Jeff Newbill.com

Disaster Recovery

“2 is 1 and 1 is None”. This is a term that has been used in IT by typically by System Administrators to make the point that you are only as good as your backups and your ability to restore them. The intent of this phrase is to instill a sense of urgency in someone responsible for keeping systems up and running and making sure they have highly redundant fail backups in place. You don’t want to be caught without warm backup systems that are ready to be spun up on a moments notice when the time comes for an outage of critical systems. Not only is it the job of someone like a Systems Administrator to make sure these measures are taken, its a fundamental of the job no matter what kind of business they support. “What’s the status of my backups?” should be the 1st and last question you ask yourself every day when you are in that line of work. Fundamentally it is one of the 1st things you’d do at a new job or for a new customer contact gig. You need to know the health, availability, and viability of those systems and processes.

Personal Disasters

The same goes for your personal life. You are in charge of what happens to you and your family when a disaster strikes in your personal life. Any of the following could be considered a disaster scenario for you personally:

1. Loss of a job
2. Death of a loved one
3. Natural disaster
4. Extended power outages
5. Debilitating personal injury

There is nothing protecting you from any of these scenarios throwing your life into a tailspin. Any of these conditions could result in a significant loss of money, time, and stability in your life and the life of those that depend on you.

Building Personal Redundancy: Practical Strategies for Preparedness

Just as System Administrators create redundancy in IT systems, you can build safety nets in your personal life. Here’s how you can implement practical, redundant strategies to prepare for unexpected events.

1. Financial Preparedness

Emergency Fund: Aim to save three to six months’ worth of living expenses. This fund acts as a financial buffer in case of job loss, medical emergencies, or other unforeseen expenses.

Diversify Income Streams: Relying on a single source of income is risky. Consider passive income opportunities, investments, or side gigs to create multiple income streams.

Insurance Coverage: Ensure you have adequate health, life, disability, and property insurance. Regularly review your policies to make sure they meet your current needs.

2. Backup Important Documents

Digital Copies: Scan and store important documents—like IDs, passports, insurance policies, and wills—on encrypted cloud services. Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication for added security.

Physical Copies: Keep hard copies in a fireproof and waterproof safe. Consider having duplicates stored securely at a trusted friend or family member’s home.

3. Develop a Family Emergency Plan

Communication Plan: Establish how you will contact each other during an emergency. This could include designated meeting places and methods of communication if phones are down.

Emergency Contacts: Keep a list of important contacts, such as doctors, schools, workplaces, and out-of-town relatives.

Practice Drills: Regularly rehearse your emergency plan with your family to ensure everyone knows what to do.

4. Prepare for Natural Disasters and Power Outages

Emergency Kit: Assemble a kit with essentials like non-perishable food, water, flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, medications, and personal hygiene items.

Alternative Power Sources: Invest in portable chargers, solar-powered devices, or generators to keep essential electronics running during outages. Pay an electrician to come out and wire up an inlet plug and a few critical electrical breakers to run your most important home appliances and devices. I’m quite certain it will be some of the best money you’ve ever spent on yourself and your family. Paying for electrical backup infrastructure will pay off especially if you live in an area with frequent power outages that could happen anytime (especially in cold weather). Solar generators are a popular solution when it comes to having to keep something inside the a closed area (Gas / Propane generators should never be kept inside or any enclosed non-ventilated area). Here is an example of one of these solar generators but they can get expensive the higher up you go in capability.

Stay Informed: Have a battery-powered or hand-crank radio to receive news and emergency updates if other communication channels fail.

5. Health and Wellness

Regular Check-ups: Stay on top of your health with regular medical, dental, and vision check-ups to catch potential issues early.

Fitness and Nutrition: Maintain a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of illness and injury.

Mental Health: Develop coping strategies for stress and seek professional help when needed.

