The 80/20 Rule: Benefits of the Pareto Principle
WHAT IS 80/20?
The Pareto Principle or as it’s more commonly known, the 80/20 rule, was devised by Joseph Juran in 1896. In its most basic terms, it argues that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. This can be observed throughout all walks of life – economics, science, software and even sports & exercise.
One interesting thing I like to focus on is exercise. In exercise 20% of your exercises are going to get you 80% of the gains (think compound movements) and the extra 80% will add in your 20% extra to the gains (think isolation movements and pump training).
This shows us how wasting time with our inefficient high rep, no weight-progression training methods will not be the exercises getting us results, but the constant progressive overload of muscles with lower rep strength-based moves are.
WHAT BENEFITS DOES IT HOLD?
In short, the benefits you can reap from applying the 80/20 rule to every aspect of your life are;
Allows you to funnel your approach and focus your full energy into a task.
Lets you discard pointless fluff in your life that is holding you back unnecessarily.
Gives perspective to your actions and lets you evaluate what’s working and what’s not.
Gives you more free time to address other areas of your life and helps you develop as a person at an accelerated rate.
SITUATIONS YOU CAN APPLY IT TO
If you’re trying to build a business do you know what’s handy? You guessed it, the 80/20 rule. 80% of your results come from 20% of what you do. If you’re starting a blog and you’re on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, RSS, Tumblr – whatever, then you’re going to spread yourself so thinly that you forget to focus on your core content.
You should focus on where your main traffic is coming from (likely Twitter and Instagram) and roll with them. This will be where your 80% is coming from. Once you stop focusing on sharing your content on every platform possible, you can spend more time perfecting that content so it’s worthy to actually be shared with your audience.
BOOKS TO GIVE YOU A COMPLETE OVERVIEW
There’s only really one book that you will need to read on this topic and that’s The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch. This book gives a comprehensive overview of 80/20 and shows you how exactly you can implement it into your daily life.
There’s been lots of 80’s and 20’s in this post but the basic message is cut out the ineffective fluff and focus on what’s really important. Give Richard’s book a read and try to apply the principle fully into your life to reap the benefits.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Slow cooker stew recipe for boosting testosterone
Today I present to you the ultimate recipe for raising testosterone levels - the best god damn slow cooker stew you ever did see.
This recipe is incredibly tasty and easy to make. It contains less than 10 main ingredients plus spices so hopefully it won't blow your mind.
The recipe is as follows;
Slow cooker stew (serves 5)
1kg White Potatoes
Potatoes are a superior carbohydrate source than conventional man-made grains and provide a steady release of energy to fuel workouts. Not to mention their various testosterone boosting benefits.
500g Grass-fed red meat
Red meat is the go to protein source for those looking to increase testosterone as it contains many essential nutrients required to perfect one's endocrine system like Zinc, L-Carnitine, Iron & b12.
3 types of veg (I usually go for 400g mushrooms, 3 bell peppers and 3 carrots)
Veggies are chock-full of testosterone boosting nutrients like vitamins A, B & C along with magnesium, folic acid and potassium.
1 Tbsp of either Butter or Coconut Oil
Fat, especially saturated fat is crucial to optimal hormonal health. Cholesterol is a precursor to testosterone, meaning a lot of your staple foods should include some degree of this male-friendly nutrient. Just don't overdo your fat intake (Keep it around 30-40%) as you don't want cancer, hypertension or liver failure - do you.
Juice of a Lemon
Citrus fruits have been shown to be extremely testosterone friendly due to extremely high levels of vitamin C and rather high levels of Thiamine per serving.
4 cloves of Garlic
Garlic is an amazing T booster due to its high levels of quercetin. This gives garlic anti-inflammatory properties and is also a very potent nitric oxide booster.
1cm cube of Ginger
Studies have shown ginger to effectively raise serum testicular testosterone levels. It can also help to protect joints and lower bad cholesterol.
2 Tbsp of All spice
This adds flavour and as an added bonus, spices within allspice like cumin have been shown to have positive effects on testosterone - tasty.
Handful of Parsley
Due to its high levels of apigening, parsley can be classed as one of the best garnishes about when it comes to the big T.
250ml veg stock
Veg stock is used here to improve the taste and sauce of the entire meal. Veg stock is also very healthy due to its high concentration of vegetable nutrients like vitamins A, B & C and folic acid.
6 blended vine tomatoes
Tomatoes are actually a very healthy food which can aid in healthy hormonal function due to their high levels of vitamin A & B and fibre. By blending up natural loose tomatoes you avoid the BPA's in tinned tomatoes which is a huge bonus for optimising hormonal output.
Avocado (Optional)
These fat bombs are amazing for testosterone production. They contain lots of Vitamin E, which is great but they are also full of Saturated and Monounsaturated fats which have been correlated with higher testosterone production.
Cooking
Chop up the potatoes, meat and your chosen veg - set aside.
Finely chop the ginger, garlic and parsley - set aside.
Boil 250ml water and stir in veg stock.
Blend up your 6 vine tomatoes.
Line your slow cooker with your chosen fat source.
Make a base of flavour by placing in the all spice, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and parsley.
Add in potatoes, meat and veg.
