Curcumin, a distinctive yellow-orange chemical extracted from the rhizomes of turmeric, may help fight osteoarthritis and other diseases. Curcumin is increasingly being added to cosmetic products that claim to help treat acne and eczema, prevent dry skin, and even slow down the ageing process. Other health claims include relieving allergies, preventing cancer, and improving heart health. However, the proportion of curcumin in turmeric is just 3% by weight, and doses of curcumin needed to give health benefits are very high.

Curcumin has potential health benefits

Studies found that curcumin could inhibit angiogenesis, which all tumours need to sustain themselves. However, curcumin has poor bioavailability, making it nearly impossible to get sufficiently high concentrations of curcumin into the blood through oral supplementation alone. Research shows that combining curcumin with piperine - a compound found in black pepper - can enhance its absorption into the blood. However, piperine inhibits a variety of enzymes that aid in metabolising drugs. Although there is evidence of the benefits of curcumin, further research is necessary.

Advances in drug-delivery techniques

Clinical trials show that curcumin, present in the spice, may help fight osteoarthritis and other diseases, but there’s a catch – bioavailability, or how to get it into the blood

Stashed ideas

Does turmeric’s reputation translate into real health benefits?

Instagram is filled with promotions of “loaded teas” — made with tea concentrate and fruit-flavoured drink mixes — often boast cheeky names like Bahama Mama or Mermaid and appear alongside promises of zero sugar, few calories, healthy antioxidants, and perhaps most importantly, a big dose of caffeine: #cleanenergy is a frequent accompanying hashtag, which makes sense considering that many loaded teas boast more than 160 milligrams of caffeine — more than double what’s in a cup of coffee.These drinks are sold by independent distributors from a multi-level marketing company, Herbalife.

Fruit-Flavoured Caffeine Fad

Founded in 1980, Herbalife employed the classic MLM model by signing up independent distributors who have two responsibilities: to sell the company’s protein powders and nutritional supplements, and to recruit others to become Herbalife distributors. Herbalife has been <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/herbalife-faces-fresh-legal-hurdle-51601059300">sued on</a> <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/south-florida-couple-among-thousands-of-plaintiffs-in-1-billion-lawsuit-against-herbalife/172685/">numerous</a> <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2014/11/herbalife-pyramid-scheme-lawsuit-15-million-settlement-in-class-action.html">occasions</a> for that business model, resulting in <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2016/07/its-no-longer-business-usual-herbalife-inside-look-200">one $200 million settlement</a> with the Federal Trade Commission in 2016 that required the company to completely revamp its compensation structure.

A Multi-Level Marketing(MLM) Business Of Loaded Teas

It’s easy to see the appeal of loaded teas. They’re low-calorie, look pretty on Instagram, and tap into trendy wellness culture buzzwords like “high in antioxidants” and “immune/energy boosting.” For dieters who are accustomed to the bitter aftertaste of artificial sweeteners and are tired of drinking plain old water, they offer a compelling alternative. Much like Starbucks coffee, too, these beverages are a way to convey status — if you can afford to buy an $8 drink every day, then you’re doing pretty well for yourself.

Buy It, Click It, Instagram It

The way most people make money in an MLM — and why <a href="https://mashable.com/article/multi-level-marketing-mlm-scam-avoid">most experts view the model as a scam for consumers</a> — is when they become an “upline,” or a person who has recruited new distributors. Uplines earn a percentage of all the items sold by and to people beneath them in the hierarchy, called “downlines.” People on the bottom end of the downline are not earning much.

How MLM Works

Increasingly, nutrition clubs are popping up across the country as technicolour tea shops, and almost every single one of them is affiliated with Herbalife. Even as loaded teas and meal replacement shakes grow in popularity, the function of these clubs is ultimately still the same as their predecessors: Instead of only selling the powder mixes and vitamins directly to consumers, they use Herbalife ingredients in their menus of drinks, shakes, and protein coffees. And every new customer that comes in to buy a Mystic Mermaid has the potential of being a new downline.

Colourful Tea Shops

There’s a growing trend of both online content creators and regular folks making their own loaded drinks at home. During the pandemic, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dloaded%2520tea%2520at%2520home&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eater.com%2F22958985%2Floaded-teas-herbalife-mlm-silver-lining-lessons-dupes-nutrition-clubs">loaded tea kits</a>, which allow customers to make their own drinks with Herbalife supplements, became popular, but many at-home drinkers like the Stockstills are intentionally bypassing MLM ingredients to avoid supporting companies they see are harmful. Others made a similar decision in an attempt first to save money — who wouldn’t want to spend 65 cents on a good drink instead of $8?

