Everything You SHOULD'VE Been Taught in School.
This is a summary of the best-selling personal finance book of all time, Rich Dad Poor Dad.
Told as a true story from a first person narrative, Rich Dad Poor Dad was written by author Robert Kiyosaki. The book is controversial, because it doesn’t advise you to follow the standard dogma of penny pinching or relying on a 401K. [Read more…] about Rich Dad Poor Dad Summary – A Foolproof System for Wealth
Did you know that the number of people who identify as LGBTQ is rising? Today, over 11.5 million adults in the U.S identify as LGBTQ and one in ten youth identifies this way. These numbers are surging because society is becoming more accepting of people for who they are.
Despite this progress, change still needs to happen. It is challenging to be proud of who you are when there are still people and laws that that discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals.
Nonetheless, showing off your pride can be incredibly rewarding. There’s so much history behind the different kinds of pride flags that exist today. [Read more…] about Beyond the Rainbow: Your Ultimate Guide to Pride Flags
So, you’re trying to learn about the different types of protein powder?
Before I dive into this topic—and I’m never one to hold back from sharing the latest and greatest high-performance science—it only seems proper to start with an introduction.
Luckily, all you need to know about me can be easily summed up, because I’m obsessed with three things:
Improvement? This is easy to define. It’s thrilling and energizing to be a constantly improving version of yourself.
Science? What is a better pleasure read than some hard, cold, repeatable, peer-validated science?
Empirical Observation? I love that which you can verify by opening your eyes and looking at what the heck is going on around you. I don’t care much about what the one person does.
Why is that? Because sometimes you find a person who has incredible genes, an insane work ethic, a slew of ritualistic behaviors (likely pre-packed meals with precise macronutrient quantities), intelligent supplement use (definitely fish oil and vitamin D3), or perhaps a bit of dumb luck.
Yes, those people exist. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and delve into that hard-core science that I promised, because this will teach you the principles that are repeatable—and proven.
First, let’s start by considering a list of the different types of protein powers that you can find online or at your local GNC or Vitamin Shoppe.
There are three main categories of protein powders, which are the milk-based proteins, the animal-based proteins, and the plant-based proteins, as shown below.
While each of these different types of protein powder have their advantages and disadvantages, the milk-based protein powders have unquestionably had the greatest commercial (and nutritional) success to date.
Let’s explore why…
When you are training hard, the day becomes broken up in two periods of time. These periods are the:
Peri is simply a prefix meaning “about” or “around.”
In this context, we’re using it to talk about the period right around your workout. That is, the 30 minutes before, the workout itself, and an hour or so afterward.
Those are the two parts of the day that exist. So, how do these two intervals differ from a nutritional context?
Simple. During the rest periods, your body can be properly fueled by high-quality, wholesome, nutrient-dense foods.
Meaning, lean proteins, healthy fats, heaps of veggies and possibly a few fruits, and lots of water (more than you’re drinking now).
However, for the peri workout period, everything changes. Remember, peri-workout encompasses your pre, during and post workout interval.
During this time period, your physiology changes, your biochemistry changes, and your signaling pathways change—including which receptors open up on your muscle cells.
Even your gene expression changes. (Gene expression determines which proteins your body’s DNA decides to create and fold into three-dimensional structures.) Whoa, right?
Understandably, we need to treat this period differently. This is where the different types of protein powder come in.
If you shuttle the right foods into your body during this time period, you’ll create a high-performance “power boost”, allowing you to put more weight overhead than you did yesterday.
Because nobody’s built quite the same, there are unlikely to be any universal nutrition truths beyond simple rules like “eat food.” Thus, there will always be someone with a different perspective—and it could well be valid.
Having said that, the nearest equivalent to a “universal truth” for the peri-workout period is this:
Take in carbs and amino acids both pre and during your workout, and immediately afterward, consume carbs along with whey protein.
I’m highlighting that, because this whole article just got summarized into that one sentence.
For the amino acids, you also have choices. But, first, let’s explore what an amino acid really is.
Amino acids are the building blocks that form proteins.