Pour over the veg stock and blended tomatoes.
Set your slow cooker to cook for 8 hours on a low heat.
If you would like to bump up the fat and calorie content of this dish then add an avocado in.
Conclusion
As you can see, there's a bit of wiggle room for ingredients so you can change the tastes to your liking and keep it fresh so you don't get bored.By using the slow cooker you tenderise the meat and let all the flavours really come through - not to mention the fact that you can just throw everything in there and let it cook for 8 hours with no effort at all.Below is the macro-nutrient breakdown for a serving of slow cooker stew - feel free to play about with the amount of servings you break it in to.
| Nutrition Facts | % Daily Value* |
| Servings 5.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories 519 | |
| Total Fat 22 g | 33 % |
| Saturated Fat 10 g | 49 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 8 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 6 mg | 2 % |
| Sodium 103 mg | 4 % |
| Potassium 630 mg | 18 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 51 g | 17 % |
| Dietary Fiber 8 g | 31 % |
| Sugars 11 g | |
| Protein 29 g | 58 % |
| Vitamin A | 26 % |
| Vitamin C | 94 % |
| Calcium | 12 % |
| Iron | 52 % |
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Testosterone Boosting Carnivore Slow Cooker Chilli Recipe
Today I present to you a recipe that is not only easy to make, it’s incredibly tasty to boot. This is a slow cooker chilli with a twist, it is choc-full of testosterone boosting ingredients that lend themselves perfectly to muscle growth.
You’ll need a slow cooker, chopping board, knife, a tin opener and big ol’ spoon. The recipe yields 6 servings. Serve with rice to boost the calories and carb content if you wish. Sometimes I’ll add in tortilla chips as a treat that also takes the calories up way past 1,000 which is great if you’re looking to bulk up.
THE SLOW COOKER CHILLI
2kg lean mince (Beef, pork, turkey)
I tend to use beef here as the base for my slow cooker chilli as it has been shown on countless occasions to raise testosterone levels due its high levels of Zinc, Iron and vitamin b12. It also packs a serious punch when it comes to protein and healthy fats – both fantastic for T production.
4 cloves of garlic
Garlic is an amazing T booster due to its high levels of quercetin. This gives garlic anti-inflamatory properties and is also a very potent nitric oxide booster.
1 onion
Onions also contain quercetin which is fantastic for T production. This together with garlic may give you stinky breath but it’ll certainly put a little bit more hair on your chest so I’d say it’s worth it.
3 bell peppers
Bell peppers have got great T boosting vitamins and minerals including folate, vitamin C and potassium.
2 tins of kidney beans
All types of beans are great for health in general and pack a high amount of protein per gram. Just be sure to wash them before cooking or face the windy consequences.
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
This is mainly for the taste and a saucy base for the recipe. However tomatoes are actually a very healthy food which can aid in healthy hormonal function due to their high levels of vitamin A & B and fibre.
1 pack of chilli spice mix
This is mainly to add lots of taste to the dish BUT spices have been shown to aid in digestive health, hormonal health and brain function in the past, so load up on spices if you want to experience some great benefits.
3 large avocados
These fat bombs are amazing for testosterone production. They contain lots of Vitamin E, which is great but they are also full of Saturate and Mono-unsaturated fats which have been correlated with higher testosterone production and are without a doubt my favourite way of increasing my fat intake.
250g spinach
Spinach has got lots of magnesium, iron and vitamin b6 which all help to boost testosterone, increase nitric oxide and can also help protect against cancer.
250g rice (optional)
Rice is a fantastic way of getting in some much needed calories if you’re bulking, it also tastes brilliant with chilli.
50g tortilla chips (optional)
I love tortilla chips, they give that full-on mexican vibe to the meal and taste brilliant. If you can afford the extra couple of hundred calories then treat yourself. Nothing tops off a slow cooker chilli like some tortilla chip goodness.
COOKING
Cut up your veg & garlic & empty into the slow cooker.
Add in half the pack of spice mix & half the tin of chopped tomatoes.
Drain kidney beans & add into the slow cooker.
Add in the mince and the rest of the spice mix. Mix everything up.
Cook on low for 6-8hrs.
Whilst everything is cooking, evenly distribute spinach and avocado into 6 containers.
When it’s all cooked, divide into the 6 containers.
This recipe freezes well so put portions in the freezer if they’re not going to be consumed within the next couple of days.
Below is the macronutrient and micronutrient breakdown of the slow cooker chilli without rice or tortilla chips;
| Nutrition Facts | % Daily Value* |
| Servings 6.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories 734 | |
| Total Fat 36 g | 55 % |
| Saturated Fat 8 g | 39 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 361 mg | 15 % |
| Potassium 232 mg | 7 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 25 g | 8 % |
| Dietary Fiber 9 g | 37 % |
| Sugars 9 g | |
| Protein 72 g | 143 % |
| Vitamin A | 4 % |
| Vitamin C | 288 % |
| Calcium | 1 % |
| Iron | 3 % |
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Entrepreneur daily schedule example: My morning routine
Entrepreneur Daily Schedule Example
As mentioned in one of my previous posts, every great morning starts with a great nighttime routine. However, every great day starts with a great morning routine. This blog covers an entrepreneur daily schedule example, starting with my morning routine.
