Cooking and Recipes, Health and Fitness, Healthy Eating, practical solutions

How to Optimize Your Energy and Overcome Fatigue

March 31, 2021 ThatHelpfulDad Leave a comment

Readers of my blog know how much Intermittent Fasting (IF) has changed my life for the better – I started with IF back in 2017 and haven’t looked back. You can read about my journey with IF here, but today I wanted to share an article with you that provides some of the science behind how Time Restricted Eating (TRE) like Intermittent Fasting can help to optimize your energy and combat fatigue – both benefits I can personally attest to!

New to Intermittent Fasting? Start with these articles:

Simple Remedies to Optimize Your Energy and Combat Fatigue

(As seen on Mercola.com – This article is part of a weekly series in which Dr. Mercola interviews various experts on a variety of health issues. Today’s interview is with Dr. Steven Gundry, a cardiologist, heart surgeon, medical researcher and author, is perhaps best known for his “Plant Paradox” book, which was a massive bestseller. He has now published another book called “The Energy Paradox: What to Do When Your Get-Up-and-Go Has Got Up and Gone.”

Time-Restricted Eating

The good news is there’s a lot you can do to improve your energy levels. One such strategy, which I embraced years ago, is time-restricted eating (TRE), a form of intermittent fasting in which you restrict all of your food intake to a certain number of consecutive hours each day.

As an added boon, this strategy doesn’t cost you a penny. If anything, it’ll save you money. Gundry was ahead of the curve on this one, having written about TRE in his first book, “Dr. Gundry’s Diet Evolution,” published in 2006.

“I had an entire chapter in that book devoted to time-restricted eating, and my editor at Random House at the time, Heather Jackson, said, ‘This is so crazy that I’m not going to let you do this.’

She said this. True story. And I said, ‘Look, I’m telling you, I’ve been doing this now for four years and I’ve been using it on my patients and it’s not crazy. Here’s the research.’ And she said, ‘OK. I’m going to give you two pages to make your case. I’m throwing the rest of the chapter away.’

So, I got two pages. I saw her at the mindbodygreen symposium last summer, before the COVID-19 outbreak. She came up to me and said, ‘You were right. I apologize. You weren’t crazy, you weren’t nuts. Everybody now knows.’”

Indeed, in recent years, TRE has gained a lot of recognition as mounting evidence shows the simple act of restricting the number of hours during which you consume food during the day will improve your health in a variety of ways, primarily by improving your mitochondrial health and metabolic flexibility.

As noted by Gundry, keeping your eating to a window of six to eight hours a day is an achievable goal for most people. However, most need to gradually ease into it.

“Metabolic flexibility is probably the underlying problem in the vast majority of diseases that we see and I wrote the book to try and make it easy,” Gundry says. “What I see in my practice is that a lot of people go, ‘OK. I usually eat breakfast at 7 and starting tomorrow I’m going to start eating breakfast — break-fast — at noon.’ And they fall flat on their faces.

They get headaches, they get hungry, they don’t think right. They have no energy and they decide ‘This isn’t for me.’ That’s because they have a high insulin level, they’re insulin resistant and can’t use stored fat as an energy source …

So, in the book, what I do is, over a six-week period, I get them used to eating during a shorter and shorter time window. It’s very much like learning a new exercise program. I couldn’t run a marathon right out the gate, but I can train and get there. So that’s what we do.”

Part of the process involves retraining your circadian rhythm. Your food intake, which impacts the circadian rhythm of your gut microbiome, and other circadian rhythms are intricately connected, and the more you can realign these circadian rhythms, the better your whole body will function, including your mitochondria.

Crucial Notes on Meal Timing

At the most extreme end of TRE is the one meal a day (OMAD) routine, which can work well if you’re young and healthy. However, once you get into middle age and older, I believe it can start to backfire. I’m also not convinced that it’s healthy to remain on an OMAD diet in perpetuity, for the simple reason that your body will typically work best when you challenge it now and then.

During winter months, about six months out of the year, Gundry promotes using a two-hour, or even as short as a single-hour eating window during weekdays, and then eating during a much longer window during weekends. He’s been doing this for the past 21 years.

For me, cycling — mixing longer and shorter fasting intervals — has been a key to long term success, and taking the weekends off from this strict regimen may be part of why this strict regimen has worked so well for so long for Gundry.

“I think you’ve got to break it up. I don’t do it all year around, and I break it up on the weekends, and the reason I do that is so I won’t go mad,” Gundry says. Another important detail with regard to timing is to avoid eating at least three hours before bed. Even if you restrict your eating to six hours or less, if you eat too close to bedtime, you’re canceling out many of the benefits. As explained by Gundry:

“It’s really important to stop eating at least three hours before bedtime for a couple of really important reasons. No. 1, you’ve got to undergo mitochondrial repair during the night.

You have to undergo brain cleaning during the night from the glymphatic circulation. Digestion takes huge amounts of blood flow, and if you’re eating, all that blood flow is heading down to your gut when it should actually be going up to your brain.”

TRE Makes Most Diets Better

Gundry quotes data from Satchin Panda, which shows that rats raised on a standard American diet equivalent that also are put on a TRE regimen fare much better than those who are not on TRE. This despite the fact that they’re eating the same thing. The same has been shown to hold true in humans.

Remarkably, Panda has shown the average American eats for 16 hours a day. Essentially, they’re grazing all day long, stopping only while sleeping. About 90% eat for more than 12 hours.

Simply reducing your eating window to 12 hours would be an improvement. As noted by Gundry, “Big Food, Big Agriculture have convinced us that this is the proper way to eat.” In reality, the only thing these big businesses and their recommendations are good for is disease.

The Case for EMF Avoidance

Gundry and I are also in agreement about the dangers of electromagnetic fields (EMFs). I’ve previously written about how magnesium can help mitigate some of the damaging effects from EMF, and Gundry has a patient who appears to have had success using this strategy. Melatonin, which is a very potent mitochondrial antioxidant, is another potential mitigator.

“Melatonin is a very interesting way of mitigating against the bad effects of EMF,” Gundry says. “Now, as I talk about in the book, I used to think that people who said that they were sensitive to these invisible rays [EMFs] were out on the lunatic fringe.

But the longer I’ve been doing this, I’ve had some fantastic experiences with very credible people, who when we mitigated EMF got well. One patient was profoundly affected by her husband’s AICD, a defibrillator, which was communicating his EKG with a satellite.

As soon as it went into him, she couldn’t sleep next to him. She had migraine headaches. We finally turned off the transmitter in his AICD, and just like that, all of [her symptoms] went away. So, these people are canaries in a coal mine and we have to believe it.”

Leaky Gut Underlies Most Chronic Disease

While antioxidants like melatonin can certainly help improve mitochondrial function, I think there are better ways than simply piling on antioxidants. You also need to remove dietary and lifestyle factors that cause the energy depletion in the first place. EMF exposure is one environmental factor. Leaky gut, caused by lectins in your diet, is another factor that needs to be addressed.

Leaky gut is an underlying condition of most chronic disease, so, if you have a chronic ailment, chances are you have leaky gut.

According to Gundry, leaky gut is an underlying condition of most chronic disease, so, if you have a chronic ailment, chances are you have leaky gut. Thanks to Dr. Alessio Fasano, who heads up the Celiac Research Center at Harvard, we now have sophisticated tests that can diagnose this problem.

Fasano discovered the mechanism by which lectins cause leaky gut, and gluten is a lectin. When these and other food particles are able to cross your gut lining, they cause chronic inflammation, which requires a lot of energy to combat. This is one reason for your fatigue and general malaise. Gundry explains:

“If your immune system is distracted down to your leaky gut, first of all, it’s not going to be available when [pathogens] come in through your nose or mouth. And secondly, your immune system is so hyperactivated that when it sees something that might not be all that important, it goes crazy and you get a cytokine storm. That, of course, is one of the major lethal consequences [of] the Western diet.”

Linoleic Acid Can Decimate Mitochondrial Health

Another dietary factor that decimates mitochondrial health, and thus energy production, is omega-6 linoleic acid (LA). “In the book, I talk about the Goldilocks effect,” Gundry says. However, LA is naturally found in virtually all foods, so it’s near-impossible to become deficient. The problem really is excessive intake, which is near universal in Western countries due to processed food.

The primary culprit here is industrial vegetable oils, which most people eat far too much of. If you’re eating a whole food diet, you’re more likely to have a healthy ratio of LA, but even then, it may be causing trouble if you’re eating too many LA-rich foods, such as conventional chicken, for example.

You can learn more about the mechanisms of action behind LA’s damage in “Why Chicken Is Killing You and Saturated Fat Is Your Friend” and “The Type of Fat You Eat Affects Your COVID Risk.” Olive oil is another food that is high in LA, but it also has other components that may modify some of the risks. Still, I choose to limit my olive oil intake. Overall, I try to keep my LA intake below 5 grams a day, regardless of the sources. Gundry has a more favorable view of olive oil, stating:

“If you limit your eating window, you actually stop that process from happening, which is really miraculous, No. 1. And No. 2, shameless plug for myself, with my Gundry MD high-polyphenol olive oil, you only need a tablespoon a day to get the equivalent polyphenols of a liter of olive oil a week.”

Surprising Benefits of Cheese

When it comes to fats, Gundry is a proponent of short and medium chain fatty acids. “For multiple reasons, I’ve been extolling the virtues of MCT oil since the ‘Plant Paradox,’” he says, adding:

“I think the saturated fats have other benefits. In particular, the saturated fats in cheeses may be one of the unsung heroes in longevity that I think needs more attention … I take care of a huge number of people who carry the APOE4 mutation, which is the Alzheimer’s mutation. I noticed early on that cheese really elevated not only small dense LDLs, but also elevated for most of my patients’ oxidized LDL …

I don’t like the traditional cholesterol theory of heart disease. On the other hand, I think oxidized LDL has an interesting place. What’s interesting is that when I’ve separated my patients into having them eat sheep cheese and goat cheese, I found dramatically different results.

I initially attributed it to the fact that sheep and goat have casein A2 and not casein A1. And I think casein A1 is a pretty bad actor. So, I said, well, I’m going to start letting my APOE4 [patients] have sheep and goat cheese, but in moderation. When I did that, I didn’t see this oxidized LDL.”

One potential mechanism for this might be because casein is a protein that can cause autoimmune reactions and contribute to leaky gut, which in turn contributes to increased LDL oxidation.

While most of Gundry’s autoimmune disease patients respond extremely well to Gundry’s plant paradox program, about 10% still do not fare well. Food sensitivity analysis has revealed a large number of them are sensitive to both casein A1 and casein A2.

Once their leaky gut is repaired, however, which may take up to a year, their immune systems typically become tolerant to these things again. “So, I think you can retrain the immune system once you get a good microbiome and seal the leaky gut.”

What About Meat?

While some autoimmune patients have reversed their conditions using a carnivore diet, popularized by Dr. Paul Saladino, who is a leading authority on the science and application of the carnivore diet, Gundry recommends limiting meat because of its effects on your gut microbiome. Interestingly, Gundry will be interviewing Saladino very shortly and that interview will be on his site. It should be a fascinating discussion.

