Allergen-Free Food Expense Tracking System: Fill & Download for Free

It’s a dead company in a dying space.In short, they’re facing three massive problems:Their brand is toxic.Their brand is tied to a single marketing angle (“anti-chemicals”), which is itself a misleading and ephemeral trend.Their sales aren’t high enough to ensure strong QA (which their brand depends on), nor do they have any obvious paths left to achieve scale.As the other answers have covered in detail, The Honest Company has an apparent integrity issue. In summary: their products are alleged to include poor formulations of many of the very chemicals their brand is built on avoiding.[1]But rather than dwell on the specifics of their mistakes, let’s review why they ran into these problems and what it suggests about their future.Hawking consumer products is an expensive business. Marketing is just the pretty face sitting between the customer and the complex infrastructure of sausage-making (i.e., R&D, ingredient-sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, shelf-space acquisition, and transportation logistics). When those steps are all done right, the costs add up.The Honest Company was premised on the idea that they could save on marketing by relying on earned promotion from parenting blogs and health-centric social media. In a vacuum, that’s not a bad strategy (in the real world, it actually is, but we’ll get to that). Their issues stemmed from the other thing they skimped on to reduce costs: quality assurance. And that’s a structural problem that isn’t easily solved.There’s a reason why conglomerates like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson exist: it’s near-impossible to produce quality products without massive scale. With enough weight, industry giants can demand higher standards from their suppliers and do a more diligent job of enforcing them.Smaller players don’t have that luxury. Getting the same quality would require prohibitive costs that either bankrupt them or price out their customers. For a lifestyle business selling boutique products, that’s ok. For a would-be national brand, that’s a problem. Either you get huge, or you stay local. In the middle is only death.The Honest Company is essentially a drop-shipper. They take orders, then rely on a patchwork of contract parties to fulfill them. Given their relatively tiny order quantities, they have little leverage and must rely on discount co-packers and other intermediaries. As a rule, these services deliver exactly what you pay for. The orders you outsource to them will be outsourced again a few layers deep, with your original mandate watered down at each step in the chain.When your brand promise is “safe products”, either you spend the requisite amount of money to honor that claim or you don’t. If The Honest Company tried to do so, they’d price themselves out. Even with their savings on marketing, there’s just not enough scale in play. Small companies don’t have that kind of leverage.What about getting bigger?The talk of an IPO seemed hopeful. I doubt they want people seeing their numbers as they are today, nor can I imagine them wanting a full audit of their processes. An acquisition was always their best bet, but I can’t see their brand in its current state offering the right value to any potential buyer.And this is where we get to the other key point: “anti-chemicals” is a hot trend, but not one expected to have a long shelf-life — mostly because it’s a snake oil premise.Let me explain with a simple illustration. Botulinum is the single most lethal toxin that we’re aware of. It’s also commercially marketed in a largely safe product that will sell $2.5bn USD this year. [2]Botox isn’t the only major cosmetic offering composed of ingredients that can kill you. One of the oldest, most useful, and most counter-intuitive medical truths is that “there are no poisonous substances; only poisonous doses”.We’re in the midst of what we’ll call “the fear era” when it comes to product marketing. Every Costco and Whole Foods is replete with labels boasting “non-GMO”, “gluten-free”, “no artificial colors”, etc.Fueled by poorly researched blogs and alarmist morning shows, a sizeable percentage of consumers have been fooled into thinking they’re being more responsible when they reach for that higher-priced bottle of ethical maturity.Ultimately, it’s usually a scam. Just as there are no proven health benefits to avoiding gluten if you have no sensitivity to it, [3]there is no real advantage to avoiding scary-sounding chemicals on account of their names alone. To supply another example, try avoiding formaldehyde touching your face this week. Fun fact: you’d have to forgo using pretty much every major brand of facial tissues and napkins to do so.Again, it’s the dose that makes the poison — well, the dose and the formulation. Ingredient lists on consumer products only serve one useful function: confirming allergens. Even then, a sticker system would work better. The current system only works to support simplistic and misleading narratives about “chemicals to avoid”.While this has enabled what has thus far been a persistent and popular marketing angle, I’m wary of betting on anything that exists in direct