only takes one or two to keep you stuck in life.Once you become aware of your bad habits, devote energy into replacing them with healthier alternatives. Then, you'll be able to step out of the hamster wheel and actually move forward toward your goals.

5. Give up the bad habits that rob you of mental muscle.

Just like it takes time and practice to become physically strong, building mental strength takes dedication as well. But building mental muscle is the key to feeling your best and reaching your greatest potential.Commit to practicing mental strength exercises every day and make each year your best year ever.

Become Your Strongest Self

Here are five things you can start doing now to make yourself mentally stronger this year:

No matter what your goals are, you'll need mental strength to get there. 

habits

Habits

mentalhealth

Mental Health

5 Ways to Make Yourself Mentally Stronger This Year

Recently, the concept of practicing <a href="https://thehumancondition.com/mindfulness/">mindfulness</a> has gained in popularity, becoming at least three times more commonplace in the United States over the last decade.<a href="https://www.mindful.org/meditation-is-the-fastest-growing-health-trend-in-america/">1</a> <a href="https://thehumancondition.com/mindfulness/">Mindfulness</a> is the state of <a href="https://thehumancondition.com/mindful-awareness-health-and-mental-wellness/">being aware</a> of one’s thoughts and actions in the <a href="https://thehumancondition.com/present-moment-awareness/">present moment</a> in a nonjudgmental manner. Research has linked this <a href="https://thehumancondition.com/mindful-awareness-health-and-mental-wellness/">awareness</a> to greater well-being, positive affect, self-regulation, and protection against <a href="https://thehumancondition.com/mental-health-and-conditions/depression/">depression</a> and <a href="https://thehumancondition.com/anxiety-and-related-conditions/">anxiety</a>.

An Overview of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)

The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) is a self-report tool that measures an individual’s ability to practice mindfulness in their day-to-day life.

mindfulness

Mindfulness

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

An Overview of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) - The Human Condition

People have long sought out pre-prepared foods with a long shelf-life; for example, Indigenous North Americans created <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0309174021001029?casa_token=OE9wEDn8nekAAAAA:RHLs_vYAOnCSPIrmJD8M_4bT9qHDYbD3zjzViVpXX24qus9UE36c9Bfr74tFeExsMSQKAbnuGg">pemmican</a>, a mix of dried meat, tallow and berries, which settlers later found useful for long voyages and military expeditions. Quick eats looked pretty different by the 1990s, when <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/food/1991/03/13/shake-up-in-the-diet-industry/dc9507d2-9e59-4de2-b544-c67bb2d317db/?utm_term=.1ee097393716">millions</a> of people were replacing meals with SlimFast drinks in hopes of quickly losing weight.

The Lure Of Quick Food: The Background

Online, you can find people who claim to have survived off of powder-based drinks such as Soylent and Huel for <a href="https://thehustle.co/soylent-what-happened-when-i-went-30-days-without-food/#:~:text=In%202013%2C%2024%2Dyear%2D,friends%20could%20buy%20the%20product.">weeks</a> (as Soylent’s founder, Rob Rhinehart, did) or <a href="https://medium.com/@Lewis_Grant/8-things-i-learned-eating-only-huel-for-6-months-ddad4bc42f9b">even</a> <a href="https://nextshark.com/alex-webber/">months</a> and <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/soylent/comments/c0ac9n/drank_only_soylent_for_2_years_got_sent_to_the_er/">years</a> on end. While neither company recommends this tactic, some social media users see it as a welcome challenge and hope their personal experiments bring compelling results, including ramped-up physical fitness. Regardless of one’s liquid of choice, decades of meal-drinking ushers us into unprecedented territory. Most people naturally desire a varied diet that provides a range of sensory experiences.

Surviving On Protein Shakes

Scientists haven’t fully grasped how our diet evolved nor what exactly transpires in our bodies as we munch on burgers or pick through salads. But research has demonstrated that the diversity within one’s meals, including aspects like texture and taste, matters for our health. Experiments <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666321000878">have</a> demonstrated that we tire of specific foods and tend to move on to new ones shortly after — consider why you may have room for dessert after a heaping savory meal. Humans <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666317309017">may</a> have developed this behavior to ensure proper nutrient intake.

Missing Out on Variety (and Chewing)

Researchers have observed this phenomenon, known as sensory-specific satiety, among <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4146395/">animals</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5532562/">children</a> (who haven’t exactly memorized the food pyramid). Choosing to turn entirely to liquid meals when it isn’t otherwise necessary means overriding our hard-wired instincts. While meal replacement drinks may come in an increasing variety of flavours, you may encounter a relatively similar consistency and miss out on the crunch and flavours from a wider range of foods.