“I have nothing against the carnivore diet as an elimination diet,” he says. “In fact, when Saladino was first on my podcast, he credited me as being the father of the carnivore diet because all plants are evil. And I went, ‘Please don’t do that to me.’

I think one of the mistakes that people make in, particularly, a keto diet where they’ve eliminated fiber, you actually starve your gut microbiome from making butyrate. The other, I think worrisome, part about a carnivore diet is you tend to make more hydrogen sulfide. I’m a huge fan of hydrogen sulfide, the rotten egg smell … but again, we get the Goldilocks rule …

Some is really good for you, it’s really good for mitochondrial function, but a lot is really toxic. And there’s some evidence with carnivore diets that you produce too much hydrogen sulfide. Now, I also understand the argument that if we eat a lot of gristle and a lot of mucin, basically nose to tail, that you can make butyrate by fermenting protein-based animal ingredients. I think you can.

But if you look at all the super long-lived folks, one of the things they have is really great production of butyrate. Butyrate, that short chain fatty acid, does so much good for mitochondria, I can’t even begin to tell you. Well, I do in the book.”

I agree that a strict no-carb diet is a mistake. Healthy carbs — think plant foods rich in fiber — need to be cycled in, there’s no question. Not every day, but certainly once or twice a week, even when you’re on a ketogenic diet. I recommend restricting carbs to about 50 grams or so for most of the week, and then increasing that to 100 or 150 grams once or twice a week once you’re metabolically flexible.

Protein, mTOR Activation and Exercise

Meat, of course, is also a source of protein, and while too much protein can be harmful by activating mTOR (thereby contributing to cancer and other problems), too little can be an unmitigated disaster, as I found out.

For a time, I aggressively restricted protein in an effort to minimize mTOR, and ended up developing sarcopenia (muscle loss). The lesson here is that you need protein, especially if you’re working out, and especially as you get older. With regard to mTOR activation, Gundry notes:

“The only way we can actually measure the effect of mTOR long term is insulin like growth factor IGF-1. I take care of a lot of super old people, 95 and above. I have a lot of 105-year-old patients that I study, and they all have very low insulin-like growth factors.

We’ve tried experiments with patients, really reducing their animal protein and replacing it with plant-based protein. I’m not taking protein away. Their insulin growth factors will drop 50 to 70 points in a matter of months, and I think that’s pretty interesting.

The other thing that’s interesting is that exercise will actually change your gut microbiome to eat branch chain amino acids before they get into you, and branch chain amino acids are one of the biggest stimulators of mTOR.

That’s why, if you’re building muscle and you’re a body builder, you gulp branch chain amino acids all the time. So, I think, probably Saladino — who exercises and also does TRE and has pretty good IGF-1s — can tolerate a very high animal protein diet.

The other thing that I’ve written about in all my books is that beef, lamb and pork have a sugar molecule called Neu5Gc, and fish and chicken have Neu5Ac. Many people make an autoantibody to Neu5Gc, so they attack their own blood vessels if exposed to beef, lamb and pork.”

Lastly, Gundry points out the importance of exercise. When you work your muscles, especially the big muscle groups, myokines are produced, which help grow new brain cells and aid your mitochondria. However, contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need to exercise continuously for 30 to 60 minutes each day, Gundry says. It’s OK to break it into smaller segments.

“Even walking up and down stairs for a minute may be as effective as walking 10 minutes on a level surface,” he says. “Doing a plank while you’re watching TV for a minute is a phenomenal exercise. My favorite is when you’re brushing your teeth, do deep knee bends, do squats.”

More Information

This interview coincides with the release of “The Energy Paradox: What to Do When Your Get-Up-and-Go Has Got Up and Gone,” so to learn more, be sure to pick up a copy. You can also learn more about Gundry by perusing his websites, GundryMD.com and DrGundry.com.

Books by Dr Gundry

If you enjoy Dr. Gundry’s tips, check out his books on Amazon. They include:

How To and What Is, practical solutions, Product Reviews

Product I can’t live without – How I use my BED OF NAILS to destress and find peace

March 25, 2021 ThatHelpfulDad Leave a comment

A few years ago I told you how I discovered a Bed of Nails acupressure mats and that I loved it so much I put it on my Essential Guide to Awesomeness list. Later the product earned one of my Editor’s Choice awards. Since I first discovered it, I’ve pretty much been using my Bed of Nails every day, yet the product became an absolute MUST HAVE for me during the Covid plandemic lockdowns that started in 2020 and currently show no signs of ever ending. My bed of nails is one of the key products that has helped me keep my sanity during these crazy times.

FYI – I have the one by SPOONK in the middle

What is a Bed of Nails?

A Bed of Nails is an acupressure mat that you lay on – it has gentle plastic spikes that provide self-healing benefits from a combo of acupuncture and massage.

How does it work?

Bed of Nails originated over 1,000 years ago and was used by gurus in the practice of meditation and healing. Bed of Nails acupressure mats use a modern, ergonomically designed version of that ancient technology, with a Swedish twist, to model those same deep healing effects. With thousands of non-toxic plastic nails, harmless to the skin but with all the healing benefits of its legendary ancestor.

Acupressure has been used for centuries to promote self-healing by rejuvenating and rebalancing the body.

A Bed of Nails works on the simple principle of acupressure by pressing the stimulation points on the skin to increase circulation and aid relaxation in the inflamed and painful muscle area, relieving muscle, nerve, and back pain. a bed of nails can provide the benefits of a deep tissue massage that lowers the “stress hormone” cortisol while releasing endorphins (or “feel good hormones”), which help create an overall more positive and relaxed state of mind.

Does a bed of nails hurt?

That depends on how you choose to use it. With a bed of nails, YOU control the intensity of the acupressure. There are many options. For example…

How I use my Bed of Nails

Personally I use the “extra intensity” method and I lay on my bed of nails bare skin to mat.

When you use this method you’ll experience a gamut of sensations. When I first started doing this I would describe it as somewhat painful initially, however once you get through the first 5 minutes you start to reach a state of bliss. After 20-30 minutes, you’ll reach a state of ‘gelatinous euphoria’ where the cares of the world melt away.

I know use my Bed of Nails every night while reading or watching tv in bed and I regularly lay on it for 30, 45, even 60 minutes or more – it does wonders for relieving the stress of the day!

10 Benefits of using a Bed of Nails

People who use a bed of nails like me believe some or all or the following are the benefits of using a bed of nails…

Reduce pain in back, neck, shoulders, hips and joints.
Improved circulation. Improved Digestion.
Increased energy levels
Release tension and find a deep sense of relaxation.
Relaxing muscles and joints. Decreased muscular tension.
Minimizing headaches. Reduce blood pressure.
Increased levels of endorphin. A positive mental outlook.
Increased uptake of oxygen.
Improve sleep quality and relieve insomnia.
Fibromyalgia relief

I can’t speak to the Fibromyalgia relief or whether it reduces headaches, blood pressure, or increases O2, but…

I can tell you FOR SURE that my bed of nails reduces my stess/tension, reduces pain in my back/shoulders, improves my sleep, and gives me more energy.

Get a Bed of Nails for yourself today

If you follow my blog, you know that when I write an article about a product I only recommend products that I personally use and believe in. I’m telling you that my bed of nails is a product I can’t live without and I give it my TOP RATING.

Take my advice and consider getting a bed of nails for yourself today. As I mentioned before, I own one made by Spoonk but there are plenty to choose from on Amazon. Click the pic below and see for yourself – I have it auto-sorted by the most popular 4-star rated bed of nails choices. Your best bets are likely the following market leading brands: Nayoya, Spoonk, Bed of Nails brand, and ProSource Fit.

Shop Here – Click the Pic to see these and many more bed of nails options.

FYI – I have the one by SPOONK in the middle

After you get one and start using it, let us know how you like it.

Enjoy!

Money, Career, and Finances

How Your Budget Changes When Starting a Family

March 17, 2021 ThatHelpfulDad Leave a comment

Beginning to have your own children isn’t all about just giving birth and welcoming a child. With a child, you welcome a lot of responsibilities that add a burden to your monthly budget. Before planning to have a child, you must invest your time to come up with a strategy to manage your money. Most people are already under credit card debts, and after having a baby, they accumulate new baby debts. You have to plan properly and make sure that you balance your expenditures and don’t just keep on gathering debts. You can learn more about how to have kids without going broke on the internet.

Below are some ways in which your finances will eventually change once you have children.

Child Care Costs

Most parents want to continue with their work after having the child and for that, they have to admit their baby to the daycare centers. Let it be clear that daycare centers are expensive and you will have to plan accordingly if you are willing to admit your future child there. You will have to manage your budget accordingly, and it’s best if you start saving for the daycare expenditure before the birth of your child.

Insurance

Having your child added to your health insurance policy is very affordable and reliable as well. You basically have a total of thirty days from the day your child came into the world, to do this, thus ensuring that each and everything is covered within. It means that the increase in the monthly premium will gradually lessen the amount of your take-home pay when it comes to your first one or first two children. You can then have an estimate of your paycheck through an online app to manage your budget accordingly.

Health Care

Most health care plans will cover a wide variety of the types of checkups that might arise as your child grows, but it’s always better to keep an amount of money aside, to attend any urgent emergencies as infants are prone to different kinds of illnesses. In case your child is extra sensitive and encounters any allergies, you might have to pay an extra sum for medication for that. Additional services and therapies might disturb you financially, and therefore it is advised to save for such emergencies beforehand.

Studies

It is always better to start saving at an early age for your future kids’ college fees. Most students these days are under huge education debts. Student loan has become one the third-highest debt category in most countries in the recent years. All the parents want the best future for their children. You definitely wouldn’t want your future kid to be dumped under a high debt of education and to keep that from happening, you have to start saving for that. Consider putting aside some money out of your monthly income for this purpose, so that your upcoming kid would never suffer. The earlier you start, the better it would be for the future of your children.

House Changes

As a matter of fact, with more children, you will require more space. You need to plan at an early age about buying or renting a new house because it requires a fancy sum of money. Before you have a child, work out all the child-related expenditures, such as health insurance, and child care costs, and then estimate the remaining sum of money to work out how much you can afford to spend to move to a new bugger house. As your child gets school-going, you might have to make a decision to move to a better area with good education facilities and it might be possible that the area you are considering as relatively expensive one, so just be sure that you work this all out first.

Life Insurance

Once you plan to start a family, it is extremely important for you to have life insurance to secure the future of your kid. It often happens that either of the parents dies unexpectedly, and the child suffers for the rest of his/her life. Both of the parents must have a life insurance policy to help cover the expenses of the child in case of sudden demise. Some life insurance policies often cover the cost of a child’s education too. Even if you are a parent who is not working, you still should have a life insurance policy to aid in defraying the costs of child care.

Additional Lifestyle Changes

It all doesn’t end at the health care, child support, and house expenses. You will also be dealing with additional lifestyle changes that require money. For e.g., planning a vacation with family, Buying an extra plane ticket after you have your child, additional grocery items, and much more. These changes might seem minimal to you, but they still are accountable.