Bypassing The Expensive MLM Overhead

Thanks to social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, a DIY version of the loaded tea craze is becoming increasingly popular — these sites are replete with recipes for loaded teas and other “health drinks” like collagen-infused “beauty teas” that only require a trip to the grocery store, not an initial investment of nearly $100 in Herbalife products. But nutrition clubs are still opening across the country at a rapid clip, and there’s an obvious demand for loaded teas and meal replacement shakes, whether they’re made with Herbalife products in a store or by yourself at home.

The Bottom Line

Notorious multi-level marketing (MLM) company Herbalife is selling a dream to its health-focused beverage distributors, who are opening tea-slinging "nutrition clubs" at an alarming rate

The Truth About Herbalife, the Company Behind America’s Latest Tea Obsession

<ul><li>Despite adages and advice that tell people from a young age hard work will get you everywhere, it really won’t. Hard work is a good start and early in your career, it can certainly help you establish yourself in a job. But it’s not enough to take you all the way to the top. </li><li>At a certain point you look around and realize, wow, everyone works hard at this level. Expertise and hard work just become the expectation, and will not help you up the ladder.</li><li>More often than not, those who rise are the ones willing to politick their way to the top, while you were too busy just working hard to notice you should be working the room.</li></ul>

Working hard is not enough

Hard work is still very important, but simply waiting for someone to pick up on it is detrimental. The tiara effect is the tendency people that work hard have to hope that the right people notice and come along and place a tiara on their heads. But that usually doesn’t happen.One of the things that can happen to people who do good work and nothing else is that they’re under the radar. If you don’t draw attention to yourself in other ways, it’s easy to fade into the background.

The ‘tiara effect’ trap

Basically, to climb the ladder, it’s necessary to be not just a great worker, but a bit of a politician.When you evaluate work, the research is quite clear – people who are liked get better ratings, even if their work is the same. And therein lies the unfair truth: you and a colleague may have the exact same skills and work ethic, but if they’ve spent more time making friends and influencing people, they’ll look better at their job.

The value of politics

We're constantly taught the recipe for getting ahead is to put our heads down and outwork everyone else. But that's not quite right.

Why hard work alone isn't enough to get ahead

<ul><li>Business and product strategy. As a principal engineer, it’s important to understand the overall strategy for your group and what you can do to support the goals it’s trying to achieve.</li><li>Team needs. Although you’re not part of a specific team, you’ll find yourself working with many teams across the business to achieve your goals. To prioritize effectively, identify the needs of the teams you work with most closely.&nbsp;</li><li>Engineering org needs. Are there problems within the org that you could help with? Look out for initiatives that particularly interest you or that could help you develop some of your growth areas.</li><li>Personal goals. Consider your personal goals. Identify your strengths, goals you haven’t yet achieved, and areas you might need to improve, and incorporate feedback you’ve received from your manager and peers.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Setting and prioritizing goals as a principal engineer

Prioritize by identifying risks associated with each of your inputs. Within the business and product strategy, some examples of these risks could be:<ul><li>Financial risks or strategic risks.</li><li>Technological risks: the business may have taken on complex projects, or started to explore a new problem space.</li><li>Operational and team risks: look out for teams without enough engineering support to achieve their goals, where your help might be incredibly valuable.</li></ul>

Prioritize by risk

As a principal engineer, it can be difficult to manage your time. Here are some tips for setting and prioritizing goals.

Dai Clegg developed the MoSCoW model to create a strategic approach to prioritization. <ul><li>Must. This category is non-negotiable for creating a viable product or essential to prepare before a client meeting.</li><li>Should. This includes important requirements that can potentially wait until another session.</li><li>Could. This is the "nice to have" which are desirable but can be ignored if it does not fit time and resources.</li><li>Won't. Anything in this category can be discarded. They are either inappropriate for this time or not aligned with your overall goals. </li></ul>

The MoSCoW method

<ul><li>Place items in one of the four categories. If you are unsure, always put it one category lower, for example, from must to should.</li><li>Block time in your calendar. Start with the must category, then add items in the should category. Do not fill your calendar. Stop before it is full to leave room for tasks that may take longer than anticipated.</li><li>Regularly review the four categories as priorities can change over time.</li></ul>

How to use the MoSCoW method

The MoSCoW method of prioritization

Today’s smartwatches and health trackers that measure steps, heartbeat, skin temperature and oxygen levels in the body are a USD 80 billion industry.<ul><li>These new technologies claim to help us monitor and improve our physical, mental and emotional health, making us aware of our sleep quality, physical activity and even stress.</li><li>Digital logging of our body’s emotional health is similar to a mood journal, that helps us identify triggers and patterns.</li></ul>

Tracking Our Health Using Technology

Constantly monitoring the body’s various biometrics can make us feel great, but also increase our anxiety levels, as they provide real-time data and feedback to us.So much data appears to be mind-boggling but can provide us valuable insights to ward off potential problems that lead to high blood pressure, depression and obesity.Apart from physical biometrics, new wearables also measure our mental wellness, and look for causes of chronic stress and burnout, proving that data can be a friend.

