How to Detox Your Body with the 10-Day Detox Diet
Health is wealth. You might agree that every once in a while you need a reset to get back on track in your journey to better health. I am no stranger to this ideology. Every year I participate in at least three detox programs to reset, and restart from square one.
This post walks you through my most recent detox experience – Dr. Hyman’s 10-Day Detox Diet. I will share my takeaways, detox diary and more. So, if you are looking for a way to detox your body from sugar, caffeine and processed foods this might just be the detox for you. Let’s dive in…
My Top 9 Takeaways from the 10-Day Detox
Dr. Hyman’s book, the 10-day Detox Diet, is chock full of no nonsense, data driven truths that may shock you. I highly suggest giving this book a read (even if you do not want to detox right now). I will share more on my detox diary below.
But, first let’s go over my kindle highlights (to be clear, all 9 listed below are direct quotes from the 10-Day Detox Diet) from my first read through of this detox plan. Oh, and before you go ahead and purchase the book. Make sure to check your local library, that’s where I scooped up my copy.
Okay, here are my 9 takeaways…
- Health is a state of balance, and disease is a state of imbalance.
- Food addiction is a biochemical problem, not an emotional one.
- There are 600,000 processed food items in our environment, 80 percent of which contain added sugar.
- The bottom line is this: Your biology controls your behavior, not the other way around.
- The key to detoxing is to not just stop all the addictive foods and substances all at once (which you need to do), but immediately replace them with specific hormone-balancing, brain healing foods and lifestyle habits.
- The simple fact is that you cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet.
- Getting off caffeine can release you from cravings and normalize your brain chemistry.
- Remember, lack of sleep not only damages your cognitive function and your health; it causes cravings for sugar and carbs.
- It’s really as simple as making the defaults in your environment work for you rather than against you.
Now, in total I have about 70 kindle highlights from this read but, the 9 listed above are (I feel) of interest to us all. Which highlight stood out to you?
MY 10-DAY DETOX DIARY
DAY ONE
Admittedly, I was not prepared to jump in to this detox. But, I was eager to get underway because I knew if I held off, I would find some kind of excuse to decide against it. So, without every supplement or suggested ingredient, I was off to the races, and I will be the first to raise my hand and say that Day 1 is not easy. By mid-morning the self –doubt kicked in – 10 days is too long! Who can really follow this detox to the letter for that long? And, why do all health foods and/or detoxes have some form of nuts in them? What do people who are allergic to nuts eat?
I was trying to justify my way out…on day one.
But, do you want to know why I decided to stick it out for day two? Because of the realization of the powerful hold my bad habits and sugar have over my mind and body.
DAY TWO
I woke up feeling good. And, because I knew that the medical medium heavy metal detox smoothie I had yesterday for breakfast could not hold me over until lunch, I decided to try Dr. Hyman’s protein smoothie now that I had most of the ingredients.
I always find it funny when diets and recipes include foods that are hard to find, it just makes it even more difficult to get underway. Like hemp milk…as my husband says, I didn’t know you could milk hemp (he says the same thing about almonds too). It’s just so foreign to me that it adds to the mindset hurdle I was already facing when I decided to dive in and get started.
Something I realized on day 1 is that there are 3 things that I need to get under control in order to successfully use this detox as a reset toward better health – 1. I need to intentionally reduce the amount of sugar I consume, 2. I need a lifestyle edit, and 3. There is no quick fix. All good things come in time. More on this later…
DAY THREE
I slowed down today, and made it a point to give myself extra space to move slowly, and calmly react to whatever situation developed around me. I still experienced headaches today but, I think it might have been from hunger instead of sugar and caffeine withdrawals. It feels as though I am slowly coming out of a fog.
This morning I had another protein smoothie from the 10 day detox, and an am snack of carrots and hummus. Lunch was “Chicken Soup for the Cause”. A pm snack of sugar free vanilla wafers (lay off me I’m starving), and, dinner was Broccoli, Carrots and Bean Spouts in brown sauce from our favorite Chinese spot. Am I following this detox to the letter? No. But my kids were going to kill me if we ate another meal of chicken and roasted broccoli. I also feel like I made a healthy choice.
DAY FOUR ON THE 10-DAY DETOX
Today I woke up with a huge headache. I think it was from dehydration. And yes, I have been drinking more than 8 cups of water each day. So, if you decide to jump into this detox, I suggest keeping a close eye on your water intake to see if you need more than 8 cups a day too.
For breakfast, I had the same protein smoothie as the past three days. Except today, I did not need an am snack. I felt full pretty much all day. I had morning errands and a family little league game that kept me out of the house all day so, I am sure the distractions may have had something to do with feeling full.
