The Silent Struggle – by L. William Ross-Child, MLC
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The vast majority of literature out there about ADHD is about children. And fair enough, there are enough popular misunderstandings of ADHD in children so it’s good those works exist… but what about adults?
Adults face different challenges than children, and have different responsibilities. People have different expectations. And even if you say you have ADHD… If you’re not behaving like a squirrel, they will often not accept this, much less understand it, because half the actual symptoms are not what most people think they are.
Ross-Child first lays out the neurobiological underpinnings of ADHD. This is a good place to start, because the physiology of it explains a lot of the other parts of it that can otherwise seem quite mystifying.
Thereafter, he looks one-by-one at the various cognitive and behavioral aspects of ADHD in adults, which will surely help the reader to better understand themself (or perhaps a loved one).
The next part of the book is given over to an exploration of ADHD and the differences it can make in the workplace, relationships (incl. ADHD and sex), as well as parenting, and how these things can all be navigated better by all concerned.
The style throughout is light and very readable, peppered with science made comprehensible. If there’s any flaw, it’s that there are only two pages of references in the bibliography—we’d have liked to have seen more.
All in all though, a really useful guide if you or a loved one has ADHD and you’d like strategies for working with (or around) this condition in a world not made to be kind to such.
Order your copy of “The Silent Struggle: Taking Charge of ADHD in Adults” from Amazon today!
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3 Steps To Lose Weight After 50 Without Tracking Forever
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Dr. Ruth Machin gives us the minimum-effort method:
Tracking’s days are numbered
Tracking calories can be useful. But it can also become time-consuming and tedious, especially when every meal needs to be logged, foods weighed, and restaurant meals estimated.
And yes, even when tracking, food intake is still easy to underestimate because things like cooking oil, dressings, spreads, snacks, and small portions are often forgotten, or otherwise misjudged, if you’re not applying your condiments with a lab syringe. Exercise calories can also be overestimated, particularly when relying on fitness trackers. Food labels themselves can have an allowed margin of error, so calorie tracking can create an impression of precision that the sources of the underlying numbers don’t necessarily justify.
Further, for some people, particularly those with a history of yo-yo dieting, constantly focusing on numbers can also reinforce a restrictive dieting mentality, and ultimately promote disordered eating and, by extension, eating disorders.
So, how to get the benefits without the problems?
Dr. Machin recommends that instead of tracking indefinitely, it can be useful to keep a 3-day food diary. Eat normally rather than changing your diet because you’re recording it, and include everything, such as cooking oils, dressings, snacks, and drinks.
Then do some number-crunching:
- First, find your target numbers: estimate your daily calorie and protein requirements based on your age, sex, height, weight, activity level, and goal. It’s important to get activity level as reasonably accurate as you can, because adequate food intake is important when exercising.
- Her own example she gives in the video yields approximately 2,118 kcal and 80–107g of protein per day, based on that she is 51 years old, 178cm tall, 67kg heavy, moderately active, and aiming to maintain her weight while building muscle. Individual needs will vary, so your figures that you calculate for yourself here are intended as a starting point rather than an exact prescription.
- Next, use a modest deficit for fat loss: here Dr. Machin suggests a 15% calorie reduction rather than aggressive restriction, since progress is only real if it’s sustainable.
Now, refer back to your 3-day food diary: compare your actual intake with your estimated needs. Look at whether you’re eating more or less than expected, which meals are particularly calorie-dense, and whether you’re getting enough fiber, protein, and micronutrients (Dr. Machin puts an emphasis on calcium here, though really, you need everything, and more common shortages are magnesium and potassium).
As for the rest, numbers are less important. Get plenty of non-starchy vegetables, enjoy whole fruit, opt for high-fiber carbs (ideally ones that also give a good portion of protein too), and enjoy healthy fats. Some foods like nuts, beans, and so forth can offer almost everything in one food, but obviously, don’t rely on just that (diversity is still important).
Lastly, relax. Your diet doesn’t have to be perfect and neither do you. Just look for the ways to improve it, and do your reasonable best to do it well.
