"Spaghetti" Bolognese

I can't remember how I recently discovered Miracle Noodle.  I probably Google'd something and found it secondarily.  Well done, Google.  Whatever it was, thank goodness I did!  They add a whole other dimension to the 4-Hour Body way of eating and losing weight.

Miracle Noodle offers noodles and "rice" made of a polysaccharide called glucomannan.  Glucomannan is a dietary fiber and increases gastric emptying, decreases intestinal transit time and delays the absorption of glucose from the gut to the bloodstream.  As a fiber, it also helps with feeling "full".  All good things on The 4-Hour Body.

The noodles have a translucent white color, smooth texture, and soft bite.  They definitely give the sense that one is eating pasta though are relatively tasteless.  As an added bonus, individual packets are easy to prepare - simply rinse the noodles of packaging water and boil for 1 minute.

I decided to come up with a good bolognese recipe to allow one to enjoy "spaghetti" on this diet.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese Sauce over Miracle Noodles

1/2 lb high quality ground beef (I used one Kobe beef patty from Trader Joe's frozen section)
1 sweet Italian pork sausage link
2-3 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 shallot, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp red chili flake
1/2 carrot (optional)
1/2 bag frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained (optional)
1 Tbs dried oregano
1 Tbs dried basil
salt and pepper
coconut oil

Gather ingredients:

Prep shallot, onion, garlic, and carrot (optional).

Brown ground beef and sausage over medium heat, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Add coconut oil as needed depending on fat content of beef.

Drain on paper towel but leave as many pan drippings in pan as possible (again, add coconut as needed), then saute onions, carrots (optional), shallots and garlic until softened.  Season with salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and red chili flakes.  Add beef and sausage back to pan and add 2 cans of tomatoes and spinach (optional).

Puree remaining can of tomatoes and add enough to sauce to create desired consistency (less for thick, more for thin).  Cover and heat over low heat for 20 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Enjoy over Miracle Noodles with grated parmesan cheese.

Even better the next day too.

Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow

Coming soon to a 4-Hour Body With Me blog near you:

A post on Coconut Oil - why it is one of the best things you can do for your health and how to incorporate it into your diet

Before and After Pictures - My husband took a photo of me in a swimsuit during a vacation in mid-December 2010, right before I found The 4-Hour Body.  We'll have a similar opportunity soon.  We'll take another photo using the same swimsuit and pose then publish them for comparison.  New measurements too.

More Recipes - including a review of at least one new (to me) 4HB-compatible menu item (Miracle Noodle)

The Science Behind Cold Showers... for Fat Loss and How Insulin Causes Fat Gain

Tears of a Clown

Yesterday was cheat day!  I was worried it might not be able to happen.  A little stomach virus went around my family last week.  I was fortunate to only get a weak stomach on Friday but fully recovered by Saturday.  I attribute that good fortune to my regular intake of coconut oil.  More on that in an upcoming post.

I observed cheat day without reservation, having fasted for nearly one and a half days:

Breakfast #1 - leftover pizza, diet Coke

Breakfast #2 - almond croissant, medium latte with an extra shot

Lunch - meatball sub with cheese, diet Coke

Post-work - beer, pretzels, peanut M&Ms

Dinner - chicken tikka masala, naan, samosa, rice pudding

Dessert - ice cream, peanut M&Ms

It was all DELICIOUS.  My favorite part of The 4-Hour Body way of eating.

Then why the title of this post?  I realized an upsetting error of omission.  I remembered the stash of my favorite candy, Cadbury Mini Eggs.

You know, those seasonal pastel-colored, crackly-sweet-on-the-outside, creamy-milk-chocolate-on-the-inside eggs that are even better when eaten frozen?  If I was a crier, I would have cried.

I was a day late and a dollar short so to speak.  At least there are only 6 days until we meet again, my frozen sweets...

High Intensity Interval Training

Are you sick of exercising?  I am.  At least, exercising for exercise's sake....

One of the reasons I was drawn to The 4-Hour Body was its claim that exercise is OPTIONAL.  Additionally, it also introduced me to the concept of high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

HIIT turns conventional wisdom on its head with regard to the necessity of prolonged exercise for weight loss.  The concept is simple.  Intersperse short bursts of maximal effort with intervals of rest.  I decided to look into the physiology and biology behind this phenomenon.  I wasn't disappointed as there is a lot of quality research on this topic.