6. Skill Development

Cross-training: Learn skills outside your primary profession to increase your versatility in the job market. This can be anything from Brazilian Jujitsu to radio communications but you’d be wise to make sure you diversify your skill set. Specialization only works in very specific instances and those are usually specific to the modern professional workplace. Otherwise, it pays to be a jack of as many trades as possible.

First Aid and CPR: Being trained in first aid can be invaluable during emergencies when medical help isn’t immediately available. A good resource for anything medical in an emergency situation (where help isn’t on the way or available) is The Survival Medicine Handbook: 4th ed.

Home Maintenance Skills: Basic knowledge of plumbing, electrical repairs, and other home maintenance can prevent small issues from becoming big problems. Especially when it comes to backup power, you should have a solid understanding of electricity and how it behaves to prevent serious injury.

In an era where personal data can be easily compromised, keeping tabs on your digital identity is more vital than ever. While there are many paid services that offer comprehensive identity monitoring, there’s a cost-effective method that can still provide valuable insights: Google Alerts.

Why Google Alerts?

Google Alerts is a notification service that sends emails to users when it finds new results—such as web pages, newspaper articles, or blogs—that match the user’s search term. By setting up alerts for your name and other personal identifiers, you can get real-time notifications whenever they’re mentioned online.

Setting Up Alerts for Identity Monitoring:

1. Visit Google Alerts: Go to the Google Alerts website.
2. Enter Your Name: Start by entering your full name in quotation marks (e.g., “Jane Doe”) to get precise matches. This will help in filtering out irrelevant results.
3. Refine Your Search: Use the “Show Options” dropdown to set the frequency of alerts, sources (like news, blogs, web), and other parameters. For identity monitoring, you might prefer to receive “As-it-happens” notifications.
4. Add Variations and Identifiers: Consider adding variations of your name, usernames, or even your email address to catch a broader range of mentions. Remember, the more specific the search term, the more accurate the alerts will be.
5. Monitor and Review: Once set up, you’ll start receiving email notifications. Regularly review these to ensure there aren’t any unauthorized or malicious mentions of your identity.

Note: While Google Alerts is a fantastic tool for monitoring mentions, it won’t catch everything, especially content behind paywalls or subscription services. Consider it as a supplementary measure rather than a complete solution.

Incorporating Google Alerts into your digital protection toolkit is a proactive step towards safeguarding your online reputation and being informed about potential identity breaches. Remember, in the digital world, knowledge is power – and staying informed about mentions of your identity gives you the upper hand.

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Biohacker’s Bulletin:

Each year, without fail, we see the flu coming around like a boomerang. Amidst all the chatter around immune-boosting tactics – washing hands, overdosing on vitamin C, UV light therapy, or that wild elderberry syrup you’ve heard about from the Paleo enthusiasts – there’s one powerful strategy that’s been under the radar. We’re talking about the micro-nutrient heavyweight: Zinc. The list of Zinc’s benefits would stretch longer than a marathon track.

Diving Deeper into the World of Zinc:

We aren’t playing around in the shallow end of home remedies here. We’re swimming deep into the ocean of biohacking, unearthing the true potential of Zinc. If you’re genuinely committed to hacking your body’s defense system, knowing about Zinc is just the tip of the iceberg. The real treasure lies in knowing how to take it, when to take it, and what form to take. So, let’s strap on our scuba gear and dive into the mysterious depths of this mineral, sifting out some life-changing benefits of Zinc that you won’t want to pass up.

The global health scene, particularly with respect to cold and flu, is becoming increasingly dire. People are racing to get their hands on Tamiflu and other pharmaceutical lifelines that promise to banish the virus from your system, and to their credit, they do a darn good job at it. But we need to pause and ponder about the potential side effects these drugs could be packing. Is it wise to place our faith entirely on synthetic antivirals when mother nature has graced us with a potent armor like Zinc?

