When I was younger and practicing as a chiropractor I herniated my L4 -5 disc and became unable to practice chiropractic manipulation again. It was very hard, and debilitating. I had surgery for my disc, but unfortunately the surgery was not successful. I experience leg pain almost every day. Honestly the only thing that saved me was my diet, enzymes and exercise every day. Standing and sitting for too long was always pro-inflammatory. I bring this up, because I remember experimenting with different foods to reduce inflammation. The most remarkable change in pain and stiffness was the complete avoidance of sugars, starches and grains. It was almost immediate. The chronic inflammation was 75 % less. So therefore my outlook on grains emerged. And I began to study and research the not so healthy aspect of grains.

Today I came across an article about Mediterranean diet having anti-inflammatory effects. It seems like sticking to a Meditarranean diet high in fruits, and vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, meat and meat products, fish, a and low in saturated fats, lowers levels of inflammation in the elderly, as reflected by lower levles of a metabolite called C-reactive protein (CRP) – this is a marker of inflammation. This diet also contributes to prevention of heart disease. So kill two birds with one stone. And you may also loose weight as well. I bet the antioxidants in these foods is probably the reason.

Well add a digestive enzyme to you food. people with inflammation may do better with the protein/fat digestive enzyme and definitely protease. These are very effective

In addition to direct support of the skin, digestion, nutrient absorption, waste elimination, food sensitivities and toxic reactions influence skin health. Digestive enzymes break down food and facilitate the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. Eating wholesome organic foods with digestive enzymes can minimize free radical damage. As the body’s metabolic thermostat, the thyroid gland is important in regulating temperature and energy production, with a direct impact on enzyme activity and therefore skin health.

Neutralizing toxins that trigger free radical formation also minimizes free radical damage. The liver plays an important role in the elimination of toxic waste by filtering toxins from the blood. The colon is also critical to the detoxification process. Also, both protease (protein digesting) enzymes and probiotics support a healthy immune response and reduce the risk of infections throughout the body, including those related to acne.

It could be that what you are eating, or rather the foods you are sensitive is causing you problems with sleeping. More than 50 percent of American adults exprience insomnia at least a few nights a week. Sleep deprivation causes reliance on artificial stimulants to sustain them through the day. Not everyone needs 8-9 hours of sleep. Generally if you’re able to wake up on time without an alarm clock, you’re getting enough rest. If even an alarm clock can’t rouse you, you probably aren’t sleeping as much as you should. I have found poor digestion, food allergies and impaired liver detoxification to be the cause of insomnia. Over the years I have seen the following food sensitivities to be the underlying root of insomnia: corn, wheat, dairy, caffeinated products and sugars.

Taking a digestive enzyme before meals and a new sleep-enhancing enzyme formula stabilizes sleep patterns and improves sleep quality. Rid those food allergies and eat less food will help with better sleeping patterns.

A good or high quality digestive enzyme supplement contains a broad spectrum of enzymes, rather like a multivitamin. The best products supply a blend of 13 different enzymes, which assist in digesting the various components of your food. Each is responsible for the breakdown and absorption of a particular type of nutrient. When reading the labels on enzyme products, the first thing to check is whether the enzymes come from animal or nonanimal sources. For example, some enzymes, including amylase, lipase and protease are derived from the pancreases of pigs or sheet. Although much of the research to date has involved these pancreatic enzyme supplements, they have limitations. For one, they are vulnerable to destruction by stomach acid. To prevent this, manufacturers usually apply a coating to the supplements, but in clinical studies, coated enzymes were less effective than those without coatings.

Another concern about animal enzyme supplements is that they work only a specific, limited pH range usually found only in the small intestine. Unfortunately, people whose digestion is compromised may not have the necessary pH levels to activate the enzymes. In comparison, vegetarian enzymes that is, those from nonanimal sources remain active over a broad pH range, which means they should work throughout the entire digestive tract.

The broad spectrum of these enzymes can break down all the primary components of food-proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fiber. Animal enzymes are most effective at digesting proteins: while they help a little with carbohydrates and fats, they do nothing at all for fiber.

Vegetarian enzymes begin digesting food almost immediately after they enter the stomach. As they pass by feedback receptors farther along in the digestive tract, the receptors signal the rest of the body that it doesn’t need to produce as many digestive enzymes because some of the food is already broken down. This way, the body doesn’t expend as much energy on the digestive process. On the other hand, animal enzymes don’t get to work until food reaches the proper pH level, usually in the small intestine. By then, the body has already churned out extra digestive enzymes.

Manufacturers cultivate vegetarian enzymes in a carefully controlled environment that’s free of pesticides and other contaminants, while animal enzymes come from pigs that have been raised on genetically and chemically altered feed and treated with steroids and antibiotics. Also, because vegetarian enzymes can be more concentrated than animal enzymes, a single capsule can have more enzymatic activity. Generally speaking, you can get the same amount of activity or more from fewer vegetarian supplements.

Incidently, when you are shopping for enzyme supplements, check to be sure that not only the enzymes but also the capsules are vegetarian.