opposition to good science.The FDA and similar bodies exist for a reason. They have the resources to confirm how safe a product actually is based on the specific formulation used. With real but rare exceptions, these agencies do their job. Sure, we can always use more watchdogs, more QA, more transparency. But to suggest that The Honest Company is actually reforming the industry is to suggest that existing companies like P&G were actively misleading or mistreating customers in the first place.Not only is there zero basis to believe this, we have several compelling reasons to suspect that the P&Gs of the world actually have equal incentives and better tools to do the opposite. They also face stricter audits.It’s hard not to be cynical about companies like THC. It’s also hard to not reach the conclusion that they’re acting more cynically than their critics. I see a celebrity who noticed an opportunity and exploited it.As with most consumers, I’m all for healthy products and a healthier world. Supporting a company with a poor track-record and a worse plan just doesn’t seem like a great way to achieve that end.PS - As a caveat, I recall the advice of Keynes when he admitted that “the market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent.” It’s entirely possible that this craze will endure for a few more years. That said, given their branding problems (and the rise of Amazon private-label offerings), I’m pessimistic that THC will gain much from such an outcome.Footnotes[1] Jessica Alba's Honest Company Brand Is Burned[2] Allergan Loss Narrows as Botox Revenue Rises[3] No effects of gluten in patients with self-reported non-celiac gluten sensitivity after dietary reduction of fermentable, poorly absorbed, short-ch... - PubMed - NCBI

The 10 Best Weight Loss Apps That Help You Shed PoundsWeight loss apps are programs you can download to your mobile device, allowing an easy and quick way to track your lifestyle habits such as calorie intake and exercise. Some apps have extra features, such as support forums, barcode scanners, and the ability to sync with other health and fitness apps or devices. These features aim to keep you motivated toward your weight loss goal. Not only are weight loss apps easy to use, but many of their benefits are supported by scientific evidence. Several studies have shown that self-monitoring may promote weight loss by increasing awareness of your habits and progress (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source). Many modern apps also provide specific support for people who follow keto, paleo, and vegan diets.Here are 10 of the best weight loss apps available in 2020 that can help you shed unwanted pounds.1.Lose It!Lose It! is a user-friendly weight loss app focused on calorie counting and weight tracking. Through an analysis of your weight, age, and health goals, Lose It! generates your daily calorie needs and a personalized weight loss plan.Once your plan is established, you can easily log your food intake into the app, which pulls from a wide database of over 33 million foods, restaurant items, and brands. Additionally, you can use the app’s barcode scanner to add some foods to your log. It saves foods that you enter frequently, so you can quickly select them from a list whenever you eat them. You’ll also get reports of daily and weekly calorie intake. If you use the app to keep track of your weight, it will present your weight changes on a graph.One feature that makes Lose It! different from many other weight loss apps is that it has a Snap It feature, which allows you to track your food intake and portion sizes simply by taking pictures of your meals. Studies have shown that taking pictures of your meals may help you keep track of portion sizes more accurately and observe trends in your dietary intake, both of which are helpful for promoting weight loss (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source). Another highlight of Lose It! is its community component, where you can participate in challenges with other users and share information or ask questions in a forum. The app is free to download. You can access some premium features for $9.99, or sign up for a year for $39.99.ProsLose It! has a team of experts that verify the nutrition information of foods in their database.You can sync the app with other weight loss and fitness apps, including Apple Health and Google Fit.ConsLose It! doesn’t keep track of the vitamins and minerals that you consume, but they explain why.The food database is missing some popular brands that you might expect to find otherwise.2. MyFitnessPalCalorie counting can help many people lose weight (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).MyFitnessPal is a popular app that integrates calorie counting into its strategy for supporting weight loss.MyFitnessPal calculates your daily calorie needs and allows you to log what you eat throughout the day from a nutrition database of over 11 million different foods. This even includes many restaurant foods that aren’t always easy to track. After you enter your food intake, MyFitnessPal provides a breakdown of the calories and nutrients that you consumed throughout the day. The app can generate a few different