It often happens that people get so overburdened by credit card debts, and upon reaching a finance counselor, they only account for 765% of their debt. The remaining 25% goes blurry and that’s the 25% actually that you spend randomly without making any notice. Always be vigilant about where you are spending your money because that’s extremely important in order to manage your budget. You won’t be able to fix anything unless and until you don’t have proper knowledge about it.

Every parent wants to give the best future to their child and in order to give the best of everything to your future child, you really need to plan everything beforehand. The above-mentioned ways explain how the budget changes when you plan to welcome a child and be prepared for everything. It’s always better for you and your partner to start saving at an early age so that you don’t get into any budget-related troubles later. Once you have a good amount of savings in hand, you can be at peace and enjoy fully while a little new member gets added to your family.

About the Author – Abdullah Khan

“I began writing as a professional on my personal blog and then discovered my true calling, which is writing about technology, News and gadgets in general. I am a technical writer, author, and blogger since 2010. An industry watcher that stays on top of the latest features, extremely passionate about juicy tech news and everything related to gadgets.”

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Money, Career, and Finances, Productivity and Planning

6 Ideas to Improve Your B2B Job Descriptions

February 22, 2021 ThatHelpfulDad Leave a comment

Creating a great job description is a work of art. Just as it is important for a candidate to make a good first impression, the same goes for the company also.

Job descriptions are the synopsis of what the job is all about. Apart from that, a job description also contains a brief description of the company. Basically, when a candidate applies for a job position in a particular company, the first thing he or she reads is the job description.

Therefore, if you are a company and you want to recruit some new employees, then you have to make sure that the job description you are publishing is well-informed and detailed. But as a company, you might ask how we can create a perfect job description in order to attract more candidates and appropriate ones too.

Well, that is what we are going to discuss, but there is a slight filter. What we will be discussing today is for companies who are looking for B2B profile candidates. Therefore, the tips to improve your job description will be focused on B2B profiles. So, let us begin.

The Best Ways to Improve B2B Job Description

B2B is the abbreviation for Business to Business. B2B profiles in a company mean that the employee has to make business deals with other companies and not directly with the customers.

This also indicates that B2B is a corporate profile. Therefore, it is important for companies to create an impressive and attractive job description. And, companies like Atdoorstep are incorporating latest and trendy updates based on B2B jobs.

Pro tips to create a perfect B2B job description.

1-Connect more with the Candidates

The main role of any job description is to attract more candidates. Moreover, appropriate candidates are the perfect fit for the provided role. But the point is, before you post a job description, there are some questions that you need to answer first, like –

Who is the targeted audience?

This question should answer the group of candidates you are looking for, who will satisfy all the requirements for the job post. Therefore, it is very much important to do market research about current in-demand skills.

What service does your company exactly provide?

This means that how the service provided by your company can be making a difference in society. How your company is different from competing companies. It is mandatory for every company to have a unique selling point.

What are the benefits you are providing?

When a candidate applies for a job role, he surfs through numerous company options, for the same job profile. In case, your company is one of them, then in order to stand out among them, you have to create an attractive job description.

Most importantly, the point candidates usually differentiate between the companies is which company is providing the best benefits for the same job role. Therefore, while making a job description you have to make sure that you provide all the points regarding the benefits and culture of your company.

2-Give a proper Job Title

A job title is the headline of a Job description. Therefore, if you want the candidate to read the job description you have to give a proper job title. An appropriate job title tells the candidate a lot about the job profile.

Some companies use creative job titles to attract appropriate candidates. But, this concept has a fifty-fifty chance that you will get your desired candidate. As creative names are still fine, some companies come up with some weird names which in turn confuses the candidate.

Therefore, while coming up with a job title, you have to keep two things in mind — One, you have to step out of the traditional way to give a job title, which means you have to be creative enough with the title you choose for the job role. Second, you have to make sure that you don’t come up with a weird name that will give a completely different idea about the job description or the company.

3-Just keep it Simple

It is important to make sure that your job description is easily understandable and readable. Try not to use any kind of superlatives like, “the best of the best”, “world-class”, “best in the business”, etc. These superlative adjectives can scare away many candidates, especially women and freshers.

Adding more adjectives to the job description can also determine your company’s respect and values. Therefore, it is always recommended that you should keep the job description as simple and informative as possible.

4. Focus on Growth and Development

Job descriptions are meant for a piece of complete information, about the job profile, the candidate is applying for. Moreover, it also tells a little about the company, too. But, that does not mean that you will create a job description that will contain a long boring paragraph and some bullet points that will state the qualification details.

If you do so, then no one is going to even read the job description. So, get this traditional concept out of your head right now. If you want to get more number of desired candidates, then you have to be more innovative with your job description.

As for example:

You can create three or four major subheadings. One will tell a brief introduction of your company, the second will be about the complete job description. The third subhead will contain all the information about the job role, including the day-to-day responsibilities, and lastly the qualification subhead.

That’s it. The more short and crisp your job description is the more you will attract candidates. Talking about growth and development is very important. You don’t want to just talk about your company and the expectations throughout the job description. That will definitely make it more boring for the reader.

For example, you should include how your company will help the candidate with his or her future and career development. Thus, these points are very much important and attract a lot of aspirants.

Moreover, you can also include how the job role in your company will help the candidate to upgrade their skills. What kind of industry exposure, they will be getting after joining the company.

All these points are mandatory for every job description. So, if you haven’t included these in your job description, then go and change it today. You will see the result for yourself.

5. Culture is Everything

Talking about the job environment and company culture in the job description is an added value. And, many companies will agree on this point. Company culture is a key point that every candidate desperately looks for.

Getting recruited into a company is like becoming a part of a new family. And, just like that whenever an aspirant applies for a job, the first question that crosses their mind is what the job culture would be like.

Hence, if you answer this question first, in the job description, then it will be easier for candidates, and as well as you in the long run. This way the candidate will get a proper idea about the company.

6. Create a Job Urgency

This is a trick most companies use to fill up the vacancies rapidly. Despite a real urgency, companies make their job descriptions urgent as they want the candidates to think of it as an important job.

As a result, the companies get quick responses and have the liberty to shortlist, from a huge list of interested candidates. As a result, the job post will reach a huge pool of candidates.

Lastly…

Various companies have different ways of posting their Job Descriptions, but the points we have discussed above are some positive tips and tricks every company should follow in order to gain more number of desired candidates. So, if you have a company that requires new employees, then just follow the above-mentioned tips to make an attractive and eye-catching job description.

Guest Post – About the Author

Sunil Verma is an enthusiastic tech blogger with a creativity-mind and an entrepreneur in himself. His focus and passion adjoin for seeking the latest technological developments and travel. A content crafter who can enchant you with his ideas on home improvements. His love for blogging makes him an inventory and an influencer. Email Id: sunil@magicgroupinc.com

Pets

Adult Dog Training: Everything You Need to Know

February 7, 2021 ThatHelpfulDad Leave a comment

Dogs are the most beautiful creation on earth; we people find a companion in them. Dogs hit in the first position when it comes to trust and loyalty. And that’s why humans prefer dogs as pets rather than any other animal. However, most people prefer to adopt a puppy instead of a large or adult dog. It is so because they think that puppies are more comfortable to train. But the reality is that dogs can learn at any age. Adult dogs are relatively easier to train than young puppies because they are more self-controlled, and also it is essential to train dogs as they grow into adults.

Dog training is necessary whether the dog is small, medium, or large. Training the dog improves not only their behavior but also their relationship with you. Training your canine will tell them what they can do and what not, what action is right or wrong. Dog training includes teaching them some common commands, such as to sit, up, down, and training them for their regular activities. In this article, we will discuss the steps to teach an adult canine. So, let us discuss how to train your adult dog-

Preparing the dog for training-

Get some of your dog’s favorite treats-

Take a handful of treats for your canine, which you can give whenever it learns and responds to your training. Some dog breeds, such as Labradors and Beagles, are food orientated, so you need to keep aside some part of their daily kibble, which you can use as a reward. These treats are used as rewards that will encourage your canine.

Select an environment with few distractions, such as your backyard-

While training, you need to make sure that your dog listens to you instead of just watching you. Also, you need to ensure that you don’t have any toys around you, at least for the time you are training. When you are not sure about your canine’s response during the early stages of training, keep your dog on a leash.

Once your dog has learned some basic commands like sit, stay, and heel now, you can continue the training with distractions. Teaching with distractions will help your canine to understand that you expect to react to the dog in all situations and not only in the backyard.

To begin with, keep your training session short-

A typical dog training program needs two daily sessions of 15 to 20 minutes each. Also, emphasize commands by asking the dog to ‘sit’ before meals or ‘stay.’

As we humans have different personalities, so do the dogs have. This means some breeds are more trainable, attentive, and have more concentration powers. Species are German shepherd, Labradors, and Border collies are the dogs initially bred as hunting dogs.

Be sensible about the speed of progress-

Although you can teach new tricks to old dogs, it can take quite along. Do not expect an adult dog to learn things quickly, as a young puppy knows during socialization. If the dog is taking a much longer time to get trained, do not get discouraged. Stay focused, and be calm with your dog.

Deciding on what type of training method you want to use-

Using a reward-based training method-

Some dog training methods favor the dominance of the dog, and while it is good to be the leader of your canine while training. The training should be based on encouragement rather than harsh training. The principle of reward-based practice works on rewarding good behavior so that the dog will repeat it to get the treat. It would also help if you ignored the destructive behavior so that the dog will understand that bad behavior will not be rewarded, so he needs to stop it.

Learn to use the clicker training method-

Clicker training focuses on teaching a dog to associate with the click-clack of the clicker with a reward or treat. The benefit of clicker is that you can precisely aim the desired behavior in a way that is too difficult to do otherwise.

Never shout or hit your dog while training-

Always remember that shouting or scolding never has a place in dog training. If you scold or shout at your canine, it will throw a negative impact and will also affect your bonding with your four-legged buddy.

Teaching the basic commands-

Start by training the ‘sit’ command-

Teaching your canine, the ‘sit’ command will place you in control of a whole variety of solutions. Let’s say if your dog hears the doorbell and runs to bark, you can stop this behavior by asking it to sit and then rewarding it. To teach the sit command, first show the dog that you have a treat in your hand. Get the pleasure at the dog’s nose level and then take it up from the nose. Now say ‘sit,’ your canine will follow the treat, letting its head go up, and it’s bottom to go down.

Once your dog does this, regularly start skipping the treat, which will make the dog make up their mind about whether he or she gets the reward or not; they need to follow the command. Like the ‘sit’ command, you can train your dog to follow the ‘stay’ command.

Train your dog to go for the bathroom outside-

Even if you have an adult dog, if the dog is not adequately trained, you need to start from the basics. A dog usually needs to go out twice a day, needs plenty of exercises. Initially, it would be best if you took him out every hour, and when he squats or relieves himself, say the words ‘potty’ or ‘toilet,’ and when he is done, give him a big reward.

