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 (55 page)
In the past year I found out I have a thyroid problem. I gained thirty-five pounds and had not been able to lose any weight, and I am so tired all the time. The doctor kept upping my medicine and at 125 micrograms of Synthroid I felt no different. Then this program came along. What a difference the last ten days have made in my life! I have hope again. I lost weight and feel terrific. I finally feel my thyroid is responding to something. I will continue on with your advice forever. Also, my cravings are a thing of the past… I can actually walk down the dessert aisle now and keep walking.
—PAULETTA DOUGHTY
Now that you are at the end of your ten days, I encourage you to go back and complete the “after” section in the Toxicity Questionnaire
here
. I think you’re going to be amazed by the changes! During the Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox trial program, one of the most extraordinary outcomes was seeing participants’ average toxicity score go down by 42 points (62 percent). That is the power of food, and the power of the body to recover and heal.
There are a few people (a very small minority) who, despite having done their best to follow this program, may still not feel that much better or lose that much weight. This is a clue that there is something else going on. Don’t be discouraged—there is a solution! These are findable, fixable problems if you know where to look.
If you completed the 10-Day Detox and did not get the results you were hoping for, one of the following five reasons might apply:
1.
Problems with diet.
Did sugar or gluten sneak its way into your food products? Your success can easily be sabotaged by hidden sources. Check your labels carefully—or better yet, eat only fresh foods without labels.
2.
Inadequate or inefficient exercise.
If you have never exercised, a little exercise can create large benefits at first. However, as you progress and get healthier, you need higher-intensity workouts to achieve the same benefits. As you get into shape, increase your exercise and intensity and add in interval training (see
here
for more on this).
3.
Hidden food sensitivities.
Some people have food allergies or sensitivities (besides gluten or dairy) that can prevent weight loss. This calls for a more comprehensive elimination diet. In my book
The UltraSimple Diet
you can find a powerful, healing anti-inflammatory elimination program to help you identify the degree to which food sensitivities or allergies may be driving the inflammation. Other common allergens include eggs, corn, soy, nuts, nightshades (the tomato, potato, eggplant, and pepper family), yeast, and citrus foods. You may also need food-sensitivity testing, which you can learn more about in my free online guide,
How to Work with Your Doctor to Get What You Need,
at www.10daydetox.com/resources.
4.
Toxic overload.
Accumulation of toxins from substances such as petrochemicals and heavy metals can cause problems in many people who are overexposed to them or who have genetic predispositions that make it difficult to detoxify these chemicals. If this is a problem for you, you might need heavy-metal detoxification protocols, saunas, and various detoxifying supplements, including n-acetyl-cysteine, milk thistle, and vitamin C. For more information, please see Chapter 24 of
The Blood Sugar Solution.
(Note: Heavy-metal detoxification is a medical procedure that requires the guidance of an experienced functional medicine doctor. See
How to Work with Your Doctor to Get What You Need
at www.10daydetox.com/resources for more information on finding the right doctor for testing and detoxing for heavy metals.)
5.
Systemic imbalances.
In functional medicine, we see the body as a system. The root causes of disease trigger imbalances in the body that lead to dysfunction. Many things can go wrong that affect your health. Here are the main triggers that interact with your genes to cause most disease: toxins, allergens, microbes, stress, and poor diet. These can cause nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances (including thyroid and adrenal and sex-hormone problems), imbalances in your gut flora or microbiome, immune imbalances, inflammation from hidden infections, problems with energy metabolism, and more. These imbalances often require attention from a well-trained functional medicine doctor (read below for more on how to find one).
Unfortunately, most doctors today are not trained to find toxic overload or systemic imbalances, or to treat them effectively. My guide
How to Work with Your Doctor to Get What You Need
outlines how to identify all these problems and more, what tests to have, and what treatments are available; it even gives you a template for a letter explaining to your doctor why he or she should help you be a detective. You are welcome to come see one of the doctors at my clinic in Massachusetts, the UltraWellness Center, or find a functional medicine doctor close to you by going to www.functionalmedicine.org and entering your zip code in the “find a practitioner” section.
Please keep in mind that not all the health professionals in the database are equally skilled or trained, so you’ll want to make some additional inquiries before selecting a practitioner. Ask the candidates you are considering if they have gone through the Functional Medicine Certification Program, which represents a higher level of training.
Thankfully, there is a road to health for almost everyone, given the right guidance and support. Sometimes it takes a bit of detective work, with hidden clues that need sorting out. If you work with a well-trained functional medicine practitioner, you can reclaim your health.
