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Do calorie-tracking apps promote healthy eating, or do they risk creating obsessive behaviors?
The Promise of Calorie-Tracking Apps Calorie-tracking apps, at first glance, seem like a brilliant tool. They give people something many of us crave: clarity. Instead of guessing how many calories are in your lunch, or how much you’ve consumed throughout the day, the app lays it out in numbers. ThatRead more
The Promise of Calorie-Tracking Apps
Calorie-tracking apps, at first glance, seem like a brilliant tool. They give people something many of us crave: clarity. Instead of guessing how many calories are in your lunch, or how much you’ve consumed throughout the day, the app lays it out in numbers. That sense of visibility can be empowering. To the dieter trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply discover what they’re eating, food logging is empowerment. Users say that, for the first time in their life, they “see” their food choices differently — that they’ve discovered hidden calories in treats, that portion sizes are bigger than they knew, or that they recognize habits like midnight munching.
The monitoring of calories can therefore prompt mindful eating. It brings food from an unconscious act to a conscious one. For beginners on the health journey, it is usually employed as a teaching strategy — like training wheels. You start to get a sense of what 500 calories actually look like on a plate, or that that nice coffee drink sometimes sits at the calorie level of an entire meal. That awareness can motivate people towards improved habits, like replacing soda with water or choosing more filling, nutrient-dense food.
Where It Can Go Too Far
But here’s the flip side: when each bite gets reduced to a number, food loses its enjoyment. What began as empowerment can subtly turn into addiction. Instead of listening to natural signals of hunger, people may eat according to the app’s numbers — “I cannot have this apple since I have just 40 calories remaining for the day.” This type of thinking disconnects you from your body.
For some, especially the perfectionist or those who have had eating disorders, monitoring can be a thin edge. A missed log day or “over” the goal can translate into guilt, shame, or even compensatory behaviors like over-exercising. The reminders and graphs of the app meant to inspire become judgment instead. Ironically, that which was supposed to promote a healthy relationship with food can replace it with fear of eating “wrong.”
The Middle Ground
The thing is, calorie-tracking apps are no different than any other tool: how you use them makes all the difference. They can educate, apply a structure, and guide you towards improved choices — but not be your sole mentor. Many dietitians suggest they be used for a short while, to make a person aware, and then gradually shifting to an intuitive way of working: listening to your body’s signals, choosing foods that nourish you well, and eating with no math-needing nagging in your head.
For some, these apps are a best friend for life, offering consistency and accountability. For some, they’re to be met with as training wheels — helpful at first but not something to be depended on for the remainder of your life. The real key to success with these tools is not hitting a “perfect calorie number” each day, but understanding how the food affects your body and mind and then applying that knowledge to every day choices.
Human takeaway: Food-tracking apps can help us eat healthier by making us more aware of what we’re eating. But used rigidly, they can turn food into numbers and meals into math problems, and that can fuel stress or obsessive behavior. The healthiest relationship with them is usually flexible — used as advisers, not autocrats.
See lessWill quantum computing make current cybersecurity systems obsolete?
Nowadays, most of the world's digital security—your bank account online, government secrets, WhatsApp messages, even your Netflix password—are protected using encryption. They rely on mathematical puzzles so challenging that even the most advanced supercomputers would take thousands of years to cracRead more
Nowadays, most of the world’s digital security—your bank account online, government secrets, WhatsApp messages, even your Netflix password—are protected using encryption. They rely on mathematical puzzles so challenging that even the most advanced supercomputers would take thousands of years to crack them.
But then comes the simplicity-killer: quantum computing. While traditional computers process information in bits (0s and 1s), quantum computers do so in qubits, which exist in more than one state at a time. That allows them to look for solutions in parallel, potentially doing some sort of math problems at speeds that are unfathomable.
For cybersecurity, it is exciting and terrifying.
Why Encryption Works Today
Enter Quantum Computing
But Here’s the Human Side
It’s important to keep things in perspective. Currently, enormous, beneficial quantum computers don’t exist. We do have noisy, fragile prototypes that can do small-scale work only. Decoding the entire internet remains science fiction—at least through the foreseeable future.
Yes, but looming on the horizon is also a threat in the guise of “harvest now, decrypt later.” Hackers or nations could be quietly vacuuming up encrypted information today, stashing it away, and holding out for quantum computers to be powerful enough to break them. Imagine intimate medical records, military communications, or bank accounts appearing years hence, naked and vulnerable.
The Race for Post-Quantum Security
The good news? We’re not standing still. Researchers and organizations like NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) are already developing post-quantum cryptography—new encryption methods that can withstand quantum attacks. Some approaches involve lattice-based math, code-based encryption, or even quantum key distribution (which uses the principles of quantum physics itself to secure communication).
