11 April 2022

Life Hacks 208 - #459

0Frameworks

14Insights

Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Myth Buster· 1

Myth Buster42:00

Myth: All Carbs Are Equal for Bulking

The guest challenges the common practice of using rice for bulking, arguing that potatoes are superior for cutting due to their high satiety. He clarifies that his rule of 'potato for cutting, rice for bulking' is about food density and satiety, not demonizing rice, but promoting more filling, less calorie-dense options for fat loss.

Boiled potatoes rank highest on the satiety index, meaning they are the most filling per calorie.
For cutting, prioritize foods that are high in satiety to manage hunger.
The advice 'potato for cutting, rice for bulking' is a guideline for managing calorie density, not a strict rule.

“potato boiled potato was the highest one... people ate the least after eating potato”
guest · 44:15

#nutrition#weight-loss#myth-busting

Story· 1

Story31:00

Use a Unique Fragrance for Each Trip

A guest shares a personal ritual of buying a unique, high-quality fragrance for each major trip. Wearing the fragrance later triggers vivid, positive memories of that specific time and place, leveraging the powerful connection between scent and memory.

Buys a distinct, often expensive, fragrance for each significant trip.
The scent becomes a powerful trigger for recalling memories of that trip.
It's a way to preserve and revisit positive emotional experiences.

“whenever i put that fragrance back on i've got all of these memories attached to that smell”
guest · 31:50

#memory#travel#lifestyle

Tool· 9

Tool02:30

Gummy Supplements as a Habit Reward

To improve consistency with daily habits, one guest uses collagen or apple cider vinegar gummies as a 'reward' after taking other supplements. The pleasant taste reinforces the habit loop, making it easier to stay compliant with a demanding routine like a modified 75 Hard challenge.

Uses gummy-form supplements (like collagen or ACV) as a tasty reward after taking non-gummy supplements.
The strategy leverages the habit-reward loop to boost adherence to a strict regimen.
The gummies are not taken for their specific health benefits, but for their role in habit formation.

“the hack is have one supplement that you take per day that's a sweetie that's a gummy”
guest · 02:55

#habit-formation#supplements#productivity

Tool06:30

Turn Any Website into a Home Screen App

A simple iPhone hack allows users to add frequently visited websites directly to their home screen, creating an app-like experience. This is useful for web portals, courses, or services that don't have a dedicated app, providing quick access and often maintaining login sessions.

Use the 'Share' button in Safari and select 'Add to Home Screen'.
This creates a direct shortcut to a website, making it function like a native app.
It's ideal for web-based services like course logins or web apps.

“go to the website press share there'll be an option called share to home screen or add to home screen”
guest · 06:45

#iphone#digital-tools#productivity

Tool08:30

Optimize.me: Free Access to 1,000+ Book Summaries

The entire library of Brian Johnson's Optimize.me, featuring over a thousand book summaries and 600 audio summaries, is now available for free. This high-quality resource includes worksheets, master classes, and notes, serving as a freemium funnel for his new 'Heroic' coaching program.

Optimize.me offers free access to a vast library of book summaries and master classes.
The content includes worksheets, audio transcripts, and curated 'best ideas' from books on topics like sleep and habits.
The free access is a lead magnet for Johnson's new 'Heroic' coaching program.

“brian has made the entire optimized.me library with over a thousand plus ones and 600 book summaries available for free”
guest · 08:45

#learning#book-summaries#productivity

Tool13:30

Readwise: Never Lose a Kindle Highlight

Readwise is an app that automatically syncs and archives highlights from a Kindle. It sends users a daily email with a few of their past highlights, helping them retain information. It also allows users to import highlights from books they read before using the app by pulling in popular community highlights.

Readwise syncs all Kindle highlights to a searchable, cloud-based archive.
It sends a daily digest of past highlights to reinforce learning.
Users can import highlights from books read before using Readwise by adding popular community highlights.

“every morning at seven a.m i receive four of them in my email inbox”
guest · 15:10

“you can go through books you've read previously that you weren't using read wise at the time... it takes all the popular highlights from that…”
guest · 16:45

#reading#digital-tools#knowledge-management

Tool37:00

Morning Pages: A Digital Journaling App

A guest recommends a digital app called 'Morning Pages' as a modern take on the 'Artist's Way' journaling practice. The app tracks word count, analyzes the emotional tone of entries, and identifies recurring themes, providing insights into one's mental state over time.

The app is a digital version of the 'Morning Pages' journaling technique.
It analyzes the tone (positive/negative) of writing and identifies recurring themes.
It helps users process thoughts and track emotional patterns over time.

