I’m Taking Creatine

On May 22, 2025May 24, 2025 By Rick McIn health & fitness, product endorsementsLeave a comment

In the 1990s at University of Saskatchewan, we made creatine available to all the top gymnasts.

For decades it had been used as a legal supplement for strength enhancement in sport.

According to a 2018 review article in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition creatine monohydrate is the most effective nutritional supplement to increase high intensity exercise capacity and muscle mass during training. …

A 2014 survey of 21,000 college athletes showed that 14% of athletes take creatine supplements.^[49]

I felt use had fallen off in recent years. But when Garth and Michele mentioned the product for seniors, I took a new look.

Creatine monohydrate, once a supplement marketed to bodybuilders and athletes, has now become popular with aging Americans.

Why it matters: It’s another tool longevity experts say can help people live stronger for longer — both in body and mind. …

It’s specifically a hot topic for women in perimenopause and menopause. …

Brains get a boost on creatine, too, research suggests. The supplement has been linked to improved memory, brain health, depression treatment and increased energy. …

What we’re watching: Creatine research focused on Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment.

AXIOS – Longevity’s new muscle: Creatine (2025)

Sounds like negative side effects are few or none.

Good enough for me. I ordered some creatine gummies, to start.

I do muscular strength and endurance training already every day. Perhaps this will help me live to age-100. 😀

I’ll be taking 2-4 of these gummies / day. Four gummies takes me up to 5000mg / day.

My “Retiree” Routine

On April 11, 2025April 9, 2025 By Rick McIn about Rick, books, cycling, food, health & fitness, hiking, McCharles family, TVLeave a comment

When not traveling, I stay with my Mom at her home in Parksville, B.C.

➙ PLEASE spread the rumour that I am some kind of son / saint caregiver. 😀

Though I tell people I’m semi-retired, I seem to be mostly retired in 2025.

Retirees tend to evolve a daily routine. Here’s mine as of …

March 2025

Wake EARLY

Pick up COFFEE at McDonalds

WALK the coastline at Dawn

Internet in the morning. Updating my 3 main websites. …More coffee.

Typically I don’t eat until 10:30am or later.

RUN or STAIRS in the morning.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

If I run, leisurely is 4.5km in 30min.

Lunch

1 or more hours CYCLING

Dinner. (I’m actually starting to cook a few things. Under my Mom’s direction. 😀)

Chores

Evening WALK or CYCLE. Most often just after sunset.

Upper body strength and endurance training at the playground. About 10 minutes.

I sometimes do an abdominal program at home, as well.

9pm TV

10pm SLEEP

Saturday and Sunday I try to shoot some basketball outside the local school.

I SHOULD start golfing once a week.

That’s my regular day. Of course, conflicting things come up.

Right now we’re drinking very little alcohol in Parksville. And I’m trying to eat less this winter compared with last year. Fewer sweets.

Health is still good. Dentures my biggest medical issue.

I continue to listen to about 3 audio books / week. At about 145% speed. Fewer podcasts.

I watch a lot of YouTube, as well.

In my “spare” time, 1st priority is VIDEO EDITING for my Hiking YouTube channel. Over 235 videos since I launched during the pandemic.

Most popular, so far, is a fantastic coastal hike in Portugal.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Michael Franti & Spearhead – Be Who You Are

On March 21, 2025March 16, 2025 By Rick McIn health & fitness, musicLeave a comment

What I like best about Franti is the message in his songs.

This is fantastic.

Be who you are

Nothing more and nothing less

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

My AURA Smart Bike Helmet by UNIT 1

On March 2, 2025March 3, 2025 By Rick McIn cycling, health & fitness, product endorsementsLeave a comment

Overall, I’m very happy with my Aura Helmet — and would recommend it to one and all.

Right now it’s probably the best smart helmet available.

The system is expensive, however. I paid USD $300 for the entire system. You might be able to buy the helmet alone for about $220.

I bought it on Kickstarter. (And might not use Kickstarter in future.)

My delivery was delayed by several months.

Click PLAY or watch my 3 month review on YouTube.

I used an A.I. voice over on that edit.

A helmet once saved me on a crash in New Zealand. I plan to wear this helmet more often into the future.

I’ll try not to lose it. 😀

IF you ride an electric bike, having the SAFEST possible helmet is even more critical.

MIPS certified (Multi-directional Impact Protection System)
Helmet with integrated lights front and back
Magnetic smart lights that can be mounted anywhere
Handlebar navigation remote control
Smart phone app

I really like the quick magnetic attachment of 3 alternate visors. Wearing glasses full-time, very few other types of visors or cycling sunglasses fit.

BUT …

The process for pairing all the devices with Bluetooth is confusing. What’s on their various help videos is not what happened when I paired.

In addition, my first remote was faulty. Support was prompt. And they eventually shipped me a replacement.

The biggest complaint online is that the ON / OFF button is difficult. Personally, I like the fact that the helmet will not accidentally be turned on. I’m OK with the stiff button.

Click PLAY or watch an independent review on YouTube.

Here’s the company pitch.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Here’s one review of the top 4 smart helmets, as of the date of this post.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Exercise & Sleep are the best Medicines

On January 29, 2025January 24, 2025 By Rick McIn books, health & fitnessLeave a comment

Exercise improves almost every system in our bodies. And helps us recover through sleep.

A virtuous circle.

Christie Aschwanden’s book concluded that sleep is the #1 priority for athletes recovering from training.

It’s been well known for many decades that exercise provides many benefits to our health.

But a new scientific consortium is revealing new insights into just how profound exercise can be for the human body. William Brangham discussed more with Euan Ashley, a professor of cardiovascular medicine and genetics at Stanford University and the newly named chair of its department of medicine. …

How exercise may be the ‘most potent medical intervention ever known’

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

On January 7, 2025December 30, 2024 By Rick McIn books, ethics, happiness, health & fitnessLeave a comment

I’d quit 3 of the last 4 new novels focused on a dysfunctional woman complaining about her life.

Too depressing.

YET quite enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, the debut novel by Gail Honeyman. (2017)

I laughed out loud many times. A bit of a black comedy.

Eleanor Oliphant, our heroine, is a disaster. Anti-social. Disconnected from society and culture. A functioning alcoholic. Potentially suicidal. Perhaps slightly autistic.

Her only previous relationship was abusive — ex-husband putting her in the hospital multiple times.

Somehow … you can’t help but cheer for Eleanor.

She lives in Glasgow, Scotland, and works as a finance clerk for a graphic design company.

The novel deals with themes of isolation and loneliness, and depicts Eleanor’s transformational journey towards a fuller understanding of self and life.

It’s modern. Exploring loneliness in an internet age, the vulnerability of being uncoupled in a culture that prizes relationships.

The character I liked best in this book is Raymond Gibbons, an I.T. help desk co-worker who awkwardly tries to help Eleanor.

Uniquely, the most important relationship in this novel is friendship.

Name another hit novel without some kind of romance central to the plot.

Jenny Colgan, reviewing for The Guardian, described the novel as “a narrative full of quiet warmth and deep and unspoken sadness” with a “wonderful, joyful” ultimate message. …

Sarah Gilmartin of The Irish Times called the title character “one of the most unusual and thought-provoking heroines of recent contemporary fiction”. …

Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari

On January 5, 2025December 27, 2024 By Rick McIn Artificial Intelligence AI, bad news, books, climate change, economics, education, ethics, GOP USA, government, happiness, health & fitness, human rights, internet, things getting worseLeave a comment

Any panel put together to save the world, would certainly include Professor Yuval Noah Harari.

He’s a BIG thinker.

Some feel he overstates the risks to mankind. I’d rather we err on the side of caution.

His 2024 book is …

Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

I’m not smart enough to explain his thinking — but here’s a ChatGPT summary of the non-fiction tomb.

Main Focus: Nexus explores the intersection of technology, human evolution, and the future of societies, emphasizing the merging of biological and digital realms.

Technological Convergence: Harari examines how advancements in genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology are changing humanity’s relationship with itself and the world.

Human Enhancement: A central theme is the idea that humans may soon be able to enhance their biological and mental capacities through technology, leading to “post-human” forms of existence.

Ethical Implications: The book raises questions about the ethics of altering human biology, creating artificial life, and the consequences of tampering with the essence of what it means to be human.

Social and Economic Impact: Harari discusses how these technological advancements could lead to social divides, with some individuals or groups gaining access to powerful enhancements while others are left behind.

Surveillance and Control: A significant concern is the potential for increased surveillance and control over individuals’ minds and bodies, both by governments and corporations.

Evolution of Consciousness: Harari reflects on how human consciousness may evolve or change in response to these new technologies, as well as the philosophical questions surrounding free will and identity.

End of Homo Sapiens: The book suggests that humanity might be on the verge of an epochal shift, where Homo sapiens could be replaced by a new, technologically-enhanced species—either through natural evolution or deliberate engineering.

Uncertainty of the Future: Harari emphasizes the unpredictability of the future, acknowledging that the developments discussed could lead to both utopian and dystopian outcomes.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.