Detox and Meditation

DeTox and Meditation   

Blood Sugar Solution

On Monday the 4^th of August I started my 10 Day DeTox Diet from the Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman.

I have reached my tenth day and I feel great! You might remember I was a little stumbly mouthed last Wednesday – beginning of day three.

You may ask, “What does detox have to do with meditation?”

Good question. Well part of my meditation practice leads to a heightened sense of awareness about self. I got the intuition hit that it was time to go seek out who will be my ‘regular’ MD and get my never-been-annual physical wellness check-up. (Rachel Abrhams).

Long story short, my labs came back with some high blood sugar results. Dr. Abrhams recommended I read the Blood Sugar Solution to understand more about it.

Well, being my over achiever self, I went ahead and ordered the Detox book as well. She was amazed that I took such pro-active action.

Over the past 9 days I have lost 6.5 pounds and 2 inches. As well as dropping my Body Mass Index (BMI) by 1 point. I was never hungry the entire time. I also walked 38 miles, drank 6 gallons of water and meditated for 12 hours.

I’d like to share some gems from my learning/doing journey:

Sugar is 8 times more addictive than cocaine. Our bodies are hardwired to seek pleasure and reward – it is a survival mechanism that saved us when we were hunter-gatherers. We have a built-in brake on hunger to tell the body when we have had enough food – it is called leptin – a hormone produced by fat cells. Modern society has tampered with that brake line for many of us.

Eat Organically

It is important to eat as much organic fruits, vegetables and meats. No big fish.

High Fructose corn syrup often contains an extra bonus of mercury as a by-product of processing.

Anything that causes inflammation will, in turn, cause insulin resistance, which helps to generate belly fat (the other brain).

Relaxation: How many of us have heard, "You need to relax." Agreed, and proceeded to nod while going about your crazy paced life and diet, swearing to get to it when you have time.

I've learned that stress increases your levels of insulin, cytokines (messenger molecules of the immune system that trigger inflammation) and cortisol (a trigger that helps create belly fat).

Stress also increases your appetite and your carb and sugar cravings, provoking the metabolic dysfunction that leads to weight gain. So if you want to lose weight, start by soothing your stressed out body and mind.

For many people the sympathetic nervous system - fight or flight - is stuck in the "on" position. If you want to heal your brain, metabolism, and chromosomes, you need to learn how to hit the pause button and activate the parasympathetic system which governs the rest and relax response. The sense of calm you feel when you can let down your guard, breathe calmly and just be.

Breathe Deeply

Deep breathing is wonderful for relaxation. When you take a deep breath you stimulate a vagus nerve which calms your mind. The vagus nerve runs from your brain through your chest cavity through all your organs, like an octopus stretching out its tentacles to every cell in the body.

Stimulating the vagus nerve signals the production of hormones that calm your nervous system, reduce cortisol, help metabolize your food, boost brain function, and naturally regulates your appetite and fat burning.

Meditation not only stimulates the vagus nerve and activates the relaxation response - it has been scientifically proven to make our brains bigger and better. Stress shortens our telomeres (the little caps at the ends of the chromosomes) and this directly impacts our longevity. Meditation reverses that. Please, I urge you, to cultivate at least a five minute a day meditation practice for yourself.

Get enough sleep! Good tips for better sleep: Go to bed and wake up at the same time to create a regular rhythm of sleep.

Use your bed for sleep and romance only. And make your bed every morning.

Have a clutter-free bedroom.

Get at least 20 minutes of sunlight a day, preferably 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 help prevent premature aging.

Do not eat within three hours of bedtime.

Avoid bright stimulating screens before bed. They alter your brain's natural sleep chemicals. Best to sleep in a dark room.

Take an hour (minimum of 20 minutes) of lovely wind-down time.

Write down your worries or the next day’s to-do list. This frees your mind and helps you get into a deep state of relaxation.

Get a massage or stretch before bed to relax the body. Or learn a few yoga poses like lying on the floor and putting your legs up against the wall. This passive stretching can help calm your body, quiet your mind, and reset your nervous system.

Warm your middle.

Avoid medications that interfere with sleep. These include sedatives which disrupt sleep rhythms, antihistamines, stimulants, cold medications, steroids, and headache medications that contain caffeine.

Use herbal therapies such as 300 to 600 milligrams of passionflower or 320-480 milligrams of valerian root extract one hour before bed.

Meditate before bed.

I hope my insights/learning's during my detox have been helpful to you.

I have to say, I was a bit concerned that I had lost my “Wonder Woman Mojo” about day three. I don’t think it really came back until day eight or nine. I feel so good now that I will continue following some of the new strategies I acquired during my detox.

Bon Appetit!

  

Please join me Monday mornings and Wednesday nights. See calendar page for the dates. Meditation From The Heart