Mental Wellness And Technology

Mindfulness expert Deepak Chopra and Fitbit CEO James Park discuss whether tech and mindfulness mix, the quantified self, and data privacy

Health

Do Mindfulness and Health Trackers Mix? Deepak Chopra and Fitbit CEO James Park on Managing Stress With Data

We've heard this myth countless times from many different films or even in some of the fiction books we've read, but the reality is it continues to be a work of fiction. If this myth were true, we wouldn't be worried about brain damage that has profound consequences for our cognition and function.
The truth of the matter is that brain imaging techniques have demonstrated that the entire brain is being used even while we are asleep.

Myth: We only use 10% of our brains

While the brain may be fragile and that damaging it results in a multitude of consequences that range from mild disruptions to our cognitive abilities to complete impairment, brain damage isn't permanent.
How one recovers from such damage depends upon its severity and the location of the injury. Remember that the brain has an impressive amount of plasticity so even after a serious brain event, the brain can often heal itself over time.

Myth: Brain Damage is Permanent

There is a popular notion that people may either be dominated by their right or left brain hemispheres. according to this notion, right-brained people are more creative and expressive while left-brained people are more analytical and logical.
However, as fun and as spunky as this notion might seem, it isn't really true. It has been proven that we do better at tasks when the entire brain is utilized, even for things that are typically associated with a certain area of the brain.

Myth: People are right- or left-brained

The concept of humans having the biggest brain in regards to proportion to body size is untrue - it's another misconception.
Although we have a brain that weighs 3 lbs and measures 15 cm in length, the largest animal brain belongs to the sperm whale and it weighs a whopping 18 lbs, following second by the elephant with an 11 lbs brain.
If we're comparing brain size in proportion to body size, the shrew holds the title, due to its brain making up 10% of its body mass.

Myth: Humans have the largest brains

We've been long told that adults have only so many brain cells and that we never form new ones and that once these cells are lost, they're gone for good.
However, in recent years, experts have discovered evidence that the statement above isn't true. The human adult brain does indeed still form new cells throughout life, even during old age.
This process of forming new brain cells is known as neurogenesis and it happens in the area of our brain called the hippocampus.

Myth: Brain cells die permanently

While excessive and chronic alcohol abuse can certainly have dire health consequences, researchers do not believe that drinking causes neurons to die.

Myth: Drinking alcohol kills brain cells

No one can really trace back to where this notion of the human brain having a hundred billion neurons started but a researcher named Suzana Herculano-Houzel, decided to actually count it, the amount is not too far off.
The actual count is closer to 85 billion neurons.

Myth: We have 100 billion neurons in the human brain

Learning styles suggest that our brain has a preferred method of intaking knowledge. One popular theory suggests that our brains may prefer visual learning over kinesthetic and as fun as this sounds there is little research to back up this concept.
A large-scale study was done but found no evidence to support the use of learning style assessment instruments.

Myth: Your brain has a preferred learning style

There are still a lot of things we don't know about the brain, but researchers have dispelled a number of common myths about our most important organ.

8 Myths About the Brain Debunked

You may have heard that your passions lie deep in ancient parts of your brain that you apparently inherited from prehistoric reptiles. Or that your "rational brain" which sits on top of your "lizard brain" tries to moderate your desires.
The only animal with a lizard brain is a lizard. Neuroscience clearly shows that brains don't evolve in layers but follow a single manufacturing plan.

Myth: You have a lizard in your head

Generally, no part of your brain is exclusively dedicated to creativity or mathematical reasoning. Neurons compute every action you take from across the entire brain.
While your cerebral cortex consists of two halves, both are intricately connected. Language ability does take place mainly in the left hemisphere, but this lateralisation develops gradually in most people.

