Improve your digestion and boost your immunity

Raw food and digestive enzyems

Inspired by my aunt Asmaa, when we were having a big family dinner and we are so stuffed we can't put one more spoon in our mouth, she would tell me eat some salad ( 3ashan tehabaty) to compress the food down and make space for more food. I never really understood why would adding more food in my stomache actually give me more space.well it is because raw fruits and veggie provide the body with the enzymes it needs for digesting food.

 last month I have been having some digestive problems like gas and bloating after food and developed some kind of lactose intolerance which my doctor couldn't treat. So I researched my self and healed my digestive system by adding two important things to my diet probiotics and digestive enzymes. Since they are both so beneficial to you I ll talk about each one separately.

Digestive enzymes: 

Digestive enzymes are substances produced by our bodies that help us to digest the foods we eat. These enzymes are secreted by the various parts of our digestive system and they help to break down food components such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

Just looking at food is enough to stimulate the secretion of digestive enzymes. As we smell and eventually taste our food, enzyme secretion increases. When we start to eat, our food first encounters these enzymes in our saliva. As the process of digestion continues, enzymes are secreted by cells within the lining of our stomach, pancreas, and large and small intestines.

Anything that disrupts the small intestine may also disrupt the production and release of these enzymes. If you have a leaky gut, inflammation, yeast, or something else which hampers the small intestine, then you are likely to also have trouble digesting the foods these enzymes work on.

So any time the gut lining gets injured, these enzymes may not be available for digesting food. An injured gut can also become 'leaky'. Thus the food not digested can become a problem. So it is rather the gut is injured and digestion interrupted, and not that the food is the problem to begin with.

Another strategy is to take measures to proactively heal the gut. A direct way to heal the gut is with digestive enzymes, but there are also other supplements that help too. Enzymes help heal the gut for a number of reasons that have been proved clinically.

Once the gut lining heals, the cells in the lining 're-grow' and your natural digestive enzymes start producing again. Thus the once problematic foods are now not a problem.

The enzymes in raw foods are destroyed by heat

Most raw food, like our bodies, is very perishable. When raw foods are exposed to temperatures above 118 degrees, they start to rapidly break down, just as our bodies would if we had a fever that high. One of the constituents of foods which can break down are enzymes. 

Once enzymes are exposed to heat, they are no longer able to provide the function for which they were designed. Cooked foods contribute to chronic illness, because their enzyme content is damaged and thus requires us to make our own enzymes to process the food. 

if we buy all our food in processed form we will never get enough of these enzymes.Lack of digestive enzymes can be a factor in food allergies. Symptoms of digestive enzymes depletion are bloating, belching, gas, bowel disorders, abdominal cramping, heartburn and food allergies.

Understanding the connection between Digestive health & the Immune system

In order to have a properly functioning immune system, one must have a healthy digestive system. Because nearly three quarters of your body’s immune system dwells in the digestive tract, it has the most profound effect on overall health out of all the internal organs.

As researchers delve more into nutrition’s role in the body and how holistically the body functions, the stronger the link between digestion and immunity gets. Approximately 70 percent to 80 percent of immunity is mediated in the gut. 

How can you increase your intake of digestive enzymes?

Raw fruits and veggies specially pineapple and papaya.

While all raw foods contain enzymes, the most powerful enzyme-rich food is sprouted seeds, grains, and legumes. Sprouting increases the enzyme content in these foods enormously. A supplement can also help if your case is severe.

You can sprout your beans at home ( if you tend to get gas from eating beans like me try this)

http://www.everyday-vegetarian-recipes.com/how-to-sprout-beans.html

Go raw as often as u can, most foods now are highly processed and heated, supermarket honey, milk, Jared baby food are all examples of foods that have been ruined by industry practices. So look for them raw as much as u can.

Vegetables that can be eaten raw :

DARK GREEN VEGETABLES

Dark green vegetables get their color from chlorophyll, a natural plant pigment. Green peppers, cucumbers and dark leafy greens such as spinach can be eaten raw to reap their health effects. According to food and nutrition specialist Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., L.R.D., these vegetables contain lutein which, along with zeaxanthin found in some yellow vegetables, helps reduce the risk of macular degeneration. Broccoli and spinach are both sources of folic acid and can easily be eaten raw. Beet greens are rich in potassium and can be added to a salad. Other nutritious green vegetables eaten raw are leafy lettuces and avocados.

RED VEGETABLES

The red vegetables typically contain a generous amount of the powerful antioxidant pigment called lycopene, or anthocyanin. Although tomatoes are technically a fruit, they are used as a vegetable and are listed as one. Tomatoes also are definitely on the list of healthy red vegetables that can be eaten raw. Harvard School of Public Health states tomatoes and other red vegetables containing lycopene, which the body converts to vitamin A, may protect against cancer of the prostate, lung and mouth. Other red vegetables that are delicious eaten raw are red bell peppers, radishes and red cabbage. Red peppers are also a source of vitamin C.

ORANGE AND YELLOW VEGETABLES

The orange and yellow vegetables get their color from plant pigments called carotenoids, which exist in several forms. It is well-known that carrots are high in beta-carotene, which is also converted to vitamin A by your body and works to maintain your immune system, vision and the integrity of your mucous membranes. Of course, carrots can be eaten raw, as can yellow peppers, yellow squash and yellow tomatoes. Carrots are also high in potassium.

WHITE VEGETABLES

White vegetables that can be eaten raw include onions and garlic. These white vegetables contain the plant compound allicin, which may help lower high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reduce the risk for heart disease and stomach cancer.