WhatsApp or WeChat? World War W

As much as we live in a generation of smartphones, it’s hard to tell whether these devices are a lifestyle or an assignment. The enthusiasm for powerful handhelds goes hand in hand with aspirations of staying updated and in touch with everybody else. That being the case, SMS and calls will never again be the ultimate communication tools instead, probably Whatsapp or Wechat might be. Although there are numerous other messaging applications, these two have perhaps the biggest traction of all apps.  So which of them is the actual king of messaging?

Platform-wise

If you run any version of Android, iOS, Symbian and Blackberry OS released after 2010, on your smartphone, then you can run both WhatsApp and WeChat. Both of them are natively supported on the stock firmware and can even be run on modified versions of these operating systems. However, their limitations start to show with increasing screen size as both of them are quite in the desktop department. This could be a factor of operating system since WhatsApp only runs via third party applications while WeChat relies on the desktop browser.

Feature-wise

1.       Communication

Both WeChat and WhatsApp allow you to send pictures, texts, videos, audio clips, location data and contact details. WhatsApp tries to be unique by allowing users to chat in groups of up to 30 people and comes embedded with tons of Emoji. WeChat however features live chat, video calls and QR activated group chats besides allowing users to interact and make new friends randomly.

2.       Data Use

Although the two messaging apps are very data efficient, excluding some instances of buggy updates, the efficiency depends on the user. WhatsApp is a real time messaging engine that has no offline mode, while WeChat is more of a social network that can be disconnected need be. With the log out feature therefore, WeChat can save on data resources. It is however much bigger, as an app, than WhatsApp hence will require more megabytes to download

3.       Security

Both WhatsApp and WeChat authenticate using a mobile phone number and have access to the phone’s contact list to find other reachable friends. On WeChat, security is beefed up through prior friend approvals and use of unique user names in place of actual phone numbers.

4.       Backup

On WhatsApp, conversations are stored on a daily basis and can be manually backed up and transferred to a new device while on iOS and Blackberry you can just mail yourself the chat history. WeChat takes backup to another level by allowing server backups of up to 7 days as well as universal chat history transfer to other devices.

Popularity-wise

WhatsApp is arguably the most common name among smartphone users, excluding China that is, but WeChat has a more or less bigger audience than WhatsApp.

Verdict

WhatsApp and WeChat are both great messaging applications with great features. The former remains the app to have if you intend to maintain your current crop of friends. WeChat on the other hand is the app you need to try if you’d like to connect with new people and enjoy more features. 

What is the Paleo Diet?

Like all things ‘lame’, the famous Caveman’s diet or Paleo as is officially known, is fairly despised and mainly due to the misconceptions people have about it. Since I am not fond of arguments, I wouldn’t want to sugarcoat the facts and get the grilling of a lifetime. It is however prudent for me to clarify that the Paleo is not a weight-loss program but rather a healthy lifestyle. The diet is based on realism in terms of dining such that we only partake of foods that keep us from worrying about calories hence eat till we are full. 

Although its description makes it sound like a strange fad diet, Paleo is actually the most optimal of human diets. The human body has, over a very long time, thrived on whole foods that pack a healthy dose of the necessary nutrients. The emergence of agriculture and other new-age practices such as food manufacture has therefore been more of a downgrade rather than an advance in human diet. We would therefore be hard pressed to deny that this is the reason most modern diseases are associated with industrialized foods. Thus, paleo diet basically constitutes anything that can either be hunted or gathered (ancestral eating) rather than refined products. 

Just as a clarification: Paleo diet does not strictly aim to replicate Stone Age practices or eating habits. Even though some enthusiasts may commit to such an approach, the diet is not a fixed, one-size-fits-all kind of regime. This means that I may choose to enjoy a bowl of mash potatoes now and then while another person sticks to low-carb intake. The Paleo regime therefore accommodates eaters with special desires so long as the core values of the diet are upheld. 

All partakers of the diet have to eat whole, unprocessed, nutrient rich foods such as wild-caught seafood, pastured meats/eggs, vegetables, fruits and nuts. On the other hand, they are to avoid any pro-inflammatory or toxic foods like sugar, legumes and gluten-containing grains. Although this may be highly compromising to some of us, nutritionists and researchers in general are beginning to concur with the associated benefits including; 

-          Healthy cells

This is achieved through a healthy balanced of both saturated and unsaturated fats which boost immunity and stimuli. More so, omega 3 fatty acids derived from eggs and cold water fish like salmon are important for the development of the brain and are also good for the eyes and heart. 

-          Less fat and more muscle mass

Proteins derived from animal flesh is anabolic hence mainly used for building muscle mass and, with improved metabolism, the body builds them up at the expense of fat cells. 

-          Improved gut health

By avoiding man-made fats and other processed foods, we can steer clear of the intestinal problems such as leaky gut syndrome and inflammation. 

-          Better digestion and nutrient absorption

Since the diet constitutes foods that the body is well adapted to, the intake is much more tolerable and guarantees better absorption of vitamins and minerals.  

-           Weight loss

Since the diet is ideally low carb, those who stick to it as well as those who take their carbs around workout times, can be assured of reduced fat gain. 

Other promoted benefits include the reduced risk of contracting diseases and an improved circle of life by supporting nature. As much as you’d be tempted to get excited, the diet necessitates foodies to be principled. We are therefore mandated to stick to the Paleo roadmap as strictly as possible even though it is allowed to detour once in a while. All in all, the diet does not imply deprivation of any sort but actually just promotes simplicity and health.