Great…
WHY A MORNING ROUTINE? entrepreneur daily schedule example
Because why not?
Basically every single successful person to have ever lived has had some form of morning routine that they swear by. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Spongebob…the list goes on.
Seriously though, there are too many benefits to list when it comes to just how effective a morning routine can be.
I have tried my very best though and racked my brains in order to deliver ones of the finest morning routine guides out there.
Below, I have compiled a list of what you should be including in your morning routine and why if you want to start your day right and set yourself up for success – enjoy.
WAKE UP AT 5AM
Setting your alarm clock and waking up at 5am gives you a head start on the rest of the world. Whilst everyone else is still asleep, you are preparing for the day, getting ahead of the pack every morning. This two or three hour window that you open up between your rising time and everyone else’s adds up over the course of the year.
Just think how much more ahead of the game you’ll be with those extra 1,095 hours each year to get ready and start work on building yourself into the most optimal you possible.
DO THIS STRETCHING ROUTINE WHILST STILL IN BED
I found this routine on The Art of Manliness a while back and have felt so much more awake in the morning, which has had a knock-on effect for the rest of the day – do this.
CARDIO
During my morning routine I like to do a bit of fasted cardio. Nothing too strenuous as higher intensity or long bouts of steady-state cardio can stimulate hunger which isn’t what you want if you are beginning a fast for that day.
I recommend doing some skipping with a weighted jump rope. Do 10 reps on both feet, 10 on the right foot and 10 on the left foot. Work your way down through, 9,8,7…until you get to 1 and you should feel your heart pumping a bit faster as a result. I find this is a great way to get the blood pumping and wake me up in the morning.
DISLOCATIONS
As stated in my night time routine post, doing shoulder dislocations with a resistance band can really help increase your shoulder flexibility and decrease your risk of pain and injury, definitely do this every morning and night.
INVERSION
Inversion has been shown to increase blood flow to the head and stimulate hair follicle growth whilst having a myriad of health benefits for the brain, heart and vital organs. I know the chances are you don’t have any sort of suspension systems lying about in your house (unless you’re into that sort of thing).
So, a simple way of getting blood flowing to your head via inversion is to simply lie on the end of the bed and let as much of your torso hang upside down as possible. After 5 minutes, you should feel a bit weird – but refreshed. You’ll come to enjoy this sensation and once you realise the health benefits you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner.
JOURNAL
Writing your thoughts down as soon as you rise helps to empty your mind of stresses and helps you to focus on the day at hand. Write for 5 minutes on your worries and goals and refer back to them in the night when you journal again to see if any of these issues have been resolved. Click here for a more in depth discussion on keeping a journal.
For me, time spent on blog posts in the early morning can also help, as it develops the daily habits of adding to my small business, without taking time out of the middle of the day.
EXFOLIATE & WASH FACE
Fellas, there’s no shame in doing a little bit of exfoliating in the morning. We don’t live in the 50’s anymore so men are allowed to take care of their skin. I have a scrub that I picked up for like £3 which is great.
You don’t need the fanciest products – just go for something that’s got natural ingredients that are proven to uplift skin like cucumber, charcoal, vitamin e, raw honey, sea salt, aloe vera or any essential oils. As long as it has any of these and contains no chemicals then you’re set.
SHOWER
Getting showered and clean after all of this feels like you’re really gearing up for the day ahead and washing all the sweat and worries of the night before away ready to start anew. Plus, nobody wants to start the day with stinky balls, make sure to start your day feeling good – get a shower. One thing I like to do is turn the temperature of my showers right down to wake me up. See the top benefits of cold showers here.
In many entrepreneur morning routine examples across the internet, you will see having a cold shower - this can be a great way to start the working day and get you ready to smash your life as an entrepreneur.
GET CLOTHED AND GET OUT
Always make an effort before you head out the door. Even if you’re just going out in joggers and a t-shirt, make sure you’re rocking it like it’s a catwalk. If you don’t leave your house feeling as dapper as you possibly can then something’s gone wrong.
Also, get out into the fresh air as soon as possible – once you’re dressed and ready, don’t sit around watching TV or playing with your phone. Go and suck some real air into your lungs and embrace the day. Those who spend longest outdoors are happiest – join them.
BONUS TIP
DO NOT check your phone whilst doing all of this, avoid your phone for as long as you can during your morning. How many times do you switch your alarm off of a morning and then sit on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc for 20 minutes then end up rushing round trying to get ready, feeling awful and unsuccessful when you stumble out the door.
Getting phone calls within specific times can be a big distraction - many successful entrepreneurs (such as Jack Dorsey, Founder and CEO of Twitter) ensure to block out calls in their daily routine to stay focused.
Phones and social media sap energy and motivation. Be optimal and ditch them for as long as possible in the morning and you’ll see you will become happier, more motivated and more engaged with the real world. You’d be surprised how many entrepreneur daily schedule examples miss this out, but it’s so important!
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Does Journaling Help With Mental Health? My Experience
I believe journaling to be a great tool for improving your thought processes over time. Writing your thoughts down every morning can be an extremely cathartic experience. This blog is going to answer the question “does journaling help with mental health?” and cover my experience.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH JOURNALING
I’ve been using journals as a means to improve my cognition for the past few weeks and have definitely noticed a big difference in that time.