If you did basic lab tests before beginning the 10-Day Detox, I encourage you to repeat the same tests six weeks from the day you started the
detox. If you stick with one of the Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet transition plans, you will be amazed by the changes. Some may see drops of fifty or more points in their blood sugar or cholesterol after just ten days, but after one month, you will be shocked by the even more dramatic changes. Seeing these numbers change will go a long way in reinforcing your commitment to yourself.
How many programs end and you still want to do them? My whole attitude is so good, my energy level is up, and I feel so much better. This is a spectacular feat for a ten-day period.
—JUDY KNIGHT
Whichever transition plan you choose, it is my hope that you will continue with some of the practices you have adopted over these past ten days. It’s not magic that made your cravings disappear, your energy skyrocket, your skin clear up, your digestion improve, your joints and muscles stop hurting, your headaches go away, or your brain fog clear up. It is no accident that you look and feel as fabulous as you do.
You
made this happen!
The eating plans, UltraDetox Baths, breathing exercises, results tracking, journaling, daily exercise, community support, conscious design of your “health bubble” … these are all powerful ways to keep your body and mind steered in the direction of health and sustainable weight loss. You’ve regained control of your body and your life, and there’s no going back!
I’m in for another ninety days. I lost six pounds and three inches off my waist and belly. Can’t beat that! My blood sugar has dropped to normal and I can’t wait for my next doctor visit to see how my blood panels look. My family history is full of diabetes. Both of my grandmothers had it… both of my brothers have it… my dad and mom are both pre-diabetic, and I was headed in that direction. But I am CHOOSING a different path. Congratulations to everyone here who has also started choosing a better, healthier future for themselves and their families!
—TERRI GARVIN
The Super Advanced Plan is the same plan you followed during the 10-Day Detox. When I launched the trial of the 10-Day Detox, I challenged the participants to continue for an additional ninety days so they could reach even higher levels of health and weight loss. Many of them were up for the challenge, and after the first six weeks the results continued to amaze both them and me:
Participants experienced an average weight loss of 8.1 pounds in the first ten days and an average loss of 14 pounds over the following six weeks (some people reached their healthiest weight and didn’t need to lose any more, thus they didn’t, while others lost a lot more than 14 pounds).
Their waist size went down by an average of 1.7 inches in the first ten days, and 3.2 inches over six weeks.
Their hip size went down 1.5 inches in the first ten days and 2.7 inches over six weeks.
The average blood pressure dropped ten points after six weeks.
The average blood sugar dropped about eighteen points after six weeks.
Follow the Super Advanced Plan if you:
Want to lose twenty-five pounds or more.
Have diabetes and want to reverse it.
Are on diabetes medication or insulin and want to get off it.
Have high triglycerides and low HDL (good cholesterol) and want to get off statin medication.
Have high blood pressure and want to get off medication.
Just feel so great and want to keep going to experience greater levels of wellness.
Here is the protocol for the Super Advanced Plan:
Follow the same daily guidelines as laid out in
Chapter 7
, “Your Daily Practices.”
Continue to eliminate all gluten and flour-based products (including gluten-free), dairy, and all forms of sugar and sweeteners.
Continue to avoid all processed foods.
Avoid grains, starchy vegetables (like potatoes), beans, and fruit (other than ½ cup of berries or kiwi in your morning shake).
Avoid inflammatory beverages (regular and decaf coffee, alcohol, soda, and juice).
Include as many nonstarchy vegetables as you want in all meals and snacks.
Include 4 to 6 ounces of protein with each meal (eggs, chicken, fish, lean animal protein, nuts and seeds).
Have one serving of a healthy fat (e.g., ¼ avocado, or 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, extra virgin coconut butter, or nut or seed butter such as almond or cashew) with every meal.
Continue with your daily practices: thirty minutes of exercise, supplements, Take-Five Breathing Break, UltraDetox Bath, journaling, tracking results, hydration, and seven to eight hours sleep every night.
Continue to take the same supplements that you have been taking during the 10-Day Detox. Additionally, you’ll need to add a few more nutrients and herbs to further stabilize your blood sugar balance and improve insulin sensitivity. These herbs are often available as combinations. I’ve listed the dosages below, or you can order the 10-Day Detox Step-Up Pack, which includes all of these, at www.10daydetox.com/resources (or you can order both the 10-Day Detox Supplement Pack and the 10-Day Detox Step-Up Pack combined in one package; this is called the 10-Day Detox Combo Pack).
600 milligrams alpha lipoic acid twice a day
1,000 milligrams fenugreek seed with each meal
150 milligrams bitter melon with each meal
100 milligrams gymnema leaf with each meal
540 milligrams acacia bark extract (iso-alpha acids) once daily