Biohacker’s Caveat:

Before we get too excited about the Zinc express, a gentle reminder: I’m not sporting a white coat or a stethoscope. I’m just a biohacker sharing wisdom from my personal health journey. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your routine. Remember, biohacking is as individual as our fingerprints. You may already have plenty of Zinc if you’re an athlete sweating buckets, or a seafood lover relishing oysters. Keep in mind that Zinc and copper are like those siblings with a rivalry – when one goes up, the other goes down. And pairing Zinc with iron or magnesium? Not the best duo. Always, and I mean ALWAYS, check with your health guru if you’re on any medication.

Decoding Zinc: The Science-y Stuff:

Biohacking is all about personal anecdotes, but it’s rooted in science. Zinc basically pulls the rug from under the cold and flu viruses, disrupting their ability to dock onto your cells. If you’re heading down the lozenge lane, look for ones with a distinct metallic aftertaste that lingers for about 15-20 minutes. As for me, I’ve been leaning towards zinc picolinate from NOW Foods, Inc. Why? Because it pairs up with picolinic acid to efficiently breach your gut barrier and make its way into your bloodstream. But the benefits of Zinc don’t end at immune defense. It’s a handy sidekick for repairing your gut lining, lifting your mood, and yes, boosting testosterone levels. Want to deep dive into the science of Zinc and testosterone? Check out this link here. And for those with an insatiable appetite for data, dig into the treasure trove of information over at the National Institutes of Health – Office of Dietary Supplements

The Biohacker’s Chronicles:

I’ve been down the Zinc rabbit hole. Daily supplementation of 50mg zinc picolinate? Check. Adverse effects? Zero. Positive outcomes? A noticeable uptick in mood, a decrease in dry scalp, and a newfound surge in motivation. After thumbing through piles of research and experimenting on myself, I’ve decided to stick with Zinc. It might just be our hidden ace against the ever-morphing flu strains we encounter every year.

The Biohacker’s Round-up:

Here’s the long and short of it: If you’re gearing up to take on the flu or any other nasty bug this season, arm yourself with Zinc. It’s not just a potent pathogen blocker; it’s a crucial micro-nutrient that may also strike a balance in your hormonal health, especially for men. But hold your horses – Zinc isn’t a free-for-all. There are toxicity limits and potential drug interactions to be aware of, details here. What’s the first step on the Zinc journey? Raid your kitchen for Zinc-rich foods like avocados and spinach. If your diet isn’t filling the Zinc tank, consider supplementation. Here’s to happy biohacking!

Stay optimized,

J

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#ILIMap

A Note on Supplements

In our constant endeavor for health and longevity we come across many supplements that we’d like to try. If you’re lucky, you get one that actually works and gets you the results that you are going for. A skeptical attitude pays off when looking at all the supplements available out there and when you find one that works it’s really great to be able to tell someone how it helped you and what actually happened when you took it. In my experience these instances only come along once in a while because the majority of the supplements out there are formulated so they don’t absorb optimally or they’re just put together wrong.

Collagen: Your Body’s Secret to Youthful Resilience

Let’s cut to the chase: hydrolyzed collagen should be a staple for anyone aiming to boost their overall health, particularly for athletes who put their bodies through the wringer. The primary reason is its high concentration of glycine—an amino acid abundant in small mammals but less so in larger ones. As a result, the bigger the animal, the less efficiently its body synthesizes glycine.

So, why is this an issue? Glycine plays a vital role in collagen production, which is responsible for maintaining youthful skin and supple, flexible tissues. Our ligaments, bones, and tendons all benefit from an ample supply of collagen, and glycine is crucial, making up a third of its composition.

Moreover, glycine helps to stabilize blood sugar levels (particularly useful for type 2 diabetics) and enables the body to utilize the powerful antioxidant glutathione. This relationship with such a potent antioxidant highlights glycine’s significance in detoxification.

Collagen and Glycine: A Powerhouse of Benefits

Incorporating hydrolyzed collagen in your routine can help improve sleep quality if taken in doses of 3-4 grams before bedtime. Glycine and collagen also work harmoniously with antioxidants like vitamin C, which aids in delivering glycine to soft tissues. If you’re an athlete, consider incorporating natural sources of collagen, such as animal skin, bone broth, and organ meat, into your diet, alongside collagen supplements to ensure your joints and tendons remain strong and healthy.