Below, I have listed a few benefits you can expect from journaling and given some evidence for you to have a look at if you’re still not convinced.
Does Journaling Help With Mental Health?
Keeping a diary as a teenager is really common and relieves the pressure that comes with coping with difficult thoughts and feelings. It can be a good thing to plough through some of the uncertainty and confusion you’re going through.
You may have stopped writing in a diary once you became an adult, but journaling is a great way to recollect your thoughts and understand them better. Staying connected with your thoughts through a journal can be a great thing. It can offer you an outlet for your emotions and help improve your mental health.
One way to feel better in any emotional situation is by finding an outlet where you can express yourself. A journal is a great way to manage your mental health by helping you with these things:
Deal with and overcome anxiety
Descrease stress
Overcome depression
Journaling helps control symptoms and improve mood by:
Helping you put concerns and worries into context to the bigger picture
Tracking symptoms and habits over weeks, allowing you to identify patterns
Providing opportunities to review your progress and self-monitor.
does journaling help with mental health? From my experience, journalling is a fantastic way to deal with mental health (as identified in this study), it can provide a way to express your emotions, track your progress and communicate to yourself, and others about how you're feeling.
IMPROVES IQ
The constant writing and use of your brain associated with journaling every day can improve your IQ according to some sources. This is great news if you’re looking to keep your brain on its toes and improve your vocabulary whilst improving other areas of your mental state.
Journaling benefits for mental health: EXPANDS YOUR MEMORY
According to some research, there is a relationship between the hand and the brain. As words are technically physical representations of ideas, getting these down on paper on a regular basis allows you to boost your ability to re-compose ideas whilst writing and improve cognitive recall over time.
Benefits of journaling: ALLOWS YOU TO EMPTY YOUR MIND
This is a subjective benefit that I have noticed since taking up journaling. It allows me to empty my thoughts onto the page every morning and start the day off with a clear mind, meaning I can concentrate on what is important to me on that particular day. This has been proven in research which has shown those who write journals regularly suffer far less stress than those who don’t.
So these are some of the amazing benefits on offer if you start journaling, how exactly can you get started?
I recommend buying a cheap notebook and writing for 5 minutes every morning, aiming to fill at least half a page each time. Write anything that comes into your mind, aiming to empty all of your thoughts and cognitions onto the page and let them out of your mind.
Try to keep it to a certain structure – things that are stressing you out, things you are thankful for, things you are looking forward to and goals you are working towards. This way you will always have a structure to prompt you when you get stuck and this will also organises your entries conveniently.
Emptying your mind is also really useful if you want to get rid of negative thoughts or negative emotions, forget a traumatic event or traumatic experience and even realist physical health benefits.
Improves Progress In Your Business
If you're a business owner, you may often find that you do your best work when you have a clear, direct mindset. Journaling can be a great way to empty your mind (as covered above) and better align your day-to-day activities towards your long-term goals.
In my routine, I journal every day and make sure that I write down three things I'm grateful for (some people may call this a gratitude journal), three things I want to achieve that day and something I could have improved on the day before, all using pen and paper - this keeps me present and helps my business, as it keeps me focussed on what matters!
Journaling can take much less that 20 minutes - journaling prompts benefits that are 100% work journaling practice on a daily basis.
Once you’ve started you’ll be able to check back in a month or so’s time and check whether things that were stressing you have been resolved or something you’d been looking forward to had gone to plan. I find this is a great way of tracking progress and making sure that stressors don’t hang around for longer than they have to, making you a much happier person in the long run.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done.
Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Why cold showers are your new best friend
I love cold showers and try to pluck up the courage to do them every day. Here are some of the best benefits of turning up the cold and how it can apply to you.
BUILDS SERIOUS WILLPOWER
Over the past few years of doing cold showers, I’ve found that my willpower has skyrocketed. Knowing you are capable of doing something that you perceived to be hard can have a carry-over effect into the real world. It gives you a real sense of control and can definitely increase your overall confidence.
BOOSTS TESTOSTERONE
Cold showers have been shown to increase testosterone which is one of the most promising benefits for men looking to optimise their hormonal environments. This increase in test may be responsible for boosts in fertility and recovery that have been found recently.
STRENGTHENS IMMUNITY
Taking a cold shower has been shown to boost immunity in those who consistently stick with it over time. This can be linked to the improved circulation that cold temperatures elicited by the showers can create.
DECREASES STRESS
One interesting benefit that cold showers can give you is the reduction of stress. This may be down to the improvements in sleep that can also be observed from this. Reducing stress is one thing that you should be striving for constantly due to its links with many of the western world’s biggest problems such as heart attacks, heightened blood pressure and lowered libido.
STIMULATES THE LYMPHATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
Turning down the temperature of your showers has been shown to boost the lymphatic nervous system which I have written about in previous articles. Boosting the LNS has been shown to improve a myriad of health markers which is why you should definitely give it some thought.
