Glutathione: An introduction

GLUTATHIONE (pronounced "gloota-thigh-own") is the mother of all antioxidants, the master detoxifier and maestro of the immune system. It's the secret to PREVENT AGING , cancer, heart disease, dementia and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer's disease.

The good news is that your body produces its own glutathione. The bad news is that poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione.

This leaves you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections and cancer. And your liver gets overloaded and damaged, making it unable to do its job of detoxification.

What is Glutathione?

Glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein or amino acids -- cysteine, glycine and glutamine.

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.

Normally glutathione is recycled in the body -- except when the toxic load becomes too great. And that explains why we are in such trouble ...

The Importance of Glutathione in Protecting Against Chronic Illness

Glutathione is critical for one simple reason: It recycles antioxidants. You see, dealing with free radicals is like handing off a hot potato. They get passed around from vitamin C to vitamin E to lipoic acid and then finally to glutathione which cools off the free radicals and recycles other antioxidants. After this happens, the body can "reduce" or regenerate another protective glutathione molecule and we are back in business.

However, problems occur when we are overwhelmed with too much oxidative stress or too many toxins. Then the glutathione becomes depleted and we can no longer protect ourselves against free radicals, infections, or cancer and we can't get rid of toxins. This leads to further sickness and soon we are in the downward spiral of chronic illness.

But that's not all. Glutathione is also critical in helping your immune system do its job of fighting infections and preventing cancer. That's why studies show that it can help in the treatment of AIDS.

Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system. All the toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries them into the bile and the stool -- and out of your body.

And lastly, it also helps us reach peak mental and physical function. Research has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production to muscle development.

References: 

(i) De Rosa SC, Zaretsky MD, Dubs JG, Roederer M, Anderson M, Green A, Mitra D, Watanabe N, Nakamura H, Tjioe I, Deresinski SC, Moore WA, Ela SW, Parks D, Herzenberg LA, Herzenberg LA. N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione in HIV infection. Eur J Clin Invest. 2000 Oct;30(10):915-29

(ii) Nuttall S, Martin U, Sinclair A, Kendall M. 1998. Glutathione: in sickness and in health. The Lancet 351(9103):645-646

Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. 

Sleeping Positions

Ever woke up feeling tired as if you never got to rest? This may be caused by your sleeping position. Each of us sleeps on a different angle and have our own favorite position. No matter how comforting it feels to lie on that favorite position, it'll help to know the pros and cons of each for you to decide which one will be beneficial for you. There are basically three types of position.

First is SIDE SLEEPING:
There are many proponents to this position. With the right pillow that fills up the space between the head, neck and shoulder, plus another one to be used in between the knees, this position when done right, could save you from headaches, and neck and upper back pain.
BEST FOR YOU IF: the possibility of wrinkles, and/or saggy breasts don't bother you. Gravity will pull on your skin, stretching it over time.

Next is BACK SLEEPING:
Many experts recommend this position because unlike side sleeping, this doesn't require a lot of pillows for positioning support. Plus, it helps you avoid upper and lower back problems. As a matter of fact, the only way you can possibly injure yourself is by placing your head too high when you stack pillows so that the angle of your neck is too steep. This in effect leads to misalignment and spasms- both of which are painful.  

BEST FOR YOU IF: you don't have breathing problems. Back sleeping can worsen both snoring and sleep apnea.

Lastly is STOMACH SLEEPING:
While this is very comforting for some, this also offers most chances for injury and other discomfort. Sleeping this way flattens out the natural curvatures of the spine which can distort the spinal alignment over time. This misalignment can also put pressure on the nerves in your back, leading to tingling and numbness in the body. In addition, sleeping in your stomach puts stress on your vital organs as they're forced into the most unnatural positions. While it probably won't damage your organs, it can cause discomfort and lead to restless sleep, depriving your body from resting and healing the way it needs to.
BEST FOR YOU IF: saggy breasts and wrinkles are fine with you, plus worsened acid reflux is negligible.

There you have it, the 3 common sleep positions we're all accustomed to. I'm a stomach sleeper myself and I definitely don't want to end up with a misaligned spine. The first few nights of shifting to back sleeping might be uncomfortable at first, but a few nights of discomfort is better than a lifetime of it, don't you think?

