WHY EAT MOSTLY RAW OR LIVING FOODS?

In the 1920s, Dr. Edward Howell observed that enzymes present in raw foods reduced the body’s digestive burden.
Health care practitioners and others have used enzyme therapy for more than half a century. Even ancient civilizations wrapped papaya leaves, containing the enzyme papain, around wounds to support the natural healing process.
So, what are the building blocks that our bodies need to function? Enzymes, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, protein, essential fats and fiber. We get all of these from our food and they are involved in growth, repair and maintenance of the body. Here’s a little info about what they do….
Enzymes, which are proteins, convert the food we eat into chemical structures that can pass through the membranes of the cells lining the digestive tract and into the blood stream. The help transform and store energy, make active hormones, dissolve fiber and prevent clotting. They have anti-inflammatory effects. Enzymes help balance and restore the immune system and heal many diseases. Enzymes even help repair our DNA and our RNA.
We are all born with enzymes but our pool of enzymes is exhaustible. When you cook food, you destroy all of the life giving enzymes that the food came with. So, to digest and use that food, you have to tap into your own pool of enzymes instead of using the ones provided by the food. By eating raw food, you preserve and rebuilt your enzyme pool!
Well, most of us know what vitamins are and what they’re good for ~ but, did you know that when you cook food, a large percentage of the vitamins are destroyed? Also, 17 of the 30 elements known to be essential to life are metals. Mineral deficiencies cause disease in humans. When foods are cooked, many of the minerals are destroyed or altered.
Phytonutrients are what give fruits and veges their color. They protect the body and fight disease. They also fight cancer and help your heart. Phytonutrients are at the leading edge of research on nutrition. Here again, phytonutrients in freshly harvested plant foods can be destroyed or removed by cooking.
Okay, so now you’re probably saying, “What can I eat?”…. “I can’t go without cooking my food.” …. “What about my pizza?”…. don’t worry…. I don’t eat an “all raw” diet either; but, just being knowledgeable about what you put into your body is key. Just knowing about the destruction enzymes, etc., in cooked food may make you think about incorporating a little more raw food in your daily diet. Maybe you can substitute that turkey sandwich for a big, fresh salad with broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, romaine or mesclun and anything else you like to go in it. How about fresh fruit for breakfast ~ or possibly a smoothie made with fresh fruit and some spinach. The one thing you don’t want to do is stress over any of this. Just do your best one day at a time and see how you feel. You may realize you have more energy which will spur you on to eating more raw foods. Give it a try!