Myth: The left side of your brain is logical, the right is creative

Hormones don't just have one specific psychological purpose, and all the chemicals work together in your mind.
<ul>
<li>Cortisol boosts the amount of glucose in your bloodstream for a quick burst of energy, such as before you exercise or wake up in the morning, not just when you are stressed.</li>
<li>Serotonin has many functions. It regulates how much fat is made and helps keep track of your energy. It also helps other neurons pass on information as they create your thoughts, feelings and actions.</li>
</ul>

Myth: Cortisol is a stress hormone, serotonin a happiness hormone

All of your sensations are computed in your brain.
<ul>
<li>You see with your brain, based on what is in your brain and the sense data from your eyes.</li>
<li>You hear with your brain as it makes sense of sounds based partly on the data from your ears.</li>
<li>Your skin has no sensors for wetness. Instead, your brain combines several sources of information, including touch, temperature, and knowledge from experience, to create a feeling of being wet.</li>
</ul>

Myth: Your eyes see, your ears hear, and your skin feels

During any day, it can seem like your brain is reacting to events around you. You're pricked by a needle and feel a bit of pain.
However, your brain constantly predicts the next moment and compares the guess to the data it receives from the world and inside your body. These predictions turn into your actions.

Myth: Your brain reacts to events

Decades ago, scientists noticed neurons increase their activity when an individual is taking a particular action, for example, waving when others are waving. They named them "mirror neurons."
But, your brain is really predicting your next action based on what you see, hear, and feel if you move. Seeing someone wriggle their fingers in the air and understanding it as a greeting is a normal part of your brain's predictive processes.

Myth: Mirror neurons are special cells that create empathy

Your brain doesn't store memories like a filing system. Your brain reconstructs your memories on demand with electricity and chemicals.
"Remembering" is really "assembling" and may be influenced by your current situation, so your brain may reshape each occurrence so that it differs in the details.

Myth: Your brain stores memories

Most parts of the human brain can't grow new brain cells, but some parts can.
The hippocampus can grow new neurons. The hippocampus is important for learning, remembering, regulating your eating, and other biological functions.

A half-myth: You can't grow new brain cells

Neuroscientist Dr Lisa Feldman-Barrett busts common misconceptions about how the mind works, from left  and right brains to how your memory works.

7 (and a half) myths about your brain

The worst-case scenario thinking is troublesome because it causes the very problem we're trying to prevent - an unpleasant or difficult situation.
How often does a negative thought turn into catastrophic thinking? A spot on your face becomes a cancerous tumour. Your child not attending a specific school spirals into him not getting a good job. From just entertaining an idea, it quickly turns into a worst-case scenario.

The impending catastrophe in your mind

When your thoughts tip from realistic anxieties into unlikely scenarios, take note of it. Also, if your thoughts become catastrophic, notice if you're judging yourself: "I always do this." 
We often may not realise when our thoughts become catastrophic. A long-term solution for sharpening self-awareness is mindfulness meditation. It can help you become better attuned to your thoughts.

Notice your thoughts

While you can't control everything, you can consider realistic options.
If you're worried about flying, research the physics and statistics, and remind yourself that you're safer in a plane than in your car. If you're concerned about a blemish on your face, make an appointment with your dermatologist.

Regain control

The most effective way to overcome your fears is to face them.
If you fear flying, take a vacation where you have to fly. If you fear that you have a severe problem in your marriage, address it with your partner. This way, you will know what to work on instead of just worrying or feeling stuck.

Face your fears

Working with a therapist can help to overcome your catastrophic thoughts.
Focusing on the worst-case scenario may mask a different problem. For example, a fear of flying might be a fear to take a job out of state.

Catastrophic thinking: When to seek help

Catastrophic Thinking: When Your Mind Clings to Worst-Case Scenarios

The system for counting calories comes from chemist Wilbur Atwater. To find out how much energy we get from eating, he measured the nutritional value in food and subtracted the amount of energy left in people's bodily excretion.
His research resulted in the 4-9-4 rule: Each gram of protein, fat, and carbohydrate provides 4, 9, 4 calories of energy, respectively.

Counting calories in food

Nutritionists are calling for calorie intake and nutrition information to be reviewed.
<ul>
<li>They say the present system does not differentiate between raw and cooked food. Processed food is easier to absorb, so it provides more calories.</li>
<li>USCA researchers found that pistachios&#39; caloric value had been overstated by 5 percent on the nutrition label. Almonds were overstated by 32 percent.</li>
</ul>

Reappraisal of calorie intake

If you're aiming for a recommended daily average of calorie intake and using nutrition labels to track your numbers, you might want to rethink your diet strategy.

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Evangeline E.
@evafe

Does turmeric’s reputation translate into real health benefits?

The Truth About Herbalife, the Company Behind America’s Latest Tea Obsession

Why hard work alone isn't enough to get ahead

Setting and prioritizing goals as a principal engineer

The MoSCoW method of prioritization

Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

Evangeline E.@evafe

Does turmeric’s reputation translate into real health benefits?

The Truth About Herbalife, the Company Behind America’s Latest Tea Obsession

Why hard work alone isn't enough to get ahead

Setting and prioritizing goals as a principal engineer

The MoSCoW method of prioritization

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Evangeline E.
@evafe