Enzymes are an integral part of your body’s chemical and electrical makeup; in fact without enzymes your body would simply quit functioning. An unhealthy diet, stress and environmental toxins easily destroy enzymes in your body. The resulting lack of enzymes can cause many health issues as well as disease.

What are Enzymes?

There are enzymes in all living things. They are inside your body and in your food. Enzymes inside your body are proteins that exist in every cell. Enzymes are responsible for cell reproduction, speeding up cellular functioning, turning glucose into energy, creating new enzymes and digestion of foods as well as many other important functions. Stress, diet and age are all responsible for depleting these enzymes. The enzymes in food help your body digest and absorb all the protein, carbohydrate, fats, vitamins and minerals in that food. If your food lacks enzymes due to over cooking or processing then your body must create the necessary enzymes to break down the food. If your body is lacking these enzymes you will not get the full nutritional value from the foods you eat.

What’s energy or ‘Chi’ got to do with it?

The Chinese call energy ‘chi’ or life force. This energy can come from the air, sun, plants, movement and even electromagnetic waves from the sun. Enzymes and Chi or energy go hand in hand. Your body needs both to complete cellular processes. So if one if one or the other is missing your body suffers. A depletion of enzymes can give your body an overall feeling of fatigue as well as inhibit digestion, lower immune system function and basically decrease all cellular functions, which in turn can even shorten your life span.

How to increase your enzymes

• Eat more vegetables and fruits raw or very lightly cooked. Papaya and Pineapple are good. Avoid or limit processed, pasteurised, irradiated and barbequed foods.
• Do not cook foods over 48ºC (116 degrees Fahrenheit), as temperatures higher than this destroy live food enzymes. Also do not cook on low heat for more than 10 minutes.
• Do not use a microwave. This not only kills enzymes but also causes cellular mutation of food.
• Chew your food thoroughly. The act of chewing creates saliva, which contains enzymes that begin the process of breaking down food before it gets to your stomach.
• Limit drinking liquids with meals to a few sips not an entire glassful. Wait at least 10 minutes after eating to drink more liquids.
• Get Moving. Take a walk or practice Chi Gong or Tai Chi to help your body replenish and restore the flow of its own ‘chi’.

You are what you eat and can digest so make the most of the foods you choose. 'Ask a naturopath' for more suggestions on how in increase your enzymes with both food and supplements.