Customer Reviews

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

Can you actually start turning your health around in 10 days? Yes, you certainly can, and this book is an excellent guide to Hyman's popular and science-based plan to "resetting" your body and ridding it of toxins -- most especially sugar. Be warned: this plan goes far beyond diet alone. It is radical and time-consuming, and most people will find it a shocking change from their usual eating and living habits. But if you are ready to overcome easy habits in order to lose weight and improve your health, Hyman is an excellent guide. He walks you through the plan in great detail, explaining the science and rationale behind each facet of it. Hyman is both firm and upbeat, half doctor, half life coach. By the time you've finished this book, you'll be convinced of the menace of "diabesity" and rarin' to give up bad habits like sugary drinks and processed foods.

Dr. Hyman states his philosophy simply as "out with the bad and in with the good." The "bad" is sugar, gluten, grains, dairy, beans, processed foods, certain oils, alcohol and caffeine. The "good" is detoxing foods -- whole, unprocessed foods like fresh vegetable, proteins (fish, poultry, meat), and healthy fats. The plan goes beyond food, encompassing supplements, exercise, relaxation, "detox baths," journaling, and even a "media diet" designed to pull us away from our stressful screens.

The 10-day plan is described in great detail. You're not left to choose foods on your own; Hyman dictates what to eat and gives recipes. Each day of the plan has a specific theme and your day will be laid out by Hyman. Example themes: Day 1: Satisfy (your body's cravings for good food). Day 5: Listen (to what's going on in your heart and mind). He also provides a plan for "transitioning" off the detox phase, including reintroducing foods that you'd eliminated and evaluating whether they cause you problems.

Through it all, Hyman is almost ridiculously thorough. This is both a strength and a weakness of the book. The sheer amount of information he gives you, and the large amount of changes he's asking you to make at one time, could be overwhelming for some. So if you are considering this book, ask yourself: Am I the kind of person that likes everything explained and dictated to the utmost degree? If you are, this book will make you feel well taken care of, almost as if a kindly but firm parent were guiding you through every step of the way. If you are not, you may find the sheer all-encompassing quality of Hyman's plan overwhelming, since it goes far beyond changing your diet into changing nearly every aspect of your lifestyle, and many aspects of the plan (besides food) are quite time-consuming. And a plan with 10 facets is much easier to trip up on than a plan with one or two.

This plan can certainly be life-changing if you can work it. Personally, I preferred Hyman's Blood Sugar Solution, which provided a longer-term plan (6 weeks, which is more difficult but a more realistic time frame to see major changes in your health) and even more scientific background. If you're interested in whole-foods detox plans that don't encompass many lifestyle changes and supplements, and don't dictate specific meal plans, consider It Starts with Food which has a very similar 30-day plan (the "Whole 30"). If you are interested in learning more about the science and history behind how our society ended up plagued by junk foods and obesity, and why simple carbohydrates kill, pick up the superb Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes.

One thing to be aware of: This plan will not be cheap in terms of time or money. You will have to pay for and prepare whole, fresh foods, replacing the cheap processed junk that provides quick calories and little nutrition. You will have to pay for supplements. You may even need to buy kitchen supplies if you haven't been in the habit of cooking. But "health is wealth" -- and in any case, you could eat prime rib every day for far less than it costs to treat the ills of "diabesity" with blood pressure medication, cholesterol drugs, metformin, insulin, etc.

Ditching the toxic, processed, unnatural foods that our society pushes on us (with the government's help, as Hyman explains) and replacing them with the whole, nutritious foods our bodies were meant to have may be the most important change you ever make in your health. Hyman's 10-day plan is one way to make that change, and for many people, it will be just the right way.

I just completed this detox and was not impressed by the book itself or the ability of the plan to curb sugar cravings. I found it relatively easy to stick to the eating schedule without purchasing the PGX fiber supplements (or any of the other handful of pills/vitamins he suggests you take daily). You can also save money by choosing recipes that don't include obscure or expensive ingredients. For example, you're supposed to have a "detox shake" for breakfast every morning. The first one listed requires extra virgin coconut butter which was $10 at the store. There are other shake recipes in the book that don't require this pricey ingredient and actually taste much better. So plan ahead and save some money.