But, by the time I arrived home, I was ravenous. I grabbed the strawberries and baby carrots and went to town as dinner was getting prepped. And, for dinner? We had steak and broccoli. I did indulge in some sugar free sugar wafers for dessert.
DAY FIVE
I stepped on the scale this morning, and to my surprise, I lost 5 lbs. 5lbs in 5 days, that’s amazing! But, part of me is wondering if this weight loss will be sustainable when this detox is over? I guess we will see…off to make my morning protein smoothie… I will check in with you later…
Annnd, I’m back! Guess what? Day 5 has been better – I did have that am smoothie, for lunch chicken with veges, a pm snack of carrots (lots of carrots) and hummus, and for dinner zoodles with chicken (it was delicious!). My husband and I take turns food shopping but to be honest, it is a task he has taken over since the start of the pandemic. His report after today’s shopping trip – “sugar is in literally everything!”. And, it’s true…
But, we’ve discovered something today when it comes to the kiddos – slowly transitioning our girls over to sugar free (with the occasional treat of course) will start with drinks and snacks. While their drink of choice is water, sometimes they like to switch it up and will ask for chocolate milk or ginger ale. So, throughout the five days we have been experimenting with some new sugar free drinks. Their response – “not bad…” I’ll take it!
The snacks may prove a little more difficult but right now we have a steady rotation of fresh fruit and two sugar free treats. Let me know in the comments your (or your kiddos) favorite sugar free treat.
DAY SIX
Today is the day I’ve had the most energy, and guess what?! I threw out the last of my favorite dark roast coffee that I couldn’t say goodbye to during the prep phase. That is huge! I’ve been drinking coffee since high school…
Of course I opened the bag and took one last deep breath in of the sweet smelling dark roast before I tossed it into the garbage. And yes, coffee still smells so good. But, right now it’s not doing anything good for my health. If nothing else, this detox is the reason I decided to stop drinking coffee…for good…
DAY SEVEN
To be honest, I didn’t think I was going to make it this long…but for the most part I am hanging in and going strong. Today threw us a curve ball though when a weird wave of low grade temperatures came through the house. We all think it was from the weather, and crazy temperature changes (highs of 90 to lows of 60s) over the last few days. So, we all decided to take it easy today.
DAY EIGHT
Dare I say it, freedom is calling my name. I am excited to be done with this detox simply because I don’t like feeling restricted. And, with the constant barrage of seeds, chicken and broccoli (on repeat), let’s just say I can’t wait to reintroduce some foods back into my diet.
I know that there is an adventure plan option with the detox but, I have two little girls at home. The idea of cooking two or three dinners each night is definitely not appealing. So, we chose to keep it simple with our lunches and dinners.
So, I already mentioned that because of this detox I am kicking coffee to the curb, and working to drastically reduce my sugar intake (and ultimately have a zero sugar diet). In addition to these two monumental steps toward better health, I will be on the hunt for sugar free meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) as well as, sugar free desserts. If you are currently sugar free, please help me out and let me know your favorite recipes in the comments!
DAY NINE ON THE 10-DAY DETOX
And I’m feeling fine! As I write this, live jazz music is streaming through my open windows here at home. The sun is setting, and the air is getting cooler, we are well into a beautiful spring. The sounds of the applause for the ensemble and their music, is a wonderful sign that life is making a huge step toward normalcy. And, it sure feels good.
When I walked into my kitchen this morning, in prep mode for breakfast, I realized that I was reaching for the ingredients of the protein smoothie without even checking the recipe. I smiled to myself halfway through once I figured out that I was basically on auto-pilot.
DAY TEN
I did it! I am writing this final diary entry right before I go to sleep on Day 10, and I am so proud of myself. My mindset at the start of this 10-day detox and from Days 1-5 was the biggest struggle. I haven’t mentioned this before but, I first heard about Dr. Hyman’s detox maybe 1 or 2 years ago. I always knew that I wanted to give it a try but, I was never ready.
There were so many aspects of my lifestyle I was unwilling to face, like giving up coffee, realizing some of my favorite foods were unhealthy (ignorance is bliss right?) and actually scheduling self-care (any mom with little kids at home knows the difficulties with carving out time for herself).
So, this detox put a lot of the little details into focus for me, and I can honestly say that on Day 10, I feel stronger and healthier.
LET'S TALK NUMBERS
I was able to maintain my 5 lb weight loss from Day 5 to the end of the detox. But, where I noticed a bigger improvement was in the inches lost. I lost two inches around my waist, a half of an inch around my hips, and 1 inch around my thighs. Now, I know it might not seem like a lot but, when I am on a weight loss journey, I would much rather judge my progress by how I feel in my clothes than a number on the scale. And, after this detox, my favorite jeans are feeling a bit roomier…
Additional Thoughts on my 10-day Detox Journey
How much Sugar is too much?