Quick review.  Skeletal muscles import glucose from the bloodstream to convert to energy.  Glucose enters the skeletal muscle cell through several receptors, including the GLUT4 receptor.  The production and movement of GLUT4 to the outer cell membrane is stimulated by insulin.  As it turns out, intense muscular contraction effects the same upregulation, independent of insulin.  When more GLUT4 is present on the outer membrane of skeletal muscle cells, more glucose can be transported into those cells.  This transport mechanism, along with insulin-stimulated GLUT4 up-regulation, helps maintain glucose homeostasis, preventing excessive highs and lows of blood sugar.

A key component of The 4-Hour Body body recomposition is dietary control of blood glucose elevations, and therefore the release of insulin.  Contraction-induced up-regulation of GLUT4 is a way to attenuate the insulinemic effect of such a load - more GLUT4 receptors enable more insulin-independent glucose uptake into muscle cells, thereby decreasing the insulin that would otherwise be required to accommodate the increased blood sugar.  Why is this good?  In basic terms, insulin in the bloodstream, especially excess insulin, can facilitate fat storage.  We can these exploit these facets of physiology when attempting to lose weight.

HIIT need not be an arduous process.  Basically, you alternate between low intensity activity (i.e. walking) and brief bursts of maximal-effort activity (i.e. sprints).  I have added HIIT two times per week - I walk about 10 minutes to a big hill in my neighborhood, then sprint up the hill 2-3 times (and walk down each time).  It takes about 30 minutes roundtrip, with 20 minutes of that being the walk to and from my house!

The possibilities are endless - walk a lap around a track then run the bleacher stairs, hang out in the pool and intermittently sprint for a lap or two, or take a leisurely bike ride with an occasional uphill power pedal.

I know this is a big paradigm shift for a lot of people.  It is for me.  After all, we all have been inundated with the conventional wisdom that weight loss requires a dedication to time- and energy-consuming exercise.  Not only may this phenomenon enable physical activity for those who need it most, but it may prove beneficial in type 2 diabetics who often suffer from hyperglycemia due to decreased insulin-sensitivity.

Looking forward to seeing what happens!

My Ad Lib Recipes

Lentils

~1 cup green (or other) lentils
chicken stock
coconut oil (or EVOO)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 c mirepoix (mix of chopped carrots, celery, onions; pre-made in Trader Joe's fridge veggie section)
3oz pancetta, cubed
1 shallot, chopped

Rinse lentils and pick out non-lentils.  Heat coconut oil over medium heat.  Saute shallots and garlic, add pancetta and render fat.  Mix in mirepoix and let soften.  Add lentils.  Add chicken stock until it is ~1 inch above lentils.  Bring to a simmer then cover and cook for approximately 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Dijon Sauce

1/2 shallot, sliced
coconut oil or EVOO
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c Dijon mustard
Aromatics (tarragon or dill for me)
Salt and pepper

Soften shallots over medium heat.  Blend sour cream, mustard, aromatics, and shallots in a mini-food processor (or by hand, just finely chop shallots and aromatics first).  Add salt and pepper as needed.


Pan-roasted Chicken Breast

Chicken breast, on bone with skin
Coconut oil, butter or EVOO
Salt and pepper
Aromatics (rosemary or tarragon for me)

Preheat oven to 450F.  Heat dry saute pan over high heat on stove.  Separate skin from meat without removing skin (create a pocket).  Coat meat with butter/oil and sprinkle salt, pepper and aromatics.  Replace skin over meat, coat with butter/oil, and season with salt, pepper and aromatics.  Place skin down in hot saute pan and brown for approximately 5-10 minutes.  Don't move chicken much during this step as it will interfere with making a crispy skin.  Turn chicken breasts in pan and place (assuming it is oven-safe, otherwise transfer to baking dish) in the oven for ~ 30 minutes.  Check for doneness making a small slice into the meat or using a meat thermometer.


Chili

1lb ground beef (or turkey or chicken)
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
Coconut oil/EVOO
1 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper

Saute onion and garlic in coconut oil/EVOO over medium heat.  Add beef and brown.  Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Add tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.  Adjust spices as needed.  I add sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions and cilantro to each bowl served.


