I've been reading alot about enzymes in various studies lately.  There seems to be alot of support for eating raw foods to get these enzymes naturally through diet.

Enzymes are what our bodies use to breakdown food through their chemical reactions.  Our bodies can make the enzymes we need to digest food, but there appears to be a limited number of enzymes available throughout a lifetime, and they can be used up, for lack of a better term, over time depending upon what you eat.

Most enzymes are destroyed in foods when they are heated to 118 degrees F with some affected at 105 degrees F. 

How do we remedy this situation?  We can eat foods with enzymes readily available in them.  Raw foods contain active enzymes... cooking is the culprit here.  Incorporting raw foods into your diet is a way to aid your body's digestion and according to studies, even potentially increase your lifespan.  A raw foods diet is quite simple in theory, but I personally need to plan to incorporate them so we aren't just eating salads or carrot sticks all the time.

Some foods are more enzyme-rich than others with foods high in enzymes being sprouts, pineapple and papaya.  The list also includes fermented foods such as sauerkraut.

Raw foods are also attributed to weight loss.  One of the variables found in research is  that it seems to be related to the body having a natural craving for nutrients and enzymes, and as cooked food is ingested the body isn't getting what it feels it needs, and wants more and more in hopes of getting what it wants.

Now I am not a "raw fooder" ... I also don't plan on eating any raw meat or eggs (except in cookie dough)...But I think that it is important to vary your diet and especially incorporate raw foods into it.

I've not found documentation for the eating of raw foods with cooked, and don't know if it is even an issue.  I would think that the cooked food eaten with raw shouldn't have an effect upon the enzymes present.  You can dilute enzymes by drinking too much liquids with meals, and I would think that this could also be the case with eating alot of cooked food with a small amount of raw.  But then I also figure that some is better than the none of the typical American diet.

For me raw foods have to be a conscious choice as I do not naturally gravitate in this direction.  I have found some raw food resources through cookbooks by Sue Gregg and in Nourishing Traditions along with countless websites.  I am always on the lookout for good, new recipes and have a couple of books on hold at the library now...

These are some of the ways I choose to incorporate raw foods on a daily basis. 

For breakfast I generally have a kefir drink made with raw milk.  I add a banana, strawberry and some protein powder to this and mix it well in my blender.  If I remember I add some ground flax seed.

Lunches are pretty simple.  I usually try to have a whole wheat pita with tuna or chicken salad.  I like someof the Sue Gregg recipes from her Lunches and Snacks cookbook.  One way we like to make them is to take a piece of chicken breast (cooked) cut into cubes or small pieces.  I add in 1 T mayo and 1T yogurt, green onion, celery and raw almonds that have been pulverized in the blender.  Really the rules I try to follow for chicken or tuna salad is the mayo and yogurt and then add some veggies, some kind of nut or seed for crunch and occasionally fruits like grapes or apples.   We also try to eat fruit with this meal, but often resort to canned fruit.  Canned fruit and vegetables are also decreased in their enzyme content, and not as good for you as fresh, but sometimes this is just the way it is.

We also enjoy a broccoli salad with meals.  I cut up a head or two of broccoli into small pieces, throw in some organic raisins or craisins, some raw, unsalted sunflower seeds, and coat with Annie's Goddess salad dressing.

Do my kids love all of these things..... NO! but they'll eat them anyway.  They do like to help create different dishes and salads.  The Princess really loves to slice and dice so I take advantage of this when prepping for meals. 

My feeling is do whatever it takes to get them to enjoy eating while developing healthy habits.