reports, including a pie chart that gives you an overview of your total fat, carbohydrate, and protein consumption.MyFitnessPal also has a barcode scanner, which makes it easy to enter the nutrition information of some packaged foods. You can also track your weight and search for healthy recipes with MyFitnessPal.Furthermore, it has a message board where you can connect with other users to share tips and success stories.The app is free to download. You can access some premium features for $9.99, or sign up for a year for $49.99.ProsMyFitnessPal has a “Quick Add” feature, which you can use when you know the number of calories you ate but don’t have the time to enter in all the details of your meal.MyFitnessPal can sync with fitness tracking apps, including Fitbit, Jawbone UP, Garmin, and Strava. It will then adjust your calorie needs based on what you burned via exercise.ConsThe nutrition information of the foods in the database may not be entirely accurate, as most of them are entered by other users.Due to the size of the database, there are often multiple options for one food item, meaning you may have to spend some time to find the “correct” option to log.Adjusting serving sizes in the app may be time-consuming.3. FitbitOne potential way to shed pounds is by keeping track of your exercise habits with a wearable activity tracker (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source). Fitbits are wearable devices that measure your activity level throughout the day. They’re an excellent resource to help you track physical activity. The Fitbit can record the number of steps taken, miles walked, and stairs. The Fitbit also measures your heart rate. Using a Fitbit gives you access to the Fitbit app, which is where all of your physical activity information is synced. You can also keep track of your food and water intake, sleep habits, and weight goals. Fitbit also has strong community features. The app allows you to connect with your friends and family who use Fitbit. You can participate in various challenges with them and share your progress if you choose. Depending on the type of Fitbit you have, you can set alarms as reminders to get up and exercise, and Fitbit will send notifications to your phone to tell you how close you are to your fitness goals for the day. Additionally, you receive awards whenever you achieve a specific goal. For example, you may receive the “New Zealand Award” once you walk 990-lifetime miles, signifying that you’ve walked the entire length of New Zealand.The Fitbit app also allows you to log your food so you can stay within your calorie range, and your water intake so that you can stay hydrated. Before deciding, try comparing the Fitbit to similar devices and apps, such as Jawbone UP, Apple Watch, and Google Fit. To get the most out of this app, you’ll need to own a Fitbit, which can be costly. The app itself is free, and it offers in-app purchases, such as a monthly $9.99 or a yearly $79.99 subscription.ProsFitbit provides you with a considerable amount of information about your activity levels, so you can keep good track of your weight and health goals.The app is very easy to use and has several ways of showing you your progress and keeping you motivated.ConsThough users can use the app without a Fitbit device, in order to use the exercise, sleep, and heart rate components of the app, you must own a Fitbit. There are many types and some are expensive.4. WWWW, formerly known as Weight Watchers, is a company that offers various services to assist with weight loss and maintenance.WW uses a SmartPoints system that helps users stay within their daily calorie allotment to promote fat loss. The points system includes ZeroPoint foods like lean proteins, vegetables, and fruits. Based on individual goals, each person is assigned a specific amount of “points” to aim for in their diet. A few studies have demonstrated the positive effects that Weight Watchers may have on weight control (9Trusted Source, 10). One review of 39 studies found that people who participated in Weight Watchers achieved at least 2.6% greater weight loss after 1 year than those who didn’t participate (9Trusted Source). You can participate in WW by attending their in-person meetings, which they hold in various locations throughout the United States. Otherwise, WW offers a program that’s entirely digital through the WW app. The WW app allows you to log your weight and food intake and lets you keep track of your “points.” A barcode scanner makes it easy to enter foods.The WW app also offers an activity tracker, weekly workshops, social networking, a reward system, and 24/7 live coaching. Another benefit of the WW app is its broad collection of over 8,000 WW-approved recipes that you can search based on mealtime and dietary requirements.The pricing of the WW app fluctuates. Basic access to the app costs $3.22 per week while the app plus personal digital coaching costs $12.69 per week.ProsThe WW app provides details and graphs to show your progress over time.24/7 live coaching is available as well as a social network of fellow WW members to help keep you motivated.ConsCounting points can be difficult for some people.To get the benefit of this app, you have