Raw vs. Cooked - What you need to know

 Summer has finally arrived......that means longer days and warmer weather (well at least we hope here in the UK).  You may be looking forward to a family holiday or just looking forward to relaxing in the sun.

You may also be excited for all the fresh produce that becomes available this time of year (I know I am).  We can now enjoy summer salads, smoothies, dips, spreads, juices, ice poles and homemade ice creams.

It is these raw, live foods (more specifically the enzymes contained within the fibres) which are the missing link to radiant health, vitality and longevity. 

If you would like to start supporting your health this summer in a simple, effective and fun way then join in the 21 Day Green Smoothie Challenge.  An amazing way to give your body raw nutrition and essential enzymes that will help you feel more energised, support long term health have having you feeling amazing this summer. 

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To learn more click here

RAW vs. COOKED

A simple way to understand the difference is if we took a cooked lentil and a raw lentil and planted them in the garden.  Which one would grow into a plant? 

 That's right, the raw lentil because it still contains the live active enzymes that allow it to sprout, germinate and grow into a plant.

Another way to understand the difference is:

Raw = Live Food 
Cooked = Dead Food

Anything that is cooked over a temperature of 33 - 46C or 92 - 118F is considered dead food as it has lost all of its live enzymes.

So if you eat a lot of processed, packaged foods and ready meals they have lost all of their enzymes but also some of their nutrition, while also containing empty calories, stabilisers, flavouring, sugars and salts - not a great choice for longevity or vitality.

The best way to know if you are getting enough live, raw enzymes is to ask yourself this simple question:

How much of my meal is alive?

The live food contained within your meal, for example cooked fish or lentils, with steamed vegetables and a RAW salad will help provide your digestive system with extra enzymes that can help break down your food. This puts less strain on your pancreas to have to release digestive enzymes consistently through the day.

Pineapple and Papaya both contain proteolytic enzymes that help to break down proteins.  They are a great addition to any healthy eating plan.  You can also add these and many other raw foods to green smoothies in the morning, as a mid afternoon snack or post workout.  I recommend these to all of my clients to help them top up their live nutrition in a simple, effective and fun way.

Join the Green Smoothie Challenge

WHAT ARE ENZYMES & WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT

Enzymes are catalysts that speed up chemical reactions within the body, without which we could not survive. They act on a substance and change them into another substance, but they themselves remain unchanged. They are involved in thousands of different functions in all areas of the body which makes them pretty amazing.

Here are some of the roles Enzymes play:

- They help to digest food (digestive enzymes) into a form that is easy to absorb into the bloodstream which can then be used throughout the body

- Enzymes in the blood take the broken down molecules from our food to build muscle, nerves, blood and glands

- They help with the storage of glycogen in the liver and muscles which we can use when we have low levels of glucose in the body

- They help with elimination of carbon dioxide from the lungs

- They help to build bone and nerve tissue

- They help attach iron to red blood cells which allows oxygen to be carried throughout the body

- Enzymes found in our immune system help attack waste materials or other foreign bodies in our blood

Source: Food Enzymes - The Missing Link to Radiant Health
Humbart Santillo, MH, N.D

If you would like to support your long term health and vitality, then its time that you start adding more raw foods into your daily eating plan.  Join in the green smoothie challenge to enjoy one green smoothie daily that will help you top up your live enzymes, your leafy greens and your 5 a day (which should be 7-9 veggies a day, 2-3 fruits)

Join the Green Smoothie Challenge