Dr. Ellen Cutler recommends enzyme-rich foods like raw vegetables, edamame, and almond butter for kids' lunches to cut sugar cravings and boost energy. She says adults lose digestive enzymes with age and suggests supplements to help.
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January 19, 2010
Micro Miracles and Discovering the Healing Power of Enzymes
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You're watching CBS 5 now Eyewitness News. Lisa School lunch for many has become chips and cookies and sodas. Easy, but not necessarily nutritious. Here to tell us how to pack a healthy punch in your child's lunch is nutritionist Dr. Ellen Cutler. Thanks for being here this morning.
It's great to be with you this morning.
You are known as the enzyme Empress. You're all about the enzymes, and we're talking about natural enzymes as well as enzyme supplements. But the key here is kids are just getting too fat and they're getting.
Too fat and the risk of obesity as well as heart disease and diabetes is on the rise. So we need to do something and it has to start at home as well as for our wonderful kids.
Well, let's start with you rail against this. What are they doing at our schools?
Oh, too much salt, too much fat, way too much sugar. You know, we need to cut back on the sugar. And the more sugar you eat, the more you want. So we need to substitute some really good high enzyme raw food for our lunches for our children. Very important.
You brought along some examples.
Yes, yes. And I've done this with my kids growing up, too. One raw meal a day, by the way, will cut back on obesity, crave food less, build your immune system, feel better, focusing better. And we want that for our kids as well as ourselves. And again, it has to start at home. So some suggestions are, you know, make it look pretty and interesting, you know, feel like different things. You can make even, you know, some peppers. You can cut them up in a fun way.
Tell me what we have in the house.
And these are dehydrated. These are some new items that are around that people can find in our stores all over, too.
By the way, tell me about the dehydrated.
These are dehydrated corn and peas. And they're so great in soups. They're great as snacks. And you know what? They're getting all the whole foods, high enzyme rich foods, which means it helps you really get your nutrition you need every day. And you know what? They'll crave snacks less and they'll have more energy, which is great for them, as well as edamame, which is good high protein soybeans. They're delicious. Kids love them. And almond butter because we want to stay away from peanuts. Because. Because peanuts are more highly allergic. So almond butter is great. They love it. Almond milk is also really good.
And the idea is what, to dip some of these things.
Exactly. And they have raisins for a Little sweetness and the apples. And then this is very interesting, romaine lettuce, which kids like much better. And put some hummus, which is garbanzo beans blended up. And there's all kinds of interesting hummus. You put that in the lunches every day, these kids will do so much better and they'll less missed school days for sure.
And the key is, I guess when you're a kid, you don't want to stand out too much, but you also want to have something, you know, that doesn't look too unhealthy.
You know, there are more people doing organic lunch foods all over the country, so why not start at your home yourself? And you know what, parents, if you do it, you get that enzyme rich food. You're going to see a change in your hair and your skin, your energy and your performance at work as well. So enzymes are the key. Start with raw and learn more about it.
And you're an internationally known expert for this very subject, enzymes. You actually recommend supplements to some degree.
That's right. You know, supplements to help you digest. As you get older, you become deficient in enzymes. They help you digest, they help you absorb and utilize your food. We take all these vitamins. Taking a good enzyme supplement can take the place of taking all kinds of other supplements.
And we should mention you've written a book, Micro Miracles and Discovering the Healing Power of Enzymes. And in this book you actually point out that there's a way to test what enzymes you may.
Right. You can take a great five minute questionnaire and also have some great recipes too for some raw food ideas. And good, healthy low sugar, low grains also is important for your lunches and breakfast and dinners.
Very good. Dr. Ellen Cutler, the enzyme Empress. Thanks for being here this morning. Great to be here, Lisa.