to pay a subscription fee.5. NoomNoom is a popular weight loss app that helps users lose weight by making sustainable lifestyle changes. Noom assigns a daily calorie budget based on answers to a certain lifestyle and health-related questions as well as your current weight, height, sex, and weight loss goals. The Noom app allows users to track food intake using a database that includes over 3.5 million foods. The app also allows Noom users to log weight, exercise, and other important indicators of health, like blood sugar levels. Noom also offers virtual health coaching during working hours and teaches users helpful tools like mindful eating practices and offers motivational reading and quizzes that are meant to be completed on a daily basis.These tools are meant to encourage a healthier relationship with food and activity. Noom costs $59 for the monthly reoccurring plan and $199 for the yearly reoccurring plan.ProsNoom offers personalized health coaching.It also encourages the consumption of nutrient-dense foods through a color-coded system.Noom offers support through community groups and lives chats.ConsTo get the benefit of this app, you have to pay a subscription fee.6. FatSecretHaving a support system may be helpful for weight management. FatSecret focuses on providing its users with that support. The app allows you to log your food intake, monitor your weight, and interact with other people through its community chat feature. Not only are you able to chat with other users, but you can also join groups to connect with people who have similar goals. Research has shown that people who have social support tend to be more successful at achieving and maintaining weight loss than those who do not (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).In a 2010 study, almost 88% of subjects who joined an internet weight loss community reported that being part of a group supported their weight loss efforts by providing encouragement and motivation (11Trusted Source).In addition to a large collection of healthy recipes that you can make, FatSecret features a journal where you can record information about your weight loss journeys, such as your successes and drawbacks.What makes FatSecret stand out from other weight loss apps is its Professional tool, in which you can share your food, exercise, and weight data with your preferred healthcare providers. The app is free to download. People can opt for a subscription for $6.99 per month or $38.99 for a year.ProsFatSecret’s nutrition database is vast and includes many restaurant and supermarket foods that would be difficult to track otherwise.Not only does FatSecret show your daily calorie intake, but it can also display your monthly calorie averages, which is helpful for monitoring progress.It’s very easy to sign up and free.ConsDue to its many components, FatSecret can be difficult to navigate.7. CronometerCronometer is another weight loss app that lets you track nutrition, fitness, and health data. Similar to other apps, it has an extensive calorie counting feature along with a database of over 300,000 foods. It also features a barcode scanner for easily recording the foods you eat. Cronometer focuses on helping you obtain optimal nutrient intake while keeping your calorie intake under control. It tracks up to 82 micronutrients, so you can make sure you’re meeting your daily vitamin and mineral needs. You also have access to a Trends feature which displays your progress toward your weight goals over a specific time range. Another unique feature of Cronometer is its Snapshots section. Here, you can upload photos of your body to compare throughout your weight loss journey. It can also estimate your body fat percentage. Cronometer also offers Cronometer Pro, a version of the app for dietitians, nutritionists, and health coaches to use. Additionally, the app offers a forum where you can start online discussions with other users about various nutrition topics. The app is free to download. To unlock all of its features, you’ll need to upgrade to Gold, which costs $5.99 per month or $34.95 per year.ProsCompared to other apps, Cronometer can track significantly more nutrients, which is helpful if you’re trying to improve your overall nutrient intake.Cronometer can keep track of an extensive amount of information, including biometric data like cholesterol levels and blood pressure.It’s a very user-friendly app. Their website also has a blog and forum where users can ask questions and find information about how to use it.You can sync your nutrition and activity data with other apps and devices, including FitBit and Garmin.ConsTo get the full benefit of this app, you have to pay a subscription fee.8. FooducateMaking healthy choices while grocery shopping is extremely important for weight loss, but it can be overwhelming. Using an app like Fooducate may help you better navigate all the different products at the grocery store. Fooducate is a “nutrition scanner” that allows you to scan a food’s barcode and receive detailed information on it, including nutrition facts and ingredients. It lets you scan over 250,000 product barcodes. One unique aspect of Fooducate’s nutrition scanner is that it notifies you of unhealthy