Whey protein is considered a “complete protein” because it contains all 9 of the essential amino acids.
In total, there are 20 amino acids that compose the human body, but only 9 of them are “essential” – meaning, amino acids that we can’t produce ourselves, so we have to acquire them through our diet.
Virtually every study I’ve ever seen has demonstrated that the addition of essential amino to carbs turns on protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is just a fancy term for muscle repair or growth.
Strength Training + Amino Acids + Carbs =
Muscle Repair & Growth
For your pre, during and post workout amino acids, you can either source them as complete protein or you can source it as specific essential amino acids.
Put more simply, you can either get your amino acids by:
or,
BCAA is an acronym for branched chain amino acids. While the science to support adding amino acids to carbs for improving exercise performance is not exact, it is overwhelmingly robust.
Thanks to various tracer and biomarker techniques that allow us to track pathways involved in protein synthesis, we’re getting a continually improving understanding of what happens when we ingest these foods around our workout window.
Ok, so you now know you can get amino acids from either a whey protein shake or from a BCAA drink.
Well, which one should you choose?
In an interesting study conducted by Jackman, et al., subjects who tipped back a drink with 5.6 grams of BCAAs after a resistance training workout had a 22% greater increase in muscle protein synthesis compared to those who drink a placebo (substitute) drink.
However, this increase is greatly overshadowed (~50% less) than the increases in muscle protein synthesis observed when subjects drank a whey protein shake containing a similar amount of BCAAs.
The gains in muscle repair produced by whey protein are assumed to result from the reality that it contains all 9 of the essential amino acids that are required to build muscle.
While I’ve seen varying results produced by different scientific studies, the point is, either BCAAs or whey protein can be an effective choice to sip on before and during your workout.
However, if you’re assessing which one to have after your workout, definitely opt to tip back a whey (isolate or hydrolysate) protein shake in a flavor of your choosing.
Personally, I like to keep things simple and drink a whey protein shake plus a carb drink (like Vitargo) both during and after my workout.
When in doubt, this is a safe and simple strategy for workout nutrition that you can use too.
If you’re an athlete like me, then the big amino acid that we should all know, love, and gossip about while foam rolling, is the amino acid leucine.
The reason for this is that leucine is the one essential amino acid that can be transferred rapidly and with minimal effort from the gut to the blood stream.
This means our body has a solid evolutionary reason to rely on leucine as the major signal of, “Hey, I just ate a wooly mammoth!”
Whey protein is a leucine-heavy protein.
Meaning, whey protein provides both a strong “call to action” with its leucine content and provides a spectrum of other essential amino acids that your body can use to build your new muscle tissue.
After leucine, the next most important amino acids for strength and muscle size gains are isoleucine and valine.
Ok, so why emphasize leucine so much? Because all too often I see people get drawn into trying other types of protein as alternatives to the “tried-and-true” whey protein shake.
Either the label is shiny or the Vitamin Shoppe was running an incredible promo or that Facebook ad was so darn persuasive.
Whatever the impetus, people rarely see their strength gain improve when they switch away from whey protein to a different protein powder alternative.
While there are multiple factors at play, the amino acid composition of whey is a major part of what makes it a “powerhouse” of a protein.
For whey protein, in particular, there’s a large population of scientific studies that have consistently shown the repeatable benefits of:
In addition to the robust body of science that supports its use, another reason that I’m biased toward whey protein as a trigger for protein synthesis is its quick bio-availability.
Meaning, whey protein is rapidly transported from the gut to the bloodstream.
Whey protein is a very fast digesting protein that can get rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream (in 30-45 minutes, in many cases). This let’s you to take advantage of changes that occur within your body following strenuous physical activity.
In contrast, if you’ve ever heard of casein protein, it is a slow-digesting (milk-based protein) that can take up to six hours.
Many whey protein products also mix together these different products. They do this both for nutritional reasons (bioavailability and macronutrient composition) and for commercial reasons (price point).
When comparing different types of protein powder, just know that both whey isolate or whey hydrolysate are excellent choices to chug post workout.
