When it comes to sleep patterns, some people really are night owls or early birds. According to John Medina in the book, Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School , 30 % of the population is an owl or a lark (an early bird in scientific literature.) The rest of us are called hummingbirds where some of us are more owlish and some are more larkish and some are in between.

Photo by cheetah100.
I’m a fan of periodic experiments for finding new ways to improve your mind and body.  My latest experiment is shedding ten years of age-related damage in ten weeks based on the book, Shed 10 Years in 10 Weeks, by Dr. Julian Whitaker and Carol Colman.  Given how much heart disease, cancer, … etc there is in today’s world, it won’t hurt me to put more techniques under my belt.  I told some friends and colleagues about my experiment and they wanted me to share my notes, so …

Photo by Tom@HK.
Do you feel smarter after you workout?  It’s because you have more oxygen available to your brain.  Working out also increases your sense of well-being.  In Shed 10 Years in 10 Weeks, Dr. Julian Whitaker and Colman write about how exercising makes you smarter and feel better.
Think Better and Feel Better
Dr. Whitaker and Colman write the following:
Did you ever wonder why you feel so recharged after a good workout?  Nowhere is the body mind connection more apparent than when it comes to the effect of exercise on the …

How do you get lean and alert?  The Zone is a strategy for eating that promises a longer and healthier life.  The key is to keep your insulin levels within a certain zone — not too high and not too low.  The approach is to think of food as a “drug” and eat balanced meals of protein carbohydrates, and fats.  
I originally thought the Zone was a fad diet, but a colleague told me that it’s actually based on science and results.  In fact, some Olympic athletes have used the Zone.  …

The Zone is a dietary strategy focused on controlling your insulin levels.  By controlling your insulin levels, you improve how you think and feel.   The key to controlling your insulin levels is balancing your carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.  This post is based on the book, The Top 100 Zone Foods: The Zone Food Science Ranking System, by Dr. Barry Sears.
The Story of the Zone
Dr. Sears writes about his inspiration for creating the Zone:

You probably assume you’re a product of your genes.  You have your father’s eyes, your mother’s freckles, and …

How do you eat healthy while dining out?   This post summarizes tips for eating in the Zone while eating out.  The Zone is a way to use food as a “drug” to improve how you look and feel.  It’s about balancing your ratios of carbs, proteins, and fats to control your insulin levels to stay in the right zone.  This post is based on the book, The Top 100 Zone Foods: The Zone Food Science Ranking System, by Dr. Barry Sears.
You Can Have It Both Ways
Dr. Sears writes that food …

This post is a summary of tips for food shopping while staying in the Zone.  I’m researching the Zone diet while I explore more effective patterns and practices for eating strategies.  This post is based on the book, The Top 100 Zone Foods: The Zone Food Science Ranking System, by Dr. Barry Sears.
Five Steps to Supermarket Shopping
Dr. Sears provides the following tips for food shopping while staying in the Zone:

Step #1. Always go with a list.
Step #2. Stay mainly on the periphery.
Step #3. Make the produce section your foray into …

What are the healthiest foods in the world?  The quality of carbohydrates, proteins and fats can vary a great deal.  As part of my research of the Zone diet, this post summarizes lessons learned around high-quality carbohydrates, high-quality proteins, and high-quality fats.  This post is based on the book, The Top 100 Zone Foods: The Zone Food Science Ranking System , by Dr. Barry Sears.
High-Quality Carbohydrates (Think Anti-Oxidants)
Dr. Sears writes that the key to high-quality carbohydrates is to think anti-oxidants:
My definition of high-quality carbohydrates is one that does two things: …

This post is a list of the Top 100 Zone Foods.  I’m currently researching the Zone diet to learn more patterns and practices for effective eating.  This list is organized by carbohydrates, proteins, fats, spices and condiments.  Each item includes a note on what portion equates to a Zone Food Block.  After the list, I summarize important points about Zone Food Blocks.  The main way to use the list is to become familiar with high-quality foods and the relative portions.  This way you can make more effective food choices when …