The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet: Activate Your Body's Natural Ability to Burn Fat and Lose Weight Fast (47 page)

  
Make grocery shopping a weekly ritual.
This goes hand in hand with planning your meals ahead of time. Keep a shopping list at the ready so you can add to it as the week goes along. Choose a specific day and time when you’ll shop each week so it becomes an ingrained ritual. Write your plan for weekly grocery shopping in your Detox Journal.

  
Plant healthy snacks in your environment.
Put raw nuts or other healthy snacks in your glove compartment, desk drawer, purse, or backpack so they are within easy reach and allow you to safely bypass the vending machine or drive-through when you’re hungry. Write your specific plan in your Detox Journal for where, when, and what healthy foods you will plant in your environment. Your plan might look something like this:

  
Steer clear of your danger zones
. If the drive-through you pass each morning on your way to work calls out to you like a siren song, chart another daily route. If the aroma from the bakery you walk past on your way to work is irresistible to you, walk down a different block. Put yourself—literally—on a path to health rather than temptation! Record in your Detox Journal your top danger zones and create a chart like this one:

  
Protect your health bubble in social situations.
When and with whom do you find yourself feeling pressured or tempted to eat or drink things that work against your health goals? At work when they bring in platters of food and soda for lunch? When you are out with friends? At holidays with family? Identify your top three temptation zones (ideally ones that are current or immediately upcoming) and write in your Detox Journal your specific plan to protect yourself in those situations. Strategies include bringing your own food to events, telling your family about your eating plan so they are on board and supportive of your efforts, or eating some raw veggies and dip before you go out to dinner with friends so you are not so hungry and at the mercy of the bread basket. Your chart might look something like this:

  
Make exercise easy.
Identify the top three obstacles that get in the way of your daily exercise. Is it having the clothing you need, clean and easy to access? When the weather is bad? Make a backup plan for your daily walk if the weather is bad (use the treadmill at a gym, try a workout DVD, etc.). Think about systems you can put into place to trigger you to do the right thing. For example, I hate push-ups, but I like showers, so every day before I get in the shower I do thirty to forty push-ups (I could only do ten when I started!). Write your specific plan in your Detox Journal for making exercise automatic and enjoyable. Other examples include:

  
Keep your supplies for self-nurturing practices at the ready.
What three things can you do to keep your relaxation practices going? Ideas might include keeping your bathroom cabinet stocked with extra Epsom salts, baking soda, and lavender oil, so you always have what you need to take an UltraDetox Bath. Set a timer to remind you to do your meditation awareness practice. Think about what gives you peace and triggers your relaxation response, then set up your defaults so you can do those practices often. Create a chart in your Detox Journal like the following: