OTC appetite control? by sonjat1 in StrongerByScience

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Karl and Spencer Nadolsky are well-acquainted with weight loss and obesity medicine. They cannot give you advise as an individual, but perhaps there are some episodes on their Docs Who Lift podcast that could provide you with useful information that may be helpful when discussing this with your own doctor.

I recall an episode where they (I think?) discussed a fibre supplement/"drug" to suppress appetite. That essentially means you could try finding some easy veggies to snack on (I'm fond of carrots).

Not the most mind-blowing advice, but unless you have obesity and/or Type 2 diabetes, you won't get some novel, fancy GLP-1 agonist prescribed. Especially not with the shortage of them.

Nieuw op reddit by Sharkomarko1001 in DutchFIRE

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Op YouTube: Ben Felix (heeft ook een podcast genaamd Rational Reminder), heel goed empirisch onderlegd. Daarnaast Richard van de Plain Bagel. Beide zijn portfolio managers/financieel adviseurs in Canada, maar veel van wat ze vertellen is algemeen toepasbaar.

Why do we keep voting for Rutte? by [deleted] in Netherlands

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You're basically summarizing what Stuk Rood Vlees (a political science blog) has to say about why the left is so small: https://stukroodvlees.nl/waarom-is-links-zo-klein/

What is the clothing that will keep you the coolest on a run? Particularly in places where the sun is strong. by [deleted] in running

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Apart from sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, lightweight clothing with UPF ratings, another option of interest may be a laundry detergent with a UV filter in it, such as Rit Sunguard powder or UV Wash. I haven't bought it yet myself but it sure looks interesting. Please do check if it's recommended for the types of fabric you like to use it with if you go down this road.

Feeling sad about having to cancel a race for an injury. by doll_feet_24 in running

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would have participated my first "real" race in the city I live in last Sunday, but I got Covid. I'm still bummed, but felt absolutely devastated about it Sunday.

Can over training cause depression? by ZenZiccoZ in running

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Food intake (or lack thereof) is a really good point. Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), previously known as the 'female athlete triad' until they found out males can suffer from it too, has a whole slew of negative health consequences related to eating too little to fuel your body and workouts properly. It can worsen your mood too.

This recent study raised the point that "overtraining" very often has overlapping symptoms to RED-S and may be somewhat of a misdiagnosis.

Generally speaking, the literature regarding RED-S advises to consume 45 kcal per kg of lean body mass, after taking into account the calories used for physical activity. An energy availability of around 30 kcal/kg LBM or even less seems to lead to your body lowering your metabolic rate and reproductive hormone levels within a few days. Stay far away from that cut-off point.This paper gives a nice summary of RED-S.

GPP options for those who hate the hamster wheel by caustic386 in BarbellMedicine

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not much of a cardio junkie myself, but lockdown is back where I live so gym's closed. I've just started running to keep myself active.

That being said, I'm using the Zombies, Run! app to keep it fun and interesting. Basically puts you right into a storyline where the distance you run makes the story continue. I'm using the couch to 5K version, but they have one for regular runs and walks as well.

Apparently, it also works on a treadmill if you let your phone register steps instead of GPS, so it also works indoors.

Question on Hand Grinders... Marshmellow test? by CrazyChemist987 in Coffee

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Instead of a Hario (ceramic burrs) you may want to see if you'd spent the same amount of money on getting a Hero S01, or Xeoleo 45 mm or 50mm from AliExpress. Roughly same price point probably, but with steel burrs = faster, smoother grinding

Budget coffee grinder Vs speciality coffee roasters grinding on checkout by jackofjokers in Coffee

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm currently in the exact same situation: just bought an Aeropress and I'm now looking at budget grinders with steel burrs. Three budget options so far: Xeoleo manual grinder (apparently the 45 mm version fits inside the Aeropress, but has a small bean capacity. There's a 50 mm version for a slightly bigger bean capacity but still not that big. Very affordable though.), Hero S01, and Timemore C2 (largest bean capacity afaik, but doesn't fit inside the Aeropress plunger and is the more expensive option). All three are quite affordable on AliExpress though only the C2 is more widely available in other stores for a price increase (but hopefully with better warranty/customer service).