Ribollita

1 bag frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 15oz can cannellini (white) beans, rinsed
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
coconut oil/EVOO
1 shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6oz pancetta, diced
1/2 c mirepoix
parmesan rind
1 Tbs herbes de Provence
chicken stock
bay leaf

Saute garlic and shallot until soft in coconut oil/EVOO.  Add pancetta and render fat.  Mix in mirepoix and cook until soft.  Season with herbes de Provence and bay leaf.  Add tomatoes, spinach and beans.  Add enough chicken stock to cover, then place rind in stew.  Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.  If it's a cheat day, pour the soup over a big piece of garlic bread!

I Did It My Way

My typical day....

Wake-up: (chocolate or vanila) Protein shake (30g protein per scoop) made with ice water, +/- ~1 Tbs cocoa, +/- 1 tsp instant espresso, dash of cinnamon

Breakfast: egg cooked with coconut oil, black or pinto beans, avocado with EVOO/vinegar/salt, +/-salsa

Mid-morning: Kale Chips or similar

Lunch: Usually leftovers, like  lentils with chicken and mustard sauce

Mid-afternoon: Protein shake

Dinner: protein (fish, beef, chicken), vegetable (mashed cauliflower), lentils

I am also drinking a lot of water and iced green tea throughout the day.

Here's a helpful hint: make extra of dinner for lunch leftovers and/or make a large lunch meal on Sunday that you can easily pull out of the fridge and heat throughout the week.  I like to make a big bowl of lentils cooked with pancetta, veggies, and aromatics.  You can then add the leftover protein from dinner the night before for an easy lunch.

Kale Chips

I heart kale.

Not always, mind you.  And certainly not when it's poorly prepared.

Enter kale chips.  Mind-blowingly easy to make, addictive when eaten, and 4HB-compliant.

Kale Chips

1 large bunch curly green kale

2-4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

Preheat oven to 250F.  Line two baking sheets with foil.  Wash and dry individual kale leaves.  Cut leaves from stems with clean scissors then tear into bite-sized pieces.  Toss with enough extra virgin olive oil to lightly coat (but not drench/wilt) and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Bake for 20-30 minutes (start checking at 20 minutes).  Texture should be crisp and color should be green.  Cool at room temperature and store in an air-tight container.

The Seventh Day

Really looking forward to cheat day this week.


Cheat day is one day of the week during which you can eat whatever you choose.  It's one of the general rules of The 4-Hour Body.


I have designated Saturday as my cheat day.  Saturdays often don't involve formal work and are centered around fun as it is.  Besides, I started The 4-Hour Body on a Sunday and Saturday ended up being the last day of the week.


Cheat day serves at least two purposes.  As described in the book, a cheat day will "revitalize" your physiologic functions that might have slowed during a change in nutritional state.


However, the more important of the two reasons, I believe, is its function as a "light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel".  I have found it much easier to adhere to this diet than others simply because I know if "I can just hold out until Saturday", I can eat whatever it is I am craving.  During difficult moments, I make a cheat day list of what it is I want to indulge in.  Funny thing is, by the time cheat day rolls around, I've usually lost interest in most list items!

No Exercise for Weight Loss

How long have you been looking for an effective weight loss method, preferably one that requires no exercise for weight loss?


I have been looking for the holy grail for most of my adult life.  Several weeks ago, I was startled to realize I may have found it.  It is The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss.

This eating plan for weight loss is one that achieves body recomposition.  More muscle, less fat.  Exercise for weight loss is also strictly OPTIONAL.  Huh???

My success in losing weight with The 4-Hour Body should be your success!  I'm going to chronicle my ongoing experience on 4HBwithMe along with the little hacks I discover or dispel along the way.

Day 1 was December 26, 2010.  

(I couldn't wait for New Year's Day to start this "resolution!")

Weight: Baseline

Body fat : Baseline

Total inches: 151.5 in

Day 55 was February 19, 2011.

(8 week mark)

Weight: -15 lbs

Body fat: -3%

Total inches: 143 in

Not too shabby, eh?

I was out of town for a week thereafter.  I have spent this past week getting back on the 4HB eating plan... and tomorrow is cheat day!!