At the end of the day I didn't even feel like I needed the book to do the detox - it boils down to completely cutting out gluten, dairy and packaged food for 10 days.

IMO, the state of our food and health in American is at a critical state, and addressing blood sugar should be at the forefront of Preventative medicine. Many Americans (like myself) come from immigrant families who are seeing rampant high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes and at younger ages.

This is the second book by Dr. Hyman I have read, the first being The Blood Sugar Solution. Both books deal with blood sugar, diabetes, pre-diabetes, overall health/fitness, and the SAD (Standard American Diet) most Americans eat everyday. This time, he gives a jump-start plan for 10 days--which feels very do-able vs. a complete diet change. Dr. Hyman includes studies and facts to back up WHY blood sugar is such an issue for many people, for example, why eating high fructose corn syrup is toxic to our digestive system and overall health.

What I Like about the Blood Sugar 10-Day Detox:

1. I can do anything for 10-days. I have tried different popular diets like Low Carb, paleo, vegetarian/vegan etc. myself and I have been able to sustain the diet for about 2 years or so. The hardest part _always_ is the first 10-14 days. The book has ALOT of guidelines, but they are well-organized and logically presented so you can follow along with the book as you go (rather than read the whole thing and try to keep track of all the new rules).

2. There is a basic plan and an advanced plan, so you can choose how drastic or "gungho" you want to be in order to fit your lifestyle. As a mom and business-owner, it can be a real challenge to make a drastic diet change for yourself.
You mom's know that if you take on a diet or detox plan, you will be buying groceries and cooking for 2 different dinners every night. I've done it and it gets old over the long term.

3. The extras tips Dr. Hyman gives to get a good night's sleep (the ultra detox bath) and exercising properly for strength and calorie burn are helpful and easy to incorporate.

4. If you are doing gluten-free, paleo or low carb already, you will have less of a problem adjusting to this 10-day plan.

Where I have a problem:

1. This is not going to be cheap. He includes vitamins and supplements as part of the plan. I think this is an important component, but it adds to the overall cost, especially if you want to continue beyond 10-days.

2. The recipes look really good, but he recommends you eat organic foods, free-range chicken and "wild-caught fish" a well as nut butters, nuts, hemp, chia seed etc. These are great foods, however you can expect to pay double or more for organic. Almond butter (which I adore) is pricey. My local natural grocery has a special on raw creamy nut butter for $13.49 for a 16 oz jar. Raw nuts can range from $7-12 a pound, wild-caught salmon around here is $8 per pound. If you are putting your whole family on this diet, be prepared for a big grocery bill for a couple weeks.

3. The book is really focused on 10-days, but that's not life changing--and it's probably not enough time for a long-term impact on blood sugar levels and a life-style change.

4. The supplements you can buy on sale on your own, but I'm leery where Dr. Hyman mentions you can buy your supplements from his website for the basic or advanced plan. That's convenient (and I think
a conflict of interest) but it'll set you back $140 a _month_ for the basic supplements or $290 for the advanced plan supplement kit per MONTH.

To do this plan according to the recommendations and the supplements offered at the site, you need a good amount of disposable income. However, I think it's possible to buy your own supplements for less, and to work this diet according to your budget if you plan ahead. You will need to consider how to continue AFTER the 10 days is up. It doesn't make sense to go back to your old eating and lifestyle after the detox.

That said, I like the information in this book. It's an important topic, it's information you can take and adjust to your lifestyle, long term eating and your own budget. It's not a long-term solution but a good overall jumpstart for those who need it. And some of the ideas and tips you can take with you going forward towards good health.

I read the other reviews and people have legitimate concerns. After I signed up on their website, I started to get e-mails from Dr. Hyman to buy this and that - not thrilled. However, I feel both his science and his solution are the real deal. I know first hand the insidious nature of sugar addiction. In am 65 years old, morbidly obese, and full of both despair about my situation but hope about the solution. As far as the cost, I have three comments: First, I buy my supplements from Vitacost.com. You can get them cheaper there. Secondly, when I think of all the money I have spent in my lifetime on junk food, the cost definitely gets into perspective. Third, when you come across something you think can save your life, well, I weighed the value of my life against the cost of the program, and get what won. I'm worth it. I start the program in two days and will do it exactly as outlined. Anyone who cares to comment - wish me luck - I welcome the support.

