The 4-Hour Body_ An Uncommon Guide to Ra - Timothy Ferriss [40]
I don’t always splurge to the point of sickness. In a response to one slow-carber, I explained:
Yes, you can eat anything you want—in any quantity—on Saturdays. I tend to go nuts every 1 of 4 weeks and eat so much I get nearly sick, which makes me moderate the other 3. I love Snickers, TimTams, bear claws (and all pastries), and ice cream. Enjoy.
One more tip: whenever possible, eat out for your cheat meals.
No matter what, throw out all bad food before the next morning. If there is bad food in your house, you will eventually eat it before your “off” day, also called “reverse Lent” by some followers.
WHAT ABOUT BREAKFAST?
My most frequent breakfast consists of eggs, lentils, and spinach. I prefer lentils, straight out of the can, to black beans, and hard-boiling a dozen eggs beforehand makes this easy.
Breakfast is the hardest meal for most to modify, as we’re a country of toast- and cereal-eating junkies. Moving to slow carbs and protein requires a more lunchlike meal for breakfast. This is easier when you realize that breakfast can be a smaller meal when followed by a lunch three to five hours later. Try it for five days and you’ll see the difference. Not only will the increased protein intake decrease water retention, resting metabolism increases about 20% if your breakfast calories are at least 30% protein.
If you want a more typical breakfast, try eggs with turkey bacon (or organic normal bacon)4 and sliced tomato. Delicious. Cottage cheese, my mother’s preference, is also a fine addition. Have you ever cooked eggs with ghee (clarified butter)? Try it and thank me.
Interested in why I specifically choose eggs, spinach, and lentils? For those who like to get deep in the weeds, your science fix is next.
In randomized and controlled trials, eating eggs results in more fat-loss and increased basal metabolism. In one such trial, overweight women who consumed a breakfast of two eggs a day for eight weeks (at least five days per week) instead of a bagel of equal weight and caloric value lost 65% more weight and—more importantly—had an 83% greater reduction in waist circumference. There were no significant differences between the plasma total-, HDL-, and LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels of either group.
Egg yolks also provide choline, which helps protect the liver and increases fat-loss as compared to a control. Choline metabolizes into betaine and offers methyl groups for methylation processes. Steven Zeisel from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill explains: “Exposure to oxidative stress is a potent trigger for inflammation. Betaine is formed from choline within the mitochondria, and this oxidation contributes to mitochondrial redox status.” Guess what another primary source of betaine is? Spinach.
This is where credit is due: Popeye got it right. Spinach is incredible for body recomposition.
The phytoecdysteroids (20HE specifically) in spinach increase human muscle tissue growth rates 20% when applied in a culture (think petri dish). Even if you’re not interested in growth, it also increases glucose metabolism. Phytoecdysteroids are structurally similar to insect molting hormones—finally, an affordable way to eat insect molting hormones!—and both increase protein synthesis and muscular performance. Even little rats build stronger paw grips. In good news for women, the 20HE ecdysteroid tested demonstrates no androgenic properties. In other words, it won’t give you a hairy chest or an Adam’s apple.
The Rutgers University researchers responsible for the principal study emphasize, almost as a deterrent, that one would need to eat 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of spinach per day to mimic the administration used. In testing, I’ve found that it’s