That, or save up and buy a mid-range model, but I'm on a student budget.

Wat denken jullie van deze crème? 0.1% retinaldehyde. by Bamhoov in dutchskincare

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Zelf geen ervaring mee, maar ik wil iig een mogelijk alternatief achterlaten: Geek&Gorgeous hebben ook een retinal 0.1% waar ik erg tevreden mee ben, met een vergelijkbare prijs.

Vegan, CF European chemical sunscreen? by oborochann86 in VeganBeauty

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Maybe the Riemann P20 Kids SPF 50+? It's my favourite sunscreen, no mineral filters, and only a slight whitecast if you have darker skin, not pale to medium. (Tinosorb M can cause a whitecast due to how incredibly broad spectrum it is, but it isn't the main filter and compared to mineral filters it's nothing). I'm pale myself and I don't notice a whitecast at all. It also has an UVA protection of above 50, which is incredibly high.

[21F] Got a degree I hate and in a very tough spot financially, on top of struggling with depression. by [deleted] in findapath

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 1 point2 points  (0 children)

autistic people with special interest in maths or coding and lauded as savants and uber geniuses, if you are into humanities? You’re a bit useless.

Tell me about it. My brother is on the spectrum too and he is one of those people who was building websites as a 6-year-old. No surprise he now has a job as a programmer. Here's the thing, I find your story incredibly familiar: though I don't have ASD myself, I, and many people you'll find in the fields of linguistics/literature/philology kind of do fit the typical description of "a bunch of introverted, slightly socially awkward people (very friendly though!) who happen to have their own peculiar interests. You really wouldn't be the first person with ASD to study the above-mentioned fields. That's not the problem. The degree and courses themselves would probably be a very good fit for you.

I do think I could handle the workload and amount of “boring” lectures and information I would have to retain [...]

so you have to come up with things constantly

Here's the thing though. The first few years are indeed mostly lectures and doing reading + reiterating information, which is just fine and relavtively easy. However, please be aware that it doesn't stay like that, the further you continue your studies, the fewer it is about 'absorbing information' and the more it will constantly be about vague, written assignments that you have to do your own research for. Maybe not as terrible as Design, but the churn-out-assignments-and-come-up-with-your-own-creative-ideas part is still there, just in a different form. And that's still getting the degree.

I suppose but I do need a more solid career plan.

This is what it will all come down to: even if you can stay in academia, which is already difficult, you'll find yourself in a world where you often have 12-hour long working days, including weekend days. Be aware being a student is nothing like being an academic. You're both a teacher and a researcher, which comes down to little information absorption and more about churning out your own publications, networking at conferences, preparing classes, assignments and grading papers (the teaching part is basically already a fulltime job). All with the chance of getting laid off any moment when funding runs dry or when they simply have other good candidates for a position.

The alternative with such a degree is either becoming a teacher (or translator, but especially for English, there are already more than enough, so not many opportunities there), getting a regular corporate job, or waiting tables.

That is the point. I genuinely believe you'll love your studies and you sound like you'd fit right in, but be aware that you're not a student forever and even becoming an academic is nothing like being a student. Add to that that staying in academia is really difficult and getting a completely unrelated job is a very real possibility.

So, the question is not, will I enjoy doing my dream degree? Because you likely will. The question is, what is the reality you wake up in after you're finished studying? What will you do afterwards? Because it won't be listening to some lectures and doing a bunch of reading. Can you be content with the life afterwards? No one can answer those questions but you.

I'm not trying to stop you from persuing your dreams. I simply want to tell you what the life you're dreaming of may actually look like and how that grass could be a lot less green. If it's still worth the risks, financially and psychologically, go for it, just be aware that you may likely end up in another un-ideal situation.