This book is just an effort to make money. The contents could have been put in a monograph for half the cost. For instance the outline for each of the ten days is repeated over and over when all that changes are two food items which could have been put in a chart. It is repetitious, boring and unworthy of such a physician. This is nothing new and items are put in over and over just to fill pages. I would not advise anyone to buy it. Jane C.

I have to agree with several other reviews that I have read on this book. For much of the book......the information is not new. It's been stated over and over again in previous books, some by Dr. Hyman. I also agree that the numerous supplements are expensive and therefore difficult for many people to purchase. The detox itself is sound but some of the ingredients used in the recipes can also be on the expensive side.

As a health educator myself, I've have worked with numerous obese and overweight individuals. The number one complaint I've heard is that "eating healthy is more expensive!" Many healthcare workers are working hard to dispel this notion and help lower income individuals lose weight and regain their health and well being. This book doesn't help in this quest.

I wanted to love this book and use it as a guide to help not only myself but others as well. I don't believe that this is what I was looking for. This makes me sad because I really believe in Dr. Hyman! His practices are sound and not based on fads or quick fixes. He's a great doctor. I personally believe that this book fell short of his high standards. It could have been shortened, ie leave out the repetitive portions, and released as a less expensive book with less expensive supplements. Maybe Dr. Hyman will gear his next book to those with lower incomes that need him so very much!

I have used Mark Hyman's detox diet twice, and this year, the second time, I have followed through with my eating habits. I don't need any supplements, although I do use Spirutein, a protein powder, with almond milk and frozen berries for breakfast, and I take emergen-c powder with a probiotic as well. For lunch I have a rye cracker and a small can of tuna; for dinner, protein, vegetables, and sometimes rice. I also have a glass of wine. This is how I live: no sugar, processed foods, dairy, flour except whole rye, which is the lowest grain on the glycemic index. I feel amazing...am losing weight (about one pound per week), sleep well, have lots of energy, am not bloated, have glowing skin, and the constant sneezing from allergies is also gone. This time, it's for keeps. I am 68 years old and I want to live to see my grandchildren get married. I don't think that eating this way is any more expensive than paying for all the processed crap that is ruining our bodies and being forced on us by the media...food addiction is a killer, in my opinion, and I think Hyman has the edge. You don't even need the recipes...just saute it, roast it, add rice to it, eat it raw, add spices, olive oil, whatever. I give my husband a potato for dinner so he won't feel like he is being deprived....all junk is out of the house. I suggest to start, do everything he says. Then make it your own. Believe in yourself and set a life goal....like doing everything on your bucket list.

I don't have any qualms with the conceptual aspect of this program, however, I have several problems with the actual practices recommended. It recommends that you take expensive supplements (which he sells) for the rest of your life (min $150/month). The ingredients needed for the smoothies and recipes are very expensive. Hundreds of dollars and three different stores to even find the ingredients. The recipes themselves are somewhat involved but tasty. The problem with the recipes is that he insists you do follow the diet exactly- but the recipes make large batches of food that could serve two for a couple of nights. You could freeze leftovers for future meals but then you would be spending hours in the kitchen every day to prepare your food. Finally, the practices simply aren't sustainable - dollar wise and time wise. I believe there are gentler, more sustainable options out there.

What if you could find a life-long nutrition and diet plan on which you (as a food lover…that’s me!) would not feel hungry or deprived, and yet would allow you to shed those accumulated pounds that cause daily frustration and inspire cries of, “Be gone from my body! Sheesh!”

Well- I did in Mark Hyman's detox diet- and having started via a galley of the book sent to me- I'm 6 weeks in and I've lost 16 pounds. Which for me counts as almost miraculous. Plus, I don't feel hungry or deprived - at all.

