7
Your Daily Practices
Your template for the ten days is simple. While the daily to-dos are the same, the recipes and daily theme are customized so you’ll know exactly what to cook, eat, and focus on each day. All you have to do is follow each step carefully and the results happen automatically.
YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE
Here is the plan you’re going to follow for each of the ten days. I encourage you to do each of these practices at roughly the same time every day, to balance your biological rhythms and help your body heal:
- Take your measurements and track your results in your Detox Journal or online tracking tool.
- Walk (or do another form of moderate exercise) for thirty minutes.
- Take supplements as directed.
- Make your Breakfast Detox Shake (take PGX with a glass of water just before eating).
- Eat a snack (optional).
- Have lunch (take PGX with a glass of water just before eating).
- Eat an afternoon snack (optional).
- Enjoy dinner (take PGX with a glass of water just before eating).
- Write in your Detox Journal, recording your experience and answering that day’s focus questions.
- Practice the Take-Five Breathing Break for five minutes.
- Take your UltraDetox Bath.
- Sleep for seven to eight hours.
- Throughout the day: Drink eight glasses of clean, filtered water.
- Throughout the day: Be mindful of the power of a media fast during the program and limit your use of phone, e-mail, and screen time to essential work or personal activities. I promise the world will still be there when you get back.
THE HEALING COMPONENTS OF THE DETOX
The elements included in the 10-Day Detox are designed to work together to create powerful results. You don’t have to believe or understand them—just do them anyway. They work automatically. Once you do them, you will discover their hidden synergistic powers of healing. Here’s everything you need to know about how to do each of the practices:
Walking (or Other Exercise)
Do your daily exercise first thing in the morning to jump-start your metabolism and set your day on the right course. If you’ve never exercised before, start with thirty minutes of gentle walking. If exercise is already part of your life or you feel ready for slightly more strenuous movement, go for it! You might be surprised by how motivated and energized you feel.
Tracking Your Results
Each morning, before your walk and before you eat breakfast, record the following stats in your Detox Journal or online tracking tool. Research shows that the simple act of recording these numbers multiplies your success and increases weight loss:
Weight
Waist size (measure at the widest part, around your belly button)
Hips (measure around the widest part)
Thighs (measure around the widest part)
Blood pressure
Blood sugar (optional; this is done ideally before breakfast and repeated two hours after you’ve eaten; you can also do it two hours after dinner to see how your meal affects your blood sugar)
Each evening, record the following in your Detox Journal or online tracking tool:
How much sleep you got the night before and how well you slept (deeply or restlessly)
What you ate that day
How many minutes of exercise you did
How many minutes you spent on the relaxation practices
Any effects you notice related to any or all of the above
Supplements
Remember, nutrients grease the wheels of your metabolism, help control your appetite, and accelerate weight loss. Each day take these supplements as directed in the following quick daily reference chart:
A high-quality multivitamin and multimineral, daily as directed on label
1 gram of purified fish oil (EPA/DHA), twice daily
2,000 units of vitamin D3, once daily
250 to 500 micrograms of chromium, twice daily
15 to 30 milligrams of zinc, once daily
150 to 300 milligrams of alpha lipoic acid, twice daily
250 to 500 milligrams of cinnamon, twice daily
50 to 100 milligrams of green tea catechins, twice daily
2.5 to 5 grams of PGX in a glass of water (powder or capsules); take just before every meal
Optional: 100 to 150 milligrams of magnesium citrate, twice a day to prevent or treat constipation
Of all the supplements, PGX is the single most effective supplement for the detox process, as it inhibits insulin spikes and helps clean out your bowels by increasing the fiber load of your diet (for more about PGX, please see here). If you tend toward constipation, be sure to add magnesium citrate as noted above.
| Supplement | Daily Dosage |
|---|---|
| Multivitamin | Take daily as directed with breakfast |
| Purified fish oil (EPA/DHA) | 1 gram, twice daily with breakfast and dinner |
| Vitamin D3 | 2,000 IU daily, once daily with breakfast |
| Chromium* | 250 to 500 micrograms, twice daily with breakfast and dinner |
| Zinc* | 15 to 30 milligrams, once daily with breakfast |
| Alpha lipoic acid* | 150 to 300 milligrams, twice daily with breakfast and dinner |
| Cinnamon* | 250 to 500 milligrams, twice daily with breakfast and dinner |
| Green tea catechins* | 50 to 100 milligrams, twice daily with breakfast and dinner |
| PGX (powder or capsules) | 2.5 to 5 grams just before each meal; optional additional doses taken throughout day if needed to control cravings |
| Magnesium citrate | 100 to 150 milligrams, twice daily, as needed |
Breakfast Detox Shakes
The morning Breakfast Detox Shakes spark your metabolic fire to burn more calories during the whole day, accelerating weight loss. They are packed with superfoods, proteins, healthy fats, and phytonutrients that will keep your blood sugar balanced and your energy high throughout the day. Plus, they are very filling and satisfying—no worries here about going hungry. As one 10-Day Detoxer said, “I was able to go all day on the breakfast shake. I had to force myself to have lunch!”
