We've all seen a colony of ants.  All those little workers rushing around doing their jobs. It seems so random, but they are each doing something very specific that needs to be done for the good of the whole colony. That's how I imagine enzymes. Enzymes are really proteins - hard working proteins. They are catalysts that facilitate and speed up the different reactions in the body. One of the jobs of digestive enzymes is to help break down the large molecules of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and other components of the foods we eat. Raw food that is fresh or fermented is filled with healthy enzymes. 

If you experience gas, bloating, irregular bowels, burping, or other digestive discomforts after eating, you may be feeling the consequences of not enough digestive enzymes. Having enough enzymes - all the different types - is key to good health. Food is your body's fuel and incomplete digestion and assimilation of that fuel can lead to malnourishment at the cellular level. If the cells aren't healthy the whole body suffers.  

Digestive enzymes are naturally produced within your body. We also get enzymes from raw foods. Enzyme research has revealed the importance of raw foods in the diet. The enzymes in raw food help start the process of digestion and reduce the body's need to produce digestive enzymes. All enzymes are deactivated at a wet-heat temperature of 118 degrees Fahrenheit, and a dry-heat temperature of about 150 degrees. It is one of those happy designs of nature that foods and liquid at 117 degrees can be touched without pain, but liquids over 118 degrees will burn. Thus we have a built-in mechanism for determining whether or not the food we are eating still contains its enzyme content.

Including raw foods and fermented foods is important because the enzymes are still viable. With each snack and meal make sure your child is eating some raw foods for optimal health. Most children are eating too much processed food, which lack these heat-sensitive enzymes. 
 

1. Make the majority of your child's snacks raw.  Fruits, vegetables, raw seeds and nuts, raw nut butters, and raw milk cheeses are convenient, healthy snacks that will provide your child with healthy enzymes and lots of colorful phytonutrients.  It's as easy to pack an apple or some trailmix as it is to grab a convenient fake food, and much more supportive of your child's health.

2. Incorporate raw vegetables into each meal.  Before you serve a meal put a plate of raw veggies on the table with some hommus or homemade ranch dip.  Add lettuce, tomatoes and avocado to tacos or  chopped celery and arugula to chicken salad.  Add red peppers to scrambled eggs just before taking the eggs off the stove.  Chop spinach very fine and add to your tomato sauce after you've taken it off the stove and let it cool some.  Be creative and make it a goal to include raw veggies whenever you can.  Some vegetables, especially cruciferous ones like broccoli, cabbage and kale, are most digestible and nutritious when they are fermented, so be sure to include these in your child's diet too.

3. Look into the benefits of adding raw milk into your diet - to drink alone or to use to make yogurt or kefir, both traditional foods that are very beneficial to digestive health due to the probiotics and enzymes they contain.

 

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