Do you VALUE your LIFE? Then you must put a value on the food you eat. ENZYMES are the LIFE in your food!

Enzymes are present in raw fruits, vegetables and nuts. They are highly specialised protein molecules which act as catalysts to create chemical reactions that sustain and preserve life.

I didn’t know this until I read Dr Norman Walker’s book Diet and Salad nearly 40 years ago:

“ … the LIFE present in such nutrition has the property and the ability to regenerate and revitalise the LIFE within your cells and tissues in your body, daily and constantly.”

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“As enzymes form the fundamental basis of nutrition, they should have our first consideration in the choice of our food.”

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“Enzymes are sensitive to high temperatures. Up to about 125F (51°C) they are at the peak of their efficiency … food which has been subjected to temperatures above 130°F (54.5°C) loses its live nutritional value.”

(Walker, N.W. (1940/1970). ‘Diet & Salad’, pp. 8,9,15. Norwalk Press: Summertown, Tennessee.)

This is profound, and brings me back to the food-train we helped ourselves to in Singapore, which threw in slices of raw cucumber – the “salad” served to “cool” the heat in our curries!

In the mouth, stomach, intestines and through the entire digestive system, innumerable enzymes are involved in digesting and assimilating our food. Saliva, stimulated by chewing, produces our first digestive enzyme called amylase which digests starches like bread, pasta, rice and pastries.

We can handle this diet without much problem when we’re younger. But as we get older, our natural enzyme production decreases, and it is critical we eat more raw fruit, vegetables and nuts and freshly prepared food to stay well. We should avoid processed foods entirely. 

How do you encourage your enzymes to work? By picking an array of fruit, veg and nuts to allow you to properly chew, instead of simply having a smoothie to gulp down. 

• Have an apple, or a handful of nuts with your banana or dried fruit
• Chew on a carrot, celery, lettuce or fennel before your cooked meal.

When your enzymes work, so will your metabolism. I love the title of Henry Bieler MD’s 1960s book Food is Your Best Medicine. He says: 

“Metabolism, the sum of the processes by which the body’s fuel is converted to energy, relies heavily on enzymes, one of the basic keys of life.”

(Bieler, H.G. (1965/1973). ‘Food is Your Best Medicine’, p.55. Random House, Inc.: New York.) 

It’s a shame dieticians or health care professionals don’t convey this information to their clients. Standard diet sheets alone are not enough!

Health Coach Paula Rothstein writes that enzymes restore energy, reverse ageing, and strengthen the immune system. She recommends adding a digestive enzyme with our meal or on an empty stomach. 

Together with regular exercise and proper food that keeps you chewing, an enzyme supplement will help top up your enzyme bank. I take Vitalzym Extra Strength© everyday and find it helpful. There’s also Ubiquinol Bioactive Coenzyme Q10. Dr Ross Walker, a health presenter on Sydney’s 2GB Radio, recommends it for heart health & energy; you’ll easily find it at supplement stores. 

Starting your enzyme engine

• Buy vegetables you and your family can actually CHEW on before dinner. No need to “dress” a salad either – simply wash the veggies. Minutes you spend preparing it will reward you with years of better health.  
• When you’re out, take an apple and/or some nuts to have with a few dried dates or figs – and walk away from your regular snack outlets.
• If you need to lose weight, getting on a regime of raw fruit, vegetables, nuts and unprocessed foods will start the engine!