In a way, it’s like we’re redesigning the locks before the burglars have built the tools to break in.
Why It Matters to Everyday People
For all of us, cybersecurity isn’t abstract—it’s belief. It’s the belief that your pay goes into your account, that your doctor’s notes remain confidential, and that your identity isn’t commandeered in the dead of night. If quantum computers one night ripped through these defenses, it could create panic and chaos and destroy the underpinnings of virtual society.
But if the transition to quantum-resistant systems happens in time, though, most people won’t ever know it. Just as the internet switched from “http” to “https” without fanfare, the upgrade might happen quietly in the background.
The Bottom Line
Will quantum computing make current cybersecurity obsolete? Yes, eventually. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be catastrophic. The race between cryptographers and quantum scientists has already started, and humankind has a history of learning to adapt its weapons to thwart new threats.
The real question isn’t that we will have a quantum security threat—it’s whether we will be ready when it arrives. And, as with climate change or epidemics, the destiny is in the preparation, the cooperation, and the vision.
In the end, quantum computers won’t just break old locks—they will challenge us to build stronger, smarter ones. And that’s a human one: technology disrupts, but we adapt.
See lessAre AI-powered deepfakes the biggest threat to elections worldwide?
When people think of election threats, images of ballot tampering or foreign hacking often come to mind. But today, a newer, less visible danger is spreading: AI-powered deepfakes—ultra-realistic videos, audio clips, and images that can convincingly impersonate real people. Unlike obvious fake newsRead more
When people think of election threats, images of ballot tampering or foreign hacking often come to mind. But today, a newer, less visible danger is spreading: AI-powered deepfakes—ultra-realistic videos, audio clips, and images that can convincingly impersonate real people. Unlike obvious fake news articles of the past, these manipulations are designed to feel authentic, making them especially dangerous in shaping public opinion.
Why Deepfakes Hit Hard During Elections
Elections are about emotions. Voters respond not only to policy but to trust, personality, and image of candidates. One effective video of a politician uttering something outrageous—or an outright false audio clip of them conspiring in secret—can go viral on social media before fact-checkers even get around to it. And before the truth finally comes out, the harm is already done.
Unlike biased headlines or rumors, deepfakes take advantage of one of our strongest impulses: trusting what we see and hear. That makes them unusually effective at eroding faith, planting seeds of doubt, or stoking rifts at times of high stakes in democracy.
Global Issues
Are They the Biggest Threat?
What Can Be Done?
The Human Side
In short: Deepfakes are perhaps not the only election threat, but they are something peculiarly unsettling: a world in which believing is no longer seeing. Their threat is less that they will deceive everybody and more that they will cause everybody to doubt everything. The battle against them is not merely technological—it’s also cultural, political, and fundamentally human.
See lessHow do tariffs affect small businesses compared to large corporation?
Tariffs feel like a sledgehammer to small businesses. Most of them depend on importing raw materials or components because they can't do it all in house. When tariffs drive up those costs, small businesses don't necessarily have the buffer to soak up the additional cost. Passing the cost to the consRead more
Tariffs feel like a sledgehammer to small businesses. Most of them depend on importing raw materials or components because they can’t do it all in house. When tariffs drive up those costs, small businesses don’t necessarily have the buffer to soak up the additional cost. Passing the cost to the consumer makes their products less competitive, but eating the cost constricts already tight profit margins. Picture a tiny furniture manufacturer who imports unique wood — a tariff could price their item immediately 15% higher, driving customers to substitute it with a cheaper option.
Big companies, however, usually have more levers to work around tariffs. They may shift supply chains, negotiate bulk prices, or even relocate parts of production to tariff-free areas. Some of the largest players can lobby governments or cut deals to minimize the effect. Although tariffs do increase costs, large companies typically have the size and flexibility to adjust — sometimes even benefiting at the expense of smaller competitors who can’t.
In simple words: tariffs can be like a storm for small businesses and merely rough weather for big business. Both get battered, but the big vessels have more means to remain buoyant.
See lessIs walking 10,000 steps a day enough exercise?
Walking 10,000 steps a day is a good goal. Whether it’s “enough” depends on your health and fitness goals. For most people, reaching that number means you’re moving regularly. This improves heart health, boosts circulation, and keeps joints flexible. It can also help maintain a healthy weight, reducRead more
Walking 10,000 steps a day is a good goal. Whether it’s “enough” depends on your health and fitness goals.
For most people, reaching that number means you’re moving regularly. This improves heart health, boosts circulation, and keeps joints flexible. It can also help maintain a healthy weight, reduce stress, and provide a nice mental break from being outside or away from your desk. Research shows that even 7,000 to 8,000 steps a day can bring great health benefits, especially if you’ve lived a mostly sedentary lifestyle.