Sensory-Specific Satiety

Eliminating that fundamental variety-seeking that we have is not a good thing.It has been found that liquids don’t <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69504-y">make us feel as</a> satisfied as solids do. One possible explanation: “complex” liquids like smoothies and protein shakes <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-long-does-it-take-to-digest-food/">leave</a> the stomach within 40 to 60 minutes — literal “fast food,”  while protein- and fat-rich solid meals can linger twice as long.

Drinking Instead Of Eating

Exclusively slurping on SlimFast or Soylent also means that you’ll miss out on the joy of chewing. As it turns out, chewing is rewarding even when food is absent — consider why some people tear through packs of gum. Most importantly, munching <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/5/1391/htm">signals</a> the body to prepare for digestion, and longer chewing <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938415300317#:~:text=Systematic%20review%20revealed%20an%20effect%20of%20chewing%20on%20food%20intake.&text=Increasing%20the%20number%20of%20chews%20per%20bite%20increased%20gut%20hormone%20release.&text=Mastication%20promotes%20satiety%20by%20influencing%20appetite%2C%20intake%20and%20hormone%20release.">might</a> even help us eat less.

The Joy Of Sitting And Slowly Chewing Food

Beyond feeling bored and perhaps hungry and disgruntled, what health effects come with exclusively drinking your meals? While weight-loss trials <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3322430/">have</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3471207/">deemed</a> months-long liquid meal replacement plans as generally safe under medical supervision, there isn’t much data on the safety of a regimen filled with newer drinks like Soylent and Huel (apart from <a href="https://soylent.com/blogs/news/a-dietitian-s-view-on-clinical-research">small</a> <a href="https://huel.com/pages/a-summary-five-weeks-on-a-100-huel-diet">trials</a> carried out by the companies themselves).

Unnatural Way To Intake Food

When drinking supplements, it may be difficult to get enough fiber, which helps <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/#:~:text=Fiber%20helps%20regulate%20the%20body's,%2C%20whole%20grains%2C%20and%20beans.">regulate</a> hunger and blood sugar levels. Brands vary in their fiber content. The powders from Huel and Soylent offer a considerable amount per serving, while Boost and Ensure drinks offer little to none. Meanwhile, drinks in the latter category can contain extremely high amounts of sugar, which add up if you’re throwing back multiple per day. Drinking your food can also affect drug absorption, since thick liquids may <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554389/?_ga=2.185699489.968491278.1644862274-624627884.1644862274">delay</a> the dissolution of drugs.

The Missing Fiber

Liquid diets are also ironically associated with dehydration, likely because people forget to drink enough water and aren’t getting much from food (which <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5084017/">provides</a> around 20 to 30 percent of the H2O we need)

Drinking More Water

As much progress as nutrition has made, we don’t understand all the complexities of what’s in different foods. And although some brands claim to stuff all of the necessary nutritional components into a bottle or powder, this feat may not actually be possible. We haven’t necessarily pinpointed all of the compounds that make certain foods healthy, and how they might work together to produce specific effects.Fruits and vegetables, for example, have all kinds of phytonutrients that aren’t necessarily even defined yet.

This Is No Magic Powder

Some powders and drinks boast all of the necessary nutrients a body needs — no grocery trips required. But it isn't clear how drinking our meals might affect our health.

Can We Move Beyond Food?

1RM is the maximum weight you can lift if you only have to do one repetition of an exercise.It's considered the “gold standard” test of strength. When you lift your 1RM weight, you shouldn't be able to complete a second repetition. The idea is that you give everything you have in that first rep that's where the name comes from.Knowing your 1RM enables you to choose the correct weight for each exercise, ensuring that you maximise your training benefits and build strength systematically. It can also help you to overcome a training plateau.

What is 1RM? 

Weight x reps x 0.0333 + weight = estimated 1RM  For example, if you can usually bench 60kg for 6 reps, your 1RM calculation will look like this:60 x 6 x 0.0333 + 60 = 71.988. Round it up to 72kg, and you have your estimated 1RM

How do you calculate your 1RM?

When doing a 1RM remember that form comes first.To improve your endurance, use a weight that’s 70% of your 1RM for sets of 12-20 reps.To stress your muscle fibres, use a weight that’s 80% of your 1RM for sets of 7-12 reps.To teach your muscles power and speed, use a weight that’s 90% of your 1RM for 3-4 sets of 3-4 reps. Make sure you take enough rest and recovery time in between each set.To push past your limits and focus on strength, use a weight that’s 95% of your 1RM for sets of just 1-3 reps. This will feel heavy, so make sure you have a spotter to keep you safe during each lift.

How do you use 1RM in a workout?

A simple 🏋🏻‍♂️ trick to avoid hitting the plateau. 

Learn how to test your 1RM, how often you should test it, and how to apply it in your training to effectively increase your strength over time.

How One-Rep Max (1RM) Can Enhance Your Training

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