I have included several of my favorite shake recipes in the recipe section. I encourage you to try them all to find the one you like the most. The whole-food protein shake (here) is my personal favorite—it tastes yummy and keeps your blood sugar balanced all day.
Meals and Snacks
Each day has a specific menu plan laid out for you, to take out the guesswork and make sure you get the right balance of filling and detoxifying foods and nutrients. Here’s how your meals will go:
Breakfast: Choose your favorite Breakfast Detox Shake.
Lunch: Every day, you have two Core Plan lunch options: You can choose one of the soups in the recipe section, along with protein; or Dr. Hyman’s Super Salad Bar, also in the recipe section, along with protein. Alternatively, you can choose the Adventure Plan lunch option listed for that day.
Dinner: Choose either that day’s Core Plan dinner recipe (very simple and easy) or the Adventure Plan dinner recipe (for a little extra fun if you have the time and desire to explore).
Snacks: The morning snack each day consists of a small handful of nuts (ten to twelve nuts), such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, or macadamias. This is optional; you may not need it if you still feel full from the breakfast shake. For the afternoon snack, enjoy any one of the dips and spreads in the recipe section, to be eaten with crudités (sliced raw veggies, such as carrots, cucumbers, peppers, or celery). These dips and spreads can be mixed and matched as you like throughout the ten days. Or you can opt for an afternoon nut snack (instead of the spread and veggies) if you prefer.
As I explained earlier, if you are really pressed for time or don’t like the Core Plan or Adventure Plan recipes for that day (though I encourage you to have an open mind and try new things!), you always have the option to prepare instead a very basic protein (chicken, fish, tofu, or lean red meat, though limit red meat to once during the ten days) and nonstarchy vegetables (steamed, sautéed, grilled, or roasted). You get unlimited refills on the nonstarchy veggies and can have as many different types as you want at every meal, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, greens of any type, asparagus, and green beans. In Chapter 20, you will find a “Cooking the Basics” section that gives you super-simple methods for preparing these easy proteins and vegetables.
Journaling
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.
Take-Five Breathing Breaks
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!
The UltraDetox Bath
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.
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.
Get Your Zzzzs
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.
Use herbal therapies. Try 300 to 600 milligrams of passionflower (Passiflora) or 320 to 480 milligrams of valerian root extract (Valeriana officinalis) one hour before bed.
Try other sleep-enhancing supplements and herbs. You might try 1 to 3 milligrams of melatonin, 150 to 300 milligrams of magnesium, 200 to 400 milligrams of theanine, 500 to 1,000 milligrams of GABA (a relaxing amino acid), 50 to 200 milligrams of 5 hydroxytryptophan, and 365 milligrams of magnolia. All of these supplements are best taken just before bedtime. Start with melatonin and then add magnesium. If you are still not sleeping, then you can add the others. See www.10daydetox.com/resources for good sources of gentle, nonaddictive sleep aids.
Get a relaxation, meditation, or guided imagery CD. At www.10daydetox.com/resources, you’ll find my guided relaxation program called UltraCalm, which can help you unwind from stress and prepare your body for rest and healing.
Hydrate… Times Eight
Be sure to drink at least eight glasses of clean, pure water throughout the day to help with appetite control and flush out metabolic and environmental toxins through your kidneys. Try drinking two glasses of water before you eat; that alone has been proven to help you lose weight. If you like, you can also drink hot water with a squeeze of lemon or noncaffeinated herbal teas (hot or iced) such as Yogi tea, Mighty Leaf tea, or Tazo throughout the day.
Note: It is especially important to drink enough water if you are taking PGX, to avoid constipation. I cannot stress this enough!
Power Down and Do a Media Fast
Turn off the television. Silence your smartphone. Log off the Internet. For the next ten days, with the exception of all essential communication, take a brief break from technology and news input. Spend time with your family, with your friends, or just immersed in your quiet thoughts; they are all rich sources of nourishment, restoration, and inspiration. Your mind, sense of well-being, health, and waistline will thank you.
CHECKLIST FOR THE TEN DAYS
Take your measurements and record the results.
Do your thirty minutes of exercise.
Take your supplements (PGX just before every meal with a glass of water and the rest of your morning supplements just before you eat breakfast).
Make your Breakfast Detox Shake.
Follow the daily menu plans for snacks, lunch, and dinner.
Write in your Detox Journal.
Practice the Take-Five Breathing Break for five minutes.
Take your UltraDetox Bath.
Sleep for seven to eight hours.
Drink at least eight glasses of clean, filtered water throughout the day.
Enjoy your media fast.