Every Monday, I pull out a meaningful quote from one of the great books or articles I’m reading and share it with you. I invite you to look for inspirational words in what you read and share them each week in the comments.
This week’s quote come from “Enzyme Nutrition” by Dr. Edward Howell. Before I give the quote, I want to set the stage with some information about enzymes according to Dr. Howell. There are three classes of enzymes which run in our bodies:
- Digestive enzymes – digest our food
- Food enzymes – contained in raw foods, which start food digestion
- Metabolic enzymes – run our tissues and organs, keeping everything in working order; every organ and tissue has its own particular metabolic enzymes to do specialized work
There are three other things you must know, to set the stage:
- Cooked foods contain no enzymes, because enzymes are destroyed through heat.
- Raw grains, nuts, seeds, and beans contain enzyme-inhibitors. If they are germinated or properly soaked, the enzyme-inhibitors are neutralized.
- We have a limited enzyme potential. In other words, we do not manufacture an unlimited supply of enzymes. The more our body is required to make food enzymes, the less it makes metabolic enzymes.
Do you see where this is going? I’ll let Dr. Howell say it in his own words. It is going to be lengthy, and I’m sorry for that, but every word is so good!
To get enzymes from food, one must eat raw food. All life, whether plant or animal, requires the presence of enzymes to keep it going. …
If humans take in more exogenous (outside) digestive enzymes, as nature ordained, the enzyme potential will not have to waste so much of its heritage digesting food. It can distribute more of this precious commodity to the metabolic enzymes, where it rightfully belongs. This rightful distribution of enzyme energy will not only act to maintain health and prevent disease, but is expected to help cure established disease. …
If the human organism must devote a huge portion of its enzyme potential to making digestive enzymes, it spells trouble for the whole body because there is a strain on production of metabolic enzymes and there may not be enough enzyme potential to go around. …
If we depend solely upon the enzymes we inherit [WH: make], they will be used up just like inherited money that is not supplemented by a steady income. …
…all seeds have some enzyme inhibitors. Eating the seeds and their inhibitors causes a great outpouring and wastage of pancreatic digestive enzymes, enlargement of the pancreas, decrease in the supply of metabolic enzymes, stunted growth, and impaired health. …
When the pancreas must process more enzymes, it enlarges. … The everyday variety of enlarged pancreas is painless, not letting its owner know it is doing anything wrong, and stressing the whole system. We are guilty of forcing our precious enzyme activity to do all of the menial work of digestion and then expect it also to do a prefect job on the metabolism. Food enzymes, and other exogenous enzymes, can help with digestion, but not with metabolism. Then why not let these helper-enzymes free our body’s energy stores to more efficiently run the metabolism of the body?
The Point Is…
Consuming mostly cooked foods asks our bodies to make more food enzymes. Consuming unsoaked/ungerminated “seeds” (nuts, grains, beans, and seeds), which contain enzyme-inhibitors, also asks our bodies to make more food enzymes. The more food enzymes our bodies make, the less metabolic enzymes we make. This leaves our organs and tissues lacking, which leads to illness and impaired health.
Have you read this book? Do you actively try to get plenty of enzymes in your diet and/or make to sure to neutralize enzyme inhibitors? Please share in the comments – and if you’re quick on the draw, I’d love for you to share a snippet of something you read this week that inspired (even angered!) you this week. Be sure to state the title and author, and/or give a link if appropriate.
Note: The book link in this post is an affiliate link to Amazon.com. If you choose to buy the book via my link, I’ll earn a commission. But I don’t care about that too much. The point of this post is for us to share inspirational words, not for me to make money. That’s my sincere disclaimer. Thanks for reading.
About Wardeh
Take the guesswork out of what to fix, what to buy and what to prepare. This week:
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It’s like a teaser, now I really want to read the whole book! Thanks for sharing. I enjoy reading your quotes.
.-= Sarah´s last blog post… Meal Plan Monday =-.
Hi, Sarah! Well, honestly, it is an older book, and it is hard to read because it is not light reading, for sure. But I’ve enjoyed it, though I read it in bursts, and I’m glad to be able to refer to it on my bookshelf. I’m glad you enjoyed the quote. Thanks for commenting!
Twitter: fritchbeetle
says:
I am starting to become confused about which foods should be cooked, which should be soaked and which should be eaten raw!! It’s all so complicated! Thankfully, Sally F’s book is within reach.
