This week will I complete the “Toxicity and Inflammation
Quiz,” and begin to eliminate “toxins” from my diet in accordance with Dr.
Hyman’s instructions in his book, The
UltraSimple Diet. Unfortunately,
the toxin-bearing foods are my favorites.
No more food containing caffeine, processed carbohydrates, high-fructose
corn syrup, hydrogenated fats, or alcohol.
The week of “preparation” will be as challenging as the cleanse
itself. I just hope my stash of cookies
and junk food won’t go bad during the next two weeks.
First, I fill out the “Toxicity and Inflammation Quiz”
(you too can access the quiz and the entire diet at: http://drhyman.com/downloads/UltraSimpleCompanion.pdf ). My score is 16. This gives me a health status of “mild
imbalance.” This seems about right for
my overall health. Now, if it were a
mental health score, I am not so sure.
According to Dr. Hyman, persons with a mild health imbalance might
expect the UltraSimple Diet to lead to “improved digestion, better skin, and
less nasal congestion.” Unfortunately,
none of these are current issues. As my
friends can attest, I could have used “better skin” when I was in high school,
but currently, my complexion is fine.
Hopefully, I will at least see “increased energy and improved mood.” Weight loss is also a possible benefit which
I don’t need. The areas where I score
poorly are: (1) “belching and passing gas” - although I don’t see this as a
problem, my wife has a different opinion.
Perhaps I have submitted her to one too many “fart tents” at night; (2)
“ headaches” – which still occur with regularity, although are rarely
disabling; and, (3) “ insomnia” - which I have given detailed descriptions of
in prior posts. In addition to the quiz,
I record my baseline vital stats: weight- 192 lbs., waist - 36 inches, hips -
38 inches, and BMI - 24.
In accordance with Dr. Hyman’s
instructions, on Sunday, my wife and I embark on the one week “preparation”
that leads up to the UltraSimple Diet.
It is difficult to resist drinking a beer while watching Sunday Night
Football, but I do. Our plan is to
systematically cut out all toxin laden foods over the course of the upcoming
week. I decide to stop alcohol and caffeine
cold turkey. On Monday, I pay for my
decision. I substitute a glass of orange
juice for coffee in the morning. At 11
am, I have a crushing headache. Work is
a chore. I eye the Coke on my
colleague’s desk and consider wrestling it away from him, but somehow I
persevere. The rest of the day is a headachy blur. I tuck myself in at 9:30 pm and hope that
Tuesday will be a better day. As I
reflect back on the day, I am not sure that the lack of caffeine is totally to
blame. I am also missing my normal
boluses of sugar-laden food: no Luna bar
at mid-morning, no cookies with lunch, no cookies when I get home, and no cookies
at night. You get the picture. Tuesday promises to be a better day. I decide to substitute green tea for my usual
coffee - at least this has some caffeine in it.
Not too tasty, but again, at this point, who cares about taste? I can feel a headache threatening to break
through, but at 2 pm, it has yet to take over.
We will see how the rest of the week goes and on Sunday, the UltraSimple
Diet begins.
(sidenote . . . I
have already lost 2 lbs. . . . I miss cookies)
Next week . . .
preparation is over. Let the UltraSimple
Diet Begin.
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