To detox or not to detox?

This Thursdays blog is brought to you by a commonly asked question-usually straight after “How’s all that nutrition stuff going?” I get “So should I do a detox?”  This week I got asked this question slightly more specifically – “Should I do a liver detox?”  So that’s what I thought we should focus in on this week.  So starting with the liver and its function in your body, understanding how it works and what it does, I’m hoping will help you answer the question yourself as to whether you should detox it or not.  After looking at the liver function though lets talk a bit about toxins (with special reference to alcohol) and detoxing.  That way you have both sides of the story and can make a more informed decision regarding detox (or not as the case may be) that will work for you.

OUR LIVER:

• The liver is the largest internal organ in your body 
• It forms a major part of the digestive system 
• 3 main liver functions are:

1. To get rid of toxins
2. To regulate your blood sugar
3. To produce bile to break down fats

• The liver holds 2 main groups of cells that do separate jobs, we will focus on: Hepatic cells – these carry out more chemical processes than any other cells in your body.  Basically they convert the nutrients from the foods you consume into forms the cells in your body can use.  For example they convert sugars and store/release them as needed so regulate your blood sugar level plus they break down fats and release cholesterol.  They also detoxify drugs and alcohol, among other toxins we consume, plus they produce bile, which in turn, breaks down fats in the foods we eat

I want to keep you with me here and remember we are aiming to talk about detoxing, so won’t go too far further into the science of the liver function – from those basics you can see though that is an extremely important organ in your body and therefore probably why people are so concerned with keeping it healthy. 

If the liver fails, the human body can usually only survive 24hrs or less – again this emphasises how important the organ is for us and why we need to keep it working well.

LIVER DISEASE:

As you can see already then, the liver does a lot – therefore the effects of liver damage, disease, cancer or cirrhosis can impact on a lot of our major body processes, 3 main effects of liver damage (this list is not exhaustive, there are many other issues we can experience when our livers are not functioning optimally, but):

 

1)   Blood sugars would not be regulated, glucose not stored correctly leading to fatigue, and/or diabetes. 

2)   Fats/cholesterol would not be monitored and transferred as appropriate, so levels of “bad” or LDL cholesterol may increase impacting other body systems and functions too when getting into the blood stream.

3)   Drugs, alcohol and other toxins consumed would not be broken down and passed through the body appropriately – Storing toxins in the liver or the liver releasing them without them being properly processed can lead to all sorts of problems as I’m sure you can imagine!

A NOTE ON ALCOHOL AND LIVER FUNCTION:

Chronic alcohol consumption or alcohol misuse is often associated with impaired nutritional status.  That can be due to a “bad diet” but also due to the liver having to spend more of its effort detoxing the alcohol, therefore having less time to convert and absorb the nutrients it should be getting from foods. 

Alcohol therefore impairs your choice to eat well and your bodies function for nutrient absorption of what you do eat – leading to – malnutrition.

Alcohol has also been shown to react to prohibit absorption of certain nutrients too. 

It’s a 3 prong attack and too much alcohol and the liver simply cannot cope.  “Too much” is usually consuming a moderate to large amount of alcohol over a long time period – the liver will be processing and detoxifying a bit more than natural every day until it really wears out. 

HOW THE LIVER DETOXIFIES:

• As we already know the liver is pretty much acting as a clearing house or filter, recognising millions of potential harmful chemicals and transforming them into something harmless we can then use, or preparing them for elimination.
• It does this by sticking other things to the harmful toxins – ie disarming them or converting/moderating them in some way.  This process is called conjugation. 
• There are 4 forms of conjugation - you don’t really need to know these, but be aware each form requires an adequate supply of nutrients fundamental to them working.  Remember also that no nutrient works in isolation. 
• It therefore follows that for optimum detoxification we should ensure we are consuming enough antioxidant rich foods.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Antioxidant foods (specific to the liver) include –

• Onions and Garlic 
• Artichokes 
• Watercress and Rocket 
• plus Cruciferous veg – ie Broccoli, Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, Raddish, plus Berries, Nuts and Seeds. 
• Also gluten free grains such as brown rice, or oats can be added to an antioxidant rich diet.

It’s also suggested – to keep a healthy liver -

• You maintain a healthy body weight 
• Enjoy moderate physical activity
  

• Consume “toxins” in your foods sparingly (eg cut down on sugary drinks, fatty foods etc) 
• Eat more unprocessed (less toxic) foods ie – fruits and vegetables as recognised above 
• Cut down on eating red meats, processed meats, fatty meats 
• Limit your caffeine and especially alcohol consumption 
  

Drink at least 2 litres of water daily

Health experts through the years have highlighted the value of a detox in the same way as we would take a break from work – a holiday – we should take a break from our regular diet – a detox – usually through fasting once or twice a year.

As this is not practical for many and increasingly we can see results that are anything but good from this fasting method, “detox diets” have become more and more popular.  This is probably due to their impact on weight loss too rather than their detoxing properties.  