To make my point about absorption rates extremely clear, here are the various types of milk-based proteins ranked by their digestion speed:
When comparing different types of protein powder, faster absorption will serve you best post-workout (whey hydrolysate or isolate), while slower absorption (casein) is best for overnight recovery.
What most people don’t know is that milk is composed of approximately 80% casein protein and 20% whey protein.
Both casein and whey are complete proteins, meaning they contains all 9 of the essential amino acids that we can’t make ourselves.
Thus, the difference between casein and whey is how the milk is separated into its component parts.
In contrast, the difference between whey concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate is how—and to what extent—the whey protein has been processed.
Are there viable alternatives to whey protein?
Yes, there sure are, as listed above. However, the absorption profiles for hemp and other paleo proteins – such as whole egg protein, egg white protein, or beef protein isolates – are less known.
Personally, I would be delighted to see some lovely, peer-validated studies about their absorption profiles and muscle protein synthesis capacity in comparison to whey protein.
Remember, whey protein is a…
… post-workout protein source.
For performance nutrition, we’ve got to beat the baseline, folks!
While hemp protein has become increasing popular, several sources have indicated that hemp protein is not a complete protein.
Meaning, when its amino acid profile is considered, it appears to be weak in lysine, and also to be low in leucine and tryptophan.
Thus, while hemp seed protein has all the essential amino acids, these essential amino acids don’t appear to be present in the optimal proportions.
Another aspect to note is that less scientific research has been performed for hemp protein.
To date, there have been an impressive 18,725 scientific articles published about whey protein, versus only 2,041 published about hemp protein. This search was completed using my favorite website, a scientific database called PubMed.com.
Meaning, there has been ~9X more scientific investigation around whey protein than hemp protein.
Oh, and if you’re ever tasted hemp protein, it goes down a little rough…ugh.
Having said that, for some folks milk-based proteins like whey or casein don’t work with their system. (it, err, makes them gassy.)
Or, maybe you’ve made a commitment to eating paleo. Or, you’re doing a nutrition challenge like the Whole Life Challenge and want to get a “perfect score”.
While neither of these protein sources will give you the comprehensive benefits of whey, they represent a solid choice if you’re milk-adverse.
Also, if you opt for hemp protein (or a similar alternative), you could consider adding a leucine supplement to it to help cue initial protein synthesis.
In summary, based on evidence to date, whey protein should be a staple in your workout nutrition toolkit, because of its amino acid profile and ability to produce impressive recovery, performance, and physique gains.
What questions do you have about the different types of protein powder? Ask them in the comments below.
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So COVID-19 has you ready to get into the real estate game and wondering how to start house flipping?
Within the Coronavirus thumping real estate markets nationwide, there are going to be some unusual investment opportunities in the months ahead. If you’ve been laid off or furloughed, now might be an opportune time to learn how to flip houses for a profit.
The pandemic—and the recession it’s causing—is going to get worse before it gets better. What does that mean for you?
It means that there will be opportunities to snag houses to flip at historically low prices as this pandemic drags on.
Especially if you’re willing to put in some elbow grease—and perhaps rent out your properties for a year or two while the economy recovers before relisting it—you could benefit from rebounding real estate markets when we reach the other side of this pandemic.
Historically speaking, this is how fortunes are made: You buy during a market recession, fix up the property, wait for the recovery, and sell during the market “rebound.”
If you’re new to the flipping scene, how do you make sure you’re a success and not a sucker? Use these tips to master your first flip.
Finding a flip-worthy house is often the most challenging part of any real estate investment. Not all inexpensive homes have hidden value you can bring out with a renovation.
There are two aspects of a house that you cannot change:
The key is to find a shabby home in a strong location with enough space to have value. This is why it’s so important to know your local real estate market. You need to know how a house’s value compares to the value of the homes around it.
You also need to know the trends. Which neighborhoods are on their way up and which are on their way down? Understanding which neighborhoods to watch will help you snag a great deal as soon as it hits the market.
Make no mistake: buying a great flip house is a competition.
One of the best ways to be a top competitor is to have cash on hand. Paying cash for a house can save you thousands. For one, you won’t shell out money for interest or other financing fees.
