Food Enzymes: The New Buzzword in Wellness
Keith Giaquinto
Wellness, anti-aging, prevention, and being proactive in reducing your risk for chronic degenerative diseases are all great marketing buzzwords that chiropractors use to describe the benefits of chiropractic care. It makes sense when it comes to the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Every cell has an innate intelligence and an inherent desire for well-being. Chiropractic adjustments help restore the brain-body connection so the body can do what it was designed to do, i.e., grow, repair, and maintain homeostasis so that health can be expressed.
In the twenty-first century, research continues and new discoveries are being made about how the body works, as well as how to speed up the recovery process and slow down the aging process. Enzyme nutrition is becoming the new buzzword in this wellness revolution. Human physiology and homeostasis have not
changed, but our understanding of itand howtoapply this new knowledge to the body to get better results continues to grow. The knowledge and application of food enzyme nutrition is becoming a growing field for chiropractors and healthcare practitioners of all kinds.
í6A diet high in food enzymedeficient foods puts more strain on your digestive system, which is the first domino to fall for poor overall
health. 99
If enzymes are important to our health, healing, and aging, what is an enzyme? In Dr. Howard Loomis's book, Enzymes: The Key to Health, he describes enzymes as "proteins that are secreted by cells that act as a catalyst to induce chemical changes in other substances without undergoing changes themselves." Enzymes consist of two parts—a protein portion and a cofactor portion. Many vitamins and minerals act as cofactors for enzymes. Both portions are required to become a functioning enzyme.
There are three categories of enzymes:
• Food enzymes - exist in raw food.
• Digestive enzymes - digest the food we eat.
• Metabolic enzymes - run our body's processes.
In a world of convenience, the standard American diet is mostly made up of highly processed food, fast food, and genetically modified food (GMO, or genetically modified organism). Enzymes are removed in processed and GMO foods to increase their shelf life. A diet high in food enzyme-deficient foods puts more strain on your digestive system, which is the first domino to fall for poor overall health. If the cells and organs do not get the proper nutrition that they need in order to function, then it is only a matter of time before symptoms or health challenges will appear.
With the decline in quality of the American diet, it is easy to see that the overall health of our country as a whole is getting worse instead of better. The good news is that I see more people being consciously aware of their body's symptoms and looking for answers. They are looking for ways that they can take charge of their own health. For example, more people are making an effort to eat organically grown fruits and vegetables and the best quality they can find for humanely raised animal products, such as grass-fed beef, pasture-free chicken, and wild-caught fish.
The basics of human physiology—health at its very
simplest—on the cellular level requires that good nutrition be delivered to every cell and that the cells' waste be picked up. If we eat a good diet, digest that
íílfwe eat a good diet, digest that good diet, and deliver that good diet to all of the cells that make up our organs and tissues, they will be able to do their job very efficiently and the body can maintain a healthy internal
environment (homeostasis).33
good diet, and deliver that good diet to all of the cells that make up our organs and tissues, they will be able to do their job very efficiently and the body can maintain a healthy internal environment (homeostasis).
How does food enzyme nutrition fit into your practice and the lives of your patients? Supporting your patients mechanically with chiropractic adjustments, stretches, and exercises for maintaining the fight against gravity to assist them with their posture, as
well as physical modalities, can get you great results for most of your patients. Adding food enzyme nutrition can help deliver nutrition past an incompetent digestive system, support a healthy inflammatory response, and get specific nutrients to specific organ systems that need support. This speeds up the recovery processes and can help you get better results with your more difficult cases.
In today's world, the nutritional quality of our food supply is not what it was two generations ago. This is why most experts are now recommending we consume nine to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. How many of your patients are consuming that amount of fruits and vegetables without you mentioning it to them? I believe that plant enzyme supplementation is no longer an option. It has become necessary for you, your family, and your patients to become healthy and stay healthy.
Dr. Keith Giaquinto has more than 12 years of clinical experience as a chiropractor and internal health specialist. He frequently lectures to compa-
nies and groups in his community on topics of health and wellness. He has created a new patient lecture system for growing your practice through lecturing. You can contact him at www.drkeithgiaquinto.com