As I enter my fifties, I found myself gaining quite a few of these deeply hated pounds, which I could -- depending on the day and my outlook -- blame on traveling non-stop as the CEO of an entrepreneurial company, a slowing, aging metabolism, not getting enough exercise, bad genes, going through menopause, or something mysterious about the mostly “good” foods I ate clinging to my hips and belly with the relentlessness of duct tape.

So when I got a press outreach about this, I jumped at the chance to participate in the beta group for the book’s plan. Given that Mark Hyman formerly served as co-medical director of Canyon Ranch, founded the Institute for Functional Medicine, and has been a four-time New York Times bestselling author most notably with his book The Blood Sugar Solution, I figured he must have an expertise worth taking seriously. Plus, the outreach came with raves for his work from everyone from Arianna Huffington to Dr. Oz to President Clinton. That got my attention.

The diet was set to start the third week in January, and so I plunged just after New Year’s into reading. I found myself mesmerized with the smart, accessibly explained and brilliant insights about how our bodies and metabolisms work. I loved the sheer heft of the science behind it, along with his preposterous sounding, completely confident claim that by reconfiguring the foods we eat to better align to our core body’s chemistry and removing known allergens and toxins from our diets, that we would shed significant weight as well as feel more energized and clear thinking than we had in years.

Wow! With so many promises, I went looking for a whopper of a footnote disclaimer, but found none. But he had my full attention. What could possibly exact such dramatic change, and do so just in 10 days? My intellectual side kicked into gear, keenly -- and quite honestly, pessimistically -- ready to read what he believed to generate such a dramatic transformation.

So first, here’s a list of the 8 core premises on which Dr. Hyman bases his detox plan:
1. Throw out all the old clichés you’ve heard about losing weight and focus on the fact that sugar, and anything that turns to sugar in your body, is your No. 1 enemy.
2. As an integrated, interdependent system, what makes your body sick also makes you fat, and vice versa in that what makes you fat also makes you sick.
3. Chief arch villain: Sugar. And it has sweet-talked its way into practically everything, especially processed foods.
4. Sugar proves more addictive than cocaine (rats addicted to cocaine chose sugar water over cocaine in a study as an example), not to mention alcohol and heroin.
5. To break an addiction, you must eliminate the substance completely. No one on alcohol detox goes on a one-drink-a-day plan.
6. Overly sweet foods ignite our primitive brain, and just like storing weight for the hard months of winter, we’re programmed to eat a lot of them and store the excess calories as belly fat. I just love this line, “What saved us as hunter-gatherers is killing us now.” The belly fat does not get used up during lean times, and becomes lethal.
7. Artificial sweeteners of any kind are out: they’re even more addictive than sugar. And yes, you can get fat on Diet Coke. Artificially sweetened beverages increase your cravings and thus cause you to eat more food. Plus, they trick your metabolism into thinking sugar’s on the way, and your body ramps up its insulin production resulting in more stored belly fat.
8. You’ve got to break free by cooking your own food, with easy-to-follow recipes that allow you to cut out the sugar. In doing so, you repair your biology that has been damaged by sugar and processed foods— having become by eating them in excess both insulin resistant (having to pump out more insulin as your body seeks to keep your blood sugar normal) and leptin resistant (your body stops accurately reading its appetite-suppressing hormone of leptin which it naturally produces and this results in your body thinking you’re starving while you’ve actually just had a huge meal.) But wait, there’s more! Your dopamine receptors also decrease, which means you need more and more sugar to get the same amount of pleasure from it.

First and foremost, and right after reading the book, I realized that in order to do the detox, I had to seriously wean myself off of coffee, wine, diet drinks, and artificial sugar. I gave myself two weeks to do this slowly because I realized that my addictions to each of these ran deep. And by doing it slowly, I was able to curb the headaches from lack of caffeine and longing sighs of wanting a good glass of bold red wine to cap off a hectic, stressful day at the office. It takes a serious commitment to give addictive foods up. And that list piles up for those of us with so-called “normal” diets of today, which as Dr. Hyman points out, actually prove completely abnormal to our body’s biology.

