Enzymes and Weight Loss

As you have read on this web site, the 7th Essential is BALANCE. We described how easy it can be to get out of balance, especially when we mistakenly become so focused on just one aspect of our lives (job, family, money) and neglect to give attention to ALL other aspects of our existence. It is difficult to tell when a patient is emotionally or mentally out-of-balance unless they are exhibiting obvious anti-social behaviors. But it is always easy to tell when a person is out of balance physically.

When a person is either grossly overweight (or underweight), one can tell immediately that we are dealing with a Balance problem. What is not understood is that, imbalance in one area leads to balance challenges throughout the entire system. There is much more to dealing with weight loss than just looking in the mirror and deciding you don't like the way your clothes look or feel on you. One must also look at their elimination system (bowel, lungs, skin, kidneys/liver), their hormonal system, their emotional state, sleep patterns, level of (and reaction to) stress.

Now, you are probably wondering, "What does all this have to do with enzyme supplements?" Well, one of Nature's best kept secrets are the Enzymes of Plants. According to Dr. Edward Howell, who wrote the famed bestseller, Enzyme Nutrition, the enzymes in the plant actually help the animal (including humans) break down the plant in the digestive tract. Howell called it the 40-60 rule. The plants own enzymes actually break down 40-60% of the plant when it is consumed---thus saving the animal energy. Our body's were designed, according to Howell, to only have to process 40-60% of the food we eat. Could that be one of the reasons you want to take a nap after a big, cooked-food meal?

But Plant-based enzymes are not just an aid in digestion. Yes, they are great at handling gas, bloating, heartburn and indigestion. However, more importantly, Enzymes MUST be present before any chemical reaction can take place in the body. YES, every action your body performs requires Enzymes. Minerals, herbs, vitamin supplements and hormones cannot complete their functions WITHOUT Enzymes.

One of the MAJOR keys to EFFECTIVE Weight Loss is the simple use of Enzymes. Since Enzymes are found in abundance in ALL Raw Foods, why do people need supplements at all. Ahhhhh. The key word is R-A-W Foods. Any food cooked or heated beyond 118 degrees is DEAD--completely void of Enzymes. This includes Stove, Oven, Microwaved foods as well as ALL Boxed, Bagged and Canned foods. Believe it or not, DEAD, Enzyme-less food makes up 96% of the average Americans diet.

So, what does the body do with this Dead food? Well, first of all, the body must supply its own stores of enzymes (from the Pancreas) to begin the digestion process. As Howell says above, our bodies were designed to process 40-60% of the food we eat (and it is supposed to be RAW food only). When the body is over-tired (or over-stressed) the demand for enzymes exceeds the supply available. Without enough enzymes to process and digest foods, the body will either store the food (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) as fat or clog the bowel with the waste.

These fats can accumulate in the arteries and capillaries (and stagnate) or they can be deposited in the tissues of the hips, thighs, buttocks and abdomen. These undigested food are toxins which have a strong tendency to release their poisons into adjacent tissues, thus corrupting the system further. Lipase, the enzyme which digests fat, is needed in abundance to digest these fat stores so that the body can produce the energy needed from the fat AND to release the toxins to the organs of elimination.

Speaking of elimination, the undigested food which goes to the bowel, frequently gets backed up as the bowel clogs with fiber-less food. As this undigested foods lies in the bowel (large intestine), it is being re-absorbed by the blood vessels, thus releasing more toxin into the system. Protease is a crucial enzyme which not only breaks down proteins, but also eliminates toxins.

To recap, if your body consists of mostly cooked and processed foods, you are not getting enough Enzymes to help the body properly digest food and eliminate toxins. And the body will feel underfed....

What then happens is what I call the *Endless Eating Cycle* to Obesity. You see, when your body is not receiving proper raw food Nutrition, it will send out a signal that is needs to store MORE of the undigested food as FAT (rather than send it to the bowel for elimination) to protect against Starvation. This begins a Chemical signal from the Brain (in the form of a Hunger response) that the body NEEDS more food. This endless cycle will continue until the body receives "enough" nutrition. This is why people are eating BIGGER meals than ever in our history and not feeling satiation. These empty calories translate to more stored fat, yet even greater hunger.

A proper, EFFECTIVE Plant-based Enzyme supplement can STOP this triggered stimulus-response Eating Cycle and help normalize your digestion and metabolism.

But......please realize....assisting your body with "Enzyme Nutrition" is not a quick fix for a lifetime of poor Eating habits. One must gradually increase their raw food intake (thus decreasing the dead, processed---and, I know, good-tasting---foods).

This usually takes a period of months (old habits die hard), but wouldn't the loss of that extra 40-70 pounds feel better, look better and boost your energy and spirit?

Start your weight-loss program today by taking Essential Enzymes (which contain both Protease and Lipase--along with a whole host of other effective plant-based enzymes). Essential Greens contain the RAW FOOD NUTRITION (unique blend of fruits/vegetables rich in nutrients and enzymes) which the body hungers to consume. Essential Complete Food is a Whole, Raw-Food Meal Replacement which provides ALL the essential Nutrients (including Proteins) which the body needs to feed and clean the body.

These three products COMPLETE the picture to Healthy Nutrition----and the BONUS to boot is steady, healthy and effective WEIGHT LOSS.

Dr. Daniel Bettiol