“We are what we are able to digest” or at least that’s how we’ve tweaked the age old saying.
In all seriousness, with our culture’s current over-processed diet and the sad state of most people’s digestive process it has us wondering - are we even digesting anything at all?

Being able to properly digest your food and pull the needed nutrients is vital, while the use of pre and probiotics in our routine is becoming more widely discussed the importance of enzymes is often overlooked.

Enzymes are complex proteins in the body and perform so many important functions that they have been called “the basis of all metabolic activity.”
In other words, enzymes deliver nutrients, break down and carry away toxic waste, digest food, purify the blood, deliver hormones, balance cholesterol and triglycerides levels, feed the brain, build protein into muscle, and feed and fortify the endocrine system.

When we are enzyme deficient, the ones that exist in our body naturally (the endogenous enzymes) are called up to digest food, instead of their actual jobs - providing energy, fighting disease, ensuring proper cell function etc. ​Furthermore, if you lack enzymes for digestion your food goes partially undigested in your intestinal tract where it can actually putrefy.

​No wonder an estimated 80% of diseases start in the intestinal tract!
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With a modern diet of processed foods, we often lack an enzyme-rich diet. To keep our gut happy and healthy we always suggest adding a digestive enzyme into your routine plus load up on raw foods!

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The Power of Raw Foods

Did you know raw foods are enzymatically alive meaning they have live enzymes already in them which help break them down about 40-60%, leaving the remaining percentage to be broken down by the digestive system. Cooked and processed foods are enzymatically dead which means there are no live enzymes within that food to help digestion - this places a lot of stress on our digestive system and pancreas.​

So just eat a ton of veggies and fruit right? 
​Well...yes and no.

Before genetic engineering and irradiation, raw foods had the proper 40/60 ratio. However, today many raw foods are genetically altered to make them ‘look’ prettier, have the ‘correct’ color, and have a longer shelf life. All of this effectively kills the enzymes and nullifies our efforts. If you are truly vested in looking for enzyme-rich raw foods look to your local farms for organic and locally grown foods! 

Unfortunately, much of our raw food is modified to ensure you have 🍎shiny red apples in the middle of March or that your 🥑avocado makes the journey all the way from Mexico to the Midwest. Great for marketing, not so great for retaining those live enzymes we are seeking out. While browsing the shelves be on the lookout for that green & white USDA label and/or the Non-GMO Project verification. Those are great places to start!

It’s no secret that much of our grocery produce has trace amounts of toxic, hormone disrupting pesticides but we don’t always have the time or patience to investigate all our food. Therefore, when we are feeling overwhelmed we turn to the Environmental Working Group's yearly #dirtydozen (most pesticide-laden or “dirty” fruits and veggies sold in the United States) and #clean15 (“clean” or lower-sprayed foods).

Image curtesy of Young Living.

If you’re new to this meal planning “ditch and switch”, a dozen foods to focus on buying organic/clean is so much easier to tackle! Keep in perspective though that loading up on veggies instead of junk food is a great idea no matter what. 

Which is why we keep Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak in our tool kit so we can safely wash away dirt, pesticide residue, and other contaminants.​

Food is our fuel!

When you are putting your hard-earned resources towards meal prepping, grocery shopping, cooking, and serving, you deserve it to work with you, not against you. Seeking out USDA organic options at the grocery store is ideal but did you know that the natural enzymes in food start to slowly deplete from the moment they are picked?

Shopping fresh and in-season ensures you are getting the most enzymes possible when you consume. Which is why we are such big advocates for supporting local farmers!!

It is incredibly fulfilling to understand the people, practices, and care that goes into making the food that will nourish you and your loved ones. Plus as an added bonus when you purchase produce, dairy and meats from local farmers you are making a distinct and positive impact on the people who own or help run the farm.

Ready to go local? Many farms offer crop share opportunities with weekly pick-ups, some may even have designated hours for you to visit their farm and shop their haul. Otherwise, your local farmer's markets are teeming with quality products in one convenient place.

​Personally, we are incredibly lucky that our community has Cold Frame Farm! A 27-acre USDA Certified Organic farm located in Romeo, MI that utilizes Heirloom seeds which are seed varieties that are at least 50 years old and are never hybrids or GMOs. ​They are a wonderful resource if you’re interested in incorporating more quality products into your life.

Plus their farm looks like it's straight out of a Hallmark movie so our weekly shopping trips are that much more ✨magical!✨