The 4 Hour Body Breakfast Smoothie

I first published this article after having been on the 4 Hour Body Diet/slow carb diet for only two months. Eight months later, I’ve tweaked the smoothie as both my taste buds and my knowledge of how my body reacts to different foods have changed.  Although I have gone through and changed most of the article to correspond with what I’ve said in the video, you may find that I focus on different ingredients (in the video) than I’ve written below. You’ll find additional notes alongside various ingredients. Enjoy!

Breakfast has long been touted as the most important meal of the day. Timothy Ferriss,  author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, The 4-Hour Body, fully agrees…with a few additions.

If you’re looking to burn fat, Ferriss claims that eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking (morning) in the form of non-dairy proteins, legumes and vegetables, will make a huge difference. After only five days Ferriss says that “Not only will the increased protein intake decrease water retention, resting metabolism increases by about 20% if your breakfast calories are at least 30% protein.”

There are a few rules to be followed on the 4 Hour Body Diet (aka: slow carb diet):

1. No fruit
2. Nothing that “could be white,” meaning no bread, ‘taters, or cereal.
3. No dairy with the exception of cottage cheese
4. Eat 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking
5. There are no calorie or portion restrictions, but you’ll likely be quite full after 30 grams of protein.

Tim’s favorite breakfast combo are eggs, beans and spinach. Other options are eating 5 eggs or 2 cups of cottage cheese but I have found that a smoothie feels more breakfasty and I can sneak in large portions of spinach (another fat burner) without blinking an eye.

 

The Cast of Characters:

Vitamix*- If you don’t have one, I’m here to tell you to get one. I received mine as a gift about three years ago and thought “Nice, a $400 blender. Why would I need a $400 blender? My $30 blender works perfectly.” I have since seen the light. Trust me, it is worth every penny. I use mine more than I use mine Kitchen Aid mixer (which is saying a lot).

Ice and water- Add enough of both to achieve the consistency you desire.

Whey Protein Concentrate- I use VitaminLife.

Notes on Whey: Be very choosy about your protein powder. Many contain heavy metals that can be harmful. Also, many add all sorts of additives, preservatives and sweeteners that are best to steer clear of.

Pharmaca. It’s by Natural Factors and is called MCT’s) into your shake, which will also help you to feel full longer (Avocado does a better job of this so I chose to omit the coconut milk and use 1/4 avocado instead). If you are following the Slow Carb diet, coconut milk is allowed (watch Ferriss’ Q&A at Twitter on YouTube if you need confirmation).

Cinnamon- Many studies have shown that cinnamon helps to stabilize the blood sugar in diabetic patients. “There is also ample evidence that cinnamon can be used to reduce the glycemic index of a meal up to 29%.” (excerpted from The 4-Hour Body). Tim cautions not to consume more than 1.5 teaspoons per day, so I put 1 teaspoon in the shake and save the rest for my coffee.

Additional options:

Cottage Cheese- If you can’t stomach cottage cheese but want to get your smoothie up to 30 grams of protein, add some cottage cheese. It doesn’t change the consistency or flavor (in my opinion).

Carrot(s)- When I first started the SCD I’d add one whole chopped carrot (I no longer do). It both sweetens the drink and adds fiber. Carrots are not necessarily a “yes” item for slow carb dieters so skip the carrots if you like.

Banana- On Cheat/Binge days add a banana. I find this is the hardest ingredient to go without as it makes the shake a really lovely creamy consistency and adds a nice flavor.

Ginger- Spinach and ginger are a great combination. If you find that the spinach or xylitol (in the shake powder) bothers your stomach add a slice of ginger (or a few dashes if you’re using dried). Ginger calms the stomach and is an anti-inflammatory as well.

Mint leaves- During the summer I add fresh mint leaves. It also goes really nicely with the spinach and adds great flavor.

Shot of espresso…or 4!- Espresso or strong coffee add great flavor. Plus, I find that I can drink no more after my shake so if you want the caffeine buzz just go ahead and add it to your shake!

What about the beans?

Black beans can easily be added to your smoothie. Honestly when it comes to taste and consistency I can hardly tell the difference between when I add beans and when I don’t. I don’t add more than 3-4 Tbs and I recommend starting small- maybe a Tablespoon the first day and bit more each day until you reach 3-4 Tbs.