Green Tea

It doesn't take much to start living the healthy way. You can begin with your choice of drinks. Choose water over fountain drinks when dining out. Drink green tea instead of coffee as it not only helps in detoxification, it also helps you stay focused. So next time you feel like taking a shot, try a shot of green tea for a cool, healthy change. =)

Mango-Carrot Juice

For this concoction, we used carrots and mangoes. Carrots contain antioxidants that fight free radicals and help with anti-aging, while mangoes are great for digestion, skin care, memory and concentration. This sweet drink could also be mixed with oranges for added flavor and Vitamin C.

Your Journey Begins

If you want to have a good life, you need to have the right mindset on all situations. There will be times when your optimism and patience will be put to test and you certainly don't want to be caught off falling into the bait of pessimism.

Case in point: on your way to achieving a healthy life, there would be people who don't share the same vision and passion as you do, who would dissuade you, tempt you to do otherwise. Now if our determination isn't as strong, you might easily fall into the pit. But no, you shouldn't let those kind of people to hinder your progress. They are how they are because they don't have your vision. They pull you down because they have issues on their own they can't seem to confront, much less defeat. 

You, on the other hand, are different from them. You should be. You are special. You are meant to live up to that privilege and that's exactly why you're here. 

The next time you encounter the negatrons, just smile. Try and invite them to see what you're doing and why you're doing it. If they still miss the point, let them be. You can only do so much. As with you, you're doing great. Just keep it up.

Premiere Green Tea

"Better to be deprived of food for 3 days, than tea for one."- Ancient Chinese Proverb

There are indeed so many helpful benefits of drinking green tea such as alleviating/preventing these medical conditions: Cancer, Rheumatoid Arthritis, High Cholesterol Levels, Cardiovascular Disease, infection, and impaired immune function. 

Now these benefits are topped with slimming benefits such as the one offered by premiere green tea. Make it a habit to drink Premium Green Tea. Your body will thank you for it.

Glutafit

Don't you just love it when products serve more than one purpose? Oftentimes we tend to look older as the skin sags, and look depleted what with the lack of nutrients from a restricted diet. That's completely not the case with Glutafit.
With Glutafit, you'll be shooting two birds with one stone: with continued use, you'll find yourself fitter, as you look younger with a more radiant skin to boot.

Colorful Bites

According to Webmd, the heart-shaped silhouette of a strawberry is already a clue that it protects the heart by increasing good cholesterol, lowering your blood pressure, while fighting against cancer. Packed with vitamins and fiber, just one serving or about 8 strawberries provide more Vitamin C than an orange.
Blueberries are also rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants. Just the same, pineapples are packed with vitamins and minerals that prevent colds and cough, strengthen bones, keep gums healthy, lowers risk of macular degeneration, alleviate arthritis, and improve digestion.

If you're craving for a delicious and healthy treat, a bowl of these goodies won't disappoint.

Cucumbers, Pears, and Green Grapes

Juicing is not only becoming a trend nowadays, but for a good reason, seems to be building its own cult following. With juicing, even hardcore carnivores can enjoy the goodness and nutrition that fruits and vegetables can give. For this recipe, we mixed together one whole piece of cucumber, 2 pieces of pears, and about a bunch of green grapes. The result is a glass-full of refreshing, sweet green drink that even the kids loved.

Welcome to Good Life

Many people have equated a beautiful life to having the nicest car, a big house in an exclusive village, luxury bags, and all that glitters. The question now is, what really makes life beautiful? While it depends on who's going to answer the question, the universal fact is that living a healthy, fulfilled life is the way to go.
A healthy life consists of many things: A healthy mind, body, spirit and social being. When we have all these going in our lives, it's easier to live a fulfilled life. You can have the most expensive car, the fattest bank account, but with poor health, none of these would matter. That's why I encourage you to heed the call to a better life. You're never too young or too old to start anew. You've already taken your first step, that's why you're directed here. All you have to do now is to determine what will better your life, and commit to it. You're not alone in this journey. We have your back.