A FINAL WORD ON COLD SHOWERS
So there are the top benefits of cold showers and why they’re your new best friend. Give cold showers a try for the next week or so and see if you feel any of these. You may even feel some other benefits not listed. You never know until you try.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Dry brushing may hold the key to longevity. Here's why
I use dry brushing every morning. What exactly is dry brushing? You can find a more detailed explanation on what it is and how to do it here but basically, you scrub your skin with a brush or a loofah to get rid of the dead skin cells. I would recommend it to anyone. Below are some of the reasons you should start doing it.
DRY BRUSHING INCREASES BLOOD FLOW AND CIRCULATION
The act of brushing in circular motions can have a positive effect on blood circulation around your body and increase the disposal of metabolic waste from your body which is vitally important for a clean bill of health.
HELPS SKIN TO BREATHE
Brushing removes excess oils and any dirt that clogs up pores. This leaves your skin much softer and clearer which is not only great aesthetically but also great for your overall skin health as it has less pollutants to fight off on a daily basis.
STIMULATES THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
This is one of the most beneficial advantages of dry brushing. The lymphatic system is your body’s biggest player when it comes to immunity. It allows your body to remove interstitial fluid from various tissues amongst other cleansing functions. Dry brushing stimulates this which is hugely beneficial to your health.
THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS
Brushing on a regular basis has been said to be almost meditative in nature. The constant and repetitive act of brushing can sooth the mind and muscle simultaneously and be a way to effectively stress bust before the start of the day.
CAN AID IN RELIEVING DIGESTIVE STRESS
By stimulating the lymphatic system, it helps your body get rid of many negative toxins. This can indirectly lead to much improved kidney function and increased digestion efficiency.
You can pick up body brushes cheap anywhere so it’s worth giving it a go and judging whether these benefits are of any use to you and whether it’s something you want to add into your daily routine.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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5 Harmful Effects Of Plastic
Nowadays, plastics are part and parcel of every day life. Everyone vaguely knows the dangers of plastic and that it isn’t great but we plod along buying plastic water bottles every day, drinking out of plastic cups, wrapping our food up in plastic packaging, brushing our teeth with plastic toothbrushes, carrying shopping in plastic bags. The list goes on and on.
Everything is plastic and we don’t even realise. There are however, some things you can do to combat the issues that plastic presents. Below is a list of risks plastics pose and a few simple changes you can implement to improve your health and your environmental footprint. This blog is going to cover 5 harmful effects of plastics and what you can do to stop them.
THE 5 DANGERS and Harmful Effects OF PLASTIC
The amount of food and water that we consume that is wrapped in plastic and thrown away has led to a large amount of toxic chemicals, plastic pollution and harmful chemicals released into the environment.
The 5 harmful effects of plastic below are just some of the reasons that we need to reduce plastic waste (i.e. single use plastic and plastic items) that gets released into marine environments.
#1 GENDER BENDING
This has been shown to be prevalent in young males who drink from plastic bottles. If you want to avoid becoming a biologically feminised male I’d suggest keeping away from drinking out of your plastic water bottle from now on.
#2 Harmful Effects of Plastic - CANCER
Cancer has actually been shown to be associated with continual exposure to plastics. Keep away from consuming things from plastic containers and putting plastic in your mouth if you want a lower risk of cancer.
#3 LOWERED LIBIDO
A loss of sex drive is a common side effect of repeated exposure to plastic. Each generation has had significantly lower testosterone than the last, which coincides perfectly with the rise in plastic consumption. If you want to keep up your drive to procreate then limit your plastics brother.
The 4th Harmful Effect of Plastic - INCREASED FAT GAIN
An increase in fat mass has been shown time and time again to be associated with the increased plastic use of today. If you don’t want a spare tyre then ditch the plastic, simple.
#5 ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION
Last but certainly not least is environmental destruction. Most plastic produced in the world today is used just once (think bottled water, food packaging, cellophane & disposable cutlery). This contributes to polluted oceans, overflowing landfills and a dying Earth. Limit your consumption of plastic, in particular disposable plastic, if you want to be the difference.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Doing something to save the environment isn't about marine animals and sea turtles - it is about removing the many million tons of plastic that is impacting the health of humanity too.
CHANGE YOUR EVERYDAY WATER BOTTLE
Your first step towards reducing the dangers of plastic should be changing your bottle to a stainless steel or glass bottle you are reducing the amount of plastic water bottles you buy and dispose of every day and you are also minimising plastic contact with your mouth. I use The Corkcicle, which keeps your drink ice cold for over a day and looks sleek as well. You can get them relatively cheap here.
GET A BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSH
I use this toothbrush which is bio-degradable and so can be recycled once you’ve finished using it. They are extremely cheap and using them minimises plastic contact with the mouth.
Get a bag for life
If you get yourself a bag for life you stop yourself from constantly getting new plastic bags which just end up getting shoved under your kitchen sink, thus saving yourself money with every shop and also doing your bit to reduce plastic production and consumption. I picked this bag for life up from my local store but you can get any old tat as long as it’s not made of plastic.
UPGRADE YOUR COOKING UTENSILS
This is one of the biggest dangers of plastic, get rid of your horrible Teflon pans and plastic spatulas. These are the worst offenders when it comes to carcinogen release. Plus who wants melted spatula bits in their dinner? Get wooden or stainless steel utensils like a wooden spoon, steel ladle and a steel spatula. On top of that, get yourself a cast iron skillet to cook your meals in and these basics should see you through the majority of the time.
