Lower your toxic load and shed unwanted body fat with safe autumn detox.
Worldwide, obesity is on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control describes American society as “obesogenic,” promoting increasingly unhealthy foods, increased food intake, and physical inactivity. Diabesity is on the rise thanks to excess grains, sugar, and bread in our diets.
In today’s petrochemical world, the more fat you store in your body, the more toxins you retain. Nearly 100,000 toxins assault your body on a daily basis—even at low levels. Many of these, like pesticides and plastics, can disrupt metabolism, contributing to overweight and obesity.
“Automobile exhaust (in air), heavy metals (in food and water), and pesticides (in air, food, soil and water) are the most common pollutants,” one recent study shows. “And their short- and long-term exposure can cause hazardous effects in humans leading to systemic disorders involving lungs, kidney, and immune systems,” researchers add.
The liver is your body’s filter, working to neutralize the ever-increasing toxic load from air, water, food, cosmetics, and the newest environmental threat—electropollution. If, however, this major organ of detoxification gets overstressed or bogged down, it dumps fat back into your bloodstream, packing on pounds and increasing your risk for numerous health problems ranging from arthritis and high cholesterol to fatigue and mood swings.
The harder your body works to detoxify pollutants, the more endangered the liver and other detox organs—ranging from the lungs and lymph system to the colon—become, threatened by the influx of free radicals that result from detoxification.
Take your liver, for example. In phase 1 liver detox, this organ mobilizes up to 100 enzymes that bind with toxins and begins to oxidize, or neutralize, them. But, some toxins are changed into more damaging forms, which need to be broken down and further oxidized in phase 2. During this critical second phase, the liver transforms toxins yet again and binds them with amino acids (the basic components of protein) or other nutrients.
Phase 2 detox is where glutathione plays a major role—and if this stage of liver detoxification is not accomplished properly, your system can become overloaded with extra toxins. Unfortunately, not everyone has enough glutathione, so your body needs the right foods—and exercise—to support production of this master antioxidant.
Freeing up your liver and other detox organs to do their job may be the single most important step you can take in improving your overall health and maintaining a healthy weight. That’s why “unprepared” internal cleansing, which doesn’t pay attention to major detox systems, can actually make you sicker!
My program in Fat Flush for Life prevents this by preparing and supporting your body—season-by-season—with the nutrients it needs. For example, summer is a time for accelerated detox, while fall calls for a more relaxed style of detox that focuses on lung function as well as the liver.
Autumn Fat Flush
As the weather cools, your body needs to ready itself for cold, dark months ahead. With plummeting temperatures, you need to take special care of autumn detox organs like the lungs.
A study in Genetics and Molecular Research shows that the antioxidant glutathione—a powerful detoxifier that occurs in every cell in your body to clean up toxic substances and the damage they cause—helps protect lung function.
Weekly, eat three to four 1-cup servings of sulfur rich cooked cabbages and cruciferous veggies to boost glutathione production. Lots of garlic, onions, and asparagus will also help to make glutathione. This super antioxidant will, in turn, activate other antioxidants like vitamin C.
Spice up autumn dishes with the peppery-citrusy spice cumin, found in one study to increase glutathione enzyme activity by 78%. Other research shows that essential oil of cumin is also one of the body’s chief defenders against low-levels of non-ionizing radiation.
Another feature unique to Autumn Fat Flush is the purposeful use of umami—meaty, full-bodied flavor that contributes to satiety. By adding more beans (black, pinto, red) and mushrooms (cremini, portobello, shiitake) to fall menus, you can eliminate hunger while increasing protein, even if you don’t eat meat.
Whey to Detox
For overall detox, whey protein offers one of the richest sources of the amino acids—especially l-cysteine—from which glutathione is derived. Look for the highest quality whey protein concentrate, not just whey protein isolate. Make sure your whey is made from milk that is chemical, hormone, antibiotic, and pesticide-free. I use Fat Flush Whey Protein— because it is sourced from the purest milk and is also a natural source of EFAs and CLA that contains appetite-suppressing amino acids.
A great source of steady energy thanks to its blood-stabilizing effect, whey protein powder also helps relieve water-logged tissues. When the body is deficient in protein—as many detox plans are—fluid leaks into the vascular spaces between cells and becomes trapped. This leads to cellulite (that unattractive dimpling of skin), water retention, and water weight gain.
Fat Flush Whey Protein also contains naturally-occurring lactoferrin, which contains immune-enhancing substances. Take 1 to 2 scoops daily mixed in a smoothie with blueberries and other antioxidant-rich fruit. Each scoop provides 20 grams of protein. Available in both vanilla and chocolate, this is the perfect daily protein powder to support weight loss or a weight management program, lean muscle development, high energy levels, immune health and the anti-aging process.