Most detox diets suggest a combination of juices (fruit and veg), higher water consumption, lower calorie consumption – ie they suggest eating fruits and veggies and not much else.  This may in fact help you lose weight and feel fresher, lighter or more energised to start with, however over time you will become hungry, and tired, irritable, and soon – malnourished.  

Detox diets have therefore been proven to add to yoyo dieting regimes of those on a weight loss mission, rather than to aid the detoxification process of the liver.

We would suggest then that prevention is always better than cure.  If you are basically healthy and want to maintain optimal liver function my best advice would be to nourish the liver and nourish the whole body by reducing your intake of toxic substances.  You should do this while following a healthy eating plan, not a limitation diet that you cannot maintain.  If you feel you need a kick start, add some extra nourishment in the form of the fruits and veggies as already talked about rather than limiting your intake of other nutrients such as carbohydrate, fat, or fibre.

There is a lot to be said for a balanced and varied diet, moderate activity or exercise, drinking sufficient water every day and limiting your intake of toxins – that’s just the way it is and there is no getting round it, unfortunately, we see no shortcuts if you want a healthy liver function. 

Let me know what you think, or any detox diets you’ve tried. You can email info@nitakothari.com, tweet us @nononsensenita or like us and leave a comment on facebook

As always you can find out more via www.nitakothari.com, email info@nitakothari.com for further details, or bookings@nitakothari.com for consultation, workshop details and clinics.

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Take a look over on the NHS Livewell site too – start here to read more about liver disease: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/liver-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx

**If you are of ill health, pregnant or a child under 16yrs, please be advised any detox guidelines may differ**

**Please remember this is nutritional advice ONLY (as is all other information and advice contained in this blog and the websites and social media related to it) – none of the info or advice is intended to override any recommendation from your GP or health professional**

Frittata vs Tortilla - Its all about the EGGS

Question:

Do you know the difference between a FRITTATA and a TORTILLA? 

Answer:

No – I didn’t – well I wasn’t 100% sure until now

The basic and vital difference is in the eggs and how they are finished in the dish.  In both, the eggs start by covering the other ingredients in the frying pan, on the cooker/hob.  To make tortilla, the whole thing is flipped and browned to finish in the same pan (its traditionally then left to cool before being sliced and served), whereas the frittata is finished by placing the pan with all its contents including the eggs into the oven to cook through and the for the top to crisp up.  The frittata can then be served hot (or sometimes cold).

Using the same ingredients you do therefore get a different finish and different taste, however the nutritional benefits of one over the other are negligible.  What you serve the frittata or the tortilla with is what may make the difference, as well as of course the ingredients you thrown in, in the first place.  Either way though, this is a great lunchtime filler upper. It’s very quick and easy to prepare and cook and great for using up any leftovers.

In my frittata: 

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 x small new potatoes (these were already cooked as left from last nights dinner)
• 3 x large eggs (you may want to use more if using more than 4 potatoes or if you have lots of other extra ingredients to cook up)
• A handful of cherry tomatoes (I’d say there were approx. 6-7 of them, sliced in half only)
• ½ an orange pepper (diced into chunks)
• A large handful of fresh baby spinach (basically it was the remainder of the bag – probably 120g)
• ¼ mozzarella ball (that’s about 2-3 medium slices cut into chunks and melted in with the eggs)
• Cheddar cheese (a small handful once grated)
• Pinch – salt, pepper, dried mixed herbs
• 1 x tbsp. oil / butter to frying pan to start

CALORIES AND NUTRIENTS:

Total calories for the frittata using ingredients as above = 600

This of course may change if you use more potatoes, more eggs, or of course more leftovers and other ingredients – REMEMBER – this serves 2 though so you will only be eating half those calories each.  Calories per serving = 300

Carbohydrate = 25g

Protein = 30-35g

Fat = 40g

Fibre = 8g

VITAMINS AND MINERALS:

Beta Carotene, or vitamin A is predominant in this dish as can be found in the cherry toms, pepper, spinach and eggs.  This is great for bone health, teeth, skin and for eye health.  Vitamin C comes a close 2^nd on the list of good stuff in this dish.  Potatoes, spinach and again the pepper all have a high vitamin C content. Other vitamins come from the spinach in the way of D, B6 and B12.  From the eggs – vit D, E, B12 and folate.

The frittata is also packed with minerals, including:

Potatoes = potassium

Cheese = calcium

Spinach = magnesium (and of course iron – remember Popeye)

This is not the exhaustive list – you can also find iodine (great for thyroid function), selenium (an antioxidant), phosphorus (bone health) and zinc (fighting infections) in this combo!

