Sparks of Enzymes

Bananas have got'em.

Also mangos, grapes and papayas.

And don't forget avocados!

Actually many tropical fruits and even extra virgin olive oil are on the list of foods that contain a high amount of food enzymes.

Enzymes are energized protein molecules that are the movers and shakers in our body. They are charismatic-getting minerals to do their job, and vitamins to do theirs. Without them, many biochemical reactions in nature just wouldn't happen. When you see a fruit ripening, know it's because of enzymes at work. Same goes with flowers blooming or a wound healing...

Our body manufactures two types: metabolic enzymes and digestive enzymes.

Metabolic enzymes have got a big job on their hands. They are building, repairing tissues and organs. They are transporting and eliminating wastes. They are up-keeping our immune system, and they're involved in our thinking and behavior.

Our pancreas are the faithful producers of our digestive enzymes which is basically food digestion.
There's a third type of enzymes that we get from our diet called food enzymes, and they can be found in raw foods. They help start digestion in the mouth and stomach.

Ok, here's how it goes.

You're eating a meal. And the enzymes jump into action: amylase in your saliva starts breaking down starches into sugars; lipase is converting lipase/fats into fatty acids, and proteins get broken down into amino acids by protease. If you are eating raw foods, the food enzymes will heed the call and help get things going. And the body's digestive enzymes are hardly needed or even reserved. (depends what raw foods you're eating also) If your meal is only cooked foods, the body is forced to supply ALL the enzymes.

Over time, says Dr. Edward Howell, a diet of mainly cooked food will overtax the pancreas. And b/c the body is required to constantly supply digestive enzymes, the production of metabolic enzymes -that keeps the body running smoothly-is curtailed!
This leads to illnesses.
Enzyme research is Dr. Howell's specialty.

Here's the rule: Too much heat kills enzymes.

Ok, so, let's start a raw food diet tomorrow!

um.....

Thankfully, Sally Fallon writes in Nourishing Traditions, that there are no traditional diets that are composed exclusively of raw foods. (I mean why do we have digestive enzymes in the first place....)

So,if you don't care for the Eskimo diet which includes pre-digested raw fish, there's always fermented foods like unheated natto and miso which some Asian societies eat. There's also fermented vegetables like sauerkraut (pickled cabbage) to side-dish your meal. Fermentation boosts the enzyme content in foods.

Another way to boost the enzyme content in foods is to remove the enzyme INHIBITORS. For example, in beans there are enzyme inhibitors that will prevent enzymatic action. It's not a bad thing, per say. These inhibitors actually protect the bean from developing before it's time. It's just a problem for us when we eat them.

Fortunately, soaking beans in water (acidic?) not only deactivates the inhibitors but also unlocks the enzymes for Super Enzyme Power for us!!!
lol

Actually, sprouting, soaking in water, culturing, and fermenting grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are all ways of ridding these foods of inhibitors.

Now, there are those who don't agree w/ Dr. Howell's assertions. Some claim that we have adequate reserves of enzymes. But really, who can know the deep complexities and mysteries of the human body? I mean, really. After all, there is a spiritual dimension involved. These enzymes may be running the show. But Who's running the enzymes?

But we have to be practical.
And there is definitely a balance to achieve in planning one's meals. It's SO easy to skip the salad or the fruit. Sometimes, they even seem to GET IN THE WAY OF THE MEAL!
With the articles on enzymes, I found lots of information on enzyme supplements, which is great. In this day, where everyone seems on the run, could be it's the way to go...

But even if I take supplements, I can't escape food, and it's crucial to know how to manipulate it. And I don't mean manipulation w/ preservatives and all sorts of who knows what. I mean simple, natural methods that anybody can do, like fermentation and soaking to make sure we get the most of what's available.

In the Macrobiotic Diet, author Kushi writes how lighter cooking methods like steaming, stir-frying, and short term boiling retains the nutritional elements in food. And there are some foods that dafka (specifically) should be cooked in order to tap into the nutrients contained. There are ways...

Yeah, we've got to know how to "work" our food.

Catch those enzymes!

Catch those spiritual sparks!

Traditional societies have done it.

I think our current civilized one can manage also.

G-d bless!

Check it out:
Nourishing Traditions, Fallon

Macrobiotic Diet, Kushi

http://www.naturalnews.com/022511.html

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/enzymes.html

Ladies and Gentlemen....Vitamin A

Vitamin A is fat soluble vitamin that is crucial to many processes in the body. Fat soluble means just that, it needs a certain amount of fat in order to be utilized.

Vitamin A is also called retinol or preformed vitamin A, and it's found in animal sources, like egg yolks, liver and organ meats, butterfat, seafood, and fish liver oils.

This vitamin doesn't play around. It helps in vision, stimulates several immune system activities, acts as anti-oxidant (protecting the body against pollutants and free radicals, hence cancer). It stimulates the secretion of gastric juices needed for protein digestion, plays a crucial role in building strong bones and rich blood.

And there's more.

It helps with cell growth and development and is essential to reproductive processes in both men and women.

Deficiency in vit A affects skin, hair, eyes, and the immune system. It's also been linked with growth retardation and bone abnormalities.

Oy vey.

What I recently learned was that when I'm munching and crunching on a, say carrot. I'm getting provitamin A aka carotene. Carotenes are powerful anti-oxidants and are found in yellow, red, orange or dark green fruits and vegetables.

Think spinach, sweet potatoes, kale, collard greens, carrots, and tomatoes.

Once in the body, carotenes are converted to vitaminA in the intestine. That's news to me!

And know!

At times, some diabetics, and folks with poor thyroid function cannot make this conversion. Children convert them poorly, and infants not at all. (Thus, getting it from animal sources is good)

Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions, writes that high amounts of synthetic vitamin A from supplements can be toxic, esp. to those with impaired liver function and whose diets are poor. However, high levels of natural vitamin A have no toxic effects.

(That makes me a bit nervous, and I'll tend to fall back on my momma's advice of everyting being in moderation!! Hmm, but what is moderate? There are the RDA values, but some claim that in reality they are too low! Animals foods are quite potent vs. vegetable sources. And perhaps, as always, variety is best. That includes having a variety of the veggies that we eat...)

Whfoods.com reports that there are no toxic side effects of carotenes(you might get some discoloration in hands/feet, but it's considered harmless and reversible). In fact, Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences did not establish a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for carotenoids when it reviewed these compounds in 2000.

There are certain veggies, like carrots that are high in carotenes. And know, when carrots are lightly steamed/cooked, the tough cell walls are broken down and release the beta carotene, making it more available for the body to use. (Aw, shucks, whether, they're raw, cooked, or in bowl of soup, they're just a versatile bunch of folks...)

In any case, all the power to both preformed and provitamin A. They're both important, and for me, it's nice to be aware of what form I'm eating when I'm eating it.

G-d bless!

Check it out:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=106

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=116

http://www.dietitian.com/vitamina.html

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/natural-weight-loss-food-carrots-ga.htm

http://goodhealthnaturally.nourished.com.au/beta-carotene-vs-vitamin-a/

Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions