Fat Flusher- Part 2

How do you neutralize a free radical?  You give it what it wants…another electron…and then it will quiet down like a toddler with a sucker.  That is why we love anti-oxidants, because they have lots of suckers, or extra electrons to share that is.  One awesome, “sucker sharing” antioxidant is the molecule called glutathione (glue-ta-thigh-on) which is manufactured, used to neutralize free radicals, and is then recycled by your body.  While many antioxidants are present outside of the cells, this one is present inside every single cell.

SULPHUR FLY PAPER
Dr. Mark Hayman describes it’s power this way…”The secret of its power is the sulfur (SH) chemical groups it contains. Sulfur is a sticky, smelly molecule. It acts like fly paper and all the bad things in the body stick onto it, including free radicals and toxins like mercury and other heavy metals.” (1)

MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO GLUTATHIONE NEED
That is good news for the liver which filters out environmental toxins that piggy back in food grown with pesticides and chemical fertilizers, prescription drugs and pain killers like acetaminophen, food preservatives, colors, artificial sweeteners, to name a few.  The work that the liver does to eliminate these toxins depletes our natural supply of glutathione, and this is modern man’s dilemma because powerful antioxidants are needed in even greater abundance to combat the effects of air pollutants, stress, aging, infections and radiation. (2)  A liver which cannot keep up with the work load will “slow our metabolism, rob us of energy, reduce our immunity, and can even lead to serious chronic illness.” (3)

So how can we INCREASE GLUTATHIONE PRODUCTION?
1. It would be nice if we could just pop a glutathione pill, but that doesn’t seem to work.  What we can do is eat foods which are rich in cysteine, glycine and glutamine, the three building block amino acids from which glutathione is made in our bodies.  Start with garlic and onions, then add more of the cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, and watercress.
2. Eliminate artificial sweeteners.  They are a processing burden to the liver because they are not natural, and indirectly that slows the liver’s ability to metabolize fat efficiently.
3. While you’re keeping your sweeteners natural, eliminate even more toxins by eating as organically as possible and limiting cigarettes and alcohol.
4. Exercise regularly because it boosts the body’s ability to manufacture glutathione.
5. See your doctor about taking a milk thistle supplement.*  It will help “regenerate liver cells injured by toxins, and it can actually block the toxins from entering the liver in the first place.” (4)

A healthy liver is a liver which can most efficiently break down fat molecules and eliminate the ones that are not needed from our body. If you feel overwhelmed then make just make one, healthy change at a time and see what kind of a difference it makes for you.  This week you can replace some of the spring lettuces in Greek Salad w/ Lemon Chicken with sulfur rich watercress, or kale. Brussels sprouts have been found to have the most glutathione of all, so take some time to season them well and enjoy their healthy benefits.  I’ve also brought back Turkey & Cabbage Thyme because it is so rich in cruciferous cabbage.

So do something proactive to love your liver this week!  It will thank you in many ways.

Molly

(1) (2) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/glutathione-the-mother-of_b_530494.html

(3) (4) http://heartspring.net/cleansing_detoxify_your_body.html

* “But not all milk thistle products are equal. Only milk thistle standardized to contain 80% silymarin and formulated in a patented process with phosphatidylcholine are capable of (these) amazing feats.” (3)

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