If you want to know how to potty train your puppy read further…

https://animalcreativefacts.com/how-to-house-train-a-puppy/

Conclusion:

While training an adult dog, you must remember one thing that you are preparing a dog who already has a lifetime of experience. However, training dogs is an on-going process, and also teaching a dog is not dependent on their ages. A dog can learn anything at any age. Before training an adult dog, it is always better to consider a vet and get the dog checked for any medical condition. This will let you get aware of any limitations with the dog.

About the Author

This is a guest post from our friends at AnimalCreativeFacts.com. Here’s what they write about their site: “We at animalcreativefacts will take the readers a bit closer towards the life of the animal. We are here to create a meaningful and deeper bond with the animals, for that it is essential to understand the habitat, behavior, and species of different animals. Every animal plays a vital role in our lives and embellish it. Each of us feels that we have a unique and special connection with animals, and we seek to learn more about them.”

Health and Fitness

Realizing the Impact of Your Child’s Vision on School Performance

February 1, 2021 ThatHelpfulDad Leave a comment

Children who attend school are at a point in their lives where developmental aspects of social skills, physical growth, emotional health, and cognitive growth intersect. School attendance can do more than just provide insight into the scholastic aptitudes of a child. It presents an important opportunity for vision concerns that may have gone unnoticed at home to come to light. Children who need to wear glasses are able to buy prescription safety glasses that are appropriate for school-age activities, and which will have a positive impact on school performance.

Poor Vision and Poor Academic Performance

Vision has an unmistakable impact on quality of life, but an inability to see clearly can severely alter a child’s ability to thrive in a school setting. Myopia, or short-sightedness, often starts to develop between the ages of six and 12. It creates a challenge trying to see the screen at the front of a classroom or accurately identify manipulatives the teacher may be holding. Small children aren’t usually aware of their struggle to see and won’t report their difficulties to a teacher or parent.

The early stages of myopia cause some blurriness when viewing information far away. In the school classroom, this could be key information about problem-solving, reading clues, or spelling words. Children who struggle with counting skills or identifying numbers may be labeled as having learning difficulties, when it could just be a matter of undiagnosed eye problems. Just as employees rely on prescription safety glasses in order to do their job at work, many kids need prescription glasses to help them succeed in their school environment.

An inability to clearly distinguish between letters or numbers leads to confusion in areas of literacy. Students may feel embarrassed or ashamed that they aren’t able to clearly make out what the teacher may be pointing to or what the projector is showing. Any shortcomings on the academic side of their educational experience could lead to social and personality struggles. Feelings of inferiority, embarrassment, anger, and frustration can impact a student’s engagement and motivation to work hard.

Indications of Vision Problems

Younger children have a harder time realizing when their vision changes. It is generally up to teachers and parents to notice the signs of visual struggles. Children may complain of headaches or eye pain after a certain length of time staring at the television or at the board during class. Children may rub their eyes or frequently squint when trying to focus on a distant object. Inaccurate responses or poor copy work results during class may also be an indicator that the child wasn’t able to clearly see specified information.

Glasses and the Impact on School Performance

Corrective lenses are the easiest and most affordable solution for refractive errors and visions problems. Your pediatrician may test your child’s eyes during an annual wellness exam, but you will need an optician to diagnose the problem and prescribe the right lens strength. Children should have an eye examination the first year they start school, as it could preemptively keep the child from struggling in certain areas of performance.

School-age children tend to be very active and somewhat irresponsible with delicate items like glasses. Fortunately, the same manufacturers who have created nearly indestructible prescription safety glasses that meet OSHA regulations have produced both lenses and frames that can meet the demands of a child’s lifestyle. Parents can rest easy knowing that their child will be able to reengage with classroom activities without embarrassment and see the information needed to develop their literacy and numerical skills. Clearer eyesight is both a physical and mental for kids who may have been experiencing vision problems.

While you have come to love and trust the brands at Safety Gear Pro for your own eyesight and safety needs, these same brands can help your children as well. Shop our selection for the best in protective eyewear for the whole family.

About the Author

Sarah Grace Del Rosario is The Woman Behind the Thrifty Senyorita and shares thrifty ideas about style, food, fashion, and travel.

Cooking and Recipes, Product Reviews, Traeger Grills

What’s the Best Traeger Grill?

February 1, 2021 ThatHelpfulDad Leave a comment

So you’ve decided you want to buy a wood-fired pellet grill and more specifically you want that pellet grill to be a TRAEGER Grill, but you’re still not sure which model is the best for you? If that sounds like you, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll help you learn more about the various Traeger Grill models and narrow down your choice to which model is the Best Traeger Grill for YOU.

If you love grilling, visit our new website LordofTheGrills.com where this article was originally published.

Why Buy a Traeger?

If you’re reading this article, I probably don’t need to ‘sell’ you on why the Traeger Brand is the best choice when it comes to a wood-fired pellet grill. After all Traeger was the ‘original’ pellet grill and their history dates back to 1986.

As you probably know by now Traeger makes it easy to grill however you like best – no matter which grill you go with, Traeger’s 6-in-1 ability means you can grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise and BBQ your way to pure, hardwood flavor. A fast learning curve, simple to use grilling technology, the ability to get consistent temperature control, AND great value for the money has made the Traeger Grill brand one of the most popular in the US today.

BTW – If you want to know more about Traeger’s history and why Traegers are so popular be sure to read this article: “What is a Traeger Grill and Why are Traeger Grills so popular.” For now though, let’s get to finding the best Traeger Grill for you.

Understanding the Different Models of Traeger Grill

Because there are so many Traeger Models with different names, it can be intimidating to shop for a Traeger Grill in the beginning. But have no fear, we can help you understand the differences between the Traeger Grill models.

At the time of this article, Traeger currently make 4 models of pellet grills. They are:

Traeger Portables – the most portable options of Traegers – including the Scout, Ranger, and Tailgator models. The Scout and Ranger are super mini versions, while the Tailgator looks more like a traditional Traeger but has folding legs.
Traeger Pro – The most popular options for Traeger Grills. With a mid-range price points, the Pro Series are what most people will start their Traeger journey with. What’s great about the Pro line is that you can still enjoy Traeger’s WiFire technology (wifi connectivity) so you can control your Traeger Grill with the Traeger app on your mobile device – that means you can have a beer and watch the ball game inside while your Traeger is cooking outside!
Traeger Ironwood Series – If you want to enjoy more features than the Pro offers, the Ironwood Traegers may be for you. Here you’ll find larger cooking space and more technology (TRU convection, Super Smoke Mode, DownDraft Exhaust, and more).
Traeger Timberline series – Looking for a top-of-the-line Traeger? Then The Timberline is for you – these are the biggest, macked-out Traeger’s you can buy, with up to 1300 sq inches to grill on and all the tech Traeger has to offer.
Other Models: Traeger also has models & model combinations under the names Bronson, Renegade, Texas & Lil’ Tex, Junior Elite, XL, and Commercial. Some are sold at Big Box Stores like Costco or online.

What do the NUMBERS mean on the Traeger Grill Models?

As of 2019, the number that you see on the Traeger Grill Models means how large the COOKING SURFACE is. So, for example, the Traeger Pro Series 780 Pellet Grill will have 780 square inches of cooking space. And just like that the mystery is gone!

Best Traeger Grills

It’s now time to look at the best Traeger Grills, we’re going to give you one model from each of the four model lines. That means the best Portable Traeger Grill, the best Traeger Pro Series Grill, the Best Traeger Ironwood Grill, and the Best Traeger Timberline Grill. Knowing what’s the best from each line should help you narrow down your choice and make the best buying decision for your family. Let’s get to it…

Best Traeger Portable Grill

Traeger Tailgater 20 — Traeger Tailgator 20

Winner: Traeger Tailgator 20

Unless space is severely limited and/or you just must have a tabletop unit, if you want a true Traeger Grill experience in a portable model, do yourself a favor and choose the Traeger Tailgater 20 Grill. There’s nothing wrong with the Traeger Scout and Ranger models, but they don’t compare to the experience of the Traeger Tailgater 20.

Why is the Traeger Tailgater 20 the best Traeger Portable Grill?

From game days to getaways, bring wood-fired flavor everywhere with the new Tailgater 20. Featuring a compact, portable design, it’s prime for balconies, tailgating or anywhere else you want to take 6-in-1 versatility and superior taste. And now it comes armed with Traeger’s Digital Arc controller for more precise, consistent temperatures and a Keep Warm Mode that keeps food fresh until chow time.

That means that with the Traeger Tailgater 20 you can enjoy all the benefits of that true wood-pellet grilling experience AND take it with you! With foldable legs and a total weight around 60 lbs, the Traeger Tailgator 20 is easy to transport. But don’t let it’s light weight fool you, this is a real Traeger grill that uses a hopper for wood pellets and the hopper is big enough to hold 8 lbs of wood pellets so you can still cook for 5-6 hours without refilling.

Traeger Tailgator 20 Features

The Traeger Tailgator 20 is also big enough to cook a nice meal on. The grilling space is 20 x 15 inches which is 300 square inches. That’s the right size to cook multiple rib racks, a couple chickens, a boat load of burgers, and more.

Other features of the Traeger Tailgater 20 include:

Digital Arc Controller allows you to set the temperature in 5-degree increments
Keep Warm Mode ensures food is “hot-off-the-grill” no matter when you eat
Advanced Grilling Logic for precise temperature performance
Meat Probe to check temps without lifting the lid
300 sq. in. (20″ x 15″) Grilling Area
EZ-Fold Legs

Traeger Tailgater 20 Grilling Capacity

Here’s what you can fit on a Traeger Tailgator 20…

Traeger Tailgator 20 Video Review

Here’s a very thorough video review of the Traeger Tailgator 20 from Jus’ Piddlin BBQ…

Traeger Tailgater 20 – Current Prices

Ready to buy a Traeger Tailgater 20? Check the latest price here…

Best Traeger Pro Series Grill

Winner: Traeger Pro 780 Grill

The Pro Series line of Traeger Grills is the most popular and it offers you the most model choices – by far. Check out this chart and see just SOME of the models in the Traeger Pro series lineup.

Which Traeger Grill Pro Series Model is right for you?

From the list I showed you in the pic above, you’re best bets are going to be either the Traeger Pro 780 or the Pro 575.

The other Pro Series models you see only have the basic digital controller, but the Traeger Pro 780 and Pro 575 both have Traeger’s new WiFire Controller (which will give you the option of controlling temps from your mobile device) along with other newer features not always available in older Pro models.

How do you decide between the Traeger Pro 780 vs 575?

We recommend the Traeger Pro 780 over the Traeger Pro 575?

The most popular Traeger Grill Pro Series model (especially for newbies) is the Traeger Pro 575 however we are recommending you strongly consider the Traeger Pro 780.

Check Current Prices of the Traeger 575 & 780

You really can’t go wrong with either model, but you can go RIGHTER (if that’s a word?) with the Traeger Pro 780 because time and again on forums and Facebook groups you’ll hear people who have the 575 say “I wished they would have bought the 780 instead.”

Why do people like the Traeger 780 vs the 575? It really comes down to grilling SPACE. Remember, the Traeger Pro 575 has 575 square inches of grilling space, while the Traeger Pro 780 has 780 square inches. That’s a pretty big difference.

