Hi everybody,

I'm new in the forum. I've been interested in eating healthy and exercised my whole life aiming to keep myself as healthy and capable as possible, as happy as well. And been doing quite a good job! :-D

Anyway, now I've been studying a bit about the Zone just to get some new tools for eating and to add a little variety. In one of the newsletters from Zonediet.com there were nice advice to help you keep in the zone. One of them was to always eat within one hour after waking up. I do that (and I've been doing that ever since I was 18 or so) almost every day, but I'm just curious what's the science behind the idea? Something to do with ending the nighttime fasting? What if I go running in the morning, I never eat anything before the run which takes about 50 minutes and then I shower, I end up eating maybe 1,5 hours from waking up.

I'm not freaking over it and I tend to act and keep the "rules" quite flexible to make life easy, but if anyone has an answer, please let me know. And what do you think of the intermediate fasting?

Thank you already in advance if you care to help me out here! And greetings from sunny Finland. :-)

Hi!

Dr. Sears recently replied to this very question, saying that he added the rule so peopel would not forget to eat breakfast. He added that it's is to wait longer than an hour after waking to eat, as long as you remember to eat breakfast.

To stay in the Zone it's imnportant to eat prior to exercising. A snack before your run would be enough for the Zone . You don't need to eat a whole meal prior to exercise first thing in the morning, as long as you have a snack first.

Fasting will take you out of the Zone.

Hi Sue,

and a bazillion thanks for your swift reply! One thing that's sure is that I would, never, ever forget to eat breakfast :-D But the point eating the snack before exercise is a good one, now I just have to come with something that doesn't bother my running... And good thing about the IF, wouldn't wanted to go there anyway ;-)

Cheers,

Mukkelis aka Meri

You're welcome Meri! I wake up, have a snack and then do aerobic exercise before breakfast. Many times for the snack I mix 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and a little vanilla flavoring into 1/2 cup of plain yogurt.

Dr. Sears don't worry, I couldn't wake up without my breakfast straight after getting out of bed.

Hmmm okay, I might try that. Thanks!

t. Mukkelis who was just on a run on an empty stomach... seems scary to put something in the belly before :-D

Meri, I had the same fear about eating before working out. I have ALWAYS exercised first thing in the morning before eating. I always felt that I would get cramps if I ate before hand. I started with just a half block (1/4 cup) of yogurt mixed with some nut butter (lately I've been using macadamia nut butter, but you can use almond or peanut butter too). Now I have worked my way up to a full block (1/2 cup) before the workout and have a 2 block breakfast after my workout is done. The yogurt is light enough that it doesn't interfere with the bouncing effect of working out. Good luck!

Thanks for the encouragement, Jana! It's really needed :-D Maybe I'll start with a quarter a block and work my way trough... So you think that it's made your workouts more energetic/effecient?

Actually, I do! Because the snack is light enough it doesn't sit heavy while bouncing around, but at the same time you have a little 'fuel' in your system so you don't tire out as quickly as you do when running on 'empty'. Before the Zone if I ate before I exercised then the exercise just didn't get done because I would be bogged down from the food.....now I understand that it was what I was eating not the fact that I had eaten. When I exercised on an empty stomach I would get tired and start to slow up after 20-30 minutes....now with the 1 block 'snack' before the workout I find I can go an hour or more without getting that tired feeling.

Okeydokey! Actually there's a clear difference running on an empty stomach in the morning and running (occasionally) in the evening, after lunch, snacks etc. I always feel like flying and super running in the evening, but I've just thought that it's because of the overall activity level is higher and also due to the nutrition. But I've also always thought that it doesn't matter 'cause I can't eat anyway before the morning run and just felt that it's okay to perform the level that it's possible at those hours... Maybe it's NOT so ;-D

Now I'm already getting excited to try, weird how things change.... :-)

Let us know how you make out Meri.

Jana, as soon as YOU try a green smoothie ;-D

LOL Ok!! You're on. I'll do a search for Green Smoothies and see what I can find....I'll post in the next couple of days and let you know how I make out! Then you'll have to do the same

I just watched a video of a lady making a green smoothie. Interesting!

what is a green smoothie??

Green smoothie revolution! Just had my morning smoothie. Always makes me feel soo good.

BUT, I really, really am shamed to admit that I went for a run this morning as well and I just COULDN'T make myself eat before :-( Lousy, I know. I'm just too scared that it will interfere with my working out, food in the stomach. BUT (a second one!) I also made a plan: I'm gonna go for a little test run on the weekend, not like a REAL run but just to try this out and have a snack before I do. A bit shorter and not so serious run will uncover the truth behind eating Zone before running... So, you'll just have to wait for a little bit longer for my report... Sorry about that. We all have our weaknesses don't we? O_O Mine's psychological, obviously.

