The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet: Activate Your Body's Natural Ability to Burn Fat and Lose Weight Fast (14 page)

Inflammation is your body’s normal reaction to fighting off bacteria or healing an infection or cut. It’s something we can see: the red sore throat, the swollen sprained ankle, the cut that gets infected and turns red, hot, and tender to the touch. But the inflammation we’re concerned with now is hidden inside and doesn’t necessarily hurt. It’s your immune system’s way of fighting off bad food, stress, toxins, allergens, the overgrowth of bad bugs in your gut, and even low-grade infections.

Anything that causes inflammation will, in turn, cause insulin resistance. And we already know that insulin resistance causes your body to generate belly fat and hold on to that spare tire for dear life. So we’re going to focus on cooling the smoldering fire of inflammation that has been secretly sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

You’re already on your way to cooling off the internal inflammation by eliminating sugar, refined carbohydrates, trans fats, excess omega-6 fats from processed plant oils, artificial sweeteners, MSG, gluten, grains, and dairy. To maximize the cooling effect, the 10-Day Detox contains many foods that are rich in omega-3 fats, such as salmon, omega-3 eggs, grass-fed beef, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, and walnuts. Herbs and spices such as turmeric and the whole, real, fresh foods in the menus and recipes are helpful for cooling inflammation,
especially berries, dark-green leafy vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, healthy fats like those in nuts and avocados, and high-quality protein, such as organic poultry, wild seafood, and non-GMO tofu and tempeh.

Within our digestive system, we each have 500 species of bacterial bugs that control digestion, metabolism, and inflammation. A whole new field of research has emerged on the human “microbiome” (the community of microbes and their genes within the human gut), and it suggests that your weight may be controlled more by what your bacteria eat than by what you eat yourself.

Different bugs thrive in your system, depending on what you feed them. Eating whole, real, fresh foods enables good bugs to grow. Those good bugs can consume as much as 50 percent of your caloric intake, leaving less food for you to absorb. Good bugs boost your metabolism. Eating junk, on the other hand, causes bad bugs to grow and thrive. And bad bugs produce nasty toxins and gas that cause weight gain, inflammation, puffiness, the dreaded belly bloat, and diabesity.

When you eat the wrong stuff, instead of symbiosis—a mutually beneficial relationship between you and your intestinal flora—you create a harmful imbalance that damages your gut lining, creating a leaky gut. Partially digested food particles and microbial toxins then leak across your gut, triggering an inflammatory response (your body’s way of protecting you from these “foreign” proteins). The inflammation, in turn, damages your metabolism, affects how your brain controls appetite, and creates insulin resistance and—you guessed it—weight gain.

The whole-food, high-fiber, low-starch, and low-sugar diet that this detox is based on starves the bad bugs and feeds the good bugs. It contains foods rich in the vitamins and minerals that improve gut function, such as pumpkin seeds and bok choy, which are high in zinc, and arugula, kale, tomatoes, and carrots, which are chock-full of vitamin A. It also contains foods such as chicken, turkey, salmon, onions, and parsley, which contain amino acids and antioxidants that promote healing
of the gut lining, as well as probiotics to reduce belly bloat, found in kimchi.

Protein is key for balancing your blood sugar. Each lunch and dinner contains some form of lean (and preferably organic) animal protein, complemented by delicious vegetables.

There is much debate about paleo vs. vegan diets that seems worth mentioning here. While a predominantly plant-based diet (meaning that you are eating a lot of actual plants, not a lot of flours and sugars made from plants) is definitely healthful, a purely vegan diet can be a problem for a lot of people with weight issues. It’s not always the case, but I’ve seen a lot of vegetarians and vegans who have serious health and weight problems because their go-to substitutes for meat are starch: rice, pasta, bread, and other carb-heavy, nutrient-poor foods that, once consumed, turn to sugar in their bodies and drive cravings.

Even other grains and beans can be a problem for some vegetarians because they raise blood sugar and insulin more than animal proteins do. It can be unhealthy unless you really know what you’re doing nutritionally. Yes, we absolutely should be eating less factory-farmed meat for the sake of our planet, but animal-based proteins are important for many people. And if they come from sustainable wild or pasture-raised sources, I believe they can be very healthy.