The fact is that you will LOVE whichever Traeger model you get and you will WANT to cook on it all the time. That means you’ll be cooking for more and more people and trying new and different things – the Traeger Pro 780 will give you the space you need to experiment on it to your heart’s delight.

If you want a Traeger Pro Series Grilll and you have the budget, then get the Traeger Pro 780 over the Pro 575.

Traeger Pro 780 Features

The Traeger Pro Series is the best-selling pellet grill in the world and the all-new Traeger Pro 780 grill just got better with an enhanced controller that uses WiFIRE® technology. WiFIRE® allows you to monitor and adjust your grill anytime, anywhere from the Traeger app on your smartphone. Here’s a quick intro to WiFire tech on a Traeger…

The Traeger Pro 780 has a LOT more than just WiFire. It also includes all the following features too…

Pro D2 controller – as easy as using an oven. Just turn the dial to the desired temp, hit Ignite, and you’re Trailering.
Wifire technology – allows you to monitor and adjust your grill anywhere.
Pro D2 direct drive – Improves searing and let’s you cook Low and slow or hot and fast.
Turbotemp – Lightning fast start Up times and quicker recovery.

Check out all these great features of the Traeger Pro 780 Grill in this picture essay…

What’s all this add up to?

The Traeger Pro 780 Series wifi pellet grills now starts quicker, heats up faster, and puts out better smoke quality giving you consistent results infused with wood-fired flavor every time!

How much can you cook on a Traeger Pro 780 at one time?

The Traeger Pro 780 has enough capacity to cook the following at the same time: 6 rib racks, or 6 full chickens, or even 34 burgers!

What about the Traeger Pro Series 34 vs Traeger Pro 780?

The Traeger Pro Series 34 is an awesome “1st Generation” Traeger and it’s actually BIGGER than the Traeger pro 780 that I’m recommending. The Traeger Pro Series 34 has 884 square inches of grilling space vs 780 square inches on the Traeger Pro 780. The additional grilling space on the Traeger Pro Series 34 will let you cook another rack of ribs (7 vs 6), 2 more chickens (8 vs 6), or 6 more burgers (40 vs 34).

The Traeger Pro Series 34 is consistently highly rated on Amazon and other sites and if you need the biggest Pro series grill, then the Traeger Pro Series 34 could be for you, BUT you’ll be giving up all the new tech that comes standard on the Traeger Pro 780 – that includes the WiFire technology and more. If the tech doesn’t matter and you just want SPACE, then the Traeger Pro Series 34 is a great buy, just know what you’re giving up so you can make an informed decision.

Learn more about the Traeger Pro Series 34.

Traeger Pro 780 Grill – Current Prices

Ready to buy the Traeger Pro 780 Grill? Check the latest price here…

Best Traeger Ironwood Grill

Winner: Traeger Ironwood 885

The Traeger Ironwood Series Grills currently come in two sizes The Ironwood 650 and Ironwood 885. As with the Pro 575 and 780 the only difference is grilling space. As with the Pro recommendation, (if you have the budget) we’re suggesting you go with the Ironwood 885 so you don’t regret the lack of space later.

Traeger Ironwood vs Traeger Pro Series

The Traeger Ironwood series is a newer line than the Traeger Pro line and the Ironwood models offer a couple more features that may or may not be important to you. Here’s a video comparison of the Traeger Ironwood 650 and Ironwood 885 vs Traeger Pro 575 and Pro 780…

Traeger Ironwood vs Traeger Pro

The quick summary is the Traeger Ironwood has all the best features of the Treager Pro AND also includes double side-walled insulation, a free side-shelf, an adjustable lower grill grate, a slightly larger hopper, Traeger’s Downdraft Exhaust System, and the Tru Convection option.

Traeger threads on Reddit and other forums about the Ironwood vs the Pro are somewhat mixed, however the majority of people who have actually purchased the Traeger Ironwood seem to be really happy with it – especially as the Downdraft Exhaust and Tru Convection seem to provide more smoke in the chamber longer for more smoke flavor.

Traeger Ironwood Video

Ironwood 650 vs Ironwood 885 Cooking Capacity

Here’s what you can cook on the Traeger Ironwood 650 vs 885 models…

Traeger Ironwood 650 & 885 Current Prices

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Best Traeger Timberline Grill

Winner: Traeger Timberline 1300 “The Beast”

The Traeger Timberline Series Grills is not for the faint of heart – these are the mack daddy Traeger Grills for home cooks with only the Commercial Line offering larger sizes. There are currently two Timberline sizes: Traeger Timberline 850 and Traeger Timberline 1300. Again the only difference is the grilling space: 850 square inches or 1300 square inches. You’re going to be approaching $2000 for the Timberline but if you’re reading this and considering a Timberline, I’m assuming budget is not really an issue for you and therefore I’m assuming you’ll want the best of the best – that’s the Timberline 1300.

Traeger Timberline Video

Traeger Timberline Features

The Traeger Timberline grills are Traeger’s premier outdoor cooking solution. You’ll get all the best features of the Pro Series AND all of the following too…

Timberline D2® Controller
WiFIRE® Technology
Timberline D2® Direct Drive
TurboTemp®
GrillGuide®
Three tiers of stainless steel grates
Double-wall stainless steel interior
Pellet Sensor
Magnetic Bamboo Cutting Board
Concealed Grease Management System

Traeger Ironwood vs Timberline Grills

Here’s a great video review by Embers Outdoor Living on the differences between the Traeger Ironwood vs Timberline Grills…

Here’s a quick summary of the differences between the Traeger Ironwood vs Timberline grills…

Cooking Space: Timberline offer 885 or 1300 square inches of grilling space vs the 650 or 885 square inches on the Ironwood
# of Racks: Timberline has 3 vertical cooking racks vs Ironwood single rack + warming shelf
Grill Grate Materials: Timberline features solid 304 stainless steel cooking grates vs the Ironwood ironwood porcelain coated grates.
Grill Hood: Timberline has a full doubled lined hood (not just side walls) and a gasket all the way around the grill that is commercial grade (which could help with keeping cooking temps consistent in colder weather).
Hopper Sensor – Timberline’s hopper sensor alerts you when your wood pellets are getting low.
Bamboo Cutting Board – standard with the Timberline.

Traeger Timberline 850 and 1300 Grilling Capacity

Here’s a look at what you can cook on the Traeger Timberline grills.

Traeger Timberline 850 & 1300 Current Prices

The Traeger Timberline series is harder to find online and are often sold out even on Traeger’s site.

If you want a Traeger Timberline, you’re best best is to use Traeger’s Find a Dealer Tool.

You’ll likely see prices for the Traeger Timberline 850 around $1800 and the Traeger Timberline 1300 around $2000.

What’s the Best Traeger Grill? Final Verdict

Like I said early on, the Best Traeger Grill is the one that’s right for YOU. We’ve given you four great options to choose from and hopefully helped you narrow down your choice to 1 or 2 best Traeger models that you’ll be happy with. That said, we’re not going to totally cop out on you without giving you are Best “Overall” Traeger Grill choice – or in this case choices…

Best Traeger Grill At/Under $1000

Traeger Pro 780

If your budget is really tight go with the Traeger Pro 575, but if you can get closer to $1000 go with the Traeger Pro 780 and don’t look back.

Best Traeger Grill Overall

Traeger Ironwood 885

While the Traeger Timberline is very cool (if you can find it), we’re not completely sure that the extra features are worth it compared to the Ironwood Series.

Personally we believe the Ironwood Series is the sweet spot of Traegerhood.

In the case of the Ironwood, we DO believe the value for the money is there with the extra features you’ll enjoy with the Ironwood over the pro line: for a bit more money you’re getting a lot, including double side-walled insulation, a free side-shelf, an adjustable lower grill grate, a slightly larger hopper, Traeger’s Downdraft Exhaust System, and the Tru Convection option – as I noted earlier, actual Traeger Ironwood users in online forums say time and again they are happy with their purchase decision.

The Ironwood 650 is a wonderful Traeger Grill and the Traeger Ironwood 885 is our Best Traeger Grill Overall Winner.

Best Traeger Grill Combo Buy for Under $1500

But wait, there’s more. If you find yourself traveling a lot and wishing you had a Traeger Grill with you, you may want to consider going with the COMBO of the Traeger Pro 780 and the Traeger Tailgeter 20. You should be able to get both for under $1500 (which is the likely price you’ll pay for the Ironwood 885 and less than either of the Timberline models). You would only do this if you cook often away from the house and in this case you’ll be sacrificing some technology in favor of portability but it’s a great way to stretch your dollar farther.

Traeger Pro 780 + Traeger Tailgater 20

Best Traeger Grill – Conclusion

Well there you have it, our choice for the Best Traeger Grill. Do you agree with these recommendations? Do you have a different opinion. Are you a Traeger owner? If so, what model do you have and what tips do you have to share?

What to Read Next?

Product Reviews, Sports

Best Portable Basketball Hoops for 2021

January 29, 2021 ThatHelpfulDad Leave a comment

We wanted to get our boys a basketball hoop for the driveway and so began searching for the “best portable basketball hoop” – I found a variety of recommendations. In this article I’ll share some of the resources we used to find the right portable hoop for our family. Hopefully these tips can help you too.

7 Best Portable Basketball Hoops – Site #1

VeryWellFit.com seems to give good advice about a variety of fitness and sports products. Here’s their list of the best portable basketball hoops.

Best Overall: Spalding The Beast Glass Portable Basketball Hoop at Amazon
- 60” glass backboard with a 50+ gallon base to keep your portable hoop in place.”
Best Budget: SKLZ Pro Mini Hoop Basketball System at Amazon
- Flexible enough to use anywhere from your driveway to your swimming pool.”
Best Acrylic Backboard: Spalding NBA Portable Basketball System at Amazon
- “This portable hoop has an impressive 60-inch backboard that’s constructed from high-quality acrylic.”
Best for Families: Lifetime Height Adjustable Portable Basketball System at Amazon
- “18-inch standard steel rim you need to practice for league games or casual street competitions.” 54 inch model 71524
Best for the Pool: Lifetime Pool Side Basketball System at Amazon
- “Same shatterproof backboard and adjustable height as many regular hoops, but it’s got UV-protected inks to prevent fading.”
Best for Kids: Lifetime Youth Portable Basketball Hoop at Amazon
- “Specially sized 32-inch backboard and 15-inch rim—the ideal size for a kid’s basketball hoop.”

About VFW’s Top Choice Spalding The Beast

Spalding NBA “The Beast” Portable Basketball System

According to VWF, Spalding’s Beast system has a 60” glass backboard with a 50+ gallon base to keep your portable hoop in place. This hoop adjusts from 7.5 feet to 10 feet with a simple screw jack adjustment, and the four strut pole/base mount keeps the entire system more secure than other portable hoops. The multi-wheel castors and engaging handle make it easy to move, but you can fill the base with plenty of water or sand to secure it while you’re playing.

