Authors: Mark Hyman
Tags: #Health & Fitness / Diet & Nutrition / Diets, #Health & Fitness / Body Cleansing & Detoxification
The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet: Activate Your Body's Natural Ability to Burn Fat and Lose Weight Fast (21 page)
Every night, set aside some quiet time to write about your day’s experience. How are you feeling? What has excited or frustrated you? What changes are you noticing in your body? In your mood? This is your private time to really let your thoughts and feelings fly—write whatever comes to mind without filtering or holding back! Research shows that writing has significant transformational powers to heal and promote weight loss.
During your nightly journaling, you’ll also answer the specific questions tailored to that day’s focus. These questions were specifically created to guide your interior exploration to deeper levels and clear away any mental or emotional obstacles that might appear along the path.
I had a very stressful day today, and at one point, I thought I’d just go and get an iced tea. I actually parked in front of the place I get my tea and then thought, “Why am I giving up the progress I have made?” So I just sat in the car for a while and did the deep breathing exercises, then calmly started the car and went back to work. I was so proud of myself.
—ANALYN READER
Remember, stress makes you fat and relaxation makes you thin. Relaxation helps you reset your metabolism and lower cortisol. A conscious, deliberate, focused period of deep relaxation and self-awareness every day can profoundly affect your health and your weight.
Each day, I would like you to take five minutes to sit quietly and practice the following deep breathing exercise:
- Sit on a chair, or propped up on pillows in your bed, or cross-legged on a cushion on the floor.
- Close your eyes and your mouth.
- Breath in slowly through your nose to the count of five.
- Hold to the count of five and then slowly breathe out to the count of five.
- Do this for five minutes.
If you do this before each meal, you will destress your nervous system, and your digestion and metabolism will work much better. When you do it before you eat, just do five of these breath cycles. And then watch what happens to your appetite and your relationship to food through this simple act of awareness.
Even if you do this cycle of breathing just five times, you will totally transform your brain chemistry and create a deep sense of calm and well-being. It works every time. And it is available to anyone, anywhere, anytime. If you say you don’t have five minutes a day for this important ritual, then I say you seriously need to reexamine your life!
I loved the relaxation part of the program. The UltraBath was glorious… I used candles and soft music. I have never experienced such luxury for myself on a daily basis!
—DORA CONRAD
The UltraDetox Bath combines Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), baking soda (alkalinizing), and lavender oil (cortisol and stress-reducing aromatherapy). When used every night, this ritual creates profound relaxation and detoxification.
Here’s the recipe:
Heat the water as hot as you can stand it.
Add 2 cups Epsom salts, ½ cup baking soda, and 10 drops of lavender oil. (Optional: light candles and play soothing music to enhance the experience.)
Add one stressed human.
Soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
You will love this relaxing ritual so much you will probably want to continue it long after the detox is over. I take an UltraDetox Bath almost every night. It helps me transition to sleep, undo the hurry and worry of the day, and get the triple benefit of mind and muscle relaxation and whole-body detoxification. I use it when I travel, especially when I get back from a long trip; it is my jet lag remedy. Taking an UltraDetox Bath with your partner creates an even more magical healing time to connect and reset your system.
I have been married twenty-six years and have seen my husband take less than a handful of baths during that time. He took an UltraDetox Bath every night and loved it. It really helped with our stressful lives.
—CHRIS VAUPEL
During these ten days, you want to get a minimum of seven (but ideally eight) hours of sleep each night. Remember, lack of sleep not only damages your cognitive function and your health; it causes cravings for sugar and carbs. Getting enough restful sleep is a powerful tool for stopping cravings in their tracks and promoting weight loss.
Besides the relaxing UltraDetox Bath and Take-Five Breathing Break, here are some of my favorite tips for winding down and getting to sleep easily:
Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day,
to instill a regular rhythm of sleep.
Use your bed for sleep and romance only.
Create a clutter-free, soothing, restful environment
that encourages sleep. Your bedroom should be a sanctuary that provides peace and calm at the end of your busy days.
Create total darkness and quiet
(eyeshades and earplugs are great tools). Remove or cover any lit clocks or electronic digital displays.
Get at least twenty minutes of exposure to sunlight a day,
preferably first thing in the morning. The sunlight enters your eyes and triggers your brain to release specific chemicals, such as melatonin, that are vital to healthy sleep cycles and balanced moods, and that help prevent premature aging.
Do not eat within three hours of bedtime.
Eating a heavy meal before bed will lead to a bad night’s sleep. Energy will be shifted to digesting your meal instead of the repair and healing that is supposed to take place at night. Eating too late is also a guaranteed way to gain weight, because your body will be inclined to store the meal rather than burn it.
Avoid bright, stimulating screens before bed.
They alter your brain’s natural sleep chemicals. Don’t check e-mail, read on your iPad, or check your phone. Watching television right before bed can also significantly interfere with proper sleep.
Take an hour (or at least twenty minutes) of complete wind-down time.
The UltraDetox Bath is great for that. Or try reading something soothing in bed.
Write down your worries.
You’re already making great use of your Detox Journal, so feel free to use it as needed to unload anything and everything that is causing you anxiety and may disrupt your sleep. Making your to-do list for the next day frees up your mind and helps you move into a state of relaxation.
Get a massage or stretch before bed
to relax the body. Or learn a few simple restorative yoga poses. One easy pose involves lying on the floor and putting your legs up against the wall. This type of passive stretching can help calm your body, quiet your mind, and reset your nervous system. At www.10daydetox.com/resources, you can find many DVDs and resources for learning simple yoga routines. Or better yet, find a yoga class nearby and give it a try.
Warm your middle.
This raises your core temperature and helps trigger the proper chemistry for sleep. A hot-water bottle, heating pad, or warm body can do the trick.
Avoid medications that interfere with sleep.
These include sedatives (which ultimately lead to disruption of normal sleep rhythms), antihistamines, stimulants, cold medications, steroids, and headache medications that contain caffeine.
