Detoxification

The Godfather of Antioxidants

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Glutathione heals, detoxifies and retards the aging process

By Richard Labaki

The body has phenomenal powers to heal itself. But to accomplish this feat, it requires specific tools that mainly come in the form of natural and nutritional compounds.

Over the years, I have witnessed firsthand how science-backed supplements help in reversing chronic conditions that most in the medical establishment deem incurable (or at least unmanageable without pharmaceutical drugs.)

There will always be skeptics dismissing the efficacy of any natural approach to overcoming illnesses. Nevertheless, there is beauty in conducting a medical exam before the individual is put on a holistic protocol and then re-conducting that same test several months later to assess progress. Test results simply do not lie.

One compound I have been recommending repeatedly and for many years is N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC).

NAC is actually used intravenously by medical doctors to counteract acetaminophen poisoning (Tylenol and Paracetamol are acetaminophen drugs, by the way).1

I use NAC in my practice for various purposes – mainly because it is a precursor to our body’s most potent antioxidant and detoxifier: Glutathione.2

Glutathione is a unique compound made by our body from sulfur-rich foods – dietary proteins, such as whey, beef, fish, and poultry. Veggies rich in sulfur include onions, garlic, and cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and others.

Moreover, certain supplements like selenium and alpha lipoic acid help your body produce more glutathione. But when it comes to actually taking this compound in its pure form, most formulas fail to increase glutathione in the body in meaningful ways. We will talk about that in a minute.

But first, let me focus on why glutathione is so paramount for well-being.

“When it comes to actually taking this compound in its pure form, most formulas fail to increase glutathione in the body in meaningful ways.”

Slayer of many evils

Think of “Free Radicals” as villainous molecules. They increase in the body due to multiple factors, such as pollution, alcohol and cigarette consumption, medications, radiation, processed foods, and others. Also, free radicals are byproducts of internal physiological mechanisms – especially when one is stressed out or suffers from insomnia.

Too many free radicals in the body could simply mean accelerated aging, weakened immunity, and a fast track toward various ailments.3 Consequently, no healing process and no anti-aging intervention could properly unfold unless free radicals are kept in check.

And this is where glutathione shines!

You could say that this compound is the worst nightmare for free radicals and their subset reactive oxygen species (ROS). Nothing neutralizes these baddies like glutathione. And this is probably why multiple studies have shown that the higher your glutathione levels the healthier you are.4,5

“Multiple studies have shown that the higher your glutathione levels the healthier you are. ”

In over 139,000 published peer-reviewed studies, glutathione has been shown to be a stellar promoter of health.

Now surely you have been hearing a lot about other antioxidants like Vitamin C and E and their impact on overall well-being. But glutathione is different and more impressive.

Glutathione works from inside your cells – protecting your DNA from external attacks.6,7 Moreover, it has the unique ability to recycle used antioxidants and transform them back into unused antioxidants. This has major positive repercussions in terms of bolstering your defenses.  

Our health is constantly bombarded by free radicals from all sides, especially when our lifestyle and eating habits are not ideal. Moreover, the production of glutathione declines with age. So imagine the scenario: increased attacks on our body coupled with decreased defenses against these assaults.

Another intriguing aspect regarding glutathione is its ability to lighten the skin and reduce the size of facial dark spots. It seems that glutathione has anti-melanogenic properties.8

“Production of glutathione declines with age. So imagine the scenario: increased attacks on our body coupled with decreased defenses against these assaults. ”

Form is everything

Certain brands produce a reduced form of glutathione, which is better absorbed. Some offer liposomal formulas, which do increase glutathione absorption in the body. But my preferred choice has always been the acetylated type, which can actually cross over to our brain.

But one issue I contend with is that using glutathione supplementation in a continuous fashion could create some sort of a dependency – whereby the body becomes more reliant on glutathione supplementation while its own natural production continues to decline.

Enter EDG3 – a breakthrough formula that provides the building blocks that your body uses to naturally manufacture glutathione. The building blocks of glutathione are glutamine, glycine, and cysteine (the latter is the amino acid that constitutes NAC.) But what is even more exciting is that EDG3 contains cystine and not cysteine.

You see, cysteine cannot be absorbed easily because of its unstable nature. It simply gets destroyed in your digestive tract before actually reaching your cells.

However, EDG3 utilizes a patented delivery system that ensures the transport of cysteine through the digestive system before being absorbed into the cell entirely. It is a breakthrough discovery by researcher and physician, Dr. Albert Crum – a Harvard alumnus.

After decades of research, Dr. Crum discovered a unique delivery system using cystine – a more stable and bioavailable form of cysteine. This in turn guarantees the highest absorption and maximum potency. EDG3 is also combined with a highly absorbable form of selenium, which is needed for maximum effectiveness.