5 Best Portable Basketball Hoops – Site #2

I also found the site OutsidePursuits.com to be helpful. The hoops they recommend tend to be on the more budget friendly side of things so you won’t find the top-of-the-line options in their list but you will find good options for less money.

You’ll note that they have identified similar hoops in their list of the 5 best portable basketball hoops. I like to see the same hoop picked on multiple sites because it validates the hoop as being a good choice in my mind.

About the Spalding Pro Slam 54″ Basketball Hoop

OP said “The Spalding Pro Slam Portable NBA 54″ Angled Pole Backboard Basketball System is our editors pick, and rightfully so. it offers a highly durable 54″ polycarbonate backboard designed to stand up to years of everyday wear and tear and provides excellent weather resistance.”

Spalding Pro Slam Portable NBA 54″ Angled Pole Backboard Basketball System at a Glance

Backboard: Spalding NBA 54″ Polycarbonate Backboard *Constructed of a polycarbonate backboard material
Height: Hoop height is adjustable from 7.5-feet to 10-feet in 6-inch increments
Base: 34-gallon base
Pole: Angled, strong steel pole design
Hoop/Net: Comes with break-away rim system and net

Best Portable Basketball Hoops – Site #3

The site called SimplyTheBestof.com had numerous similar hoops on their list which is as follows…

Best Portable Basketball Hoops – Site #4

I think the site TheHoopsGeek.com is really good for this particular topic. They’ve got 6 hoops identified as the best portable hoops – again you’re going to see some similar names, but I also like how they identified the size of the BASE – that helps to keep in mind because the bigger the base the more stable the hoop.

The Best Portable Basketball Hoops:

Basketball Hoop	Volume of Base	Backboard Size	Backboard Material
Lifetime Pro Court	27 gallons	44 inches	Polyethylene
Lifetime Front Court	34 gallons	50 inches	Polycarbonate
Lifetime 52″ MVP	35 gallons	52 inches	Polycarbonate
Silverback NXT	35 gallons	54 inches	Acrylic
Spalding NBA Pro Tek	40 gallons	54 inches	Tempered Glass
Spalding “The Beast”	55 gallons	60 inches	Tempered Glass

Top 10 Portable Basketball Hoops Ranking

Finally the site SportsGearLab.com is another site I used for my research. They have 10 best hoops listed – are you starting to see a trend with the same names coming up over and over again? I’d recommend you strongly consider one of the repeat names for the hoop you choose.

Name	Backboard	Price
1. Silverback NXT Portable Basketball Hoop	50” Glass	$$$$
2. Lifetime 90061 Portable Basketball System	52” Shatterproof Acrylic	$$$
3. Lifetime 71566 XL Height Adjustable Portable Basketball System	50” Shatterproof Polycarbonate	$$
4. Spalding NBA Hybrid Portable Basketball System	54” Acrylic	$$$
5. Lifetime 51550 Courtside Height Adjusable Portable Basketball System	48” Shatterproof Polycarbonate	$$
6. Lifetime 90061 Portable Basketball System	52” Shatterproof Polycarbonate	$$$
7. SKLZ Portable Basketball System	50” Shatterproof Polycarbonate	$$
8. Lifetime 1531 Portable Basketball System	48” Shatterproof Polycarbonate	$$
9. Spalding Pro Slam Portable Basketball System	54” Acrylic	$$
10. Spalding NBA Hercules Portable Basketball System	50” Acrylic	$$$
Name	Backboard	Price

About the Silverback NXT Portable Basketball Hoop

SportsGearLab.com says “The price may be scary, but the quality shows: this is one of the best portable hoops you can buy. The 50” tempered glass backboard is as close to pro as most backyards will ever see, and as big as most home players need. The polycarbonate backboard is tough and offers excellent rebound for more exciting play. Whether you’re shooting hoops on your own or battling it out in a 3 on 3 backyard game, you’ll find your skills challenged with every throw

The super-sturdy 25-gallon base features a four-strut z-frame pole mount for extra rigidity, but despite its solidity during play, its unusual multi-wheel base design gets this system top marks for portability before and after a game. The easy-to-use screw jack height adjustment system gives you room to grow, starting at a challenging 7.5’ and moving up to regulation 10’ for when you feel like a pro.

We think Silverback’s NXT is the best portable basketball hoop out there – if you’re serious about basketball, there’s so much to like.”

How to Shop for a Portable Basketball Hoop

It’s important to keep some things in mind when you are shopping for a portable basketball hoop. Remember these tips…

TheHoopsGeek.com also had some EXCELLENT tips to share about what to look for in a quality hoop…

Backboard

Whether you want to practice the iconic Tim Duncan bank shot or work on your lay-ups, the backboard of your hoop better be of good quality! You want to look for these three factors:

1. Size of the backboard:

The regulation basketball backboard used in the NBA and NCAA is 72 inches wide and 42 inches high, but you will rarely see a backboard of these dimensions in a driveway. If money’s no object and you are building a professional basketball court in your backyard, then go for a 72″ backboard (and an in-ground basketball hoop). Otherwise, there are more sensible options on the market.

Backboards usually start at 44 inches wide, which is very small, makes layups hard and bank shots almost impossible. Backboards offering better playability start at 54″ inches. These give a much more professional feel and allow for easy layups and angled floaters. More expensive, high-quality hoops often come with 60″ backboards while regulation 72″ backboards are almost entirely reserved for the most luxurious and professional basketball goals on the market.

2. The material of the backboard:

Backboards are usually made of either one of these three materials:

Polyethylene (or Polycarbonate) is a fancy name for plastic and is most often used for the cheapest basketball hoops. It has one significant advantage: it is almost indestructible and, therefore, a great option if you are looking for a basic hoop that will last you for years. If you want a high-quality basket, however, plastic has two problems. The rebound effect is pretty bad, which means the ball basically stops dead once it hits the backboard. Also, the look of plastic boards just screams “kids hoops”.Acrylic backboards are a definite step up from cheap polyethylene backboards. Transparency offers a much more professional look. Unfortunately, acrylic is a very soft material and will pick up scratches over time, which will slowly spoil the great look.

Acrylic is very popular with hoops in the moderate price range because it weighs considerably less than tempered glass. This reduction of weight means that the support structure doesn’t have to be as sturdy in order to support the weight of the backboard. Unfortunately, lighter basketball hoops are more susceptible to wind, and the rebound response of the backboard is only average.

Tempered glass is the material used in professional basketball hoops in the NBA, NCAA and all over the world. It is by far the heaviest material used in backboards and requires a solid base and support pole. In return, you are rewarded with the best playing experience by far, with a true rebound response which makes layups and bank shots so much more satisfying.

On top of these advantages, tempered glass doesn’t scratch easily and keeps its clean look forever, unlike other materials which tend to yellow out after being exposed to the sun for too long.

3. Offset of the backboard:

The offset of the backboard describes the distance between the backboard and the support pole. If the offset is too small, it is easy to crash into the basketball post after a layup or dunk attempt.

Professional basketball goals feature an overhang of at least 4 feet, but portable ones usually have far less, which is no problem if you just practice your shooting. But if you want to play real games, make sure that the overhang is deep enough, otherwise, padding the goal post is a good idea.

Rim

The rim diameter of 18 inches is the same for every hoop on the market. What is different, however, is the way the rim is attached to the backboard:The standard rim is simply screwed into the lower backboard. This construction gives the rim a lot of stability, but it also results in a lot of long rebounds and shots that bounce in and out. You also don’t want to dunk on a rim like that, where all the force is transmitted (unchecked) onto the backboard. On rims like these, it is easy to injure your hands or tear down a part of the backboard.

Breakaway basketball rims with compression springs dampen the bounce of your shots, resulting in the “soft touch” every shooter loves. If you plan to dunk on your basketball hoop, a breakaway rim is mandatory. These rims come in two different variations: cheaper versions with exposed compression springs or more expensive and more durable rims with covered springs offering better rust protection.

Support Pole

A stable and robust support pole is very important for the stability of a basketball hoop. Most portable basketball goals these days have the ability to adjust the height. Adjustable basketball hoops are great for kids who want to learn the game (or adults who want to pretend they can dunk), but it makes the construction of stable support poles difficult. Cheap and moderately-priced hoops often use three-piece pole constructions. If you want something less shaky, look for two-piece support poles – usually reserved for more expensive basketball hoops.

The height adjustment systems also differ widely in quality and ease of use. Cheap basketball goals often use a telescope pole fixed by a knob in 6-inch increments. More expensive hoops like the Spalding NBA system offer a screw jack adjustment system, which is much easier to use and allows you to choose any height between 7.5′ and 10′.

Base

The base is one of the most important parts of any portable basketball hoop. Not only does it provide the hoop with the necessary stability but it’s also a crucial part of its portability.

The base usually includes a container that is filled with water or sand. The bigger the capacity of the base, the more stability it provides.

Pro Tip: Add Base Gel to the water of the base to create a firm and stable gel that keeps your base from cracking in the winter, prevents leakage and adds extra stability. Beginner hoops often come with a capacity of around 27 gallons. But the plastic backboards of these basketball goals are rather light, so the base doesn’t need to be very heavy. More advanced hoops (with bigger backboards made from acrylic) usually come with heavier bases with a volume of around 35 gallons. The base of the most expensive (and much heavier) hoops can easily exceed 50 gallons, which has the negative side effect that it hurts the portability to some degree.

If you need to move the hoop after every basketball session and portability is very important to you, you should make sure that the base has wheels. Fortunately, this is the case for almost all portable basketball hoop these days.

FAQ’s for Portable Basketball Hoops

Finally, I found the site GearHungry.com to have a helpful FAQ for portable hoops. Maybe it will help you too.

Q: What is a portable basketball hoop?

A: A portable basketball hoop is a hoop that you can move, such as the name. But why do they exist when you have plenty of existing products that allow you to shoot hoops on a lazy Sunday afternoon? We will let you in on a not-so-exclusive secret; some homes won’t allow you to fix a basketball hoop to the house, nor will they permit in-ground hoops to stand there permanently.

It is from such policies that portable hoops were born. The no-commitment design makes them a highly attractive product, and they are arguably much more appealing than more traditional models. The portability makes it easy to transport from the driveway to the backyard or even store them in the garage throughout winter.

The construct is with the same durability and quality that traditional hoops are, which provides peace of mind and ensures longevity. They are adjustable, stable, and all-around versatile products suitable for just about anybody.

Q: Should I put water or sand in my portable basketball hoop?

A: As basketball hoops are top-heavy models, you need something to ground them. Some might expect to fill the base with concrete. However, this can come with a range of issues. For one, the concrete will harden, causing it to expand, which could split the base. Concrete is also heavy, which will eliminate the benefits of portability. Instead, you need to look at sand or water.

Most portable hoops are compatible with both sand and water, so it’s really up to you what you use. Water is more accessible, and it is also easy to remove if needed. Conversely, sand can be a little tricky to source, and you might find it difficult to remove from the base.

One benefit sand has, though, is that it will stay in the base longer. If there is a leak in the bottom, water will drain no matter what. However, as sand can pack together, you may lose a few grains, but not everything.

Q: Are portable basketball hoops safe?

