You and I live in an environmental version of a high school Keg party. We are the house being bombarded by a bunch of wild kids, spinning out of control just looking to break as much shit as they can before leaving and finding a better house to party at. These kids are wilding out because of chronic stress, artificial sweeteners, antibiotics, overtraining, and processed grains. The one kid in our analogy that is keeping shit together is the anti-oxidant Glutathione. This anti-oxidant 'godfather' creates a barrier between the harsh environment and the free radicals that seek to break dishes and steal valuable years away from your life.
If you are enjoying this analogy, awesome... but its as serious as your life is to you. Glutathione, the antioxidant that you may have not heard of, lives inside of our cells and I will lay out 3 key aspects that will keep you healthy and living longer!
1. Glutathione keeps your tail wagging. At the end of the 23 chromosomes that make up who you are is a Telomere. The telomere resembles a tail on the end of your DNA double helix. This tail does more than just look cute, it actually has been shown to reflect your overall age! When we are born, our Telomere tails are long, supple and strong. As aging happens, we do dumb stuff to our bodies and life catches up to us, the telomeres tend to break down and shorten. Scientists have found that a degrading Telomere can be a sign up pre-mature aging and even a precursor to disease.
Glutathione works to protect and support Telomere longevity through some pretty cool chemistry inside the cell. When Free Radicals, (imagine busted up relics of healthy cells), go charging through like the teenagers I spoke of before; Glutathione is able to exchange electrons with the free radical making it more stable and less likely to attack a healthy cell. Its pretty much like the one sober kid handing the drunk kid a hamburger so he won't go tearing through the cupboards eating all the food and messing things up. (sorry for the party analogy... it just works eh?)
Now when you look around and see the 28 year old smoker or desk jockey that looks like they are 40... you know what is going on. The cells are not being protected and pre-mature aging is occurring...
2. Glutathione helps get you GAINZ!! Lets face it. 99% of you are reading this Blog because you are into health and fitness. You love CrossFit in particular. Well let me give you a nugget that will really tickle your fancy then. Glutathione helps with Protein Synthesis at the cellular level. Protein Synthesis equates to muscle development. Muscle Development allows us to become more efficient and productive human beings!
One thing I have learned a lot about recently is the concept of free flowing hormones, enzymes, and nutrients that our body needs VS. what is actually getting into the cells and helping them become stronger and protected. Simple blood tests can let you know how much of the nutrients that you are consuming for optimal health is actually making its way to the core of your cells. What many of us miss, myself included, is that no matter what we consume... if its not getting in the cell we are just missing the mark and our bodies are working extra hard trying to keep up without it.
Glutathione as you can guess is a very important and stable nutrient to have inside our cells. But it does not work alone. Ensuring that you are eating the right foods (which I will get into next) along with combining certain things together is a way to make sure you are absorbing amino acids into the cells. Because Glutathione works to keep inflammation down inside the cell, amino acids can be stacked up into Proteins and that creates healthy cells that are able to replicate with ease. This may be a bit more chemistry than you are into but just know that if you want to get better, you need to be minding your nutrition and inflammation. Glutathione can help with that!
-FYI... Whey Protein is a great way to make gains and ensure Glutathione in your diet!!
3. Foods rich in Glutathione are easy to come by. Eating with the seasons could not be more beneficial to optimal intake of these types of foods; therefore I am going to break them down as such.
Fall/ Winter;
-broccoli
-brussel Sprouts
-cabbage
-cauliflower
-Kale
-Radish
-turnip
-Liver
-Spinich
-Beets
-Turkey
-Lentils
Spring/Summer
-Arugula
-Bok Choy
-Collard Greens
-Peas
-Asparagus
-Pinto Beans
-Garbanzo Beans
-Grass Fed Beef
-Tuna
-Halibut
-berries
-guava
-Kiwi
-Sweet Peppers
Digest that list why don't Ya!
The point is, if we eat to optimize our levels of intra-cellular goodness we win. Glutathione is the anti-oxidant which has now been shown to not only break up unruly teenage parties (your welcome) but it has a direct effect on life span and is relatively easy to get at your local markets.