EDG3 is far superior to NAC in terms of optimizing glutathione levels. And this is why I am currently recommending this formula to almost everyone – whether to help in the healing process, slow down aging or just optimize overall health. It is an understatement to say that boosting glutathione levels in the body should form the backbone of any health-inducing and disease-reversing protocol.

How to procure EDG3

EDG3 could be delivered to various destinations around the world. You may click on any of the links below (email or WhatsApp chat) for a personalized buying experience.

If you found this article interesting, please "share" and "like". And feel free to leave your comments/questions below - I would love to hear your opinion and answer your questions.

References:

1.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24708414/

2.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33380301/

3.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18952194/

4.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14988435/

5.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31484368/

6.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31682420/

7.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32894672/

8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33834608/

When the Pleasure of Eating Turns into a Nightmare

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By Richard Labaki

In terms of exploring cuisines, I have so far covered a fair range – from French, Spanish, and Italian to Thai, Indian and Japanese. Still, others remain to be experienced. And as far as food categories go, my diet excludes almost nothing. Funny how as a teenager my digestive system was so sensitive I could barely digest anything. We all love food and we all look forward to our next meal. Some are seduced by delicacies that are salty while others gravitate towards spicy foods. Our palate may differ, but one thing is for certain: food is a daily pleasure! And sure enough, digestive discomfort is a nuisance we all suffer from time to time due to various factors: improperly prepared meals, heavy dishes, erratic mixing of food groups, seasonal shifts, stress levels and others. Yet for some unfortunate souls, digestive discomfort is an issue they endure constantly irrespective of what they eat, how they eat it and the food portions that they consume. To them, the simple act of ingesting food is an ongoing punishment that tortures them with symptoms ranging from intestinal spasms and bloating to heartburn and chronic constipation. When any of these symptoms persists then this simply means one thing: the digestive system has broken down. And as most holistic therapists agree, almost ninety percent of modern day diseases originate in a sickly gut!

Meds and elimination aren’t the solution

The first thought that crosses the mind of someone suffering from digestive issues is to seek out a quick fix. “Just give me a pill that would solve my problem and alleviate my agony,” he or she often tells the doctor. And so, they are normally prescribed a laxative (if they suffer constipation), an antidepressant like the drug Deanxit (if they suffer intestinal pain/spasms), or a proton pump inhibiter like the drug Nexium (if they suffer GERD or heartburn.) This may help in reducing the symptoms at first; nevertheless, the effect is short-lived – not to mention the fact that such approaches open up the floodgates to several problems. If you don’t believe me just read the side effects mentioned on the pamphlet of each drug. Most importantly, such drugs do nothing to address the root causes that are behind the symptoms. Orthodox medicine is all about masking the symptoms and not tackling the root causes, unfortunately. 

The second thought that crosses the mind of someone suffering from digestive issues is to pursue a more “natural” route. They might decide to cut out gluten-containing foods, dairy products, legumes and others from their diet. Some do so after undergoing a food allergy test to uncover the presumed culprits, while others just decide to follow a certain diet they read about online. Oftentimes, this does help (depending on the case and the adopted diet) but again the improvement is short-lived. Avoiding foods you are allergic or intolerant to and others that are generally tough to digest might give your digestive system a break, but it does not rebuild it if it has broken down. And this is a fact overlooked by many health experts. I have seen firsthand numerous people eliminate one food group after the next only to have their symptoms return after a brief period of recuperation (plus their range of food allergies continued to worsen!)

“ I have seen firsthand numerous people eliminate one food group after the next only to have their symptoms return after a brief period of recuperation”

Fixing a broken gut

If pharmaceutical drugs and only avoiding certain foods are not the solution then what should you do? The answer is not so straightforward due to the fact that the digestive system is a complex entity comprising various organs – each complex in its own right. A balance needs to exist between the stomach, small intestine, liver, gallbladder, pancreas and large intestine in order for your digestion to run smoothly and effectively. Any imbalance along this chain will cause a ripple effect leading to a wide array of symptoms and diseases such as food allergies, poor bowel movement, lymphatic congestion and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, anxiety/depression, mental fogginess, chronic fatigue, skin conditions like psoriasis and other health concerns.

Therefore, the first step is to determine where along this chain the breakdown has occurred and why.  The next step is to work on empowering the specific organ through a customized dietary and supplement plan. If, for example, the liver is congested due to high toxicity then it needs to be flushed and decongested. If the pancreas is not producing enough digestive enzymes then specific natural formulas need to be administered to fill the void while also empowering the pancreas to resume its proper production of enzymes. In other words, the approach needs to be customized according to each individual case. And this is why one-size-fits-all programs do not work for most people and could potentially cause more harm than good.

“The approach needs to be customized according to each individual case. And this is why one-size-fits-all programs do not work for most people and could potentially cause more harm than good.”