A: Portable basketball hoops are safe, but only if you use them correctly. The first best way to ensure complete safety is to fill the base to the maximum capacity, outlined in the instruction manual or product page. Filling it will provide enough weight to balance the structure properly, preventing the risk of it toppling over, even in high winds. However, for additional confidence, secure it in place with a rope if possible.

As much as dunking and hanging on the hoop are tempting, you should avoid it. The extra weight on your side will interfere with the equilibrium; the hoop will fall forward, with you dragging it down, potentially causing injury, or you could end up stuck beneath the structure entirely.

You should take care when assembling the hoop, especially if you are a child. Portable basketball hoops are relatively easy to assemble, some parts can be heavy, and it might require two people to provide adequate support.

Q: Where should I put my portable basketball hoop?

A: The beauty of a portable basketball hoop is that you can put it wherever there is space, working as both indoor and outdoor portable basketball hoops. As long as there is enough room to wheel it into position, you can shoot hoops all day long.

Most people will keep the hoop in the driveway or front yard, as it will offer the most space and give you and your buddies a decent area to move around without damaging flowerbeds, plants, or garden furniture. However, you can also take it to the park or use it at school for basketball tournaments, especially with teams using reduced numbers.

When you aren’t using your hoop, you can keep it on the driveway, but it’s worth emptying the water if you live in cold climates to prevent it from freezing. If you do this, lie the hoop flat, so it doesn’t blow over. If you consider the hoop unsightly when you’re not using it, disassemble it or adjust it to the lowest height setting and store it in the garage or around the back of the house if there is enough space.

Cooking and Recipes, Health and Fitness, Healthy Eating

Keto Questions: What to Ask a Waiter When Dining Out

January 24, 2021 ThatHelpfulDad Leave a comment

Are you planning to go to a restaurant in the evening? Wonderful! This guide will help you ask proper questions before ordering a delicious and nutritious keto dinner.

These tips will help you in choosing the right meals before the first order. Whether you’re heading out to meet friends, dine with coworkers, or have a BBQ with family, we’ve got ideas for how to stay on a keto diet. In any restaurant, you can find and order low-carb meals. Try to follow our tips and learn everything you need to ask before in order to stay in ketosis.

Plan ahead

Give up bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, choose starch-free dishes:

If you order a main course in a restaurant, you can ask a waiter to substitute starchy foods with salad or additional vegetables.
When ordering a sandwich or burger, ask for the salad to replace the bread bun. Maybe they have ezekiel bread keto.
If they refuse to make a replacement, choose another dish from the menu.

If your meal does contain starchy foods, you can do one of the following: leave the meal intact (if possible), or carefully separate the carbohydrates from the entire meal before you start eating.

If you feel uncomfortable and others (the waiter, friends, or colleagues) seem to be asking for an explanation, refer to stomach problems, food allergies, or a special diet. We often depend on others’ opinions and want to match our environment, but health should come first. Always choose the dishes you feel are right and do not give in to pressure from those who have accompanied you for lunch or dinner.

Add healthy fats

Dishes in a restaurant may contain a small amount of fat, in which case it will be challenging satisfying hunger without eating carbohydrates. Solve the problem by merely adding fat to the ordered food:

Ask a waiter for an extra serving of butter and add it to vegetables or meat.
Ask for olive oil and vinegar for salad dressings and meat dishes.
Some restaurants serve cheaper, highly processed vegetable oils instead of olive oil. They are rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which can be discreetly overused. To avoid this, many experienced low-carb dieters bring a small bottle of olive oil to their restaurant and ask for change before order.
Ask for heavy cream for coffee or tea.

Watch out for sauces and seasonings

Choose sauces carefully, such as Béarnaise, which are mostly fatty, while ketchup is primarily carbohydrates.

If you doubt the correct sauce, ask about the ingredients that make it up before you order anything. Avoid sauces that contain sugar, flour, or other starch thickeners. You can ask to serve the sauce separately to decide how much to add to your meal. You should learn detailed information on what spices, oils, and fats you can eat on a keto diet before order.

Choose your drinks with care

Water, soda, tea, or coffee can be ordered at the restaurant if you are on a keto diet.

If you want to order alcohol, then choose champagne, dry wine, or spirits, neat or with soda. Try to learn any guide to alcohol on keto, and you’ll find detailed information on low-carb alcoholic drinks.

Think about dessert

Are you still hungry? If not, enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea while others get down to dessert. If you go to a restaurant in the evening, you can order herbal tea or decaf coffee instead of coffee.

If you’re hungry and want something else to eat, ask for a cheese platter or berries with whipped cream. Add cream or butter to your coffee; this may be enough to satisfy your hunger.

Satisfy your hunger beforehand

Eat something fatty before placing an order. Nuts, olives, or cheese are good choices. You will stay full and can easily avoid eating high-carb meals that are served earlier than others. Having a pre-snack before an order will help you stay on top of your keto diet at the party.

Conclusion

Feel free to ask! If you haven’t found any items on the menu that fit the keto diet, feel free to improvise, and ask for something that fits into the low-carb diet. Focus on healthy foods you can enjoy – sustainable-seafood, salads, cold cuts, and vegetable platters. Be sure to add healthy fats to your meal: olive oil, butter, sour cream, and cheese. After eating delicious low-carb foods, cravings for high-carb, unhealthy foods will noticeably decrease.

Do you have your perfect restaurant keto food? Do you ask the waiter about the ingredients before ordering? We would love to hear about your experience!

About the Author

ThatHelpfulDad.com is happy to share a guest post by Author Reeve. Here is more about him…

“My name is Adam Reeve and I have been a professional personal trainer and fitness instructor for over 10 years. Also, I’m a life coach, wellness writer, and low carb diet enthusiast.“

Online Streaming TV Tips, Product Reviews

The Best 4K Projectors for 2021

December 20, 2020 ThatHelpfulDad 1 Comment

If you’re in the market for a 4K Projector and you’d like some recommendations for the best 4K movie projectors for different situations, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I’ll give you our top picks for the best 4K projectors in SIX different categories – including those focused looking for home theater projectors, gaming projectors, smart-projectors, short throw projectors, portable projectors, and our top picks overall – ALL of them 4K models that are sure to give you the ultimate 4K projector experience!

When it comes to 4K projectors, the primary names to know are BenQ, Epson, Optoma, and Sony – these brands will generally have something great for most people. That said, we’ll also be examining a few other 4k projectors from the likes of LG, VAVA, and AAXA for those customers with specific needs (short-throw, portability, smart features, and the budget category). If you’re really serious about finding the best 4K projector for YOUR needs – you’re sure to find it on this page.

Best 4K Projectors – Summary

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Best 4K Projector Overall

There are two 4K projectors that we believe are the “Best Overall” – they are the BENQ HT3550 and the EPSON 5050UB. Before we showcase them to you, it’s important to understand HOW we decided what makes a 4K projector the ‘best overall.” In order to earn this rating from us, we require the 4K Projector to have ALL of the following:

It’s made by a company that is well-known for projectors;
It has all of the top features expected by shoppers (true 4K resolution, ultra high contrast ratio, super bright lumens, etc);
It has quality warranty;
It has 100’s of consumer ratings that have at least 85% 4-star or above ratings;
It has to be affordable to the majority of shoppers in this class;

There may be some 4K projectors that have better ‘specs’ than the two 4k projectors we chose for our “Best Overall” rating (especially those in the ‘High End Home Theater” Category) and while those 4K projectors may be technically superior to the two projectors we chose for our top rating, those ‘higher spec’ projectors (while awesome!) just didn’t have enough consumer reviews to back them up and/or they were simply too expensive for most consumers to afford. When you parse out ALL the data, we belive the BENQ HT3550 and the EPSON 5050UB offer the best value for the money and thus they have earned our “Best Overall” Ratings!

#2 Overall – BenQ HT3550

The BenQ HT3550 is our runner-up pick for the Best Overall 4K Projector for most consumers. It’s a fantastic 4K projector and it’s available at a great price for all that it offers.

BenQ HT3550

TRUE 4K PROJECTOR: 3840 x 2160 resolution consisting of 8.3 million pixels that provide amazing clarity and crisply defined fine details while gaming or watching movies.
SUPER CLARITY: Contrast Ratio of 30,000:1 and 2000 Lumens delivers true blacks and amazing pictures.
FLEXIBILITY: vertical lens shift and short throw with 1. 3x big zoom lens enable use in smaller spaces.
CONNECTIVITY: 2.5A USB port, USB3.0, two HDMI ports, and optical SPDIF ports.
INDUSTRY LEADING WARRANTY: BenQ’s 3-year warranty.
DLP TECHNOLOGY: DLP is used in 90% of the world’s cinemas and 100% of digital IMAX theaters.

#1 Overall – EPSON 5050UB

If you want a 4K projector that ticks all the boxes and provides the perfect confluence of price-to-value, you can do no better than the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB 4K PRO-UHD 3-Chip Projector. Don’t just take my word for it – on nearly every review site you find this projector on, you’ll see it almost exclusively rated with 5-stars. On Amazon alone, it’s got 100’s of reviews and over 85% are 5-star ratings – that’s the most consistent of any projector on this page!

Epson Home Cinema 5050UB

TRUE 3 CHIP PROJECTOR DESIGN : Full 10 bit HDR color processing accepting 100 Percent of the HDR source information to faithfully reproduce HDR content for an exceptional visual performance
SUPER CLARITY: 1,000,000:1 Contrast (yes you read that right) and 2600 Lumens for super clarity and brightness.
Epson “ULTRA BLACK” technology : Epson’s proprietary Compensation filter controls the polarization of light itself.
LCD TECHNOLOGY is preferred by those who fear the ‘rainbow’ effect sometimes seen with DLP projectors.
CONNECTIVITY: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x USB Type A, 1x LAN (RJ45), 1x Computer/D-sub 15-pin, 1x RS-232c, Trigger out. Including Hemi 2. 0 support that’s fully compatible with virtually all color formats, depths, and spaces while simultaneously supporting 4K HDR content at a full 60 Hertz. This allows for outstanding Compatibility with the latest 4K HDR content and next generation gaming hardware

NOTE: if you’re wondering the difference between the Epson 5050UB vs Epson 5050UBE the answer is not much – they are a similar 4k projectors but the Epson 5050UBE has a WIRELESS transmitter included – you can view the Epson 5050UBE here.

When to choose the BenQ HT3550 vs Epson 5050UB?

There is no ‘right’ answer to this question and it often comes down to whether you’re a BenQ fanatic or an Epson advocate. But if you’re looking for some objective decisions, consider the following points to ponder.

If you’re budget is under $2,000, then the ONLY choice is the BenQ HT3550. It’s a steal for well below that price.
If you’re a fan of LCD, you’ll choose Epson. If you believe in DLP and don’t ‘fear the rainbow’ then go with the BenQ. (Personally I have never had a problem with a rainbow effect on my BenQ).
If contrast ratio is your thing, the Epson’s 1,000,000:1 constrast ratio blows the BenQ’s 30,000:1 constrast ratio away – yet whether these ‘lab values’ translate to the real world for the Average Joe like you and me is hard to say.
If consumer reviews matter, the Epson has 100’s of reviews with combined 93% 4to5-star ratings (which is pretty incredible), while the BenQ has “only” 85% combined 4to5-star ratings – although this is with double the number of reviews (nearly 500 on Amazon alone as of this publication).