“it analyzes the tone of the writing to whether it has a negative or or a positive um like frame to it and then it…”
guest · 37:45

#journaling#mental-health#productivity

Tool49:30

12ft.io: Bypass News Paywalls

A website and app called 12ft.io allows users to bypass paywalls on major news sites like The Guardian and The New York Times. It works by accessing the unpaywalled versions of articles that are created for search engine indexing, providing free access to otherwise restricted content.

12ft.io bypasses paywalls by accessing unpaywalled versions of articles.
It works with major publications like The New York Times and The Guardian.
The service is free and available as a website and mobile app.

“12 foot dot ios that's number one number two ft dot io... show me a 10 foot paywall and i'll give you a 12 foot…”
guest · 49:45

#digital-tools#news#productivity

Tool52:00

Bright Mind: A Systematic Meditation App

The guest recommends the 'Bright Mind' app, which offers a structured, progressive course based on Shinzen Young's 'Five Ways' meditation framework. It guides users from basic to advanced techniques with daily meditations, tracking progress, and is praised for its systematic, non-woo approach.

The app provides a complete, progressive course in Shinzen Young's meditation method.
It features guided meditations from 5 minutes to an hour and tracks user streaks and time.
It's recommended for those who prefer a structured, engineering-like approach to mindfulness.

“shinzen young's method is basically broken down into a course on an app that is progressive and systematic”
guest · 52:15

#meditation#mindfulness#mental-health

Tool64:00

Ready State: A Comprehensive Mobility App

The guest highly recommends Kelly Starrett's 'Ready State' app as a one-stop solution for mobility. It features a quantifiable mobility test, personalized routines based on goals (e.g., prepping for a sport), and follow-along videos. It can be filtered by time, body part, and equipment, making it ideal for travel.

The app includes a challenging mobility test to quantify baseline ability.
It creates personalized routines for maintenance, recovery, or sport-specific prep.
Routines are follow-along videos and can be filtered for time and available equipment.

“it filters it for you... do you want to work on a specific body part you want to prep for a movement or a sport”
guest · 65:20

#fitness#mobility#app

Tool73:00

Stop a Sneeze by Pushing Tongue to Roof of Mouth

A simple physical trick to stop an oncoming sneeze is to press the tongue firmly against the roof of the mouth. This technique is particularly useful for people with back pain, as a forceful sneeze can exacerbate it.

Pressing the tongue hard against the roof of the mouth can stop a sneeze.
It's a useful technique for those with back injuries or pain.
It's a quick, non-invasive method to prevent a potentially painful reflex.

“push your tongue against the roof of your mouth to stop you from sneezing”
guest · 73:10

#health#life-hack#anecdote

Takeaway· 3

Takeaway21:00

Pay Invoices Early for Preferential Treatment

A simple but powerful business heuristic: pay invoices as soon as you receive them. This builds goodwill with vendors and service providers, increasing the likelihood they will go above and beyond for you in the future, creating a positive cycle of reciprocity in 'repeated games.'

Paying invoices immediately builds strong business relationships.
It creates a reputation for reliability, leading to preferential treatment when you need a favor.
It eliminates the mental drag of having unpaid bills sitting in your inbox.

“the people who pay the invoices early will get preferential treatment in future”
guest · 21:10

#business#productivity#relationships

Takeaway57:00

Learn to Roll to Prevent Injury

A simple but valuable physical skill is learning how to roll. Being able to roll forward, backward, or sideways when falling reduces the risk of injury and increases physical confidence. It's a foundational movement skill that adults often lose but can easily relearn.

Learning to roll safely can prevent injuries from falls.
It increases physical confidence, allowing for more committed movement (e.g., in weightlifting).
It's a basic skill, like those taught in gymnastics, that is highly versatile.

“being able to do it just means that you're no longer afraid of just stacking it”
guest · 57:45

#fitness#injury-prevention#mobility

Takeaway61:00

Walk the Airport to Hit Step Goals

Instead of sitting and waiting at an airport, use the time to walk laps around the terminal. This is an easy way to get steps in, combat the negative effects of flying, and avoid the rush of boarding. It turns dead time into productive, healthy activity.

Walking laps in an airport is an efficient way to get steps in before a flight.
It helps with hydration and mobility, counteracting the effects of sitting on a plane.
It provides a sense of accomplishment and reduces the stress of waiting.

“i got my full days ten thousand steps in having a flight at seven a.m”
guest · 62:10

#travel#fitness#productivity