You may even be able to get a lower purchase price on a home if you pay cash. Buyers with financing make sellers nervous because that financing can fall through at any time or can be associated with delays. If that happens, the sale falls through and the seller is back to square one.
If you’re prepared to pay with cold, hard cash, sellers may accept a lower amount from you to avoid the hassle of a buyer with financing.
Paying cash doesn’t mean that it has to be actual cash, as in your money from your bank account.
Instead, your cash could come from:
Another creative option you could consider is seller financing, in which the seller acts as your lender.
In this case, you pay cash (yes, actual cash) for a small portion of the deal, say 20%. Then, you ask the seller to finance the rest of the sale, paying them the remaining money owned (80%) plus interest over a defined period of time.
In short, with seller financing you buy the property from the seller in installments over time.
If you ever default on these payments, then they can take the property back from you.
If you are intending to flip a property, you could make installment payments to the seller during the renovation period (and for any time you opt to rent it) and pay them back in full at the time of sale.
Negotiating a great deal on an investment property is far more difficult if you don’t how what a fair price is.
A good guide is to use the 70% rule. This rule says you should never pay over 70% of a home’s after-renovation value minus the cost of all the repairs.
For example, let’s say you spot a home in a hot neighborhood. Your real estate expertise tells you that with the right renovations, the home could be worth $400,000.
70% of $400,000 is $280,000. After inspecting the home, you estimate it would cost $50,000 to get the house into prime selling condition. This means you should pay $230,000 or less for the home as-is.
Of course, this involves some knowledge and research. You need to be able to see a home’s potential and know what that potential is worth. You also need a basic understanding of how much you’ll pay for various renovation jobs.
We all know the stereotype that contractors will try to scam you out of money. While there are plenty of honest contractors, you have too much to lose to risk hiring a dishonest one.
After you’ve found and purchased the perfect home to flip, you need to be cautious with your contractor choices.
Do research into each person on your team, from your general contractor to your plumber. It takes extra work, but it will be worth it when you receive quality work for a fair cost.
As you flip house after house, your goal should be to develop relationships with go-to contractors. You want to build trust with each person on your crew. Not only will they be less likely to overcharge you, but you won’t need to research contractors for every new job.
In addition to these pointers, don’t forget the golden rule when it comes to paying the right price. Don’t have contractors purchase materials and bill you for them. Ask the contractors what you need and buy the materials yourself.
The only exception is when you need rare items you can only get through a contractor’s professional connections.
We all have our own cosmetic styles when it comes to interior design. Flipping a house may feel like an opportunity for you to exercise your creative chops and try something new. Seasoned house flipper Jeff Lewis suggests otherwise.
For paint colors, countertops, and other major elements of the home, go neutral. You want something that will appeal to as many people as possible.
When you stage the home, use temporary accessories to bring color into each room. These include pillows, rugs, and decorative pieces. Those items will brighten the house without making potential buyers worry about converting the style to their own.
Even in those pops of color, don’t follow the impulse of matching your own style. You need to think about what will appeal to buyers in the neighborhood.
For example, don’t use trendy colors that are popular with millennials if your flip house is in a neighborhood of retirees.
There’s something undeniably satisfying about flipping a house. Through your own hard work and investment, you see a shabby shack transform into a proud, elegant home. Done right, the quick gains can be rewarding too.
The tricky part is that every decision you make in your flip contributes to your success or your loss. A Jeff Lewis Flipping Out marathon is a start, but it won’t give you all the knowledge you need to rake in revenue.
The tips above can help you start on the road to success. For more life skills that your parents and teachers probably didn’t teach you, explore the blog.
Staying up-to-date on the latest internet slang is never an easy task. It changes every day, seemingly entirely at random. At times, the terms that social media comes upon with may not even seem like English — such as “HODL.”
This is a recent term that already has a lot of history behind it. The term originated from cryptocurrency traders but evolved to cover a wide umbrella. It can be used in reference to social movements, politics, and average stocks. [Read more…] about What Does HODL Mean, Exactly?