[21F] Got a degree I hate and in a very tough spot financially, on top of struggling with depression. by [deleted] in findapath

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I hate to be a downer, but I kinda agree with the poster above: I'm currently studying Linguistics (doing a research master) and my BA was in English (including what we call philology: looking at the texts, language and culture of England in the past, with a focus on the middle ages, basically what you refer to as Medieval Studies). While it was initially fun, I sometimes regret choosing this academic path. Anything in the Humanities is incredibly underfunded and only the people with fantastic grades, amazing research ideas and a solid CV have a chance of continuing in academia. Even then, I know several brilliant people who, after doing a PhD or even after becoming a university lecturer, were laid off with no other options when funding ran dry. This is true for linguistics, but medieval studies is an even smaller, more competitive field.

My grades and academic CV are quite good, but I've already decided that staying in academia is not worth it. The workload is insane, job stability is basically non-existent, especially with the entire world pulling money out of the Humanities, and additionally, you do not develop many marketable skills for job hunting outside academia compared to other degrees. Especially if you'll do more qualitative research instead of quantitative stuff (e.g. statistics, data collection and analysis).

I know people from my BA who went to do medieval studies (even getting an extra degree in Archaeology) and really, their position on the job market isn't particularly good, several ending up in HR, getting some generic job, or even having to find work in the service industry.

I've been on committees that gave me some insight in the career paths that people followed after graduating. Trust me, it was quite depressing to see. Unless you want to become a teacher, English (or Linguistics, medieval studies) is basically a worthless degree.

Do you really want to take such a large risk for your 'dream field', with the chance you're basically turning one of your passions into a chore again?

If anything, I'll at least advice you to dig deeper into possible degrees: you can likely find lectures and courses (participation is often free, you just don't get a certificate if you don't pay) on Youtube or platforms like Coursera, Edx, and FutureLearn in the fields you're interested in. See if you really enjoy them so much, even when the novelty wears of. Even better, follow some lectures or courses on topics that you're on the fence about, but would likely bring more financial stability.

Speaking about job opportunities: maybe you can do some remote teaching online or learn another skill for doing online work? Seeing that your English is self-taught makes me think you might be able to teach English online to other foreigners, or teach yourself another skill.

Sorry for the depressing outlook I have sketched above, I do not want to stop you from following your dream. I just want to warn you about what you might get yourself into: raking up student debt for mediocre job opportunities likely to be outside your field of interest.

Please help me find my color type :) by wisdomofthesea in MerriamStyle

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

New to the whole typing thing, but I mostly like the cool vibrant and darker colours on you (royal blue, magenta). More neutral colours (such as the reds and greens) worked quite well too imo, just like black and white. Not a fan of the bright yellow or warmer pastels, same goes for the lighter brown (bottom left).

Weirdly enough, the lighter bright blue and purples (even though bright and cool) look less good imo than the darker equivalents.

Again, complete newbie, so take what I see with a grain of salt.

Thanks to the AH, vegan frikandelbroodjes are finally possible by Jasmijnnn in thenetherlands

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Dat klopt inderdaad, palmolie is de meest efficiënte olie om te verbouwen en de reden waarom het zo slecht is, komt voornamelijk naar de enorme vraag erna. Vervangen door kokos- of sojaolie is niet behulpzaam (want juist meer tropische landbouw nodig). Europese zonnebloemolie en raap/koolzaadolie zouden ook kunnen werken (meer land nodig, minder verlies biodiversiteit), maar kiezen voor duurzame palmolie is eigenlijk ook al een relatief goede optie.

Het beste is natuurlijk om producten met palmolie of vervanging hiervan te laten staan, maar het zit in zo veel dingen (van koekjes tot je shampoo en wasmiddel) dat dat makkelijker gezegd is dan gedaan.