What kind of diet is right for you depends partially on the current state of your health and metabolism. The sicker you are, the less wiggle room you have in terms of the amount of sugar you can safely take in. As you lose weight, your resilience increases, and after the 10-Day Detox you can experiment with grains and beans as protein sources. But if you have significant weight or health concerns, for now, I’d counsel you to steer clear of them.

On the 10-Day Detox, you’ll notice that two traditional soy proteins are included: tofu and tempeh. While soybeans technically are, obviously, beans, these two foods are notably lower on the glycemic
index and don’t cause the same blood sugar spikes that other soy products do.

Nuts and seeds are the exception when it comes to plant protein. They don’t raise blood sugar and are a fantastic go-to snack for anyone without nut allergies, especially those with diabesity. Nuts have been proven to reduce the risk of diabetes, improve metabolism, and help with weight loss. They are a great source of protein, good fats, fiber, and minerals, including magnesium and zinc, which are key in reversing diabesity.

Each of your ten days begins with thirty minutes of moderate exercise. This can have an extraordinary effect on the rest of your day, jump-starting your metabolic engine and balancing your brain chemistry, blood sugar, and hormones so you make better choices. Exercise reduces cravings and regulates appetite, improves insulin sensitivity, boosts the number and function of your mitochondria (improving your overall metabolism), mobilizes detox pathways to help eliminate weight-causing environmental toxins, reduces cortisol (the stress hormone that promotes belly fat), reduces inflammation, and promotes better sleep. It is the best antidepressant and antianxiety treatment and improves energy, well-being, and self-esteem. Bottom line: Exercise enhances everything you’re doing on this program!

If you already have a fitness routine, you can continue to do whatever form of exercise you enjoy for those thirty minutes. If up until now exercise hasn’t been a regular part of your life, start with thirty minutes of brisk walking—or even slow walking, if that’s all you can do. If you can only do five minutes, start with that and do it twice a day
and then work up slowly over the week. Walking is easy, it’s accessible to almost everyone, and it doesn’t require any memberships or fancy equipment. As you get stronger, you can increase your exercise intensity and experiment with other kinds of activities.

There is much confusion about nutritional supplements and conflicting reports about their benefits, effectiveness, and even safety. This is unfortunate, because I believe that for the vast majority of us, they are fundamental and essential for human survival and optimal health. In fact, the word “vitamin” is derived from “vital amine”—vital components found in our diet without which we can get very sick or die. Yet 90 percent of Americans are deficient in one or more essential nutrients because most of us live on processed, nutrient-depleted food. In fact, 10 percent of us don’t get enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy, a profound nutritional deficiency syndrome first described in sailors who ate no fresh fruits and vegetables, and up to 80 percent have inadequate levels of vitamin D.

Let me explain briefly what vitamins and minerals do. They are not drugs, they do not work like drugs, and they cannot be studied like drugs, which is why you hear so much confusing information in the media about nutritional research. Vitamins and minerals are essential components of our biology that make every chemical reaction in our body function, including metabolism and calorie burning. Each chemical reaction requires a catalyst (an enzyme), and each catalyst has a “helper” or cofactor (coenzyme). Vitamins and minerals are those helpers.

Without optimal levels of vitamins and minerals, your biochemistry doesn’t run well. In order to burn calories in your cells, you need vitamins and minerals.

Most of our ideas about nutrients revolve around the minimum amount we need to prevent severe deficiency diseases like scurvy or rickets, not the amounts we need for optimal or enhanced biological function and health.

When it comes to weight loss, nutrients play a critical role. When we are low on critical nutrients, our bodies crave more food, seeking to get those nutrients. We eat more and more processed junk foods, searching for nutrients that just aren’t there. We are starving in the midst of plenty—overfed, undernourished, and never satisfied.

When we eat real food, which contains many nutrients, we are more satisfied and eat less. But still, we need a foundational amount of high-quality nutrients to help run our engines. Getting adequate vitamins and minerals helps you burn calories more efficiently, helps regulate appetite, lowers inflammation, boosts detoxification, aids digestion, regulates stress hormones, and helps your cells become more insulin sensitive.

The supplement program for the Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet is designed to be simple and easy to follow, and works specifically to address insulin resistance and enhance the detox process. The recommended supplements include a special superfiber called PGX that soaks up sugar and fat and helps curb appetite, lower blood sugar, and promote weight loss. You’ll find a complete list of supplements and why each is important for the detox as well as where to find them
here
in the Prep Phase.

Many of us are chronically dehydrated and consume caffeinated drinks, which makes us even more dehydrated. Simple hydration has been associated with weight loss and helps maximize detoxification by flushing out metabolic and environmental toxins through your kidneys, promotes healthy bowel movements, and increases energy. That is why it’s so important to drink at least eight glasses of water each day during the detox and beyond.

Studies show that simply drinking two glasses of water before you eat can lead to significant weight loss. We often mistake thirst for hunger and eat instead of drink, so keep a big bottle of fresh filtered water with you throughout the day and drink. When in doubt, hydrate!

The simple act of writing down your experiences and feelings in an unfiltered way has been proven to reduce stress and double the results of any weight loss or behavior-change program. Journaling is one of the most effective ways to break the cycle of mindless eating and process your thoughts and emotions in a proactive, healthy way rather than stuff them down with bad foods and bad habits. As I say often, a diet of words and self-exploration often results in weight loss. Writing helps us metabolize our feelings and calories better. Plus, it keeps us honest and accountable to ourselves, which is crucial for success.

During the Prep Phase, you’ll purchase a blank notebook to use as your official Detox Journal, or get the free downloadable Detox Journal at www.10daydetox.com/resources. Each morning of your ten days, I’ll remind you to record your progress, and each evening, you’ll have specific questions tied to that day’s focus to reflect upon. Please don’t underestimate or skip this important part of the program.

“You need to relax.”

How many of us have heard that piece of advice? And how many of us have nodded, agreed, and then gone about our crazy lives (and crazy diets), swearing we’ll get to it when we have the time?

But if you need some real motivation to take that seriously, consider this: Stress increases your levels of insulin, cytokines (messenger molecules of the immune system that trigger inflammation), and cortisol (infamous for promoting the accumulation of belly fat). Stress also increases your appetite and your carb and sugar cravings, triggering the metabolic dysfunction that leads to weight gain. So if you want to lose weight, start by soothing your stressed-out body and mind.

I have built two key relaxation practices into the Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet: the UltraDetox Bath and the Take-Five Breathing Break.

The UltraDetox Bath combines special ingredients to help destress your nervous system, relax your muscles and your mind, alkalinize and pull toxins out of your body, and promote deep, restorative sleep. The Take-Five Breathing Break is a simple yet powerful technique that has a profound effect on your mind and body. You’ll learn the specifics of how and when to do these practices in Part IV, but for now, just remember this: Stress makes you fat, and relaxation makes you thin!

Our bodies are biological organisms, and whether we like it or not, or listen to them or not, they are subject to very specific rhythms. Getting our biology back on track depends a lot on getting the timing right. This includes the time you wake and go to sleep, the time you eat, the time you exercise, and the time you relax.

Simple behavior changes to rebalance your daily rhythms can have surprisingly powerful effects: increased energy, better sleep, weight loss, and more. That is why I encourage you to set a schedule of sleeping, eating, exercising, and relaxing every day during your 10-Day Detox and to stick to it.

The science shows that skipping meals, eating very late, and not having breakfast are all guaranteed ways to screw up your metabolism and gain weight. One major cause of diabesity is night-eating syndrome—bingeing at night or getting up in the middle of the night to eat. It is almost always caused by not eating enough during the day and by resultant swings in blood sugar.

Try to establish regular rhythms for eating, moving, relaxing, and sleeping—and watch your body self-regulate into health and natural weight loss. As an added bonus, when you observe set routines and rhythms, you don’t have to waste mental energy constantly planning how and when you’re going to do your practices and meals each day!

Eating three meals (and a couple of optional snacks if you’re hungry) works to keep your sugar and hormones balanced. Eating early in the day kick-starts your metabolism, allowing it to burn hotter all day. And
avoiding food two to three hours before bed prevents you from storing it as fat instead of burning it for needed energy. When you sleep, your body is in repair, rebuilding, and growth mode. But the last thing you want to see grow is your belly. That’s why observing a sensible daily eating pattern is important.