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5 things worth sharing this week.

1. What I’m reading

I’m reading Fooled By Randomness by Nassim Taleb. I don’t have much to say about this book other than I’m enjoying it. I’ve read three books by Nassim Taleb, and I recommend all three: The Black Swan, Antifragile, and Skin In The Game. 

Nassim is one of the most Erudite writers today, and I’ve taken a lot from his books. I will probably write a summary of this book once I’m finished. Some of my favourite Nassim Taleb quotes are:

The knowledge we get by tinkering, via trial and error, experience, and the workings of time, in other words, contact with the earth, is vastly superior to that obtained through reasoning, something self-serving institutions have been very busy hiding from us.- Skin in the Game.

Seneca also provides us a catalogue of social deeds: invest in good actions. Things can be taken away from us—not good deeds and acts of virtue.- Antifragile

One finds similar ideas in ancestral lore: it is explained in a Yiddish proverb that says “Provide for the worst; the best can take care of itself.” – Antifragile

The way to avoid the ills of the narrative fallacy is to favor experimentation over storytelling, experience over history, and clinical knowledge over theories. – The Black  Swan

2. The mind abhors a vacuum

Why does religion exist?

Why does philosophy exist?

Why does self-help exist?

The reason is that the mind abhors a vacuum.

We like to have paradigms to help us direct our lives.

Life is overwhelmingly complex, and paradigms, whether from religion, philosophy, or literature, help us make sense of the world.

They teach us what to do and, most importantly, what not to do.

3. Remember to eat at least two servings of oily fish per week

Oily fish such as salmon provide omega-3 fatty acids.

And these benefit your body in many different ways.

In a way, they’re a panacea because they provide incredible benefits such as:

1. Increased heart health.
2. Increased brain function.
3. Reduced inflammation. 
4. Increased eye health.

Omega 3s provide other benefits as well, but these are some of the best ones.

As some of my readers know, I’ve recently had wrist surgery. So, after a flare-up when the joint sometimes gets inflamed, eating foods like salmon, which are rich in omega-3s, is fundamental.

4. Don’t leave things until the last minute

I’ve been working the late shift at work this week, and I’ve left my reading and writing for the end of the day.

If you are someone like me who reads and writes, you’ll notice that you can take in more information in the morning after a good night’s sleep. Also, the content you write will generally come more easily when you’re well-rested and full of willpower, rather than when you’re tired at the end of the day.

5. Cut highly processed foods out of your diet

If you’ve been reading my work, you’ll notice I wrote an article about the 80/20 diet for fat loss.

In this diet, I said you could eat 80% healthy whole foods and 20% whatever foods you like.

My thoughts on this have changed.

I recommend eating 90% whole foods and no more than 10% junk food.

This way, you’re limiting rubbish foods in your diet.

Which means you’ll have more energy.

Have less inflammation throughout your body.

Sleep better.

You see, highly processed foods are extremely inflammatory.

And can cause all sorts of problems.

Better to limit highly processed foods to the smallest amount possible.

Life’s too short to be anything other than the healthiest you.

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