ingredients that are commonly hidden in products, such as trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup. Not only does Fooducate bring certain characteristics of foods to your attention — but it also gives you a list of healthier alternatives to purchase.For example, if you scan a specific type of yogurt that contains a lot of added sugar, the app will show you some healthier yogurts to try instead. The app is free to download. In-app purchases start at $0.99 and can go up to $89.99.ProsFooducate’s food grading system assists you in making choices based on your own dietary goals.The app also has tools that allow you to keep track of your exercise habits and calorie intake.You can scan certain products for allergens, like gluten, if you purchase a monthly subscription.ConsAlthough the general version of the app is free, certain features are only available with a paid upgrade, including support for keto, paleo, and low carb diets, and allergen tracking.9. SparkPeopleSparkPeople allows you to log your daily meals, weight, and exercise with their user-friendly tracking tools. The nutrition database is large, containing over 2 million foods. The app includes a barcode scanner, making it easy to keep track of any packaged foods that you eat. When you sign up for SparkPeople, you gain access to their exercise demo component. This includes photos and descriptions of many common exercises so you can ensure you’re using proper techniques during your workouts. There’s also a points system integrated into SparkPeople. As you log your habits and achieve your goals, you’ll receive “points,” which can boost your motivation.The app is free to download. The premium upgrade is $4.99 per month.ProsThe app provides access to plenty of exercise videos and tips.Those who use the app have access to SparkPeople’s health and fitness articles in addition to an interactive online community.ConsThe SparkPeople app provides a significant amount of information, which may be difficult to sort through.10. MyNetDiaryMyNetDiary is a user-friendly calorie counter. It offers a range of features to help people lose weight and stay healthy. Using a personalized Daily Calorie Budget, it helps you keep track of your calories, nutrition, and weight loss.MyNetDiary contains a database of over 845,000 verified foods, but if you include user-added products, you can get data on over 1 million foods. It also offers data on over 45 nutrients. The app provides reports, charts, and statistics to help you visualize your meals, nutrients, and calories. It also offers a barcode scanner to easily log packaged foods as you eat them.MyNetDiary also offers a Diabetes Tracker app to help people with diabetes keep track of their symptoms, medications, nutrition, exercise, and blood glucose.The app is free to download. You can also get a subscription for $8.99 per month or $59.99 for a year.ProsThe app is free.MyNetDiary can sync with other health apps, including Garmin, Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Google Fit.The app contains a built-in GPS tracker for running and walking.ConsTo unlock all the features, you’ll need to get a subscription.The bottom lineOn the market today, there are many helpful apps that you can use to support your weight loss goals in 2020.Many of them use tracking tools to monitor your weight, food intake, and exercise habits. Others provide guidance for making healthy choices when grocery shopping or eating out.Additionally, many weight loss apps have components that aim to increase your motivation, including community support, point systems, and tools that document the progress you’ve made over time.Although there are several benefits to using weight loss apps, some do have downfalls. For example, some people may find them to be time-consuming, overwhelming, or problematic for their mental well-being.With so many apps and features available, try experimenting with a few to see which one works best for you.

You probably already know this, but starting a company can take its toll. It takes its toll mentally as you ride the emotional rollercoaster. And it can also take its toll physically — low energy, high stress, heartburn, weight fluctuations, and the list goes on. Obviously the late night Chipotle was going to need to end, but I also knew I needed something of an extra lever to help get my body and health back on track.The answer, I found, was in complementing my diet with a smart regimen of supplements.Initially, I didn’t have any concrete goals in mind besides “feeling better,” but over time, after trial and error and lots of reading on health and nutrition, I have narrowed down my basic supplement regimen to revolve around three primary goals:GOAL #1: MAINTAIN GUT HEALTHYour microbiome is critical to many key processes in your body, from your immune system to your brain and nervous system. Gut bacteria also signal your immune system to help fight inflammation.Dysbiosis or imbalances in your gut can lead to a lot of problems, including:Mood swings and anxiety: The majority of your serotonin and dopamine is produced in your gut, so treating gut dysbiosis is critical for mental health.Sugar cravings: Bad bacteria thrive on sugar, and secrete