On a personal note, this Blog post is in response to some striking blood tests that I recently got back about myself and my overall health. I am someone who feels pretty confident that I am doing the right things but YOU LITERALLY NEVER KNOW! I have been red lining my insides for some time now and am having to reassess. I recommend getting your blood panels looked at ASAP to actually know what is going on inside the body and particularly inside the cells.
We need to all strive, not for money or gratitude, but for health... We are no-good to the world unless we are first good to ourselves. I am here to support you in this journey. With love , E.
Please share this post and get your friends up on the knowledge.
Programming Notes 11/13-11/17
11/13
Baseline:
3X
250m Row
6 Inchworm Push Ups
8 Standing Toe Touches (each leg)
Hamstring/ Core Primer
3X 8
Romanian Deadlift 135/95
Barbell Bent Over Row
*Spend 6 Minutes working on Handstand Push Up Progression
-Seated Press
-Piked HSPU
-Box HSPU
-Banded HSPU
*ensure that the head drops in front of fingertips and then reaches back through shoulders at top
WOD:
“Diane”
21-15-9
Deadlift 225/135
Handstand Push Up
Core Cash Out:
1:00 @ Each
Elbow Plank
Side Plank L
Side Plank R
11/14
Baseline:
3 Rounds Not For Time
200m Run
:30 Sled Push (moderate Weight) (sub chariot runs with partner)
:30 Hollow Body Hold
:30 KB Goblet Squat 70/53
Squat Flow: Kang Squat, Internal Rotation, Hip Bridge, Ankle Roll Outs, Boot Straps, PNF, Squat W/ T Spine Rotation
BackSquat De Load:
3X8 @ 60% of 2RM from Last week
*free Tempo
*Speed through standing!
WOD:
3 Rounds For Time
40 Overhead Walking Lunges 115/75
30 Toes TO bar
20 KB Russian Swings
Cool Down:
1:00 Pigeon Stretch
1:00 couch stretch
1:00 Roll Out shoulders
11/15
Baseline:
*spend 3-5 Minutes Rolling out Sub Scaps, teres, and upper back!
2X:30 @ each
-High Knees
-Side Lunges
-Divebomber Push Ups
-Alternating Knee To Elbow
- Ring Rows
*spend 5 minutes Covering Run Of WOD, and Ring Dip, Pull Up, and Thruster.
WOD:
For Total Time:
3X
500m Row. Rest=Work
Rest 5 Minutes
4 Rounds
6 Ring Dips
12 Chest To bar Pull Ups
Rest 5 Minutes
45 Thrusters @ 95/65
*very important athletes know that the timing is squarely on them. No cheating rest time!!
11/16
Baseline:
Dynamic ROM Shoulder
-shoulder Rolls
-neck Rolls
-Arm Circles
-Arm Swings (alternating)
-back slaps
6 Min Quality AMRAP
10 Burpees
10 Zercher Barbell Squats
10 Barbell Press
10 Superman Rocks
*spend 5 minutes covering the Push Press and Push Jerk
*work up to WOD load
*PRE HAB ANY ATHLETES WITH SHOULDER ISSUES USING 2.5 PLATES AND THE ROTATOR CUFF DRILLS, SEE MY INSTA STORY
WOD:
20 Min AMRAP
200m D Ball Carry
400m Run
15 Shoulder to Overhead 155/115
11/17
Baseline:
W/ 20/14# med Ball
4X
100m RUN
10 Wall Ball Shots
10 Push Ups W/ feet on med ball
10 MB Squat Jumps
10 MB Lateral Throws to Wall (each Side)
Bar Muscle Up Progression:
10+ reps @ each for Proficiency
-Australian Pull Up (see internet)
-kipping Swing on Bar
-Jumping Muscle Up To Negative drop
-Banded Bar Muscle Ups
-Jumping Bar Muscle Up from Box
WOD:
EMOM 24
A- 3-5 Bar Muscle Ups
B- 20/15 Wall Ball Shots
C- 30-50 Double Under
D- 12 Broad Jumps