For more on all of this, enjoy:
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Want to learn more?
You might also like:
Dietitian Explains: Why Disordered Eating Happens In Midlife
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- First, find your target numbers: estimate your daily calorie and protein requirements based on your age, sex, height, weight, activity level, and goal. It’s important to get activity level as reasonably accurate as you can, because adequate food intake is important when exercising.
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Swordfish vs Tuna – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing swordfish to tuna, we picked the tuna.
Why?
Today in “that which is more expensive is not necessarily the healthier”…
Considering the macros first, swordfish has more than 8x more total fat, about 9x more saturated fat, and yes, more cholesterol. On the other hand, tuna has more protein. An easy win for tuna.
In terms of vitamins, swordfish has more of vitamins A, B5, D, and E, while tuna has more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12. A marginal win for tuna, unless you want to weight the other vitamins more heavily, in which case, more likely a tie, or maybe even an argument for swordfish if you have a particular vitamin deficiency on that side.
When it comes to minerals, swordfish has more calcium and zinc, while tuna has more iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium. A clear win for tuna.
One other thing: they’re both very rich in mercury, and while tuna is bad for that, swordfish has nearly 3x as much.
In short, both have a good spread of vitamins and minerals, and both are quite tainted with mercury, but in relative terms, there’s a clear winner even before considering the very different macros, and the winner is tuna.
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
Farmed Fish vs Wild Caught: Important Differences
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Grapes vs Guava – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing grapes to guava, we picked the guava.
Why?
It wasn’t close:
In terms of macros, grapes have more carbs, while guava has nearly 6x the fiber and more than 4x the protein, winning thoroughly in this category.
In the category of vitamins, grapes have more of vitamins B1, B2, and K, while guava has more of vitamins A, B3, B5, B9, C, and E, with much bigger margins of difference too, winning a second round just as easily.
Looking at minerals, grapes have more iron and manganese, while guava has more calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, winning once again.
In other considerations, grapes are good for polyphenols, but guava is better, winning yet another round.
Adding up the sections makes for an overwhelming overall win for guava, but by all means do enjoy either or both, as diversity is best!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
What’s Your Plant Diversity Score?
Enjoy!
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Spirulina vs Sun-Dried Tomatoes – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing spirulina to sun-dried tomatoes, we picked the sun-dried tomatoes.
Why?
Both are great! But…
In terms of macros, spirulina has a tiny bit more protein, while sun-dried tomatoes have 12x the fiber for 9x the carbs, winning this round, mostly on account of the dodectuple fiber.
In the category of vitamins, spirulina has a tiny bit more of vitamins E and K, while sun-dried tomatoes have a lot more of vitamins A, B3, B5, B6, B9, and C, winning easily.
Looking at minerals, spirulina has a tiny bit more copper and iron, while sun-dried tomatoes have a lot more calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, for another overwhelming win.
In other considerations, spirulina has no beneficial phytochemicals (because it is not a plant; it’s mostly a big colony of cyanobacteria), and unlike some seaweed, the B12 it does have is in an inactive form, while sun-dried tomatoes have abundant polyphenols, and also lycopene which is not be definition a polyphenol (it’s a carotenoid), but does a similar job and is a very potent antioxidant. In any case, this category is one more win for sun-dried tomatoes.
Lest this all seem very damning for spirulina, we’ll take a moment to reiterate that spirulina is very nutritionally dense, and it only looks bad here because it’s standing next to sun-dried tomatoes which are better in almost every way.
Nevertheless, adding up the sections does make for a very clear overall win for sun-dried tomatoes, so, enjoy!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
Enjoy!
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25 Healthy Habits That Will Change Your Life
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Cori Lefkowith, of “Redefining Strength” and “Strong At Every Age” fame, has compiled a list of the simple habits that make a big difference, and here they are!
The Tips
Her recommendations include…
- The healthy activities you’re most prone to skipping? Do those first
- Create staple meals… Consciously! This means: instead of getting into a rut of cooking the same few things in rotation because it’s what you have the ingredients in for, consciously and deliberately make a list of at least 7 meals that, between them, constitute a healthy balanced diet, and choose to make them your staples. That doesn’t mean don’t eat anything else (indeed, variety is good!) but having a robust collection of healthy staples to fall back on will help you avoid falling into unhealthy eating traps.
