Enzymes are needed for every single metabolic process in the body. If we didn’t have them, we would simply die. There are 3 types: metabolic, digestive, and food enzymes. Metabolic enzymes are those involved in all bodily processes except digestion, which the digestive enzymes control. Food enzymes are found in live foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, and soaked nuts and seeds, and are capable of digesting the food that contains them, thereby reducing the enzyme-producing load on the pancreas. Heat above 118? F will kill these precious food enzymes, so if your diet neglects fresh fruit and vegetables, you are putting the entire digestive load on your body to produce digestive enzymes. Enzymes get used up in metabolic reactions, so you must eat enzyme-rich food if you want to live a long and healthy life. In simpler terms, the more processed and cooked food you allow into your diet, the shorter your life and the poorer the quality of that short life! Life is too short as it is…salad for dinner anyone?
The more active you are the more enzymes you will use, and the more enzymes you use, the faster you will age. A deficiency of enzymes will speed up the development of cancer, heart disease, premature aging and other diseases. The primary cause of enzyme deficiency is malnourishment. We pay a price for convenience these days, as we slowly diminish our enzyme bank account. If we do not make deposits into this account, we will slowly kill ourselves. The result could be years taken off your life, and the likelihood that a disease will cause our demise increases substantially. People tend to dismiss diet as a cause of disease, but food is our fuel, and if we settle for the cheapest fuel, we’ll get the crummiest performance. Food interacts with our bodies in such a way that even our thoughts are affected by the food we eat. It is not uncommon for quite unhealthy foods to make those in tune with their bodies feel angry or depressed. Green juices on the other hand are known to provide the body with a jolt of happiness or energy.
You can do self-test to see how your food is affecting you. Pay special attention to the way you feel the morning after a heavy cooked meal. To really feel the effects of nutrient-deficient food, be sure not to skip dessert! On the next night, have a salad for dinner and again note your feelings when you awaken. The more raw fruit and vegetables you consume, the more enzymes you add to your enzyme bank account, and the less work you put on your body’s digestive system. The result for you is more energy in the morning! Consuming enzyme-rich food will make available more metabolic enzymes to circulate the body and disarm foreign invaders and disease processes that may be under way. The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the more whole foods and less preservatives, fillers, meat, and dairy products you will be consuming over-all, which will no doubt do your body good. Less dairy in your diet will do wonders for your digestive system, but that’s a whole other ball game.
Frugal eating also has the same end-result of freeing up metabolic enzymes, as eating less will require the body to produce less digestive enzymes. It is a scientific fact that people who eat moderately live longer. If you are constantly wasting enzymes on digesting loads of nutrient-deficient foods, you are headed for trouble. The body will use all that energy in hopes of freeing up and absorbing nutrient-dense particles only to find nothing, leaving you tired and comprised of cheeseburgers and doughnuts! Listen to your body for once! I’d say an extra 10 years on your life is worth it, wouldn’t you?
Amy is a registered holistic nutritionist who believes in the powerful healing benefits of natural, whole foods and affirms that there is not one disease that cannot be improved through a change in diet and lifestyle. She is the Director of Nutrition for Total Wellness Consulting and a contributor to the groundbreaking Eating for Energy ebook that has been helping people worldwide dramatically improve their diets and achieve their health goals. Visit www.eatingforenergy.ca
to get your copy today.
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