proteins that make you crave more of it, creating a dangerous feedback loop.Weight gain: Gut microbes affect the harvest and storage of energy/calories from ingested nutrients, and obese people have been shown to have different gut microbiota from people who are healthy.Inflammation: Research has shown that gut microbiota also influences development of low-level inflammation and conditions associated with it, like type 2 diabetes.Skin problems: There have been links shown between gut health, food intolerances and eczema.Suppressed immunity: Poor gut health leads to your immune system being overactive and more prone to autoimmune complications.As a startup founder, many of the things above can throw you off your game, so it’s important to take care of your gut.What to Avoid to Maintain a Healthy GutThe average diet is full of many ingredients that are bad for your gut health. These include things like processed sugar, alcohol, gluten, soy, eggs and dairy from animals raised on antibiotics. All of these things can lead to the growth of bad bacteria and decline of good bacteria in your gut.So what can you do to keep your gut healthy? Outside of your diet, there are two categories of supplements that you can take that help with gut health: Prebiotics and Probiotics.What to Take for Gut Health: PrebioticsMost prebiotics are a type of fiber, and they feed the good bacteria in your gut. Unlike probiotics, which are live bacteria that may be killed on contact with stomach acid, prebiotics are able to get through your digestive tract intact and act as a food source for healthy bacteria that’s already living there.There has been a lot of research recently into prebiotics, and early findings are promising. Prebiotics appear to positively impact metabolism, lower cholesterol, and have positive effects on bone density.I’ve tried a range of prebiotic foods and supplements, and here are the ones that I recommend:Galactooligosaccharides (GOS): These are specially-linked sugar chains that pass undigested into the colon and help promote the growth of good bacteria. Personally, I’ve found GOS products to cause less bloating and gas than Inulin or FOS products. The one I’m currently using is the chewable XOS plus GOS by Jarrow Formulas. ($10 on Thrive Market for 90 chewables)Psyllium Husk Fiber: Compared to other prebiotic fibers like chicory root, inulin or acacia fiber I’ve found psyllium to be a better option for me. It’s a slower digesting fiber, and for me, causes less bloating and gas than Inulin; it also doesn’t clump when mixing in liquids like acacia fiber. I take 5–10g per day without any issues, and use Anthony’s organic Psyllium Husk Powder ($15 on Amazon for 1.5lbs)Slippery Elm Bark: Besides having a high content of soluble and insoluble fibers, slippery elm bark also is a common herbal remedy for acid reflux, heartburn and GERD.What to Take for Gut Health: ProbioticsProbiotics are actual live bacteria that you take in order to populate your gut with more good bacteria. While it’s unclear which exact strains are most effective and beneficial, there seems to be consensus around higher diversity of strains being beneficial.Here are the three types of Probiotics that I try to include as part of my healthy gut regimen:Lactobacillus: A type of friendly bacteria that live in the digestive system without causing disease. Lactobacillus can help us better absorb nutrients, break down food, and fight off bad bacteria and disease causing agents. I use the 10B CFU Digestive Health formula by Culturelle (scores 98.1 out of 100 on Labdoor, and is available for $33 on Amazon for 80 capsules)Bifidobacterium: A type of friendly bacteria often found in fermented foods like yogurt and cheese. While some bifido bacteria is often combined together with other probiotics, I’ve taken a dedicated bifido complex, 10B CFU Probiota Bifido by Seeking Health, because I don’t eat any dairy and am more deficient in lactic bacteria like these. ($50 on Amazon for 60 capsules)Saccharomyces Boulardii: A tropical species of yeast first isolated from lychee and mangosteen fruit, it appears to combat bacterial, parasite and fungal infections and have a range of probiotic benefits. Since it’s considered a more expensive probiotic, it’s often not included in many formulations. For my dose of S.Boulardii I take Florastor’s Daily Probiotic which contains 8.4B CFU per serving. (scores 92.9 on Labdoor, and is available for $53 on Amazon for 100 capsules)GOAL #2: REDUCE INFLAMMATIONInflammation can cause a variety of problems in the body, including things startup founders should be particularly worried about, like:Chronic fatigueMuscle and joint painHeadachesInsomniaMemory loss, and moreWhat to AvoidThere are plenty of common food items that can spike your body’s inflammation levels. These include things like high-fructose corn syrup, fried foods, soy sauce, and artificial sweeteners. These are especially worrisome to startup founders who enjoy their share of candy, sushi and sugar-free drinks.Also, for many people, like the 75% of Americans who have decreased lactase activity, a big driver for inflammation is dairy and dairy-derived products, like whey protein. In fact, inflammation associated