Recharge Your Health: Fruit Enzyme Drinks

Enzymes are essentially proteins that exist throughout our body and help to quicken biochemical reactions inside and outside of cells. Each organ has its own unique enzymes. Without enzymes, our bodies cannot function properly. Dr. Cousens recommends “enzyme preservation” by eating less, fasting, and consuming raw foods.

Fruit enzyme drinks are a mixture of fruits and sugar that have been fermented for about 3 months until it turns into a drinkable vinegar when diluted with water. Some consumers have reported that the drinks have the following effects: - Increases vitality - Enhances digestion - Relieves constipation - Removes toxins from the body - Reduces cases of flu and colds - Treats liver disease - Manages or prevents eczema - Betters nutrient absorption - Lowers cholesterol - Reduces blood sugar levels - Increases metabolism and speeds up weight loss - Lowers blood pressure - Improves pH balance by making the blood more alkaline - Acts as an antioxidant.

How can we make fruit enzyme drinks in our kitchen? First, clean a large glass jar (1.5 liters or larger) with soap and hot water and let it dry. Next, wash the fruits to be used and also let them air dry. The fruit must be cut into small pieces, about 3-5 mm thick.

For this recipe, use a ratio of three parts fruit to one part sugar. Popular sugar choices are brown sugar, brown rock sugar, or molasses. Place a layer of fruit at the bottom of the jar, and then alternate between layers of sugar and fruit, with the last layer being sugar. Please leave some room at the jar’s top to help release the natural gas that will be created during the fermentation process.

Then take the jar and keep it in a cool and dry place. On the third and sixth day from the date you made the batch, open the jar and stir the fruits and sugar. Afterwards, re-seal the container, but not too much so that gas can still escape. Allow the mixture to ferment for up to three to four months.