Enzymes... What's the big deal?

So, you’ve heard us talking up a storm about enzymes. Cooking food above 118 degrees burns off the enzymes found in the food… but so what??

What is an enzyme?

Enzymes are biological molecules that catalyze the chemical reactions happening in our bodies. All enzymes are proteins. While biological chemical reactions can occur without enzymes, enzymes are required in order for the chemical reactions to occur at rates sufficient for life.

How do enzymes work?

Enzymes lower the activation energy required for a chemical reaction to occur, thus significantly increasing the reaction rate. (“Activation energy is the energy that must be overcome in order for a chemical reaction to occur.” Wikipedia) A chemical reaction catalyzed by an enzyme reacts at a rate millions of times faster than it would react without the enzymes. For example, you can push a car without gas in it, but you will only be able to move the car so fast. However, if you put gas in the car, (like catalyzing the reaction with an enzyme), the car will move much faster and much easier.

Why do we need enzymes?

Enzymes are vital for our metabolisms and for digesting food. The enzymes found in food help to begin the digestion process, and reduce the body’s need to produce such enzymes itself. Enzymes are vital in breaking down proteins, fat and carbohydrates. Without these enzymes, even the most nutritious of foods are worthless to the body. Digestive enzymes are secreted from the pancreas, so diets that contain predominantly cooked foods put a great strain on the pancreas, depleting the organ of its reserves.

Why does all this matter?

In order to make sure that you’re consuming enough enzymes necessary for digestion, eat more raw food! Making sure you are consuming the enzymes necessary for digestion ensures that you will not be depleting your natural enzyme reserves. 

RAW 101

Q. What is raw food?

A.  For a food to be considered raw it is never heated to a temperature above 115 degrees.  There are varying schools of thought on the exact temperature but RAW foods inc. follows the rule of thumb that if your body can’t survive at those temperatures, neither can live foods.

Q. OK, now why would you want to do that?

A. By not heating foods to extreme temperatures you’re preserving most of the enzymes that are naturally occurring in the foods.  We are born with a finite amount of enzymes in our bodies that deplete over the course of our natural lives.  By eating more living foods you preserve the naturally occurring enzymes and replenish those that are lost.

Q. What is an enzyme and why do you want to preserve them?

A.  Enzymes as defined by the Medical Dictionary are “any of numerous complex proteins that are produced by living cells and catalyze specific biochemical reactions at body temperatures”.  To simplify this, they are naturally occurring proteins in all living things (the human body and living food) that are necessary for all functions.  This includes breathing, walking, talking and the way that these proteins get back into our bodies, digestion.  

Q.  Raw food is raw fish, meat, fruits and vegetables?

A.  No!  There are some “raw foodist” who do eat raw fish, meat and dairy.  However the techniques that we teach and the food that we prepare consists mainly of fruit, vegetables, oils, nuts and seeds.  You had to learn to cook food and prepare it in traditional ways.  The basic ingredients in something as simple as a hamburger would sound that exciting if you didn’t know how to put them together to get a burger-  It’s the same with preparing raw foods.  Raw food preparation involves sprouting, soaking, dehydrating, rehydrating , marinating and a whole host of different techniques that produce foods such as cracker, pastas, cheesecakes, sliders that are not only delicious and nutritious but fun to make. 

Q.  So preparing raw foods is extremely time consuming?

A.  It doesn’t have to be. Anything can be time consuming when you’re first learning and it may seem awkward but with the proper planning and training you’ll see that raw food preparation is actually less time consuming than traditional cooking.

Q.  So you’re saying that everyone should be 100% raw?

A.  No!  This is what sets us apart from other Raw Food companies.  While the food that we prepare for you is raw, we are strong believers in avoiding extreme behaviors.  We are all anywhere from 50%-100% raw throughout the year.   We live in New England and fresh, local, organic produce is limited in the winter months, so we work to incorporate raw into our lives every day in conjunction with healthy, clean cooked options.

18 Tips from a Raw Foodie Rookie

1. Nama Shoyu is really salty. Don’t use it to thin a sauce.

2.  Don’t over-buy or over-make raw foods. Yes, you’re eating a lot of fruits and veggies, which are mainly water, but I guarantee you will make too much food in the beginning.

3. There are a lot of exotic or lesser-known ingredients in raw foods. Try all the ingredients before you start making food, especially if you’ve never tried them before. Not liking one ingredient can ruin your entire meal.

4. Don’t forget about snacks! Having some delicious and raw snacks on hand is the easiest way to kick processed foods out the door and add more raw to your diet! Replacing your regular snacks with raw treats is a great way to start eating raw.

5. Trying to be 100% raw right off the bat, or even 100% raw at all is only setting yourself up for failure and burnout. Take it easy and make small changes over time. Remember- just eat Real, Alive, and Whole.

6. Salad gets boring. Raw has such a variety of recipes and dishes to create. Take advantage of them! We post a bunch at www.Rawcipes.blogspot.com.

7. Don’t go at it alone! Find a friend to try some raw recipes with. There are also tons of online communities that offer constant support. (Try our Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RAWfoodsinc).

8. You’re going to have more energy- find something productive to do with it! Use the extra time to focus on yourself. Maybe try yoga or cleaning those pesky corners of your home?

9.  If your friends won’t stop teasing you about eating “weird” food, feed them raw desserts.

10.  If you start to wonder yourself about why you’re eating “weird” food, eat some raw desserts. May we recommend raw fudge?

11.  It’s not as hard and scary or radical as it seems- I make that promise to you as a pizza lover.

12. Invest in a sharp knife. You’ll need it if you want things to look pretty.

13. Organic foods can be kind of expensive. Print off a copy of the dirty dozen and the clean dozen… The 12 foods with the most pesticides and the twelve with the least pesticides (when conventionally grown). This will give you the best mix for your budget.

14. If you don’t have a dehydrator, put your conventional oven on the lowest temperature possible and keep the door cracked open to vent. This isn’t the most eco-friendly way to dehydrate, and the food will probably be cooked at a little over 115 degrees, but this is a good technique to gauge your interest in dehydrating before investing in the proper appliances.

15. If you don’t have a Vita-Mix Blender, soak all nuts before blending to achieve a smoother texture.

16. Raw nuts and trail mixes are great for on-the-go snacks.

17.  Nutritional yeast and baking yeast ARE NOT the same thing. Nutritional yeast is healthy and can be added to dishes for a cheesy taste.

18.  Enjoy your health!!