Diet Thoughts
I just finished a Tim Ferris bonanza with the Four Hour Body and Four Hour Chef. Both are fascinating books. If you have ever listened to Tim’s podcast you will know that he is wide ranging and super intelligent. As a meta-learner all of that he encounters in life, Tim comes across in his books but at a down to earth level with a strong sense of humor woven through out.
Four Hour Body I read for the Slow Carb diet. I had heard Tim discussing it with Andrew Huberman on Andrew’s podcast and decided to give it a try. I have been gaining weight rather rapidly the last several months with no change in diet or exercise (which could be an issue too). There is much in this book that does not apply to me or my life at this time, so it’s easy to skip sections. Don’t be daunted by the size of the book, Tim is a man of lots of ideas!
His slow carb diet has five rules:
Avoid white starchy carbohydrates (grains, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread),
Eat the same few meals over and over - I know this sounds weird, but I tend to cook up a batch of veggies and protein for my lunches and there it is, the same meal daily. These meals need to have at least 20 grams of protein, I would argue for 30+ grams based on the newer science since the Four Hour Body was published. Protein, veggies (colorful ones) and beans (black, kidney, pinto). That is your meal. Beans are a resistant starch that is super good for your gut.
Don’t drink your calories - no soda pop, sweet tea, no sugar in coffee, no whipped cream, etc.
No Fruit - we don’t need lots of fruit at all. It’s full of fructose and fructose fattens us up. Exceptions: tomatoes and avocados. I also make an exception for a small amount of blue berries daily, the polyphenols in them is huge and makes them worth while in small amounts.
Cheat day! - go wild and crazy, have that sweet roll and mocha, pizza, pasta, what ever! It revs up the metabolism and will help the body stay metabolically flexible. Yes you might gain weight the next day, usually water with all the carbs, it should be gone in a day or two. Cheat day is one day a week, no more, no less. It is needed, plus it keeps you sane during the week. Make a list of all the foods during the week that you want to eat on cheat day, then do it. Just make sure there are none left over at the start of the next day unless you have iron discipline to not eat them out of turn.
Also, eat 30 grams of protein in 30 minutes of getting up. For many of us, this is hard. I have to be up several hours before I am ready for food. I do, however, consume 2 pints of water within an hour of getting up, usually after my walk. If you front load your protein consumption, you will find that the day goes easier and you are less hungry than if you have a pastry and coffee first thing.
Here’s the link for the Slow Carb pdf that Tim Ferriss has posted.
Four Hour Chef is full of slow carb diet recipes along with lessons on how we learn, how to learn foreign languages, and all kinds of great tips for the kitchen. This is another two inch thick book that is chock full of knowledge. Just flipping through it you will learn something. His cooking suggestions are excellent along with recipes that I never would have made had they not been presented in the manner Tim has written them. Lots of photos and illustrations.