Special thanks to those of you that reached out to check-in on me when you noticed my column missing from last month’s edition. I’m humbled and grateful for all of you and happy to report back that I disconnected momentarily to dedicate my time to creating and managing a detox program and now I’d love to share some of that information with all of you!
Over the course of 6 weeks I had the privilege of watching clients break plateaus, change habits, and blast fat. The average weight loss was 8 pounds with most dropping a pant size plus some!
So how did they do it? The answer to their success in this detox challenge was the dedication to daily education – everyone committed to showing up daily to put in the work and reap the benefits. The group format inherently adds a sense of accountability and a drive to not only help yourself but to help others. Education. Commitment. Accountability. The three keys to success in these social group challenges.
We started day one with monitoring body temperature. Every morning, for 5 days upon waking, every member would take their temperature. The simplicity of this exercise may be comical, but the routine monitoring of the body temperatures is absolutely critical as it helps to identify an individual who may be sick or have a more serious illness. The elderly and chronically ill are especially susceptible to health issues, and the occurrence of a fever can be the first indication of a problem. Additionally, as an FDN-Practitioner, I’m also considering thyroid issues when I’m looking at participant’s body temperatures.
The following week, everyone focused on understanding what their blood sugar levels were – again daily and routinely, to help identify any inconsistencies or abnormalities worth exploring. While participants were not required to purchase a blood glucose monitor, I encouraged everyone to have one of these in their wellness toolbox. You can pick one up at your local drugstore.
You’re not alone if you are wondering what blood sugar is or if you have never given thought to what your blood sugar should be upon waking. Most individuals, unless they need to for medical reasons, have no idea. Every member of our detox group checked their blood sugar at different times throughout their day—before breakfast, one hour after breakfast, 90 minutes after and then again before lunch. For those that suffered with anxiety or led stressful lifestyles, we had them check their sugar in that “fight or flight” moment. I believe this exercise was the most eye-opening for many participants as they were able to easily document and identify how their body reacts to sugar.
Throughout the challenge we added, or adjusted for those that were already active, body weight strength training and regular activity. Every activity was designed to seamlessly fit into their lives using everyday items in the home. This included things like going up and down the stairs 5 times or choosing three fast-paced songs to dance to. We documented how our bodies felt after these activities and shared that in the group. Accountability combined with laughter and a little bit of cardio made movement fun and created friendships among strangers.
Was this a lot of work? You bet it was! But the golden ticket is that these participants started creating healthy habits and learning to be their own Health Detective. Everybody wins!
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