Wardeh,
We have this book, but I’m ashamed that I haven’t read it. DH has read it though, and digested it for me (no pun intended.)
I’ve been soaking our grains, nuts, and beans for several years now, and a couple of family members get minor digestive symptoms when I get lazy and/or forget. I think that’s a blessing; it keeps me on my toes.
We don’t eat enough raw vegetables. While we eat plenty raw fruits, I’d like to increase our raw and lacto-fermented veggie intake.
I love what you’re doing here at Gnowfglins.
.-= Bethany´s last blog post… Sudoku’s “Best Birthday Ever” =-.
Wardeh, wonderful overview of enzymes. You really sum up the benefits of raw food!
.-= Faith´s last blog post… A Tribute to Summer =-.
I think food enzymes are critically important and while I just can’t get into the whole raw food diet because I think their value in cooked foods too, we aim for about half of our food to be raw. More in the summer, less in the winter.
.-= Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen´s last blog post… Heady and Aromatic: Mulled Wine for Autumn =-.
I have read this book now at least three times. I missed a lot the first time until I started eating more raw. Later I went back to learn more about grains and beans, but decided to read the entire book cover to cover again. There’s a lot of knowledge in this thin book, which is a condensed version of a much larger book I can’t find anywhere. I highly recommend it. Howell doesn’t preach, he shows you the science.
Wardeh,
I’m thoroughly confused right now about the multitude of varying theories on how one should eat. I’m also confused about what my body is telling me. Some days I fear I’m eating too much (I’m thin and not worried about weight, but my digestive system sometimes feels overworked or malfunctioning or something), then other days I fear I’m not eating enough (I’m nursing an almost 2 year-old three times a day and want to make sure he and I are getting all we need, and sometimes I feel lightheaded like I’m not getting enough protein or something). I want to feel good and have energy. I also really want to learn to prepare foods and eat as God intends. However, I have to find a balance as the Bible says “physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:8) and “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Prov. 3:7 – 8). I don’t want the whole food thing to consume me, as it too often has recently.
I tell you all this to preface my questions about your Fundamentals e-course. Several times I have considered signing up for it. I’ve hesitated because I tend to jump from one resource to another and from one theory to another. I get most of my info from Google searches and the library where I don’t have to pay. I was also given “Nourishing Traditions” for Mother’s Day, but I have not read all of it yet. I am skeptical about Sally Fallon’s source(s) for her information. Why do so many people seem to take her word without question?
Anyway, my questions are:
1. Does your Fundamentals e-course support the idea of a mostly “raw” diet? If so, how does eating meat and baked goods like sourdough bread fit in with that?
2. Is the e-course based primarily on the info in “Nourishing Traditions”?
Thank you!
Angie –
Hello! I am sorry to hear that you’re confused. Have you ever kept a food journal (even mentally) to track how you feel after you eat certain foods. We all are different, even though I think we all benefit from natural foods prepared well (for nutrient-density).
I am not sure why some people take Sally Fallon’s word without question. Certainly it is good to question everything. We run everything we read by God and His design as the ultimate authority. Certainly there are some things we cannot know.
To answer your specific questions:
1) In Fundamentals, we encourage nutrient-dense food, rather than all raw. Nutrient density has to do with foods that are rich with vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and enzymes, and foods that are prepared properly to maximize that. Certainly many raw foods fit that bill. But there are foods (like seeds: grains, beans, nuts) that if just raw are not prepared for best digestion. Seeds benefit from soaking, sprouting or fermenting to unlock the enzymes, and aid digestion. So no, we aren’t all raw.
2) A great deal of our info is based on Nourishing Traditions, yes, where we find it coincides with our understanding of God’s design for nourishment. Certain methods are of my own making though — because often not enough detail is given in Nourishing Traditions to make the technique doable. I find that I often have questions in recipes and have had to come up with better or more complete ways of creating nourishing food.
The bottom line is that the course certainly could help you sort through the issues you’re facing. But you could also do it yourself, as you already are. I would be honored to help you. You can take the course with balance in mind. From my perspective, it is balancing to learn how to best prepare food, and then do it the best we can, and leave the rest up to God. I don’t feel I’m consumed by food. Rather, I’m consumed by glorifying God in every aspect of my life. My job is providing healthy food and raising my children, and what I share in the course can help people do that more simply and more healthfully, leaving more time to rest in God, His plan, and His design. Just my two cents.
God bless you! Thanks for asking the questions that were on your heart — I apologize for the delay in answering.