26 Things I Don't Buy Anymore To Simplify My Life

Not sure why but I like these videos quite a bit. I just like the simplicity of talking about conventional things. There is one thing on this list that I absolutely cannot remove though, coffee is too good to me! Most of the decaf I find is just not as good to me.

One critique about the ingredient argument. I think it's not so important to look at how many chemicals a food product has, but instead to know what those chemicals are and where they come from. That soy sauce you showed had the following ingredients: Water, wheat, soybeans, salt, lactic acid, sodium benzoate; of which 1/10 of 1% as a preservative. Water, wheat, soybeans and salt we all know and can be sure is probably safe. So, let's view lactic acid: Lactic acid is a product of dissimilation, this is where an organism breaks down sugars. In fermented products this happens because yeast (bacteria) break down natural sugars (like the starch in wheat and soybeans) to produce energy and various compounds, in alcoholic beverages this is ethanol (a type of alcohol), in dairy products they break down lactose (milk sugar) into lactic acid and similarly bacteria used to ferment soy sauce break down starch in wheat and soy to produce lactic acid (and a little alcohol as well, listed by kikkoman to be around 2%). Lactic acid can also be naturally produced by the human body when our cells break down sugars and is easily metabolised, so this is definitely nothing toxic or "bad". And then, sodium benzoate: Sodium benzoate is a sodium salt derived from benzoic acid (a naturally occuring preservative in various plants) combined with sodium hydroxide (lye) (this helps it dissolve better in water by giving away it's sodium ion, because sodium salts are pretty much always soluble in water). It's used here as a preservative. In normal soy sauces, the salt content acts as a good enough preservative to keep the soy sauce safe, however this is low sodium soy sauce, where 40% of the salt is removed so it's use is necessary. One concern about sodium benzoate is that it can break down into benzene, which is a carcinogen. This can happen when combined with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). Presence of certain sugars has been shown to decrease the formation and exposure to heat and light can increase the formation. Some studies have also linked sodium benzoate with: Inflammation, ADHD, Oxidative Stress (The formation of free radicals, which are molecules or atoms with an unpaired electron, this is usually unstable and wants to react with other molecules/atoms, which can damage the chemical components in our cells). Though more research is needed to confirm these findings. Other studies have also linked sodium benzoate with medicinal properties, like treatment of mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Due to the benzene risk, the FDA has issued a maximum of 0.1% concentration in food products, which is the amount listed on the label. The WHO has set the daily acceptable limit that a person can consume to max. 2.27 mg (milligrams) per pound of body weight. So let's do the math: In north america the average person weighs around 180 lbs. So an average person would have to consume 2.27 × 180 = 408.6 mg in per day to exceed safe levels. Let's just assume an ounce and fluid ounce is the same (which it isn't) for the sake of argument, because I unfortunately can't find the density of Kikkoman Low Sodium Soy Sauce. 408.6 mg is approximately 0.014 ounces. For a 10oz bottle, that contains 0.1% sodium benzoate, the total amount would be 0.1 oz. 0.014 / 0.1 = 0.14 or 14% You would have to consume 14% of a 10oz bottle in a day to exceed safe levels, or about 10 × 0.14 = 1.4 oz of soy sauce. (Approximately) You also named citric acid as a "bad chemical". Citric acid is a naturally occuring acid, most commonly associated with citrus fruits (citrus > citric), as it is the main acid that makes citrus fruits acidic, and gives them their sour taste. Citric acid is used in food for a couple reasons, to make food more acidic (as in, lower the pH, as certain compounds behave differently in different pH levels), to add taste (citrus sour), and as a preservative (as most microbes don't grow easily at certain pH). (pH indicates how much H+ a given solution can give off or absorb) (simply, low pH is acidic, high pH is basic, water has a neutral pH of ~7, so lower than that would be an acid, and higher would be a base.) Citric acid is produced industrially by various microbes, such as a strain of pennicillium molds (the same molds used to make pennicillin which is a medicine), that convert sugar into citric acid. Because it is produced by mold, it may trigger allergic reactions if any particles remain in the product. Other than that it is considered safe. So please, learn about what is inside your food and don't waste valuable money avoiding "scary chemicals" before doing research. I know not everyone is a chemist that would understand all this, so in that case, just google it and consult multiple sources before drawing any conclusions about any ingredients. Sorry for any grammar mistakes, English is not my first language.

I appreciate a lot of what you said and I agree with many points. I too hope to one day be able to buy healthier/natural grocery items. Unfortunately, those items do cost more, and I, like others that watch this, aren't making enough money to be able to purchase those items on my grocery runs. Also for the rent price thing, that depends a lot on location and what modes of transportation people have access to. I think it's important to recognize that some people don't have the luxury to pick a cheaper location because they do not have access to a personal vehicle to commute.

I think a lot of good comes from watching the news. It is important to know what is happening around the world, and how our decisions impact the world.

A bit of a mixed bag here, mostly good though. Chris, I feel you have good intentions and general good advice, but there are a couple of things I would like to say to you. First, I think you may be overlooking how unaffordable some of your advice can be for a large part of the population. Most families simply can't make the change to more expensive products, even as an investment in health/future [ever heard the saying that a rich man only buys boots once, but a poor man has to buy them forever? It's not because the poor man doesn't know he'd be better off buying the expensive ones, it's because he can't ever afford them: being poor is expensive]. At least they can't afford them without considerably changing other aspects of their lives first. The second thing I want to point out is the tendency in this video to talk about products as good or bad. There is nuance to consumption and use: what is "bad" for you or your partner might be the only product that solves a need for someone else. A sauce isn't "bad" because it has stabilisers; non-organic foods are (if at all) only marginally better for us, as far at reliable evidence goes, and considerably more expensive. On this, artificial sweeteners are proven time and time again as positively contributing to our health, as they directly address the problem of being overweight. The evidence even points at them being a bit better than water for our health, as hard as that is to accept. Similarly, a soap that doesn't agree with your skin could be the only soap I can use - but more importantly, cheap soap is actually better than no soap, as people seem to wash their hands for longer and rub harder when there is soap on them. Sure, if you wash your hands properly with just water, soap usually doesn't add that much value to your everyday hand-wash, especially if we use warm water and dry our hands very well after. But we are collectively BAD at washing our hands, so it is always helpful to use soap as a cue to better hygiene (this is particularly true for kids)... Catch my meaning? I think you have a really good philosophy, and I would truly appreciate you leaning a little harder on evidence-based knowledge, rather than intuition, and addressing (or maybe just mentioning) that there is nuance to generalised life advice. I subscribed based on another video of yours I found today. I'll be watching a few more videos for sure. All the best (if you read this).

Completely on board with this life style! Happy to to have found this channel. I'd like to add: No bottled water. I bought a reverse osmosis filter and use a glass bottle in silicone sheath and/or a stainless steel tumbler for hot tea. I'll add a 1/4 tsp. of either redmond's real salt or celtic sea salt per liter of water on days where I'll fast. I also strive to buy only things I need that are quality items that will last.

I can tell that you put a lot of thought and effort into these videos, and that they have a look of quality to them that seems to imply very good production value. While I do think that they deserve to be watched in their entirety, I think it would be nice if you had chapters in your videos the way many creators do nowadays, especially when the video is essentially a list of things or ideas relating to a central theme. I often skim through the chapter headings in such videos to look for parts that seem particularly relevant or interesting to me. Your videos are very good so far (from what have seen). Adding chapters would be a nice convenience but not strictly necessary, I suppose.

I agree with not buying online courses, but only the ones that have no exams. Coursera doesn't usually give you a certificate unless you pass many exams; I have learned a lot there.

It is surprising to me how many of these things I already do. Here's my additions. 1) Learn not to try to impress. I make above average pay for my area, but live in a long-paid-off 1972 house trailer and only pay lot rent. 2) Learn up to date, truly scientific medical information = not gimmicks and weak "studies". I've been keto 22 years now. I do coffee, but it don't mess with me. I add nothing to it. 3) Learn to only buy what is on your written grocery list. 4) Learn how to do as many repairs as you can. I replaced a central ac fan for about $170, while a contractor wanted almost $800. Learn to use and rent special tools. 5) Learn using free weights and get the cheapest indoor bike you can. I bungee a laptop to the handlebars = hillbilly Peloton. On the other hand, my wife is exactly opposite in all this. Oh well, the 2 of us have balanced out for 47 years.

After I graduated, I lost access to my student discount for spotify premium, so I decided to use music that I owned. I bought an old iPod and it's totally refreshing to actively curate your own music library again. I'm planning on doing it to phase out all my old subscriptions.

just found your channel, love your advice. like how u only hang pictures u took of and don't make impulsive purchases. subbed!

How is citric acid bad? That’s just concentrated sour

The point about news is such a weird self report. It’s true that there can be numerous problems with the news but burying your head in the sand and just relying on word of mouth is not the solution. You show a misunderstanding of journalism and history at large. (The phrase “hindsight is 20/20” doesn’t mean you can’t appropriately react in the moment)

i disagree about the wall art. you could have really good wall art

I do have healthy snacks in the house plus when I do eat out I look for healthier options

Number 16: Yes! I also don't buy trendy brands, like Nike or Under Armor or even Patagonia because you can get good versions of all that stuff much cheaper, so the only reason people buy that is to store other people how cool they are, "i only buy the top brands".

When it comes to buying you are the same as me....I loved watching this video.

Everyone must watch this. I already do most of these things.

Some of these make sense. Some are a bit idiosyncratic. I personally follow the news because I think being informed is important. I'm also careful about vetting my news sources.

Awesome video, man! Thanks for sharing :-)