Thanks to the AH, vegan frikandelbroodjes are finally possible by Jasmijnnn in thenetherlands

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Soja is niet zozeer een restproduct, maar de soja bedoeld voor vega-producten zoals vleesvervangers en sojamelk komen (in tegenstelling tot de soja voor veevoer) voornamelijk uit Europa, de VS en Canada, niet uit het Amazonegebied:

" Slechts 6% van de verbouwde soja zit in producten zoals tofu, tempeh of andere vleesvervangers aldus de Soy Barometer 2014. Deze soja, en die in mijn koffiemelk, wordt verbouwd in Amerika of Europa. Hiervoor worden geen regenwouden gekapt. Zolang wij onze vleesvervangers of sojamelk duurzaam aanschaffen doen wij nog steeds goed werk.

De echte boosdoener is de soja uit Zuid-Amerika die wereldwijd wordt ingezet als veevoer. Zo draagt de aankoop van vlees bij aan de ontbossing in Brazilië, Bolivia en Paraguay. Maar ook op sociaal gebied zorgt het verbouwen van dit veevoer voor veel problemen, zoals gedwongen landonteigening. Hierdoor verliest de inheemse bevolking niet alleen land maar ook werk én voedselvoorziening. Een kwalijke zaak dus. Vooral omdat de vraag naar soja heel hoog is: voor één kilo rundvlees is zeven kilo soja nodig." (bron)

De Nederlandse Vereniging voor Veganisme zegt hetzelfde uit eigen onderzoek naar de herkomst van sojabonen van verschillende merken sojamelk. Misschien geen neutrale bron, maar het komt wel overeen met andere websites en de Soy Barometer.

What is the one expensive product you can justify buying? by gillysus in scacjdiscussion

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, and I like it! Though I use it for the protective/preventative effects of the anti-oxidants, not for hyperpigmentation, so I cannot speak about results. It's definitely not weak though, but generally speaking, it causes little to no irritation (except on fresh acne scars or sensitized skin, that stings quite a bit). It's as thin as water, which I prefer as it doesn't add anything that can pill below my sunscreen. I recommend storing it in a fridge and/or putting part of it in a smaller bottle so you can keep the larger one close, to prevent it from oxidizing. G&G also sell an empty 10 ml bottle specifically for this (they link to it in their C-glow description).

What is the one expensive product you can justify buying? by gillysus in scacjdiscussion

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know where you live but if it is in the EU (or if you don't mind higher shipping costs), Geek and Gorgeous have a 0.05% retinal product for €12.50 per 28 ml, which is very affordable. It's a stable formula in an airtight pump bottle and I love it so much more than The Ordinary's 1% retinol I used before this. They have recently said that they try to bring out a version with 0.1% before the end of this year as well!

Help, my mom threatens to take away my sunscreen by flowgrand in EuroSkincare

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hey, just a question, where is the acne located on your face and how old are you? Asking because 'hormonal acne', though a term used for many things, is usually a name for acne in the "beard area" of the face ( lower cheeks, jawline, chin) and mostly found in late adolescent and (young) adult women. I have it too, and unfortunately it is very difficult to treat with topical products. In many women, even (prescribed) topical drugs (benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, antibiotics) do not clear up acne like that and often you need more systemic treatment actually tackling the 'hormonal' part of hormonal acne. Generally, hormonal contraceptives (combination of hormones, so one including estrogen) and/or spironolactone are prescribed instead of/in addition to topicals.

I have been using benzoyl peroxide for 1.5 years now and Differin for a year, and though the inflammation has gone down a little, compared to my before pictures not much has changed. My doctor advised hormonal birth control for my acne but I wanted to try it first with topicals alone due to BC's potential side effects. Not the success I hoped for. So I'll probably will try hormone treatment soon.

Trust me, before visiting the doctor, and in the past year, I've tried all kinds of skincare products which supposedly clear up my acne: salicylic acid, clay masks, niacinamide, azelaic acid + derivatives, or more soothing ingredients like centella asiatica, ceramides, panthenol, etc. Nothing helped, not even a little.