That said, steps alone might not meet all your body’s needs. Walking is excellent for endurance and general wellness, but it doesn’t build much muscle or bone strength. For a complete fitness regime, it’s worth adding some strength training, stretching, or higher-intensity activities a few times a week.
So yes, 10,000 steps is a solid daily habit for overall health. Think of it as your baseline for movement, not your full fitness routine.
If you’d like, I can break down how many steps correspond to different levels of fitness so you can customize your goal.
See lessHow are governments balancing AI innovation with data privacy protection?
Governments today are teetering on a tightrope — and it's not a comfortable one. On one hand, there is AI innovation, which holds the promise of quicker healthcare diagnoses, more intelligent public services, and even economic expansion through industries powered by technology. On the other hand, thRead more
Governments today are teetering on a tightrope — and it’s not a comfortable one.
On one hand, there is AI innovation, which holds the promise of quicker healthcare diagnoses, more intelligent public services, and even economic expansion through industries powered by technology. On the other hand, there is data privacy, where the stakes are intensely personal: individuals’ medical records, financial information, and private discussions.
The catch? AI loves data — the more, the merrier — but privacy legislation is meant to cap how much of it can be harvested, stored, or transmitted. Governments are thus attempting to find a middle ground by:
Establishing clear limits using regulations such as GDPR in Europe or new AI-specific legislation that prescribes what is open season for data harvesting.
Spurring “privacy-first” AI — algorithms that can be trained on encrypted or anonymized information, so personal information never gets shared.
Experimenting sandbox spaces, where firms can try out AI in controlled, overseen environments before the public eye.
It’s a little like having children play at a pool — the government wants the enjoyment and skill development to occur, but they’re having lifeguards (regulators) on hand at all times.
If they move too far in the direction of innovation, individuals will lose faith and draw back from cooperating and sharing information; if they move too far in the direction of privacy, AI development could grind to a halt. The optimal position is somewhere in between, and each nation is still working on where that is.
See lesswhat is a tariff ?
A tariff is basically a tax that a government charges on goods coming into or going out of a country. Think of it like an entry fee at a theme park — if a product wants to “enter” a country, the government might ask for a payment at the border. Governments do this for a few reasons: to protect localRead more
A tariff is basically a tax that a government charges on goods coming into or going out of a country.
Think of it like an entry fee at a theme park — if a product wants to “enter” a country, the government might ask for a payment at the border. Governments do this for a few reasons: to protect local businesses from cheaper foreign products, to encourage people to buy locally made goods, or to raise money for national projects.
For example, if imported shoes have a tariff, they become more expensive in stores. That way, local shoe makers might have a better chance to compete.
It’s not always good or bad — tariffs can protect jobs, but they can also make everyday items more expensive.
See lessHow can mindfulness help with anxiety?
The “what if” future and come back to the “what is” present. When you’re anxious, your mind tends to sprint ahead — imagining worst-case scenarios, overthinking tiny details, and reacting to thoughts as if they’re facts. Mindfulness is like gently pulling the emergency brake on that mental runaway tRead more
The “what if” future and come back to the “what is” present.
When you’re anxious, your mind tends to sprint ahead — imagining worst-case scenarios, overthinking tiny details, and reacting to thoughts as if they’re facts. Mindfulness is like gently pulling the emergency brake on that mental runaway train.
How It Helps:
Slows the Spiral
By bringing your attention to your breath, your senses, or the here and now, mindfulness breaks into the cycle of worrisome thoughts before they gain momentum.
Soothes the Body
Taking slow, deep breaths and paying attention to your body tells your nervous system to shift from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest.” You essentially instruct your body, “It’s all right. We are safe.”
Transforms Your Interaction with Thoughts
Rather than attempting to push worrisome thoughts aside (which tends to make them more prominent), mindfulness instructs you to observe them, name them, and allow them to drift away — like clouds passing across the sky.
Strengthens Emotional Resilience
The more that you practice, the quicker you can spot anxious habits and nudge your mind to a more balanced location.
A 1-Minute Mindfulness Hack for Anxiety:
Sit quietly.
Inhale slowly for 4 counts.
Hold for 2 counts.
Breathe out for 6 counts.
Then list 3 things you can see, 2 you can touch, and 1 you can hear.
This little grounding exercise can ground you in the now rather than becoming caught up in “what if.”
See lessWhich industries are most impacted by new tariff changes in 2025?