I next had to seriously change up my ingredients for this diet. I went on a pantry hunt and found grams of sugar in most everything, all of which got promptly got pushed to the lower shelves for the kids. I went on shopping expeditions to Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and a local farmer’s market to find key ingredients: from hemp and chia seeds, to brazil nuts, almond milk, and almond butter. All oils but extra virgin olive oil got banished. I searched the labels of every jar and dressing the fridge, shocked at how much sugar most contained, and these too got consigned to lower shelves. I went on Amazon.com to find harder to source ingredients like extra virgin coconut butter and hempseed milk.

At first, it seems daunting. You’re giving up so much. And each of has a special weak spot that we cannot imagine going without: be that bread, or in my case, coffee. I had to totally reconfigure my diet. I discovered really cool ingredients like miso and tahini that contain no sugar and can be used for everything from glazing fresh, seared salmon to mixing into lean pork meatballs with diced red onions. Dr. Hyman does all the prep work for you with set recipes and menus for the 10-Day Detox that you can easily shop for and make yourself.

Wow! I’m feeling great, and 4 weeks later I’m still going strong. Well, make that 6 weeks as I started a partial version of the detox diet starting in early January. You’ve got many choices at the end of the detox about how to reintroduce some of the common allergens, add back in healthy grains and beans. Me? I’m sticking the detox diet itself and I’m designating the wondrous Dr. Hyman as my new diet doc. I’m positive you should too -- plus, I’ve already convinced a serious number of my friends and colleagues to start the detox…it’s just that good. Actually, it’s a lifetime of good – it’s exhilarating!!

The Blood Sugar Solution is the second book I've read by this author and one of my favorites on the subject of diet and health. He has a way of writing that is both friendly yet informative, motivating yet with reachable goals. In this book, he sets out a 10 day plan to cut out all the extra sugar and chemicals to help 'reset' the body's natural addiction to sugared foods. The diet plan is easy to follow and since it is only 10 days, it is an achievable short term goal with long term benefits.

Note that this is a good first-timer book - those who have read the other Blood Sugar Solution books will have already read a lot of what is in this book.

The book is broken down into 7 parts. The first part addresses why refined sugar has become such a huge problem and why we are so addicted. The author makes some very good points here and for once, we have someone not afraid to just come out and say that we've been conditioned by powerful food cooperatives. It's just up to us to free ourselves by getting the sugar out of the system. Part 2 is about the blood sugar solution program - how the 10 day plan is set up and why it should work. Part 3 is the prep phase - including mental prepping as well as shopping. Part 4 is the actual plan, going into the two different types of 10 day diets - normal foods and more adventuresome foods (which can be intercombined). Each day has a specific set of food combinations and/or actions to bring about a detox or healthier result (Satisfy, detox, empty, move, listen, think, nurture, design, notice, connect). Part 5 is the transition information - identifying which foods you left out (dairy, legumes, bread, etc.) might have been causing health or inflammation issues and which you can transition back into your diet. Part 6 is about changing the way you live and think about food and our planet. Part 7 have the meal plans and recipes.

I reviewed/tried a different diet book last year and in order to follow the recipes, you had to buy some products at the author's store. With this plan, all the recipes are laid out and I didn't see any references to products sold by this Dr. (though he does have a store). And the website companion to this book with a lot of resources to help with the diet is also free. I greatly respect both of those choices by the author so it doesn't feel like he's milking desperate people.

The recipes are both simple to fix and also satisfying. And yes, my cravings did go down after the 10 days. Right now, I'm watching what I eat to see which foods might be causing me problems and slowly reintroducing them back into my regimen. There is a great analogy in the book, a bit of perspective wisdom that says: try eating blueberries after a candy bar and they will seem bland. But eat those blueberries when you haven't had refined sugar products in awhile and they will taste very sweet indeed. Palettes and hormones just need to be reset.

In all, I've read 30+ diet books over the years and this one makes a LOT of really good points but also doesn't get too esoteric in the food choices nor is it difficult to do the plan. And since it is a 10 day goal, it is also an achievable goal, a first step to lead to better health.

Note that there is a LOT of repeat of information in here. I understand why the author did that - for reinforcement and motivation (e.g., a lot of the reasons for certain aspects of the diet are stated in the beginning chapters and then restated in specific days - which is smart since most people won't rereard a whole book every day they follow the diet).

Reviewed from an ARC.