UPGRADE YOUR FOOD CONTAINERS
Who doesn’t love Tupperware? If you’re in to prepping your meals, you’ll be familiar with these little gems. However, most of the time they absorb colour and smell from your meals and over time they go grotty, meaning you’ll probably throw them out, contributing to the plastic graveyards we see today.
When people microwave their meals in these plastic containers, the carcinogens in the Tupperware leak into your food and you ingest this – yum. To combat this, I recommend having a complete overhaul of your Tupperware. Either buy glass Pyrex lunch boxes or if you’ve got a bit extra, go for stainless steel.
The only real option I have found here in the UK is a company called Elephant Box, their containers are amazing and I own a fair few. Whilst on the pricey side, they are very good quality and will last you. Just beware, you can’t microwave stainless steel, but you can put it in the oven. If none of these seem like a possibility to you then just put your food in the plastic containers but don’t heat up the meals whilst inside.
STORAGE BOXES
Instead of storing your things in big cheap, easily breakable plastic boxes, why not try and source a couple of wooden ones? They look much cooler and constant interaction with them won’t harm your hormonal health. These are less likely to crack as well, meaning you won’t be throwing them out on the regular like you would with plastic ones.
PENS
Get yourself a quality pen. Not only does it make you appear more professional than using a cracked little biro, it stops you holding (and maybe chewing?) a toxic plastic tube all day. I bought myself a Parker pen online and I believe it to be one of my better investments.
RAZORS
How many people do you know that use disposable, awful quality razors they bought from a pound shop? I would wager most of the people you know. Either invest in a quality straight or safety razor if you’ve got the stones.
If not, like myself, then go for a cornerstone razor. They offer a stainless steel handle with your initials engraved and some heads to get you started. Best shave I’ve ever had, hands down and it’s pretty cheap as well.
COAT HANGERS
If you still have flimsy plastic hangers that don’t really fit the shoulders of your clothes then you need to grow up. You don’t have to be fancy here, I bought 25 wooden hangers for £10, they fit the shoulders on my clothes so my stuff isn’t misshapen and creased.
It also stops the constant throwing out of hangers that contribute to our waste problem – the biggest offender when it comes to dangers of plastic. Not to mention, it looks much better than having 38 different types of yellow, blue and red plastic hangers in your wardrobe.
These are just some of the dangers of plastic, there are many many more which I suggest you look at and make up your own mind. I do believe however, that these are easily implemented steps that will help you in every day life and I urge you to give them a try at least once.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done.
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Long Term Side Effects Of Intermittent Fasting: A Review
I love intermittent fasting and have been using it since I first discovered it at 17. I’ve tried all the protocols; 16:8, Eat Stop Eat, just skip breakfast…the list goes on. I have found that the best protocol to use is a sort of just skip breakfast bastardisation of the 16:8 method. This blog will give a complete review of intermittent fasting as well as cover the long term side effects of intermittent fasting.
I recommend checking out this guide to intermittent fasting, as if you don't follow the best practices, you may fall into binge eating, incorrect restriction diets and subsequently miss out on the health benefits.
LET’S TALK ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING
Basically, just aim to break your fast around 1pm-2pm every day and you’ll end up pretty much adhering to a 16 hour fast each day without being anal about things. Anyway, this post isn’t about the hows of fasting, it’s about the whys and why exactly you should be using it. Here are 10 the side effects of intermittent fasting that you need to be aware of.
CELLULAR REPAIR (AUTOPHAGY)
First of all, for those who don’t know what autophagy is – it’s basically the way your cells repair themselves. In its simplest form, your body eats itself to prevent cellular damage accumulation. “What are you on about and why is this good for me?” I hear you shouting from the rooftops.
Well, because autophagy is your body’s way of keeping you young, it is high in young people and lowers with age. Since fasting can increase these levels by up to 500% it would be wise to give it a go if your aim is to fight them wrinkles off for a few more years.
INCREASED INSULIN SENSITIVITY
Fasting has been shown as an extremely effective way of increasing insulin sensitivity which can improve results in the gym and can also have a controlling effect on type 2 diabetes.
Just make sure you don't forget to drink as this could lead to unhealthy long term effects, unhealthy weight loss or short term negative impacts.
INCREASED METABOLISM
Below is an infographic that highlights the problems with obesity. One way to tackle this is to improve your metabolism. Fasting has been shown to boost metabolism and aid in fat loss in numerous studies. If you’re looking to lose fat, this is an extremely handy tool to have in your arsenal.
INCREASED HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE
Studies have shown that after a short period of time whilst fasting, there is increased regular secretions of HGH throughout the day. This is good news if you’re looking to build muscle and optimise your hormonal health as higher HGH levels have been correlated with increased muscle mass and testosterone conversion.
CONTROL OVER HUNGER
One benefit that I have noticed is my ability to now differentiate actual hunger from perceived hunger and actually have control over my appetite. This has been shown to be the case time and time again in so many past studies, stating that improved ghrelin regulation are at the heart of this. Also, most of the time, hunger is just a mistaken feeling of thirst and so realising this helped me to differentiate between the two and stop gorging.
PROTECTS AGAINST CANCER
This one links in with the decreased insulin point above. Improved insulin sensitivity has been linked to reduced risks of several types of cancers. This is good news for us in the Western world especially, as our society and the famed ‘Western diet’ is one of the biggest causes of cancer we’ve ever seen.
IMPROVED COGNITIVE FUNCTION
The main way that fasting can improve cognitive function is via reduced oxidative damage in the brain. Oxidative stress in the brain is probably the biggest culprit for brain fog – something which we can all agree is extremely frustrating. Lowering this stress can help to not only eliminate brain fog but also to increase the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor which is responsible for the growth of neurons within the hippocampus. Bit science-y but it’s all good stuff…promise.
LOWERED FOOD ANXIETY
One subjective improvement I noticed was much lower food anxiety. I used to be so anal about what I ate and did so much meal prep the mind boggles. Now I don’t have to think about eating for about 5 or 6 hours after I wake up, which frees my mind to concentrate on other things like writing, meeting deadlines or simply just zoning out and relaxing.
Fasting has given me so much perspective on my relationship with food and busted all the usual myths the fitness industry pedals such as “EAT 400 CALORIE MEALS EVERY 2 HOURS OR YOUR MUSCLES WILL SHRIVEL AND YOUR PENIS WILL FALL OFF”.
Having this insight has aided me in wading through all the BS and accelerated the rate at which I can now decipher the true from the false when it comes to fitness. Massive tangent of a paragraph but just some food for thought (no pun intended).
IMPROVED MEMORY
One extremely promising area of literature has explored the memory effects that fasting has on the human brain. It was shown that inducing a fasted state enhanced the ability of nerve cells to repair DNA, improving memory as well as a whole host of other areas of the brain.
Whilst this research is still quite new and technology still has a way to go to be able to accurately measure these sorts of things, it is very exciting to think such a simple thing can have such profound effects.
IMPROVED CONCENTRATION AND FOCUS
Finally, another cognitive benefit. Fasting can increase both concentration and focus. This may be part due to the improved quality of sleep that fasting brings. An interesting side-note, a study on soldiers who fasted before flying to a foreign country were better able to combat the effects of jet-lag than those who didn’t which may suggest that the regulation of sleep, concentration and wakefulness are all inter-connected.
Whilst all these benefits are great and I do advocate using intermittent fasting all the time, there are obviously occasions where fasting is not an option – think family breakfasts or holidays. As long as you are fasting more often than not (i.e. most of the days per week), you will most likely experience the majority of these benefits and maybe more that aren’t listed, without the negative side effects such as low blood sugar.
One final side note, a lot of studies done on intermittent fasting tend to be conducted on animals as a lot of testing is rather unethical (think medically induced strokes) and so some findings may not be applicable to humans.
Regardless, whilst intermittent fasting is not a magic pill, I feel so much better when I fast than when I don’t and believe that you should at least give it a good go for a few weeks and see for yourself.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above.
Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Muscle building Trail Mix Recipe: Why nuts are the way forward
Muscle building trail mix. A recipe for the ages, this bad boy makes a tasty testosterone boosting snack. I love this recipe for its simplicity – throw everything into a mixing bowl, mix it and you’re good to go. It’s filling, tasty and great for testosterone production, what’s not to love?
The ingredients listed below yield about 3, 500ml jars worth of trail mix. This equates to around 20 servings but you can play around with the portions as you please.
MUSCLE BUILDING TRAIL MIX
250g cashews
Cashews are low in testosterone-lowering fibre and are full of health boosting vitamins E, K and B6. It also helps that cashews are delicious, just make sure you buy unsalted.
300g Brazil nuts
Brazil nuts are absolutely chock-full of testosterone boosting nutrient selenium which can boost sperm quality and increase total testosterone in men.
250g macadamia nuts
These nuts are fantastic, their ratio of monounsaturated fats to polyunsaturates are great, unlike other varieties like peanuts. These are by far and away the best nut you can consume.
500g dates
Dates are fantastic for boosting all sorts of health markers like digestion, blood pressure and heart function. However their high levels of vital nutrients like iron make them a potent T-booster.
500g raisins
Raisins are packed to the brim full of vitamins like iron and potassium whilst also being extremely tasty. One of the tastier ways to eat for health and extremely cheap when bought in bulk.
Cooking
Empty all ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
Mix everything well so there’s an even distribution of nuts, dates and raisins.
Siphon off into jars or however you wish to store the mix.
Here’s the nutrient breakdown for your muscle building trail mix based on 20 servings but again, you can play round with the portion sizes;
| Nutrition Facts | % Daily Value* |
| Servings 20.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories 352 | |
| Total Fat 25 g | 39 % |
| Saturated Fat 5 g | 25 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 10 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 10 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 4 mg | 0 % |
| Potassium 434 mg | 12 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 29 g | 10 % |
| Dietary Fiber 4 g | 16 % |
| Sugars 22 g | |
| Protein 6 g | 12 % |
| Vitamin A | 0 % |
| Vitamin C | 0 % |
| Calcium | 5 % |
| Iron | 10 % |
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.