Industries Feeling the Strain 1. Textiles, Apparel & Garments Indian exporters—especially textiles, gems, jewellery, and auto components—are bearing the brunt of an astonishing 50% tariff imposed by the U.S. on August 7, 2025. This sharp rise has already led to stock drops of up to 6%.The EconomRead more
Industries Feeling the Strain
1. Textiles, Apparel & Garments
Indian exporters—especially textiles, gems, jewellery, and auto components—are bearing the brunt of an astonishing 50% tariff imposed by the U.S. on August 7, 2025. This sharp rise has already led to stock drops of up to 6%.The Economic TimesThe Times of India+1
Cotton farmers in Vidarbha are particularly anxious: raw cotton prices may fall below the Minimum Support Price, a blow to livelihoods that’s deeply personal for farming communities. The Times of India
2. Automotive & Auto Components
India’s auto parts industry, which exports nearly half of its goods to the U.S., faces a steep 50% duty—threatening revenue, jobs, and investments. India Today India Briefing Times of India
In the U.S., automakers like Ford, GM, and Stellantis are also under pressure as tariffs on steel, aluminum (up to 50%), and parts (25%) hike production costs and endanger jobs. Michigan alone supports 600,000 manufacturing jobs, making the stakes deeply personal for many communities.AP News+1Wikipedia
3. Electronics & Semiconductors
Tech supply chains are creaking. U.S. tariffs—some skyrocketing to 100% on chips and semiconductors, though with numerous exemptions—are sparking uncertainty.Barron’sJusda GlobalLinkedIn
Meanwhile, several electronics manufacturers are pausing expansion plans in India, as the lost cost advantage over China takes its toll. The Economic Times
4. Agriculture & Food
Tariffs on a range of inputs—from peat moss to potash and produce—are pushing up costs for farmers and growers. Greenhouse upgrades become more expensive, and imported fruits or vegetables face supply bottlenecks. Jusda Globalkandhco.com
Globally, U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican agricultural goods mean consumers might soon see higher prices at the grocery store.WikipediaReddit+1
5. Industrial Goods & Manufacturing
Heavy hitters like Caterpillar are reporting a 6.5% rise in input costs, while Molson Coors anticipates around $35 million in added expenses due to aluminum tariffs. Reuters
Higher prices on steel, copper, and machinery aren’t just numbers—they make construction harder, homes pricier, and factories more expensive to run.LinkedInen.insightpost.net
What This Means—for You, for India, and Everywhere
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Families may feel it in rising clothing bills, pricier electronics, and even more expensive groceries.
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Homegrown businesses and exporters are squeezed both ways—facing tumbling demand abroad and cost pressures at home.
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Workers in farming, manufacturing, and manufacturing-adjacent industries face job insecurity and economic uncertainty.
See lessHow are AI modes being embedded into everyday consumer products and services in 2025
In 2025, AI is not only hiding in the laboratories or driving large technology companies. It's behind the scenes in the things you touch daily—from your refrigerator to your go-to shopping app. It's electricity in cyberspace: invisible but everywhere. Here's how it's manifesting in our lives in a reRead more
In 2025, AI is not only hiding in the laboratories or driving large technology companies. It’s behind the scenes in the things you touch daily—from your refrigerator to your go-to shopping app. It’s electricity in cyberspace: invisible but everywhere.
Here’s how it’s manifesting in our lives in a refreshingly human fashion:
Phones That Know You Better
Your phone is not only smart, it’s smart enough to know what you mean. You can tell it, point to it, or even key it in, and it knows what you mean. From rewording that writing with polite language to coming up with your next Instagram post, AI is now your writing guide, translation companion, and content companion.
Shopping gets Hyper-Smart
E-commerce apps now anticipate what you’ll need before you even look—based on your past, your location, or the weather. Grocery apps alert you that you’re out of milk. Fashion apps display outfits for your schedule. It’s not creepy—convenience (with stronger guardrails).
AI in Your Appliances
Smart refrigerators read what you’ve got inside, suggest recipes based on your contents, and even order when you’re running low. Washing machines adjust to your wardrobe. Thermostats learn the rhythm of your daily habits and your mood. Your home is now a quiet co-pilot in your life.
Streaming That Feels Personal
Whether it’s Netflix, Spotify, or YouTube, AI doesn’t just recommend—it curates entire experiences. It knows when you’re likely to need something relaxing, something upbeat, or something educational. It’s like having a digital DJ or mood manager on call 24/7.
Customer Service That’s Helpful
AI voice assistants and chatbots are becoming much smarter, less robotic, and much more human. They get sarcasm, emotions, and even frustration. And if they can’t solve your problem, they transfer you to a real person—without forcing you to begin again.
Bottom Line
AI modes are no longer a “feature”—but they’re the gasoline that powers more fluid, more intelligent, more personalized experiences. They make your day easier, faster, and add a touch of magic to it, all behind-the-scenes learning what it takes from you.
See less