What Does YOUR Body Really Need?

Every body needs REAL food, RAW food, WHOLE food. Why?

In 1997, the United States spent $1 TRILLION on health care-just in hospitals and doctors' offices. That's $3,000 for every man, woman and child. We also spent staggering amounts on nutritional supplements in health food stores. So, are Americans the healthiest people on earth?

In comparing the United States to 227 other countries, it ranked 29th in infant mortality and 46th in life expectancy!! That means that people in 28-45 countries spend far less on health care, have far better health and live longer lives than Americans, according to Dr. Ted Morter, author of Dynamic Health.

The USDA food pyramid recommends 6-11 servings of grain per day, and most of those servings are eaten in the form of processed grains (pasta, pizza and breads). Yet, the majority of nutrients necessary for good health and prevention of cancer, and virtually all other diseases, come from fresh fruits and vegetables, NOT from processed grains.

Do you feel healthy, or do you have chronic aches and pains and frequent illnesses that require prescription or other drugs? Would you like to feel better? Could you use more energy without relying on caffeine or other stimulants? Do you worry about getting cancer, diabetes, arthritis, or other degenerative diseases? Is your health good enough to handle whatever stress or disaster might cause you to have to live exclusively on stored foods?

Switching to REAL foods is the first step on the road to better health. What are REAL foods? Foods from the plant kingdom, as close to fresh-picked as possible. Raw foods are the best of all foods, because they contain the ingredients necessary to nourish AND heal the body.

RAW FOODS
Enzymes are the "spark of life" present in all UNCOOKED (raw) fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and even meats! Every chemical action and reaction in the body requires an enzyme. The nutrients in foods are "locked" and cannot be broken down into small enough particles to be utilized by the body unless a special "key" is provided-enzymes!

Besides aiding in the digestion of food, enzymes repair cells within the body. The body makes a specific enzyme to repair the heart, one to repair the kidneys, and so on.

Only a small amount of each enzyme molecule is required to break down these foods. The remaining portion is then sent to the "enzyme bank" until it is called upon to break down foods that don't have their own active enzymes, such as cooked foods.

Enzymes are destroyed at 130 degrees F. Americans eat MOST of their food cooked. Some don't eat ANY raw fruits, vegetables, or sprouts on a daily basis. Enzymes begin to die at 118ºF and are completely destroyed at 130ºF. Cooked foods lack these absolutely essential molecules. When a body isn't FED enzymes, it cannot do a good job of MAKING enzymes or of breaking down foods into usable molecules.

This may sound like a simple problem, but what happens when the body can no longer make sufficient enzymes? Indigestion is first on the list. We are a nation plagued with indigestion, but that is only a minor part of our ailments. Cooking foods (except lightly steaming or stir-frying) kills the very enzymes all foods NEED in order to be broken down small enough to pass through the minute pores of the intestines into the blood stream.

When we eat fresh foods that are past their prime, or are overcooked, cell REPAIR cannot take place. Imbalances are created and the body begins to weaken. The immune system doesn't have what it needs to fight illness. We set ourselves up for all degenerative diseases, including cancer and arthritis. In a talk by Dr. Joel Robbins, noted biochemist, the U.S. Surgeon General is quoted as saying that "70% of all deaths related to stroke, heart disease and cancer are preventable through diet." The body IS capable of making repairs to damaged cells to lessen or eliminate disease. Recent research shows that whole, raw foods, complete with enzymes, are the key.

What's the best way to start getting a good supply of enzymes when storing dry beans, seeds, grains, and canned fruits and vegetables? When available, make sure to eat "live" fresh fruits or vegetables at every meal and for snacks. At other times, substitute lots of fresh, leafy or crunchy sprouts. They're cheap, easy to grow and require no special preparation.

Copyright 1999 by Natural Meals Publishing. The information in this section may be freely used for non-profit purposes as long as the book source and author remain intact. Express permission of the author, Rita Bingham, must be received for commercial profit.

Updated: 24 Mar 99