The Great Almond Experiment

The "Dr. Oz" show, tapes of which I often watch while bicycling indoors in winter, had a guest, Tim Ferriss, author of the New York Times bestseller "4-Hour Body," who does experiments on himself. One experiment was to discover what would promote better sleep for those who tend to toss and turn. Ferriss recommended taking two tablespoons of almond butter before bedtime to stabilize blood sugar overnight and help a person feel better upon waking. Not having almond butter, I tried two tablespoons of almonds. The experiment will take several nights, of course, but on the first night I still woke up early and did my share of wrestling with the covers.

I love the idea, however, of a person conducting safe experiments on themselves and hope to read the book someday. But I think I will forego his recommended way of supercharging the metabolism — taking a five- to 30-minute cold shower each morning. I think I'll stick with exercise and green tea.