- Schedule time for healthy activities that you love. Instead of thinking “it would be nice to…”, actually figure out a timeslot, plan in advance, making it recurring, and do it!
- Have (healthy!) no-spoil food options always available. No-spoil doesn’t have to mean “won’t spoil ever”, but does mean at least that it has a long shelf-life. Nuts are a good example, assuming you’re not allergic. Sundried fruits are good too; not nearly as good as fresh fruit, but a lot better than some random processed snack because it’s what in. If you eat fish, then see if you can get dried fish in; it’s high in protein and keeps for a very long time indeed.
- Stock up on spices! Not only do they all have great health-giving properties (at least, we can’t think of a refutation by counterexample, Arrakis be damned), but also, they literally spice up our culinary repertoire, and bring joy to cooking and eating healthy food.
If you like these, check out the rest:
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Further reading
For more about actually making habits stick quickly and reliably,enjoy:
How To Really Pick Up (And Keep!) Those Habits
Take care!
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How To Stop Ingrown Hair & Razor Bumps From Waxing & Shaving
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Dr. Simi Adedeji shares her expertise:
Staying smooth
Ingrown hairs (pseudofolliculitis) are inflamed hair follicles caused by hairs growing back into the skin—common in coarse, curly hair areas such as the underarms, pubic region, legs, and face.
It can be caused by shaving, waxing, plucking, tweezing, and more—in fact, almost anything aside from “trim it or leave it be”. This is because most methods cause irritation by cutting or pulling hair in ways that make it more likely to re-enter the skin.
Normally, it’s just a case of rash or itchy red bumps appearing a few days after hair removal. However, it can also get more pronounced, in cases of bacterial infection (true folliculitis), hyperpigmentation, or scarring (keloid or hypertrophic).
There are two main kinds of ingrown hair to be aware of:
- extra-follicular penetration: occurs after shaving—sharply cut hairs re-enter the skin beside the follicle, causing inflammation.
- trans-follicular penetration: occurs after plucking, waxing, or tweezing—trapped hair grows through the follicle wall into the skin, creating lumps.
Treatment options include:
- Hydrocortisone: reduces inflammation and redness.
- Benzoyl peroxide: antibacterial effect for inflamed areas.
- Chemical exfoliants: help stop hair from getting trapped
How to stop it from happening in the future:
- First, reset things and let it all calm down—stop shaving, waxing, or plucking for about a month—when hairs grow 10 mm or more, irritation usually resolves.
- Next, consider alternatives, such as depilatory creams, which dissolve hair, leaving a blunt or feathered tip that can still ingrow, but is less likely to than the other methods we talked about above. However, this comes with the tradeoff that the cream itself may irritate the skin.
- Then, consider long-term hair removal methods, such as laser or IPL, if you have dark hair on light skin—this is because laser/IPL superheats melanin in the hair to destroy the follicle, which means it won’t work on light hair (no melanin to superheat), and can harm dark skin (superheats the wrong melanin)—or electrolysis otherwise, which doesn’t depend on pigment. Removing the hair permanently means stopping ingrown hairs permanently, because a hair can’t ingrow if it’s not growing back at all.
If you are going to shave or wax, though, then:
- Shaving tips: shave after a warm bath or shower (or pre-soak the area with a warm towel); use shaving cream or a gentle cleanser for slip; avoid stretching your skin; use a bland, fragrance-free moisturizer afterwards; wait 3–4 days before applying glycolic acid.
- Waxing tips: wax before showering and avoid moisturizers beforehand; taking acetaminophen and antihistamines 30–45 minutes before can reduce pain and inflammation, respectively. Ibuprofen will also reduce both things (pain and inflammation).
For more on all of this, enjoy:
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Want to learn more?
You might also like:
Skin Care Down There (Incl. Butt Acne, Hyperpigmentation, & More)
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