In the past few years, I have been heavily involved with people suffering from digestive problems. And the spectrum of cases has included inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gas and bloating, chronic constipation and GERD/heartburn. Both research and experience have enabled me to develop a program titled “R3-Digestion”; a holistic approach for repairing, restoring and rebooting the gut. This program, which could be customized based on each case, is designed to re-balance the digestive system in its entirety – stomach, small and large intestines, liver, gallbladder and pancreas – by presenting solutions in terms of healing foods, eating rituals, nutritional supplements, lifestyle habits, physical exercises and others.   

Improved digestion means…

Being able to enjoy all kinds of foods and cuisines is a blessing I never take for granted, for I know many aren’t so lucky. And this is why I am constantly caring for my digestive system by ingesting the right supplements and adopting the proper dietary and lifestyle habits. Healing a broken gut is very doable, but only if the person is willing to stay the course.  And the more powerful your digestive system becomes the more able you are to digest "tough" foods and compounds like gluten, dairy products and others. The simple truth is this: food (except for the junk, the processed and the genetically modified) is not the problem but a weak digestion is. Fix your gut and you will be able to enjoy foods you never knew you could.

If you found this article interesting, please "share" and "like". And feel free to leave your comments/questions below - I would love to hear your opinion and answer your questions. 

How clean are you on the inside?

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Nutritional and fitness plans alone are insufficient if you aim to reach optimal health – unless heavy metals are removed from the body

By Richard Labaki


(RenYou) “Do you eat a lot of fish?” I ask Jennifer, as I’m going through her OligoScan test results.  “Not a week goes by without enjoying sushi/sashimi with friends and family,” she beams.  But my question here was not a form of establishing rapport with a client I had just met.  I was simply trying to analyze her test results, which showed alarming levels of mercury.  My question regarding seafood intake stemmed from the fact that big fish, such as tuna, contain high concentrations of this heavy metal (due to rising pollution in oceans worldwide.)  In other words, consuming seafood regularly could increase mercury accumulation in the human body – and this is bad news! 
 
There are various reasons as to why our health deteriorates.  And one of the main contributors to this problem, which is rarely addressed by the conventional medicine community, is heavy metal toxicity.  Heavy metals have been building up in our body due to pollution that is finding its way into our air, water and food supply.  These heavy metals, which include aluminum, lead, mercury and others, could severely damage our health. 
 
The spectrum of symptoms and diseases they could cause ranges from fatigue, nausea and hitting a weight loss plateau to diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.   Simply put, removing these heavy metals from the body through safe and effective means is crucial for our wellbeing.  Until recently, testing for heavy metals was a costly and tiring process – but not anymore.
 
A couple of months back, I came across a new test called OligoScan at the Dermapro center in Beirut.  To cut a long story short, this is a quick and non-invasive test that provides valuable information concerning heavy metal toxicity and mineral deficiencies in the body (read the info below for a scientific explanation on how it works.)  And so once you undergo this test, the therapist could then determine the best detoxification approach to recommend and the most suitable mineral supplements to administer. 
 
For example, Jennifer had several heavy metals well above the normal range.  In addition to mercury, she also suffered high levels of aluminum, cadmium and arsenic.  Her mineral deficiencies included phosphorus, chromium, iodine and selenium.  All these imbalances contributed to reduced metabolic performance, poor cognitive functions (focus, memory, etc…), digestive discomfort and hormonal imbalances.  So yes, Jennifer’s health was a total wreck.
  
It is often said that knowing the problem is half the solution.  Using the OligoScan, especially when coupled with other tests, could be an important tool for understanding your own unique health issues.  Consequently, a customized program could be designed to help restore balance to your body. 
 
Three months into her detoxification and dietary program, Jennifer redid the OligoScan test and we noticed encouraging improvements on multiple levels.  Heavy metals dropped while mineral levels increased to an optimal range.  This was achieved because she fully followed the plan that I had given her.  “I feel so much better,” she explains.  “I feel more energized, less bloated and I sleep like a baby now.”   
 
Jennifer continues to enjoy seafood, but her body is now more adept at eliminating the heavy metals that will continually find their way into her system.  After all, no one has control over the increasing levels of pollution we’re exposed to in this day and age.  But at least there is something we can all do to lessen the damage it causes to our health.

How does OligoScan work?
OligoScan is designed to test the bioavailability of minerals and heavy metals in the tissues of the body.  It uses an optical method (spectrophotometry) to obtain results on the amount of trace elements – measuring the absorbance or the optical density of a chemical substance. Every chemical compound absorbs, emits or reflects light (electromagnetic radiation) over a certain range of wavelength.  The measure is made on the skin of the palm, and this allows you to see what is happening directly in tissues (not in the body’s fluids, which are unstable.) Optical methods are used in various domains, such as chemistry, pharmacy, environment, food-processing, biology, medical, material/chemical engineering and clinical applications.