(And have to add that this morning's run was one of the best ones ever! Ran the usual 7K but very, very fast and was having a serious runner's high! ..and I've been running for like 15 years now so... It's good.)

Meri, perhaps it was just the thought of food in your tummy that made the run so good!! HaHa!

Bernie, a green smoothie is basically made mostly with veggies instead of fruits. Meri had mentioned it in another thread and I asked the same question.....this is why I have now been challenged to give it a try!

BUT, Meri.....when I try it you MUST have 1/4c of plain yogurt with some nut butter mixed in before your next run! (that's only 1/2 block, you can do that!!!)

Going grocery shopping tonight so will give it a try tomorrow when I have some fresh ingredients.

I am in, too! I really like the thought of having that green smoothie. Need a few more greens at home, but otherwise pretty much ready to go.

The recipe that I saw didn't have any protein in it, what do you suggest for protein? I have lost track of the other thread.

Jana: okay. We have an official challenge here. You go have green smoothie and I'll try the yoghurt with tahini before a run. Prolly will manage to do that on... Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Ready? Set. GO!! :-D ( If it doesn't rain like mad tomorrow morning that's also an option O_O)

CC, well I usually don't add any protein or if I do, I use tasteless (a tad sweet, otherwise bland) protein powder. If you add quark or something other dairy it's more like a "normal" smoothie but of course you can try what you like best. I eat my cottage cheese with some natural yoghurt for breakfast just on the side of the green smoohie. First the protein, then the shake, it works beautifully! But that's for me.

I'd suggest you'll try a green smoothie with something to sweeten it like a piece (or half) a banana, some apple, some pear or maybe some grapes or strawberries sweeten it too. Banana has the ability (as does avocado) to make it thicker and creamier. I vary my smoothie a bit, but usually it includes the following: fresh spinach, celery stalks, berries (strawberries, raspberries or blueberries), lingonberries (I always add these since they're very healthy and I have a ton in the fridge to be eaten before the new ones will be picked at the end of the summer ;-)), water. If I use just lingonberries or it's otherwise very sour, I add a bit of a banana or avocado.

I also mentioned this super drink I call the Green Angel in the other thread: put banana and avocado half and half in a blender, blend until smooth. Enjoyyyyyy... :-P

AND! Have you already heard about the healty chocolate mousse? This one is a KILLER, I love and everybody that tasted it have loved it as well, it doesn't (weirdly enuf) taste like avocado.

A Healthier Mousse (aka Mousse Crocodile, I have a cooking blog so... ;-D)

1 ripe avocado
0,6 dl warm water (luke warm' good enuf)
0,6 dl cocoa powder (the dark one without any additives or sugar, like van Houten etc.)
0,5 tsp vanilla flavour
0,5 tsp cinnamon (grounded)
something to sweeten it: honey, agave nectar, whatever YOU want to use but without it it won't work

Put everything in a blender, blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetness. It's heaven! Can also add mint (fresh! and/or flavour) to tune it up, melts in the mouth, guarantee.

Here's my post about it, in Finnish: http://monkeyfood.net/2008/01/22/hy...mpi-musse/
And here's the recipe, originally from, in English as a video. Caution! It's quite corny hehehehe.
http://www.imcooked.com/view_video....518d5f9b32

Oh yes and just to inspire you: you can also add goji berries, nuts, seeds, all sorts of stuff into a green smoothie. I don't know what else would be a suitable lean protein source to blend into it other than powder, but let me know if you have an idea. I don't have a problem eating my protein separately tho, I kind of like that I can chew something and then drink, and I also get to have MORE things than just one!

I have a bland whey protein powder, that may work. Maybe I could also toss in some cottage cheese to add to the creamy texture. I kind of like the "one drink fits all" approach, and would probably "forget" to eat the cottage cheese, if I had it separately-lol!

I would NEVER forget to eat :-D Especially cottage cheese which I adore. :-)

Oh, I never forget to eat, either! But, I may forget to eat the protein, if I don't toss it into the smoothie.

Cottage cheese is not necessarily a favorite "stand alone" food of mine. I enjoy it with things, preferably served with blueberries and almonds drizzled over it. I currently add it to my strawberry smoothie.

I agree with CC, the cottage cheese would be welcome in the grn smoothie!
so......let's bump it up a notch and make that Mousse Crocodile Ice Cream!!! (run it through an ice cream maker?)
I don't have one.......yet!

Oh, LOL!

I have the "old-fashioned" ice cream maker, the one that you have to add the rock salt and crank with the handle. Hard work to go through for ice cream, but sometimes it is definitely worth the effort. There is no store-bought ice cream that tastes as good as that!

Also, kind of neat for the kids to do!