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Night time routine? What is it and why you need one.
A great day starts with a great night…or more specifically, with a great night time routine.
Let me explain.
If you wake up and before you do work of any kind you have to pack your bag, pick what clothes you’re going to wear, make lunch for the day, respond to emails from the night before…you see where this is going.
Basically you’re rushing around and the chances are you’re going to forget something, get to work/school/wherever, realise you’ve left something you shouldn’t have and your day is off to an almighty stinker.
Compare this to if the night before, you had a solid night time routine in place. You had gotten an outfit ready and hung it on the back of your door, made your lunch for the following day, responded to all your emails, got to bed before midnight to ensure a rejuvenating sleep and all you have to do when you wake up is roll out of bed, shower, brush your teeth, throw your clothes on and head out the door.
Which situation sounds like a better start to the day?
Sleep is the most fundamental step you should be addressing in your quest towards increasing your testosterone levels with studies showing that every hour of seep lost results in a corresponding decrease in testosterone.
If this isn’t reason enough to take your sleep seriously then how about this study that has shown those who regularly get less than the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night tend to have a higher mortality rate than their Zzz-collecting counterparts.
ENTER, THE MAN BLUEPRINT NIGHT TIME ROUTINE
Enough of the studies and more of what you should be doing. Below is the ideal night time routine that will see you dozing off in no time and being completely prepared for the day ahead, ready to seize whatever comes your way.
NO SCREENS FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE BED
The blue light emitted from electrical screens such as phones and laptops messes up your body’s natural clock and decreases melatonin secretion which is imperative to a good night’s sleep – so just switch off an hour before you plan to go to bed and you’re good to go. This is the best way to start a night time routine as it allows you to concentrate on everything else with no distractions from your phone.
READ A BOOK FOR AROUND 30 MINUTES
This helps to relax your mind and gives you a chance to practice learning new ideas whilst maybe giving you some inspiration (especially if you opt for non-fiction).
DO SOME YOGA OR WORK ON YOUR POSTURE
This is another way of relaxing your mind (see a theme here?) and your body. I suggest this a yoga routine as a way of limbering up and getting ready for sleep. You can also work on posture – here is my favourite routine for a much more powerful stance.
The importance of powerful posture has been identified in much research but Amy Cuddy and her now world-famous TED talk puts it perfectly, highlighting how simply appearing more powerful can skyrocket your testosterone in minutes (yes, minutes). See below for her explanation.
SHOULDER DISLOCATIONS AND FOAM ROLLING
I use a resistance band to do 15 dislocations every night and every morning to keep my shoulders mobile and flexible and since doing them, I have noticed a marked improvement in my posture and reduction in any aches in my rotator cuff or shoulder area in general.
As for foam rolling, we all know how much it hurts but using them is a fantastic way to relax the body and increase your performance.
PLAN AHEAD
This links to the example given at the beginning of this article. Get your lunch cooked, get your bag packed, do whatever you need to do to be ready for the day ahead and you’ll thank yourself when 7am comes knocking.
JOURNAL
This could be done morning or night (or both) but basically, write down whatever is on your mind – What are you grateful for? What are your worries? What do you want to accomplish in the near and distant future?
Anything on your mind, get it down. The only rule is keep it to under 5 minutes, then close it and forget about it, this helps keep your mind clear and happy. Click here to see why and how to keep a journal in more depth.
MAKE A TO-DO LIST
Is there anything better than ticking something off a to-do list? The answer to that is obviously no. Make a list of what needs to be done the following day and this will give your day a sense of purpose and keep you focused. If you take anything from this list – this is it.
COLD (OR AS COLD AS YOU CAN HANDLE) SHOWER
All your thoughts have now been spilled on to pages, get in the shower and forget about everything. Having a hot shower before bed is actually detrimental to sleep as your body has to cool itself back down to optimal sleeping temperature and this will keep you awake unnecessarily. Take it down a few degrees and you’ll feel fresh but ready for sleep.
MEDITATE
If you are really serious about being able to empty your mind and want to increase your productivity, self-control and overall well-being then meditate for at least 5 minutes every night. Meditating can decrease cortisol and increase testosterone while lowering stress and a whole host of other mental issues – do it. Here is a video on how to meditate, give it a go for 2 weeks and see the difference.
GET INTO BED AND CONCENTRATE ON YOUR BREATHING
This follows on from meditation, lie down and concentrate on deep breathing. This will allow you to control unnecessary thoughts and help you drift off seamlessly, ready to attack the next day feeling refreshed.
BONUS TIP
Keep your room cold. Many studies have proven that a lower room temperature is optimal for sleep as being too hot will make you uncomfortable and disturbs sleep, possibly messing up your circadian rhythm. Just keep your window ajar and you’re probably in the ball park for the ideal temperature – plus, this lets in fresh air which is ideal for relieving a stuffy atmosphere.
BONUS TIP #2
Sleep naked. Being naked in bed has been shown to much more beneficial to increased sperm count and testicular health than sleeping in heat-inducing tight boxers or pyjamas. If that isn’t reason enough to ditch the Spongebob PJ’s then I don’t know what is.
Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.