Also as we are going on to talk about eggs in more details – here are the vitamins and minerals found in eggs alone – (as per www.egginfo.co.uk)

Vitamins and minerals explained (by www.egginfo.co.uk)

Nutrient	Function
Vitamin A	Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and the normal function of the immune system. It also contributes to normal vision.
Vitamin D	Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth, the absorption and use of calcium and phosphorus in the body, to normal muscle function, and to the maintenance of normal immune system function.
Vitamin B12	Vitamin B12 contributes to the formation of red blood cells and normal energy metabolism. It also contributes to the normal function of the immune and nervous systems.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)	Riboflavin contributes to normal energy metabolism and to normal red blood cell development, vision, and nervous system function.
Folate	Folate contributes to the division of cells and therefore to tissue growth during pregnancy. It also contributes to normal blood formation and normal functioning of the immune system.
Biotin	Biotin contributes to normal energy metabolism and to the maintenance of normal skin, hair, and nervous system function.
Pantothenic acid	Pantothenic acid contributes to normal energy metabolism, mental performance, and to making vitamin D and some hormones.
Choline	Choline contributes to normal fat metabolism and liver function.
Phosphorus	Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth. It also contributes to the normal function of cell membranes and to normal energy metabolism.
Iodine	Iodine contributes to the production of thyroid hormones, the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, and to normal energy metabolism. It also contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and nervous system function.
Selenium	Selenium contributes to the protection of cells against oxidative damage. It also contributes to normal immune system and thyroid gland function, and to the maintenance of normal hair and nails.

So now you have the nutritional low down I want to talk more about EGGS.  As this dish (frittata, tortilla, quiche, flan or simply the great British omelette) are all common egg based dishes – 1) Are they good for you? 2) How many eggs should we really be eating? 3) What’s the deal with eggs and cholesterol? 4) And the deal with eggs and fat?

In a nutshell (or egg shell?) until now the traditional view has been that eggs (and mostly their yolks) contain cholesterol and saturated fats.  These are 2 things we do not want too much of in our diet or in our bodies.  The reason being, can be found along with a great description of LDL and HDL cholesterol here: http://www.egginfo.co.uk/eggs-and-health/eggs-and-cholesterol/what-is-cholesterol

It’s therefore been recommended for years that within a healthy diet we limit our egg intake to approx. 3-4 eggs per week.  This way we do not take on too much cholesterol or saturated fat to clog our blood transport systems and we therefore do no damage or encourage any risk to our heart.  Eggs were seen really as a “treat” or too many were noted as bad for you.

You may be surprised then to learn that this year – 2015 – that advice has changed.  The traditional advice to limit your egg consumption has been lifted by the department of health in the UK.  This is due to recent studies showing that:

http://www.egginfo.co.uk/health-professionals/cholesterol/cholesterol-in-eggs

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eggs-nutrition.aspx

https://www.bhf.org.uk/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2015/may/eggs-and-cholesterol

• Early research found dietary cholesterol (found in egg yolks) contributed to raised blood cholesterol. 

• Current research has discovered for most healthy people, this is a very slight effect

• Saturated fatty acids are much more harmful and add greatly to LDL cholesterol

• Eggs are actually low in sat fats, so not in this category

• Studies since the 1900s and into the 2000s (inc http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11111098 , http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2006.00543.x/abstract , http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/nbu/2009/00000034/00000001/art00008) found no independent relationship between dietary cholesterol and egg consumption

• In fact they showed the effects of cholesterol rich food on blood cholesterol were clinically insignificant

• The more recent studies have looked at the effects of cholesterol and saturated fat SEPARATELY, as opposed to earlier studies that drew conclusions using foods both high in cholesterol and sat fats

• As we now know, it’s the saturated fats (and these days trans fats etc too!) that have bad links, bad effects and contribute badly to our risk of heart disease.  BUT – that’s another can of worms altogether to be opened another day

While we are looking at eggs now in a favorable light, let me add that they really are a fantastic protein source as they contain all 9 essential amino acids – these are the basic building blocks for proteins.  Also with all this bad talk of cholesterol lets remember cholesterol is essential for the production of sex hormones, cortisol, vitamin D and actually great for the skin!

NOW – as long as you’re not too bored of the science – to conclude the egg limits have been lifted and as long as you are sticking to a reasonably healthy diet you can eat eggs every day.  The questions now are more concerned with how we store our eggs to ensure they are safe so;

STORAGE 1,2 3:

1)   Check the best before date – this should be printed on all shop bought eggs as a legal requirement

2)   Store at a constant temperature of below 20°C – ie best in the fridge, taking them out approx. 30mins before cooking

3)   Remember egg shells are porous, so store away from meat and strong smelling foods

There is so much more we could go into – amino acids, eggs as protein, how to cook your eggs the healthiest way, more egg recipes….. but we’ve gone far enough for today so with that I think we shall end this eggcelent blog!

**If you are of ill health, a pregnant woman or a child, please be advised egg consumption guidelines may differ**

**Please remember this is nutritional advice ONLY (as is all other information and advice contained in this blog and the websites and social media related to it) – none of the info or advice is intended to override anything your GP or health professional tells you**

For more info please email me here or at info@nitakothari.com

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