with lactose intolerance is one of the most common side effects from consuming whey proteinWhat to Take for Fighting InflammationWhile diet is critical for combating chronic inflammation, there is also a range of supplements that work well for both inflammation and general wellness.Here are the things that have worked well for me:Curcumin (Turmeric): a well-studied herbal supplement with anti-inflammatory properties. One of the issues with it is that it has poor oral bioavailability (a low percentage of what you consume is absorbed), so it’s important to pair it with black pepper (piperine). I take between 2–4g of the the Turmeric Curcumin with Bioperine by Nature’s Nutrition daily ($20 on Amazon for 120 capsules).Spirulina: it contains an active ingredient called phycocyanobilin, which inhibits NADPH oxidase, and gives spirulina its potent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Studies have shown the effective dose for spirulina to be between 1 to 8 grams daily. I prefer to take it in tablet form and use the MicroIngredients Spirulina Tablets. ($21 on Amazon for 720 tablets)Collagen Peptides (Grass-fed, Bovine): while I don’t take this just for the inflammation, as one of its benefits, Collagen has anti-inflammatory properties. It can be difficult to mix without a blender, which is why I take the peptide form (instead of gelatin or non-hydrolyzed collagen). The best deal I’ve seen for grass-fed peptide form collagen is the private label Thrive Market Grass Fed Collagen Peptides ($25 on Thrive for 20oz pouch).GOAL #3: AVOID COMMON NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIESAccording to a 2015 report by the USDA and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, there are several key nutrients that most Americans under-consume. These include Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Magnesium.Percent of Population with Intakes below Recommended Daily Dose:Both Magnesium and Vitamin D are used in hundreds of processes in the body, and their deficiencies can lead to the following symptoms that could worry many startup founders:FatigueDepression and anxietyHair lossBalancing Omega-3 relative to Omega-6Now, relating to the earlier issue of inflammation, there is another common deficiency that’s not captured in the chart above, and that’s the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 that is consumed through the average American diet. The recommended ratio is 4:1, however, in the average American diet that ratio is closer to 30:1, meaning that Omega-6 is being over-consumed and Omega-3 is being heavily under-consumed.The reason that balancing Omega 3 and Omega 6 intakes is important is because Omega 3 is largely anti-inflammatory while Omega 6 can be a cause of inflammation. Therefore, having too much Omega 6 can increase some of the inflammation-linked problems that I described in the previous section.What to Take for Common Nutrient DeficienciesSo to sum up, the 3 biggest nutrient deficiencies that most startup founders should look at addressing are: Vitamin D, Magnesium and Omega 3.As far as products, there are many options on the market, but here are my own top picks:Vitamin D3: there are two forms of Vitamin D, Ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). Of the two, the D3 form is considered 87% more potent in raising and maintaining vitamin D concentrations in the body. My preferred Vitamin D supplement is the Labdoor-tested Advanced D+K formula by Peak Performance, which also contains Bioperine for better absorption. ($17 on Amazon for 60 capsules)Magnesium Glycinate: this is my preferred form of Magnesium because it is considered the easiest on the stomach, and has more than 2x the absorption of Magnesium Carbonate, more than 3x that of Magnesium Sulfate, & more than 8x that of Magnesium Oxide. A high quality version of this supplement is the hypo-allergenic Magnesium Glycinate by Pure Encapsulations ($34 on Amazon for 180 capsules)Omega-3 (Concentrated Fish Oil): for my Omega 3 supplements, I prefer ones that are triple strength concentrated and are enteric-coated so that I can take fewer pills and there is less risk of any aftertaste. According to Labdoor, the best value brand that I’ve found is the InnovixLabs Triple Strength Omega-3 which has 1073mg of Omega-3 per capsule. ($30 on Amazon for 200 capsules)For me, in addition to enhancing my health, taking these supplements has had a surprising, high-level effect: it’s made me more generally conscious of what I put into my body.You know the old saying, your body is a temple? Well, that’s true, but your body is also sort of like an engine. And when you start investing more purposefully in supplements to help it run smoother and more effectively, and as you start seeing results, it makes you more appreciative of the importance of self-maintenance.It’s something of a compounding effect, where taking supplements encourages you to improve your diet, which makes you more energized to keep up with the self-improvement regimen.I’d love to hear in your comments if you’re interested in using supplements for any other goals, like boosting energy, managing stress or improving immunity, and I’ll make sure to cover those in a future article.