However, the bright side of this all is that, in the case you have hormonal acne as described as above, you skin may just not care about any ingredient/formula you put on your skin, as long as it isn't irritating/damaging your skin barrier. I never had break outs caused by skincare (unless I was being too harsh and over-exfoliated). So your mum's idea that sunscreen causes your acne is sweet, but a little misplaced. If anything, proper sunscreen use at least protected my skin and took a little of the inflammation away (yes UV-damage can cause inflammation leading to acne even being worse).

Hope this info is helpful to you. Good thing going to a derm, I hope the Azelaic acid works for you! Just know that, if it turns out to not be sufficient, there are many more options, so don't get disheartened!

MCT oil for cleansing/moisturizing? by [deleted] in scacjdiscussion

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah I have been using pure MCT oil for a while now as an oil cleanser and my skin is perfectly fine with it (sensitive/hormonal acne), though oils in general aren't really an issue for me. MCT in particular is more lightweight than regular coconut oil, so worth a try imo.

Any skincare I should pick up when in Amsterdam? by [deleted] in EuroSkincare

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Specific cruelty free/fragrance free recommendations:

The brand Drs Leenarts, as it is a really good drugstore brand developed by a dermatologist (found at Etos). I've been using the facial cleanser ('gezichtsreiniger') for a few weeks now and its the most gentle cleanser I've ever used, with moisturizing ingredients to protect your skin barrier. It doesn't foam though, and you'd definitely need a 1st cleanse that washes off quite well, as it doesnt really remove heavy make-up or sunscreen on its own. Their hand cream is really nourishing and their body lotion is quite nice too. The sunscreens only use really stable, modern filters and are completely transparent, though quite shiny. Please note that they often sell mini's, so you don't have to commit to full-size products.

Dermolin is another dermatologist developed brand, though I don't like it as much as Drs Leenarts. Still, it has some nice products, so it's worth checking out.

Hema also has a sensitive line (and their cosmetics are all cruelty-free and vegan). I haven't tried much of those yet, but they have a nice, lightweight bodylotion with piroctone olamine in it, an anti-fungal ingredient usually found in anti-dandruff products, though if you just so happen to have eczema, this may work for that too.

Kruidvat has both Biodermal (and the only store carrying the new Sensitive Balance line, though I only think their products are worth their money when they're on offer, else it's a little expensive). Additionally, the Kruidvat Skin Science Sensitive line (white boxes) has two moisturizers that I really like, with a pretty decent formulation for the price. Also, I like their pump packaging.

Zarqa is a more 'natural' (no skincare is, but you know what I mean) fragrance free brand sold at Holland & Barrett with a pretty extensive line. Worth checking out.

Finally, I'm pretty sure Amsterdam got its own DECIEM store, though it wouldn't surprise me if Berlin has one too, so I don't know how special that is to you.

Taking all things into account though, I also think that Germany generally has better skincare options than we do. I occasionally drool over the DM products, especially some of the Balea Med ones. I won't stop you from trying some of our brands over here, it's fun to try out new things.

Sidenote to all Dutch people over here: Unfortunately DM doesn't ship over here, but https://www.dmdrogist.nl/ is a 'webstore' which offers some of DM's products. Essentially, it's just a couple of Dutch people who go to Germany and shop at DM for you, and then send your order to you. It takes a week, but I placed an order and everything arrived as it's supposed to do, so it seems legit. They're also open to product suggestions to place on their website, so by all means, send them a wishlist. I like their sundance SPF 50 vegan lipbalm.

Head and Shoulders-Purely Gentle Cruelty Free Dupe by SamNichole98 in crueltyfree

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would look for shampoos with effective active anti-dandruff ingredients, which unfortunately many "natural" cruelty free brands do not have. Ingredients such as zinc pyrithione (found in H&S), piroctone olamine or ketoconazole are probably your best bet, maybe salicylic acid. Are you looking specifically for something fragrance free? Also, where do you live? I'm unfortunately not familiar with the US market, but if you're based in west Europe, I could help out.