Even if you’re not on the Slow Carb Diet this is a fabulous meal or snack. My kids will even drink it with the addition of the banana and a name change- “The Green Slime Smoothie.”

Enjoy and please let me know what your favorite Slow Carb meal is, along with your own smoothie concoctions.

To Your Health,

Alison

*The best price I’ve seen is at Costco. online.

**Most vitamins are sourced from China these days. If you don’t know why this isn’t optimal then take a trip down memory lane to just a couple of years ago when China was slipping a nasty toxin/filler melamine into infant formula. Or, shall we talk about the leaden turkeys, or say, the poisoned dog food?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/John-A-Davis/628165820 John A. Davis

    Waddya mean brocolli doesn’t work in the blender? Works fine. I throw in a sandwich bag full of brocolli and cauliflower religiously in my blenders. I use the cottage cheese or almond milk (and ice of course) to get the “milkshake” like consistency. A ton of True Leaf Splenda is my way to go. Sheeze, brocolli and cauliflower work great, give it some bulk!!! Also, there are these straws at Bed Breakfast and Beyond that have 4 little “wings” or flanges on one end (look like feather end of an arrow). Using one of these you can mix up anything that settles. HTH

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OQWN2GR7YXQQJPGMEAEYNJHU7E MichaelH

      She’s not talking about working in the blender. She’s talking about tasting it. Spinach has almost no taste and when blended you won’t taste it at all. This is not the case for broccoli.

      • Anonymous
  • Etienne

    Vitamix Now available at Costco 
    http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11319311&search=vitamix&topnav=&Mo=0&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode%20matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=vitamix&Ntt=vitamix&No=0&Nty=1&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial
    “Vitamix 5200 Ultimate Packagewith CIA™ Masters Collection 7″ Santuko Knife”(For when you need to knife a commie spy, maybe or vis versa if one happens to be a commie spy? Present company excluded in either case of course.)

    • http://www.healthnutnation.com Alison

      Thanks for the information and link Etienne!

  • Stefan

    In Tim Ferriss’s video that you posted regarding coconut milk, i dont see where he mentions it.  When I went to http://www.eslowcarbdiet.com/coconut-water/ it said it was not allowed.  What is right?

    • http://www.healthnutnation.com Alison

      I must have linked to the wrong video. I’ll try to find the correct one and link to it. Thanks for letting me know. Coconut milk is absolutely allowed on the SCD. Tim talks about how Thai food (minus the rice) is the the perfect dinner out for SC dieters. Plus, the fat from coconut milk is a “good” fat and the body processes it differently from actual dairy.

      -Alison

      • Brie

        Wrong.

        There are tons of Thai dishes that do not include Coconut Milk (primarily stir fries). Tim saying he eats a lot of Thai food does not mean all Thai dishes / ingredients are okay. If you take that line of reasoning, that would mean fried / battered appetizers and potatoes would also be okay. 
        (Side note: I’ve been living in Thailand on this diet for several months now and avoid all curries except on cheat days. Stir fry Thai dishes are great for meals during the week though.)Aside from never explicitly making an exception for it, Tim says no white food and don’t “drink” calories — Coconut Milk fails both of these. Always error on the side of “no,” and if you are absolutely going to have Coconut Milk, I would say keep it VERY limited. 

        • http://www.healthnutnation.com Alison

          Above all Tim encourages experimentation. If curries and coconut milk only work for you on cheat days then stick with that. If you’d like more information on why coconut milk is a healthy choice I recommend The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf.

          -Alison

        • etienne taylor

          Wrong? Just saying so is a rhetorical device known as a bald assertion. Saying that because Tim never said so is dispositive is an example of a common logical fallacy; the fallacy of authority.

          You might be correct but not because you say so. Tim might be exactly correct, or he might not have even meant to be.

          As far as coconut oil/milk go  I’m not going to bother posting links to the many studies available on line rather I’ll just give you the punchline. You can do your own research and report back that either you don’t believe it or allow for the possibility that you were wrong. 
            
          On the contrary I believe that the research I have read shows that since coconut oil/milk is a MCT fat and and as such is treated by your body as a carb several ounces a day, as coconut milk + oil for your med to high temp frying are not only okay but will lead to greater weight loss and improved overall health. 

          Tim’s advice and his SCD is based on a collection of other people’s research which he has then tested rigorously. He has come up compromises and rules of thumb to better allow people who may not be science aware a plan that they can follow  and stick with.  In doing so he gives up a little accuracy (you can eat some white things, say cauliflower) and effectiveness (by way of example he states, correctly, a cyclo-ketogenic diet to be the most effective. Too hard to follow and stay with granted. Tim seems to have  modified a CKD and the Paleo Diet into his Slow Carb Diet . A well tested regiment that works brilliantly for nearly everyone who follows it correctly.)
          Do your own research and then report back and tell us what we might have been missing.

          Respectfully

          Etienne Taylor 

          • Pappagiorgio

            SNAP!

            the silence is deafening

  • Ben Komanapalli

    Is almond milk of for this or is it not allowed?

    • http://www.healthnutnation.com Alison

      Almond milk is completely acceptable on the SCD. Make sure you buy the unsweetened kind however. Most are sweetened so read those labels!

  • http://twitter.com/NinaBBT Nina

    Any breakfast advice for those of us who want to stay away from animal protein? Would this smoothie have as much protein if you just used beans, but no whey? Any other suggestions of things to make? Thanks!

    • http://www.healthnutnation.com Alison

      You, of course could substitute silken tofu for the protein. I’ve made many smoothies with silken tofu and they are delicious. Beans work but have a lot of carbs so a little go a long ways. You can also use hemp, rice or soy protein powders (although I personally am not a fan). There are quite a few vegan protein powders out there that can include any one of these.

      -Alison

      • http://twitter.com/NinaBBT Nina

        Thanks!

      • Stefan

        Tim does not recommend tofu

        • http://www.healthnutnation.com Alison

          I realize that, however Tim does say that vegetarians have been successful using tofu based hot dogs. Tofu is not ideal but vegetarians and vegans have a hard time getting enough protein without tofu.

          -Alison

  • poondoc

    I have read that soy is the worst thing that a man can put in his body….it is packed with estrogen.

    • http://www.healthnutnation.com Alison

      I could (and will) write a whole article on soy. I personally eat very little of it and do not believe it is a “health food.” However, when someone wants a protein source that is not animal based (vegan) then they are limiting themselves to so few protein choices, that to eliminate tofu makes getting enough protein difficult.

      Neither males nor females should add extra estrogen (unless going through menopause and then small amounts of fermented soy may be beneficial) as excess estrogen has been linked to diseases like breast cancer (in both women and men).

      -Alison

  • Pingback: Alison’s Favorite Back to School Foods #1

  • Diane

    What is the Slow Carb Diet ?

    • http://www.healthnutnation.com Alison

      The slow carb diet is the low carb diet otherwise known as the 4 Hour Body Diet, which is described in Timothy Ferriss’ book, The 4 Hour Body.
      -Alison

    • http://www.healthnutnation.com Alison

      Sorry about the short reply earlier, I was replying from my phone. I’m glad you asked the question because I generally speak to the audience that already knows The 4 Hour Body, but forget that there are lots of people that have no idea what I’m talking about! The 4 Hour Body is a book full of information on how to achieve the body that you want. Whether you are getting ready to participate in a triathlon, want to learn how to swim efficiently, lose 100 lbs, or those last 5 Tim Ferriss walks you through the process of how to get the results you want.
      The 4 Hour Body Diet, also known as the Slow Carb Diet, has some general guidelines that you’ll find outlined in the breakfast smoothie article I’ve written and done a video on- http://healthnutnation.com/2011/09/02/the-4-hour-body-breakfast-shake/
      If you’ve done the Atkins diet, you’ll be familiar with the “lots of protein” part of the diet. However, you’ll be nicely surprised by the addition of what you can eat (vegetables, beans, wine, and a cheat day once a week, where you can pig out) and still lose weight- fast. Plus, The 4 Hour Body diet is much healthier and more sustainable than something like the Atkins diet. Hope that gives you an idea. I highly recommend that book. It’s a huge, thick book but you don’t read it cover to cover. It’s probably my favorite book that I read in 2011.