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by Cindy Douglas
Cindy Douglas, a certified raw foods educator from Whole Raw Food Now (www.wholerawfoodnow.com), will host a free workshop on raw foods November 13 from 1-3 p.m. in Alpine. The even will feature cooking tips, the latest science, and free smoothie samples.
November 10, 2010 (Alpine)--So much of our focus on food is guided by products that are quick, easy, and advertised as nutritious and delicious. Unfortunately, our focus is often not based on what science has revealed are the most critical types of food to provide sustainable energy and healing for the human body. If we were paying attention to the science behind the food we ate, we would definitely be eating less processed and cooked food--and consuming more whole, raw, plant-based food.
Science does not, however, advertise with fancy labels, catchy tunes, or movie star endorsements. Science doesn’t even use fancy slogans! Slogans are a great advertising gimmick, but the information is often subjective. For example, “Milk… it does a body good.” I agree, it does a body good . . . if you’re a calf! We are the only species that drinks the milk of another species after we’re weaned. Research indicates that the casein in milk may actually cause significant inflammation in the body, which may then lead to several chronic disease conditions.
On the other hand, we won’t find any fancy advertising for a beautiful bowl of enzyme-packed, phyto-nutrient rich salad, yet the amazing effect on the body is truly worth promoting. Let’s look for example, at just one powerhouse in the salad . . . enzymes!
Enzymes are biological catalysts: this means that they initiate and speed up the chemical reactions in living things, such as digestion. Without enzymes, it would take several weeks to digest our food, and our muscles, nerves and bones would not work properly. Basically, we would not be living.
Enzymes, however, must have the correct shape to do their job. They are made of proteins, and proteins are very easily affected by heat, pH and heavy metal ions. Some researchers compare enzymes to a key in a lock. If the key has been twisted by heat, dissolved in acid, or stuck up with chewing gum, it will not work.
This wonderful powerhouse of enzymes that are vital for digesting food, are destroyed by altering their shape during cooking. This destruction of enzymes is believed to be a key factor in today’s rising levels of allergies and chronic degenerative diseases. In fact, heating food to just 118°F for more than 15 minutes destroys all the enzymes. Some enzymes are even destroyed by as little as 105 degrees, which means that they may not survive even light steaming.
Enzymes, this dynamo of nature, are just one example of the amazing power of whole food. So, although you won’t find any fancy jingles or Hollywood star endorsements, the simple, whole raw foods that nature provides are worthy of front page advertising! “Tell a friend!”
Cindy is a certified raw food educator, specializing in the science of raw food. For information about her next “Introduction to Whole Raw Food” workshop on Nov 13 in Alpine, please visit her website at www.WholeRawFoodNow.com or call 619-726-0408.
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