Can you believe the amount of sugar there is in well, everything these days?! Dr. Hyman notes in his book “…sugar was eight times as addictive as cocaine…”. So, sugar is harder to quit than cocaine (rewind that and play it back)….COCAINE! I have so many thoughts on sugar; I don’t know where to start.
But, I think that the headaches I was experiencing in the first few days was my body trying to get over sugar withdrawals, and let me tell you, it was intense. A slow, steady ache right between the eyes that makes you want to curl up under the covers and sleep until its over.
The feeling that made me question (about every 30 seconds) if I should just end my suffering and grab that double stuf oreo just staring back at me from my kitchen cabinet. But, I held strong and decided against it.
When did our food system become so overridden with sugar? Especially since, an overconsumption of sugar can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity (among other things). So, how on earth is it so commonplace in our stores and our cabinets? And, when will we wake up to lead the fight against added sugars in our diet?
An Unhealthy Amount of Sugar
Seriously, stop what you are doing right now and head over to your favorite treat in the pantry. Have you ever read the label to see how many sugars are in each serving? Or, what the serving size is? No shade, from this end because I have been known to enjoy several servings of my favorite snacks.
Let’s go back to those oreos…you know, the ones that promised to immediately end my suffering (a/k/a instant gratification to end my sugar withdrawals)
Yes, you read that right…13 grams of **added**sugar, for every 2 cookies. And, I don’t know about you but, when I eat oreos, I don’t stop at two.
So, you might be asking, what’s all the fuss about? Why are you so up in arms about sugar?
Well, did you know, that the American Heart Association suggests, an added sugar limit of no more than 100 calories per day (6 teaspoons or 24 grams of sugar for most women and no more than 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most men.
And, I was happily enjoying that serving with my oreos and then some. I mean, in reality, I consume my daily sugar allotment with my morning cup of coffee….
With all of this in mind, I immediately think of my girls here at home, and nervously wonder how much sugar their little bodies are consuming each day (instead of nutrient dense foods). I mean, I have the pickiest of picky eaters…I have one that survives on pasta, bread and protein. And, my youngest that thinks ketchup is a food group.
So, long story short, I decided to jump into this 10-day detox to kick sugar to the curb. Or at least reduce the amount of sugar in my daily diet, with the hopes of this experience having a positive effect on my girls’ daily diet, and health as they grow up. Lead by example.
THE LIFESTYLE EDIT
A few times each year, I need to do a Lifestyle Edit, an assessment of the progress of my journey to whole body health. I attribute this, not only to bad habits taking hold but, also to personal growth and changes in life.
If you think about it, we are barraged each and every day with advertisements persuading us to choose unhealthy options, a population zombified by ingesting unlimited frankenfoods, and a sedentary lifestyle promoted at nearly every turn…
I don’t know about you but, the thought of life continuing on as is, is scary. What is it going to take for us to wake up to the fact that the greatest nation on this planet is dying a slow death?
All this to say, that if you too on are your journey to whole body health, I encourage you to explore the Lifestyle Edit, to see the pillars of whole body health. There is also a short quiz you can take to determine the top three areas of your health that you should focus on first.
ALL GOOD THINGS COME IN TIME
It can be hard to appreciate the pace at which you are making positive progress on your journey to better health. Especially since we have been raised in a culture of instant gratification, which leads us to believe the best way is always the quickest way. However, I came across a quote on Pinterest that I just love (and you might too), “embrace your own pace”.
Don’t discount your efforts just because you aren’t seeing immediate results. It took a lot for you to find yourself in your current state of health. So, when it comes to making healthy changes to improve your health and well-being – give yourself grace, keep up the good fight and don’t give up!
Positive Outcomes from the 10-Day Detox
This detox has really opened our eyes (my husband and me) to how much added sugar is put into our everyday food choices. Our family is planning on making sugar free a way of life…slowly. We started by eliminating sugar drinks like iced tea, limeade, etc.
Secondly, our trips to the grocery store have been taking a lot longer than usual because we are actively trying to eliminate any products that include “added sugars” on the label. Next, I take on breakfast! For me, it’s a smoothie but for our girls, they are often sugared up by 8 am so, that has to change asap.
Yes, there will be room for the occasional candy shop stop or family ice cream date because kids are only kids once….
IN CLOSING
Removing the toxins from your nutrition will afford you mental clarity, more energy, and better sleep. The truths I have learned about myself and my health throughout this 10-Day Detox are invaluable. Personally, I find that I have a tendency to overcomplicate things but the framework of this diet plan is rooted in simplicity, even if it is the path less travelled.
Do you believe that detox diets have the ability to restore your mind, body and spirit? I am interested in hearing your experiences. Feel free to share the last detox you took part in, in the comments.
Until next time,
