Am I hungry? No… yes… kinda. When did I eat last? Did I eat anything today? Crap, I can’t remember. Maybe I’ll just order a medium pizza and four dipping sauces and I’ll be hungry when it gets here. Yes. That makes sense.

Up until about a month ago this was my mindset when it came to eating. I was what people would consider to be a ‘mindless eater’. What does that mean? I ate out too much, had a salad every once in a while and would purchase whatever was quick and easy (and often marked down) at the grocery store without even thinking about it.

I ‘balanced’ this with an inconsistent binge workout routine that would appear whenever I would tip the scales at 170lbs. It was also around this time that I would start a random ‘cleanse’ I found at Whole Foods or opt to drink my calories with a rainbow of fresh pressed juice and food with the same consistency as tree bark.

When Dr.Hyman’s 10-Day Detox appeared at Luvo HQ, I thought to myself, “here we go again” and jumped into the same old routine. But I’m happy to report that the results were far different than anything I had experienced or expected.

What was different for me?

My Mindset

Before the Detox, I had been feeling a little cloudy and my energy was fluctuating. I found myself drinking up to three coffees everyday to “keep me going” and focused. In the previous three months, I had seen an osteopath, a naturopath and a therapist trying to get to the root of these symptoms, but I still felt like I had no answers.

As part of the Detox prep, I had a call with a nutritionist to address these specific issues and (to my surprise) many others I didn’t even realize were associated with what I was putting (or not putting) in my body.

I instantly felt more motivated to complete the Detox and stick to it with the hope that I could develop a better understanding and connection to by body.

My Support System

When you sign up for the 10-Day Detox challenge, Dr. Hyman’s team offers many communication options so you feel 100% supported. What really resonated with me was the daily e-mail that offered tips to stay successful as well as a topic to focus on for the day. This helped me spark a new, more conscious connection to the act of eating. It allowed me the space to really notice how I felt after I ate and connect the dots between things like my energy level, ability to focus and think clearly, and the daily snack attacks and binge eating I had a become accustomed to over the last few years.

My Moment

My epiphany struck on day 7 or 8 of the Detox. I could hear it happening for others earlier on some of the calls I participated in and saw it on some of the Detox message boards. Other Detoxers were starting to get it and so was I. I started feeling better, my thoughts were clearer and more organized (this was big for me), and I had drastic energy shift and a new appreciation for my body as it is today instead of the future body I wished I had.

After the Fact

To be completely honest, it’s been over a week since the challenge ended and I’m still eating the way I did when I was on the Detox with very few modifications. I’ve cut out caffeine, refined sugar and a lot of the other foods that were hindering my personal goals. I have made the conscious decision to use food as fuel for the life I’ve always wanted and listen to what my body is saying before, during and after I eat.

I’m grateful for the experience and would recommend it to anyone looking for a restart or a better connection and relationship with food.