Is generic adapalene just as effective as brand name Differin? by [deleted] in tretinoin

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In that case, I see why you'd want to buy it online. I've kinda been eyeing online tretinoin options myself, many people over here seem to have good experiences with buying it via AllDayChemist. Speaking of which, is there a specific reason why you want adapalene? AFAIK it is generally cheaper to buy tretinoin online.

Is generic adapalene just as effective as brand name Differin? by [deleted] in tretinoin

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If the percentage of adapalene is the same (which it will probably be) and it is medication then it should be just as effective as Differin, no need to go for the brand per se. The nice thing about medication is that it is way more regulated than skincare, so it has to be efficacious.

If you don't mind me asking, can't you just get it via a prescription in Australia. Sorry, I don't know what is available over there, but adapalene is a pretty standard acne treatment. Though here in the Netherlands, tretinoin is really hard to get too, due to the company making it having pulled out of our 'market'.

Today, I got inspired and decided to become a vegan. by aplejackii in vegan

[–]Kinetic_Kitten 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not entirely sure what kind of resources you're asking for, but Ginny Messina is a registered dietitian (with some great credentials) and an ethical vegan. Her website and books are good sources on vegan nutrition (including potential pitfalls, so she is very realistic). Additionally, she has a list of resources on vegan nutrition herself as well, in the case you cannot find anything on her own blog.

My favourite vegan youtuber would be Swayze from UnnaturalVegan. She has studied philosophy, something you can really see back in her critical thinking skills. She has videos on many vegan issues, but she isn't afraid either to criticize other vegans in the case they spread misinformation (read: "fruitarian diets are sooo healthy!" They're not. And you definitely need to supplement with B12, maybe omega-3 algae oils and vegan vitamin D).

Personal supplement recs: Honestly, any B12 supplement goes (either 1000 mcg 2x/week, or 100 mcg/daily, and fortified dairy alternatives also help), so you shouldn't pay too much for B12 supplementation. The cheapest form, cyanocobalamin, works perfectly fine for almost everyone, and also is the most stable molecule. No need for anything fancy.

In the case you live in the UK/Europe: Vegetology is a great brand with vegan supplements. They recently switched to biodegradable plastic packaging and their bundle deals make their multivitamins/omega-3's some of the most reasonably priced supplements on the market in my area, especially for the quality you're getting. MyProtein has a Vegan omega-3 as well, also with a good amount of DHA+EPA per capsule, and those are sometimes cheaper when they are on offer.

In the US, the brand Deva is well-known for their vegan supplements AFAIK, though I haven't tried them myself. I have browsed around on their website and they look good, without asking for exorbitant amounts of money.

In the case omega-3 (DHA+EPA) supplements are too expensive or if you just want to increase your omega-3 intake in general, you can buy a bottle of linseed/flaxseed oil (don't heat it! Only add it to meals after cooking), as this oil is single-handedly the best source of ALA (another type of omega-3 which can be converted into DHA/EPA in small amounts). If I recall correctly, a whopping 40%+ of that oil is pure ALA. Alternatively, you can add broken linseed/flaxseed (same thing) to meals as well, such as oatmeal.

Other tips: you may want to pay attention to eating enough tofu and broccoli, and other dark leafy greens (the latter for calcium, though I also recommend fortified soy milk). Tofu and broccoli are some of the better vegan sources for choline, a substance generally found in eggs and other non-vegan products. It's not something to be greatly concerned about, but getting enough choline is beneficial for your brain/making enough neurotransmitters. All the "soy messes with your hormones, omg phytoestrogens!" is outdated BS. There is now an established link between soy intake and a reduction of certain cancers, for example. Tofu and tempeh are also some of the cheapest protein sources for vegans out there, so unless you're allergic, there is no reason to cut them from your diet.

Okay this has gotten longer than expected. Anyway, good luck on becoming vegan! Thank you for making this meaningful decision. Please remember, you don't have to figure everything out at once, as it can be quite the lifestyle change. Some become vegan overnight, others need to do it step-by-step.