Great Lakes Gelatin offers competitive pricing and extensive information on their products and processes.

Closing notes and Toxicity

Both collagen and glycine are safe to consume, with minimal concerns regarding their potential risks. Although some sources mention an increased risk of kidney stones, this claim lacks reliable clinical or empirical evidence. By incorporating collagen into your routine, you’ll reap the benefits of overall health improvement and glycine’s protective properties.

For further information on glycine, head to examine.com’s Glycine page, where you’ll find a wealth of scientific data on its benefits and research.

Stay healthy,

J

Increase Immunity, Testosterone, and “?” with Zinc

Under Attack:     Every year, and especially this year, the flu comes around and ruins the live of a surprising number of people (84 people have died this year according the the CDC). Aside from washing you hands, taking vitamin C and various other remedies that you may hear about, there is one tactic that doesn’t seem to get much press and that’s Zinc. Zinc has so many benefits it’s not practical to go through all of them here. However, suffice it to say that you not only need to know about zinc, you’ll need to know what kind to take to do the most damage to the cold or flu that might try to grab you. I’ve also learned about some other very interesting side benefits of taking zinc that I’ll share here.      The flu and cold season just seem to be getting worse. People run to get TamiFlu, and other drugs that are supposed to clear out the virus from you system and they actually do quite a good job of it. However, who knows of the side effects of these drugs and what happens when they run out? In my opinion it’s not a good strategy to depend on things like these drugs when supplements like zinc can help you if you’re diligent about supplementing with it.      Before anything else, I’ll say that of course this isn’t medical advice and you should do what’s best for your body and levels. Track how much zinc you may or may not be getting in your food before you decide to supplement with it. Especially if you are physically active or an athlete you likely don’t have too much to worry about as you lose zinc in your sweat. Taking a lot of zinc can deplete copper in your system so you may have to take copper to keep those levels up while taking in additional zinc. Iron and also magnesium interferes with the absorption of zinc so taking them together isn’t a good idea. Zinc can and most likely will interfere with most medications anyone might be taking so it’s obviously recommend to check with your healthcare professional before proceeding in that case.

Why Zinc?

Zinc works against the cold and flu virus by preventing it from binding to your cells. Particularly in the nasal passages zinc tends to work it’s magic nicely when a lozenge is used. Taking zinc through a zinc acetate lozenge for you’ll want to go for a zinc lozenge that has sort of a metallic taste and takes 15-20 minutes to dissolve. I don’t take a lozenge but I do take zinc picolinate from NOW Foods, Inc. Ideally priced and a decent quality supplement it is paired with picolinic acid in order to make it more available (permeate the gut and into your blood stream). There are many other benefits to supplementing with zinc also. A few other benefits are helping to repair the gut lining, easing depression, and increasing testosterone in men (and women) who are deficient in zinc. This last part might have caught your attention.  Yes, zinc has been shown in many studies to increase testosterone in subjects that were deficient in zinc. Supplementing with zinc brought testosterone levels back up to normal ranges and you can read more about that here (at examine.com) and at here (at anabolicmen.com). A lot of useful information for both men and women on Zinc can also be found here at the National Institutes of Health – Office of Dietary Supplements.

Personal Experience

My personal experience with zinc has been a positive one. I have supplemented daily with 50mg of zinc picolinate daily and haven’t seen any ill effects and have actually noticed a decrease on dry scalp and an improvement in mood and motivation. Additionally, given what I have learned about zinc in the research I’ve done, I’ll keep taking it. I think it may be one of the lesser known things people can do to make sure they are more resilient against these ever evolving flu strains that appear every year.

Conclusion:

Zinc can be one of the most powerful weapons you could use in fighting the flu and any other contagion this season. I believe it really works and there is plenty of research to support it. The big picture on Zinc seems to be that it’s something that gets in the way of infections, it’s something you need anyway, and it can improve hormonal balance if you’re deficient in some areas (especially in men from what I’ve read). There are toxicity levels for Zinc and drug interactions which can be found at the link I included if that is a concern for some. I hope this helped and got you more familiar with what Zinc can do for you if taken in recommend doses and under the appropriate circumstances. I’ve included some links below where you can find out almost everything you’d ever want to know about Zinc and what it can do for you. Avocados, Spinach, and other veggies should get you some dietary Zinc, but there’s always supplementation if you’re not getting enough in your diet.   Jeff

Links and Information:

 

• https://examine.com/supplements/zinc/
• https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/supplements-articles/natural-cold-flu-remedies/
• https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2017/03/09/kill-cold-zinc/
• http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/supplement-zinc-good-for-8247.html
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15496046
  • Ionic zinc and it’s efficacy
• https://www.thorne.com/products/dp/zinc-picolinate
  • Thorne (good company)

What do You Need?

Online Demigods and “Leaders”?

Stress Management:

Every once in a while we get bogged down in life everyday with details. There seems to be an endless amount of things to do, things to keep track of, and general shit to “manage”. You’ll have temporary sprints of non-habit forming motivation that stop and start your progress. A lot of this can turn out to be really soul-crushing when it happens often and you don’t seem to make any forward progress.

So many things make a difference on how we show up that it could be many things or one things that totally de-rails your progress.

• Projects that have no end in site at work.
• Managing diet and workouts while still having time to relax.

There’s a self help guru millionaire for every problem you have out there. 

Someone to tell you how they’ve done it. The real question is are you willing to let them lead you? This is the key question you have to answer. Workplace leadership and every other kind of leadership is always “accepted” in some fashion. Don’t like your boss? You can find another job or another department. Don’t like an elected official? Move or campaign and vote for someone else. 

Look at some of the online personalities that come across your Facebook feed. Posting pictures of their lives and making themselves out to be the “model” you should strive to emulate. Looking at these things can be discouraging sometimes and that’s why it’s good to take it all in with a skeptical perspective.  “What makes these people so special?” You may ask….well that’s the question isn’t it? Sometimes don’t you want to question someone’s motives for wanting to be “the guy” or “personality” everyone follows? What kind of person is that really? Someone who might think that at some point everyone should do what they’re doing because “they’re doing great things…”. They may in fact be doing great things but posting it on social media means that you want….or even need everyone to know what you’re doing is great. Something inside is ego-driven that needs the world to know. They might be posting about the kids and wife…..they might be posting about their workout….they might be posting a foreboding picture of themselves with weights or getting physical. With so many feeds and areas for you to be influenced by, it really helps to stand back and think “why is this person doing all this?” What are they really trying to say to people who see it? What altruistic value do they think they are providing me with? Reality will set in and you’ll find that there is no other reason for posting anything on social media other than “look at me…I’m doing great things and you should be too.” Social media is good for providing some low level of accountability. Telling people you’re going to do something in your life and asking them to check in with you is a good tactic. Additionally, if you are building a brand or a business of course it an insanely great way to get yourself and products out there in front of people.

Leadership is needed.

However….the majority of the work gets done behind the scenes, in the early morning hours and the late nights when no one is watching. Most of the great athletes and business people have done it this way. People like this have very seldom cared who is watching and have single minded goals that motivate and discipline them. The point is that it pays to be a skeptic….especially when people are advertising their worthiness to lead you. 

They can only lead you if you give them permission….guard it wisely and with be discriminating like you would against rotten food. One more thing…take more pride in the “doing” instead of the “posting of the doing”. 

 

This is a post I have been thinking about writing for quite some time. When people ask for nutrition advice they tend to expect someone to tell them exactly what they should eat and how or when to eat it. This has been the way these types of questions have been answered for a long time and the answers have changed through the years as to what is better and what isn’t. Eggs are healthy…no wait their not. Stay away from grains and dairy, but these types are fine. I can see how a lot of people can get confused and irritated that they’re not being given the magic pill or the key to permanent weight loss. While expecting the they key to permanent weight loss is in and of itself unreasonable, people really do have the rightful expectation of an informed answer.

