Summer Fat Burn

Submitted by: Terri Patterson, Founder & CNO of 10 Weeks To Wow! Nutrition & Weight Loss Experts

Next to the holidays, summer is a common time for many of us to increase our alcohol intake right along with our social activities. However, if you are trying to lose weight there are a number of reasons to consider sobriety or at least curbing your alcohol intake.

Alcohol causes weight gain, but not only for the obvious caloric reason. Your liver is the primary organ responsible for detoxification, fat burning, fat excretion (via the digestive tract) and ridding your body of hormonal waste. It is a major player in achieving hormonal balance because it controls the production of certain hormones, such as the T3 thyroid hormone, and the breakdown of others, like cortisol.

A 2006 study reported that toxins including drugs and alcohol can cause abnormalities in our fat burning pathways in our liver. This causes less fat burning and leads to an increased storage of fat in the body and possibly our liver cells too. Over time, excess fat stored in our liver cells can be harmful to liver structure and impairs its function.

So, does an unhealthy liver cause fat gain? Just as obesity is linked to fatty liver disease, liver toxicity is known to cause increased weight gain. So if you want to achieve hormonal balance, lose weight, and stay healthy, you need to love your liver and detoxify it regularly – which means putting a halt to your liver’s nemesis, alcohol.

To read the full July FITNews, click here: http://www.ajax.ca/en/news/index.aspx?feedId=c3125837-1835-4dda-a97b-126df3122215&newsId=56195c3a-4fa8-4db0-a35e-1479bb3f0b7a