The food we choose to EAT is one of the most important decisions that we can make when it comes to maintaining our health. The more fresh fruits and vegetables that we can incorporate into our diet the healthier we will be. In fruits and vegetables there is a life giving element that exists: enzymes.
There are 2 groups of enzymes: exogenous; those found in raw food and endogenous; those produced within our bodies.
Enzymes are one of the most essential elements in our body. Life itself depends on them. We need enzymes for every bodily function. Every breath you take, every move you make, every thought you think and every action you take requires enzymes. Enzymes are an absolute necessity to life. They are your body’s workers. They assist in keeping our body in top form by lowering cholesterol, cleaning the colon, breaking down fats, strengthening the immune system, detoxifying the body, cleaning our lungs, and building muscle.
When we feed our bodies with enzyme-deficient food, our body systems start to slow down and deteriorate. Cooking food destroys 100 percent of the enzymes in that food. When you eat cooked or processed foods your body must produce ALL the enzymes required to digest that food. When we are born we are given a limited amount of enzymes. This is like an enzyme bank account. If you don’t make regular deposits into your account by eating foods rich in natural enzymes, you start to deplete your account and use up your enzyme supply.
After a prolonged period of depleting the enzymes in our body it starts to work overtime to produce more enzymes, causing extra stress which affects our immune system. This lowers our ability to protect from and fight diseases. Our digestive system eventually slows down causing food to be undigested. This undigested food stays in our system creating a toxic environment that saps your energy, clouds your thinking and is a breeding ground for illness.
The good news is that with the simple addition of fresh fruits and vegetables to our diet we can prevent the depletion of these enzymes. All fresh and raw foods have naturally-occurring enzymes. Start by adding a fresh fruit or vegetable juice into your daily routine. Carry bananas, apples, or avocados with you for a snack. Start dinner with a salad instead of bread.
Start slowly, changing old habits with new fruit and vegetable inspired choices, and welcome the feeling of newfound energy with the addition of these life giving enzymes.