I think of it this way: In 2017 there has been plenty of clinical and empirical research or studies done on the gut and the role that it plays in your everyday health and well being. People try these diets that are suggested that have worked for 100’s of people and then it doesn’t work for them which makes them feel different and like their issue is unique and they will never lose this weight or feel better in general. I have been reading books by Dr. Cate Shanahan, M.D., Paul Chek and Ben Greenfield. Practitioners such as these are in my opinion some of the best if not the best in the world. A a good portion of the material in these books talk about gut health and gut permeability (the integrity of your gut or intestinal lining). Your gut is your 1st line of defense against anything you put into your body. Therefore anything in your gut can still be considered outside of your body. When your gut is compromised (leaky gut, Chron’s Disease, IBS, ect.) your body has to deal with food and substances being released into your body without being broken down. Now this triggers an immune response from your body weather what you ate is healthy or not. Undigested material coming from Kale is treated no different then coca cola at that point. Foreign bodies are looked at as just that.

The point is this: Before asking for health advice consider the basics of nutrition and what you may already know. Processed food = Bad. Vegetables, fish, eggs, and fermented foods = Good. The truth is that people have 80% of the knowledge in their heads already to get them started, they just don’t have the discipline and habits formed to do it. The other 20% is the intricacies that go into weather or not you’ve done damage to your gut and how to fix it. Have you ever had that friend or family member that seems to stay fit and in shape no matter what they eat? We all have them and this is a great example of what the point is here. Everyone is different and by this I mean everyone has a different Metabolic Type they should adhere to. There is a book called “The Metabolic Typing Diet” that goes into detail about how to determine your metabolic type and what foods you should eat based on a series of questions.

The concept of “calories in vs. calories out” will only get you so far. Yes you can spend more than you put in for food but this isn’t how to optimize your health. Do you know why? Because I could eat one meal a day at McDonald’s and still lose weight but my blood panels would be all screwed up. I might feel a lot better from losing the weight but in the long run I wouldn’t be improving my long term health. I’d be causing inflammation due to the toxins in the food and vegetable oil in fast food. I also wouldn’t be helping my gut either. Losing weight isn’t the only thing you need to consider although it itself has many health benefits.

When you ask for fitness advice you should do a self assessment of what you already know…are you putting things into practice? Want to sculpt your body? The answer isn’t working out feverishly and reducing your caloric intake. You may see superficial results from simply eating less of the bad stuff and doing more work. However, its really easy with this approach to throw your body into a hormonal imbalance that you’ll eventually notice. Weather you have the knowledge to attribute those adverse results to what you did wrong is where the real growth in your wellness comes in. Also it’s where a health professional who’s studying the latest trends and keeping up with developments in the community come in as well.

I believe that 80% of the advice you ask for is because you already know the answer and need someone else to tell you what you already know. The other 20% is split between research that you depend on the experts to translate into action for you, and asking for help in motivation to form habits that lead to regular practices of doing the work.

You already know most of what you should be doing. So before you spend $500 dollars an hour on a coach to help you, please consider this: You already know 80% of what you’re supposed to be doing. Have you done that? No? The do yourself a favor and adopt it. Any work you do yourself will obviously help you spend less money on a coach. Health and Fitness coaches are extremely valuable. I know a few and they are great at what they do. However, do them a favor as well and let them help you get past the hard parts….not the easy ones.

The good health and fitness coaches aren’t looking for easy money by just telling you to “eat less and move more..”. They should be looking to provide you with lasting changes and nutritional habits that will help you for the rest of your life. They are looking to solve that difficult issue that has kept you from losing that last 20 pounds that just won’t go or helping you control and repair your Crohn’s Disease and get Hashimoto’s Syndrome under control naturally or with an M.D.’s help. Of course they want to get you a beach body as well.