“Every second of our lives, more than 2,700 different types of enzymes are performing a complicated interlocking network of activities which no computer could even begin to imitate, sometimes at breathtaking speed,” written by Linda Rector Page, N.D., Ph.D in her book Healthy Healing. This just demonstrates how vital enzymes are to our bodies! A lot of people have depleted their enzyme supply and must rely on food sources and supplements for these vital enzymes.

Here are some awesome foods, teas, & herbs that contain high levels of enzymes:

• Green tea & black tea
• Ginger, Milk Thistle, Licorice
• Avocados
  
• Bananas, grapes, & kiwi
• Dates & figs
  
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
  
• Pineapple, mango, & unripe papaya
• Raw honey
• Sprouts

If we add the above to our diets, we’ll be doing ourselves a huge favor, not only health-wise, but there are some yummy things on the list! These are especially good foods for people with fibromyalgia.

Mix together:

• 3 ripe advocados - well mashed
  
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup really good salsa
  
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cilantro (optional)
  
• juice from 1 large lime
• juice from 1/4 orange
• salt (sea salt is good) to taste

These foods are some of the best as far as enzyme activity. They are loaded with the “sparks” that activate our vitamins, minerals, and other things:

• advocados
• bananas
• dates
• extra virgin olive oil & unrefined oils
  
• figs
• grapes
• kiwi
• mango
• papaya - unripe
• pineapple
• raw honey
  
• sprouts

If you would like to read more about enzymes, here are a few resources. Just click on any of the five choices below:

• Edward Howell,
• Enzyme Nutrition by Dr. Edward Howell
• Enzyme Nutrition: The Food Enzymes Concept by Dr. Edward Howell
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Whole-istic Solutions: Digestive by Dr. Robert Parker & Dr. Joel Robbins
  

Also, there’s a book called “America’s #1 Guide to Natural Health, Prescription for Nutritional Healing.” Part One, Enzymes, has some great information.

The faster we “spend” our enzymes, the sooner we run out. What about the person who tries to eat healthy by eating lots of cooked veggies, eats whole grains, takes vitamins, etc.? When food is heated to 118 degrees or above (low to moderate heat), most of the enzymes are destroyed. The more cooked veggies, canned fruit, and processed foods a person eats, the faster they use up their enzymes. If that person inherited limited enzyme activity and rarely eats raw (live) foods, then they will run out of enzymes sooner than someone who inherits a large enzyme reserve or eats a lot of raw foods.

I know I like to save money when I can on good buys. I also like to save enzymes when I can by eating raw foods since enzymes are involved in all of the biochemical processes that go on in our body. In order for our body to absorb enzymes from food, they need to be eaten raw. It would be ideal if we could eat a diet of 50% raw foods. But if we could just eat one raw food at every meal, we would be doing ourselves a huge favor! I can tell a big difference with my fibromyalgia when I eat more raw foods. I definitely feel better!

You may be asking what in the world do money and enzymes have in common. Let me see if I can explain. When you have a certain amount of money, it’s easy to understand that the faster you spend it, the sooner you will run out. It’s the same way with enzymes. The late Dr. Edward Howell said, “It seems that we inherit a certain enzyme potential at birth.” Whatever we get, that’s it. So it’s like spending money, and the faster you use up your enzymes, the sooner you run out. So why are enzymes so important? Enzymes are needed for every chemical reaction that occurs in your body. Without enzymes, vitamins and minerals and hormones can not work … at all. That’s how crucial enzymes are for your body. And I know with my fibromyalgia, enzymes make a big difference!

Some of you may be wondering exactly who was this Dr. Howell. Well, he was a doctor from Illinois who was the first researcher to discover how very important enzymes from raw foods are to human health and nutrition. In fact, in 1946 he published his first book about enzymes and kept researching after that.
(Watch for a later post “Money & Enzymes - Part 2″)

This is such a great way to get in two or three servings of veggies. The veggies are raw which means you’re getting a gold mine of fresh enzymes which most people are lacking. Plus you’re getting vitamins straight from the food source, especially antioxidants. (Remember…cooking kills enzymes and vitamins!)

Here’s the “so very easy” recipe:

• chop your favorite raw veggies into bite-size pieces (carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, cucumber, celery, bell pepper, cauliflower, etc.)
  

• fresh avocados, chopped

• drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top of veggies

• top with fresh ground black pepper and sea salt

Put in frig to chill.

Today I used red bell pepper, yellow squash, and zuchinni. It made a pretty salad and would be pretty to serve during the holidays.

Green drinks (and dark green veggies too) are so healthy for people. And a lot of people do enjoy them. We have a fantastic grocery store called Central Market that concentrates on organics and healthy foods a lot more than the average grocery store. (and it’s actually fun to shop there) I always get fresh-made juice there every time I go. One of my favorites is spinach, carrot, celery and apple. I feel better after I drink it and my stomach feels good because of the PH balance the juice created and also because of the fresh enzymes. I was just visiting Jude’s site, The Beauty Denominator, and read a great article on “The PH Miracle Diet and Green Drinks.” Click here if you’d like to know more about green drinks.

Well…maybe it is supposed to be an apple a day. But there is something to be said for having fresh fruit every day. During the summer we have a fresh fruit smoothie or fruitlatti several times a week. They are so easy to make if you have a good blender. (I am blessed to have a great blender, a Kitchenaid, that I was able to get for half price.) My family’s favorite is a simple strawberry fruitlatti. But the fruitlatti and smoothies vary depending on what fruit I have on hand.

I think a banana is a basic must for any smoothie or fruitlatti. The banana thickens it up to a good consistency. Today I was short on fruit. All I had was one banana and a little fresh pineapple. So I looked in the freezer and found half a package of frozen peaches and a tiny bit of frozen strawberries. (Fresh is always better, but in a pinch frozen works fine. ) I blended it all together with a sweetener (Stevia), a little water and lots of ice. It needed a little more taste so I added some orange juice and then it tasted really great.

The awesome thing about using fresh fruits is that we get the natural enzymes that help our body so much, as well as the vitamins. It’s great for my FIBROMYALGIA, for female hormones, for stomach problems, for stress, and for most physical problems and ailments. Enzymes are the “spark of life,” and I know that I feel better when I eat fresh fruit daily.