Cinnabon Cheesecake and TIRED LIVER

Your liver plays a major role in weight loss. The liver is a chief organ in the body for metabolism functions. Keeping our liver at optimal health should be a main focus of your weight loss plan. I write a chapter in my book, Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism, called Tired Toxic Liver...this is my mom's favorite sub-chapter because it all makes sense!

The liver makes and secretes bile for storage in the gallbladder. During digestion, the bile is moved to the intestine to break down fats. But, if the liver is congested, it doesn?t produce enough bile for fat to be broken down. The liver can become congested from chemicals, toxins, drugs and heavy metals. Evidence of a "fatty liver" is often shown by a roll of fat at the waistline, which happens because the liver has stopped breaking down fat and started storing it. Only once you bring your liver back to full function, will you lose this fat. This is why I list specific ingredients like "aluminum free baking powder." All of these steps help the body in little, yet important ways.

Like every American, you're probably totally puzzled on which is the right weight loss plan. You've been flooded with emails of new miracle diets, and wondering if there are any health risks associated with them. Before choosing a weight loss programs, you need to discover if your liver could be to blame for your issues. When the liver is overloaded and toxic, every organ in a person's body is affected and weight loss efforts are stalled. Some signs of a toxic liver are weight gain, cellulite, abdominal bloating, indigestion, fatigue, mood swings, depression, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and skin rashes. Many people struggle with weight gain and a sluggish metabolism most of their lives, and go through lots of yo-yo dieting unsuccessfully. ?So why doesn?t anything really work?? we may ask. We have been tackling the symptom when we should be addressing the cause; weight gain is often due to poor liver function.

The liver performs more than 400 different jobs, and is the body's most important metabolism-enhancing organ; it acts as a filter to clear the body of toxins, metabolize protein, control hormonal balance and enhance our immune system. Your liver is a ?worker bee? that can even regenerate its own damaged cells! But our liver is not invincible. When it is abused and lacks essential nutrients, or when it is overwhelmed by toxins, it no longer performs as it should. Fat may build up in the liver and just under the skin, hormone imbalances can develop, and toxins increase and get into the blood stream.

The liver metabolizes not only fats, but proteins and carbohydrates for fuel. It breaks down amino acids from proteins into various pieces to help build muscle; which directly impacts your calorie burn. It also transports amino acids through the blood stream for hormone balance; which is critical to avoid water retention, bloating, cravings, as well other undesired weight issues. Amino acids also help move waste, such as damaged cholesterol, and used estrogen and insulin to the liver, for detoxification and elimination through the kidney.

The liver's most important function, and the one that puts it at greatest risk for damages, is to detoxify the numerous toxins that attack our bodies daily. Working together with the lungs, kidneys, skin and intestines, a healthy liver detoxifies many damaging substances and eliminates them without polluting the bloodstream. When we cleanse the liver and eat the right foods, liver metabolism will improve and we start burning fat. As liver function improves, so does energy. With more energy, fitness improves, because we have the ability to exercise more and improve our muscle tone.

The following are the most common symptoms of a toxic liver; being edgy, easily stressed, elevated cholesterol, skin irritation, depression, sleep difficulties, indigestion, kidney damage, heart damage, brain fog, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue, weight gain, poor memory, PMS, blood sugar imbalances, allergies, or obesity. The liver also plays a role in migraines. If this vital organ is overloaded with toxic substances, it can cause inflammation that triggers migraine pain. If you have tried many ways to improve your health and energy level and nothing seemed to help, it is possible that your tired liver is triggering your difficulties. Restoring liver function is one of the most essential actions you could ever do for your health. When the liver gets congested it will remain that way and get worse until it gets cleaned and revitalized.

If you want more ideas on food to eat for your liver, see the chapter TIRED TOXIC LIVER in my Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism Book.



"HEALTHIFIED" CHEESECAKE
CRUST:
3/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter
1/2 cup SWERVE (or erythritol and 1/2 tsp stevia glycerite)
1 egg
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
FILLING:
4 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup Swerve (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
CINNAMON SWIRL:
1/2 cup Swerve (or erythritol and 1/2 tsp stevia glycerite)
6 TBS butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. CRUST: In a medium sized bowl combine all the ingredients. Press onto bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is light golden brown. Remove from oven to cool a bit.

FILLING: Beat cream cheese, sweetener, almond milk and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended.

CINNAMON SWIRL: In a saucepan, combine sweetener, butter, vanilla and cinnamon. Heat and stir until butter melts. Spoon cinnamon swirl into cheesecake. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect.

Bake 55 minutes or until center is almost set (a water bath helps to cook the cheesecake evenly). Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 12 slices. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Makes 16 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON:
Traditional Cheesecake = 440 calories, 34g fat, 6.2g protein, 31g carbs, 0g fiber (31 effective carbs)
"Healthified" Cheesecake = 352 calories, 34g fat, 7.2g protein, 3.8g carbs, 1.2g fiber (2.6 effective carbs)

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