Bottom line: whether you choose the BenQ HT3550 or the Epson 5050UB, you’ll be happy. BOTH are truly awesome 4K projectors.

Best “High End” Home Theater 4K Projectors:

If you’re looking for more of an ‘ultimate’ experience AND you have the coin to procure it, there are a few additional 4K projectors you should look into.

BenQ HT8050

The BenQ HT8050 is the world’s first DLP 4K UHD home cinema projector. The projector delivers an authentic picture quality of a commercial digital cinema.
4K UHD with razor-sharp True 8.3 million Pixel detail, 50,000:1 contrast ratio, and 2200 Lumens.
Immaculate True Zoom at 1.5:1 ratio and Focus Sync
THX Mode, pre-calibrated by THX engineers for the most accurate out-of-the-box picture quality possible.
Connectivity : 2 digital HDMI ports, D-Sub, USB-B mini, LAN, RS232, DC 12V, IR

Sony Home Theater Projector VPL-VW295ES

There’s nothing quite like the Sony VPL-VW295ES…

NATIVE 4K RESOLUTION: 3 SXRD imagers display BEST IN CLASS 4096×2160 pixels each for ULTRA HD pictures – that equates to 8.8 millions pixels x 3 imagers for over 26-million pixel displays!
TRILUMINOS DISPLAY: View a broad spectrum of hard to reproduce tones for bright, true to life colors
Reality Creation Lens with 1500 Lumens 6000 hour life span.
MOTIONFLOW TECHNOLOGY: Smooth, lifelike motion for 4K and HD movie, sports and video game action
IMAX ENHANCED: bring stunning IMAX visuals to your home theatre with BEST IN CLASS viewing on up 200″ displays!

Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS500 Ultra Short Throw 4K Projector AND Screen

Epson breaks new ground in the world of home theater awesomeness. The release of “EpiqVison” gives you an ‘All-in-One” solution with the combination of an ultra short throw 4K projector AND a high end movie screen!

ULTRA-Short Throw Laser-Array is new type of laser projection that produces a stunning 100-120″ display, while being just inches from the wall itself.
Beautiful 100″ or 120″ ALR Screen — High-resolution ambient-light-rejecting screen produces an amazing wide-angle viewing experience with virtually zero glare.
4K PRO-UHD Projection Technology — advanced processing for resolution enhancement, color and image processing, resulting in an exceptionally sharp picture with BEST IN CLASS 2-MILLION:1 Contrast Ratio!
Advanced HDR Processing — 10-bit HDR processing accepting 100% of the source information to faithfully reproduce HDR content for an exceptional visual performance.
Incredibly Bright — BEST IN CLASS 4,000 lumens for all-day viewing in virtually any lighting environment.

Best “Short Throw” 4K Projectors

Short Throw projectors allow you more flexibility in the size of room you want to watch in as well as where you place the projector itself. Standard projectors generally require ceiling mounting because they need to be place many feet away from screen you are projecting on to. Short throw projectors can be placed much closer to the screen – sometimes as close as a few inches. This gives you a wider range of possibilities and portability.

In addition to the short throw projectors to follow, don’t forget that the BenQ HT3550 (our #2 overall projector) and the new Epson EpiqVision (from the High End Home Theater category) are both short throw projectors and if you have the funds would be superior choices. However if you can’t go that route and still want a good short throw 4k Projector, then go with one of these…

VAVA 4K Projector

0.233:1 Ultra Short Throw Rate: Cast a 100 inch image from 7.2 inches away from the wall! Project between 80-150 inches
DLP Technology offers 4K Resolution with HDR 10: The VAVA’s 3000: 1 native contrast exceeds 2000: 1 native contrast in movie theaters.
Advanced Laser Light Source: 2500 Lumens of brightness offers 25,000 hours lens life.
Integrated Harman Kardon Soundbar: Built-in stereo surround speakers provide high-fidelity sound with 60W of power. Lossless dts-HD and Dolby Audio prevent distortion and create a superior audio experience.
1.5MILLION:1 contrast ratio for superior clarity.
Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB, Triple HDMI, Wi-Fi, Optical
Beloved by Consumers: Over 90% 4-5 star ratings with over 800 reviews alone on Amazon.

LG HU85LA Ultra Short Throw 4K UHD Projector

DLP 4K UHD (3840×2160) Resolution featuring RGB separate primary colors for virtually no color loss compared to conventional projectors.
Up to 2700 Lumens and 2-Million:1 Contrast Ratio offers Best in Class performance.
Ultra Short Throw displays 120-inch image from just 7. 2″
TruMotion technology, a type of video processing where animation frames are generated between existing frames, makes animation look and feel more fluid
LG webOS lite. Use the included Magic Remote on this LG CineBeam projector to access LG’s webOS smart TV operating system for all your favorite content streaming apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and VUDU and Alexa Built-In

Best 4K Projectors for Gamers

While any of the above projectors could certainly be used for video games, the fact is that Pro Gamers want their 4K projectors to have ultra fast refresh rates, low input lag, and super fast response time. Of the projectors already mentioned, the best on the list so far would be the Epson EpiqVision with it’s 16.7ms input lag which rivals even the Gamer-Recommended 4K Projectors below.

If you’re a Gamer Pro, you’ll want to seriously consider one of the following Best in Class 4K Projectors for Gaming: The Optoma UHD30x or the BenQ TK850

Optoma UHD30x

TRUE 4K ULTRA HD: 4K Ultra HD with 8.3 million pixels
LAG-FREE GAMING: BEST IN CLASS 240Hz gaming with blur-free visuals and unparalelled smoothness––combined with Enhanced Gaming Mode for 16ms response time.
CRISP, COLORFUL PICTURE: UltraDetail RGBWRGBW 8 segment color wheel for vivid and cinematic image
DYNAMIC BLACK: Contrast ratio (500,000:1); bright scenes appear clear while dark scenes remain detailed
EASY IMAGE SETUP: 1.1x zoom and ±40° keystone correction
ULTRA-BRIGHT: 3,400 lumens.
The Optoma UHD50X is another option – for a few hundred dollars more you’ll get the ability to project up to 302″ with a larger zoom and 1-Million:1 Contrast Ratio – see the Optoma UHD50X here.

BenQ TK850

TRUE 4K: 3840 × 2160 resolution with 8.3 million Pixels
4K Gaming – BenQ True 4K Projectors with its 10-Element Crystal Lens Array provides such a razor-sharp image that you will never want to leave the action that is brought to life.
VIVID COLORS IN ANY AMBIENT LIGHTING: Perfectly balanced high visual brightness (>3000lm) and vivid colors (98% Rec.709) for use in well-lit environments
Awesome Sound: A 10-watt chambered speaker enhances sound quality for gaming, movie-watching, and streaming.
DLP Technology 60hz refresh rate, 3000 Lumens, and 1.3 Zoom Lens.

Best 4K “Smart” Projector

Smart Projectors should support seamless connectivity with other smart devices in your home. In addition to the smart projectors below, the LG HU85LA Ultra Short Throw 4K Projector is also a smart projector.

Optoma CinemaX P2 Smart 4K UHD Laser Projector

4K UHD + HDR10: 4K Ultra HD, HDR10 technology and an incredible 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio
BRIGHT, RELIABLE LASER: Up to 30,000 hours Lens Life with 3,000 lumens Lens
ULTRA-SHORT THROW: up to 120″ image from inches away
VOICE ASSISTANT COMPATIBLE: With the Alexa smart home and custom skills or Google Action, control your CinemaX P2 projector with intuitive voice control using Amazon Echo and Google Home devices
IFTTT SUPPORT: Seamless connectivity with thousands of other smart devices; for example, the CinemaX P2 can be programmed to mute when your smart doorbell rings

LG HU80KA 4K UHD Laser Smart Projector

4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) resolution with 8.3 million pixels
BRIGHT: up to 2500 lumens with 150,000:1 Contrast Ratio
Long Life – up to 20,000 hour lens life.
SMART: LG’s exclusive Smart TV streaming content platform is simple to set up and offers fast and fun discovery of exciting premium movies, TV shows and more from the most popular content providers
Screen Share: Watch premium content from popular providers such as Netflix, YouTube and more. Wirelessly screen-share videos to this projector with a compatible smartphone or tablet, over a simple Wi-Fi connection.

Best PORTABLE 4K Projectors

Most 4K Projectors are around 20 pounds and at that weight are best suited for ceiling mounting in a home theater setup. If you’re looking for a PORTABLE 4K projector so you can easily do OUTDOOR MOVIES, take it camping, or move it between rooms, you’ll want to find one that’s a bit easier to carry – ideally under 10 pounds. In addition to the ones listed below, the LG HU80KA 4K UHD Laser Smart Projector is portable, and the Optoma 4K Projector line has multiple options under 10 pounds (Optoma UHD50X and the Optoma UHD30 are both under 9 lbs).

Meanwhile, for a 4k projector designed with portability in mind, check out the AAXA 4K1 Portable Projector which is UNDER 4 pounds!

AAXA 4K1 Portable Projector

Native 4K UHD (3840×2160) Ultra High Definition Pixel Resolution, 1500 LED Lumen Brightness
Long Life: up 30,000+ Hours Osram Quad-Cast LEDs
Dual HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 Inputs allows user to stream 4K UHD content. Compatible with Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video
Portable Design and Operation – Play Video, Image, Music and Text directly from a USB or TF Card with the Onboard Media Player. Portable size, easy to carry between rooms or throughout your home.
Perfect for Home Theater, Business Use. Up to 200″ screen.
Weighs less than 4 lbs.

Best 4K Projectors Recap

Best 4K projectors overall
- EPSON 5050UB
- BENQ HT3550

Best high end home theater 4K projectors:
- BenQ HT8050
- Sony Home Theater Projector VPL-VW295ES
- NEW! Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS500 Ultra Short Throw 4K Projector AND Screen

Best 4K short-throw projectors
- VAVA 4K Projector
- LG HU85LA Ultra Short Throw 4K UHD Projector

Best 4K Projector for Gamers
- Optoma UHD30x
- BenQ TK850

Best smart 4K projector:
- Optoma CinemaX P2 Smart 4K UHD Laser Projector
- LG HU80KA 4K UHD Laser Smart Projector

Best portable 4K projector:
- AAXA 4K1 Portable Projector
- Optoma UHD50X

The ‘best’ 4K projector is the one that fits YOUR family’s intended use and that will depend on your personal situation – where you want to use it, how big the room is, if you plan to mount it or move it around, what you want to use it for (gaming vs home theater vs general use), and of course what your budget it. Hopefully we’ve given you some insights that will help you decide that’s best for you. And when you do, drop us a line in the comments so we can hear how you made out.

If you’re looking for advice on how to set up your home movie theater, check out this article from our friend’s at The Porch.

Now grab your popcorn and get busy enjoying your new 4k Projector!