A look at enzymes

"Food is composed not only of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fibers, vitamins, and minerals, but also enzymes."1 What are enzymes and why are they important?

According to Dr. Howard Loomis, author of Enzymes: The Key to Health, life is not able to exist without enzymes and all living things contain enzymes.1 He goes on to explain that "enzymatic activity is responsible for every biochemical reaction that occurs in living matter."1 Why does that matter to me? Because I am living matter! That means that my body can only function properly if I have the right amount of enzymes working in me.

Dr. Loomis and others believe that enzyme deficiency may underlie many degenerative diseases. How do we become enzyme deficient? Enzymes are nutrients and must come from the foods we eat.1 However, not all foods contains enzymes at the point when we eat them. Cooked and processed foods have had their enzymes destroyed.

Food manufacturers understand that enzymes are responsible for ripening and eventually spoiling fresh food, and thus, "enzymes must be removed from our food supply in order for food products to achieve extended shelf life."1 This is achieved by heating and processing foods. What is important to understand is that these are the very same enzymes that help our bodies to assimilate and digest food and its associated nutrients. Most canned, bottled, and processed foods do not contain the enzymes necessary for good health.

How can we make sure we are getting enough enzymes? By eating raw foods! Raw fruits, vegetables, and other foods are teeming with enzymes. The same enzymes critical to every body function. The same enzymes required for healthy digestion. The same enzymes that vitamins and minerals need to perform their essential functions.

Can I cook my vegetables? Of course you can, but you may not be getting the health benefits from your veggies that you once thought. Consider this: enzymes are destroyed at 118 degrees fahrenheit.1 So, cooking them actually strips them of their most vital functions.

We may actually be enzyme deficient if we haven't been eating lots of raw foods our whole lives. Digestive discomfort of any kind may be pointing to enzyme deficiency. In other words, we may not have enough digestive enzymes to properly digest our foods and to assimilate nutrients, paving the way for disease. Many natural health experts recommend that we consume more raw foods and that we take a good plant-based digestive enzyme before every meal.

1Loomis, H. 2007. Enzymes: the key to health. 21st Century: Madison, WI.

Nutrition 101 - Drink (clean) water

There is a lot of debate about the best type of water to drink, whether it is plain tap water, bottled water, or filtered water. There is also debate about how much water is best to drink....six glasses, eight glasses, a gallon. There is no debate, however, about the need to drink water. We need it to live.

Our bodies are made up of 83% water!1 Water is the primary ingredient in our muscles and our brains.1 In fact, water is required for every process that takes place in our bodies.1 Sounds pretty important. Here are a number of things that water helps to do in the body, according to Johnny Bowden, author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth:

- removes fat and toxins from the body
- increases energy
- improves physical and mental functioning
- aids in digestion
- facilitates absorption of vitamins and other nutrients
- helps to reduce muscle cramping
- protects us from coronary heart disease1

A Loma Linda University study cited in Bowden's book found that, "high daily intakes of water (five or more glasses) were associated with significantly lower risk for fatal coronary heart disease events, even after adjusting for smoking, hypertension, and body mass index."1

Other benefits of water include that it has zero calories, increases metabolism, regulates appetite, reduces daytime fatigue, and moisturizes the skin.2

So how much of this healthy substance should we drink? As much as you want to. The key is to stay hydrated throughout the day, so whether that means six glasses, eight glasses, or a gallon can only be determined by you, your activity level, and how you feel. What feels like the right amount for you? Decide what is right for you and go for it.

We know water is important, but what kind is best? Tap water is often cited as being the best option because it must meet certain safety standards and because it is the least expensive. On the other hand, bottled water is touted as being superior for a variety of reasons. Still, home water filters are often recommend.

The best recommendation I have heard about the subject is to do your own research. Whether you choose to drink tap water or bottled water, learn what is in your water. Are there chemicals and other toxins in the water? How is the water that you are drinking "purified" or cleaned? You can go to the Centers for Disease Control website (cdc.gov) and do a search on "water" to learn about "safe" tap water, "acceptable" levels of toxins, facts about "purified" bottled water, and guidelines for choosing water filters. Knowledge may be your best friend when it comes to choosing which waters to drink. My own research led me to use a carbon faucet filter for some things like cooking and purified bottled water for drinking.

1Bowden, J. 2007. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Fair Winds: Beverly, MA.
2Drink More Water. A Few More Healthy Water Facts. May, 19, 2010. "The Montgomery Gazette."

Nutrition 101 - Avoid processed foods, preservatives, and additives

Have you ever noticed the lengthy list of ingredients on packaged foods? You may not even recognize many of these ingredients or know how to pronounce them. One of my nutrition class assignments was to compare several foods relative to their processing and how the preparation of each distinguished one from the other in terms of nutritional analysis, health benefits and disadvantages, and overall taste experience. I compared and contrasted three homemade recipes using whole foods with corresponding packaged versions of the same foods.

What I found was that the overall quality of ingredients used in the processed foods was not very good. They were non-organic, very starchy, and included additives, preservatives, and colorings. On the other hand, the whole foods recipes had quality ingredients, rich in nutrients, enzymes, and amino acids, and did not include preservatives, additives, and flavorings. Further, because the ingredients used in the homemade recipes were organic, they contained no hidden pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides.1

One of the recipes I chose to compare was a vegetable soup that I often make which contains about 12 organic ingredients. The processed version of the vegetable soup contained considerably more ingredients, primarily consisting of starchy vegetables, as well as additives and preservatives such as high fructose corn syrup, modifed food starch, monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, flavoring, vitamins, and a high amount of sodium.2 I found similar results in the other two foods that I compared.

Careful shoppers may be able to find some processed foods that are relatively nutritious and contain few additives and preservatives. However, many packaged and processed foods are often lower in nutrition than their whole foods counterparts and may contain some harmful ingredients. Reading food labels may be our best defense against some questionable ingredients. According the Louise Light, author of What to Eat, we should especially be on the lookout for the following additives:

- Some food colorings have been associated with allergies, hyperactivity, and asthma.

- Nitrates, which are found in packaged lunch meats, hot dogs, and bacon, become carcinogenic when consumed.

- Sulfur dioxide may be associated with asthma and allergies.

- Monosodium glutamate (MSG) may significantly increase the amount of insulin the pancreas produces.

- Other factors such as synthetic flavors, food waxes, plastic packaging, and genetically modified foods have been associated with various health problems.3

Processed foods are not comparable to homemade whole foods in terms of nutrition and health benefits. Whole foods are lower in calories and fat, higher in fiber, lower in sodium, and sugar, and do not contain starches, preservatives, additives, or pesticides.

1 Haas, E.M., & Levin, B. (2006). Staying healthy with nutrition: The complete guide to diet and nutritional medicine. Berkeley: Celestial Arts.
2 Campbell Soup Co. Vegetarian Vegetable Soup.
3 Light, L. (2006). What to eat: The ten things you really need to know to eat well and be healthy! New York: McGraw-Hill.