Found this article about digestive health and allergies

Raw foods and digestive enzymes

Let’s get back to enzymes. Raw foods are rich in enzymes. Enzymes are needed for the digestive system to work. They are necessary to break down food particles so they can be utilized for energy. The human body makes approximately 22 different digestive enzymes which are capable of digesting carbohydrates, protein and fats. Raw vegetables and raw fruit are rich sources of enzymes.

While all raw foods contain enzymes, the most powerful enzyme-rich food is sprouted seeds, grains, and legumes. Sprouting increases the enzyme content in these foods enormously.

Lack of digestive enzymes can be a factor in food allergies. Symptoms of digestive enzymes depletion are bloating, belching, gas, bowel disorders, abdominal cramping, heartburn and food allergies.

All of us loose our ability to produce concentrated digestive enzymes as we grow older. In cases where age is a factor, or where lack of digestive enzymes causes food allergies, supplementation may be helpful. You may also want to explore food combining.

The following digestive enzyme supplements aid digestion:

• AMYLASE works to breakdown carbohydrates i.e. starches, sugars
• BROMELAIN taken from pineapple plant, helps break down proteins
• HCL hydrochloric acid stimulates pancreatic secretion, activates pepsin and sterilizes the stomach from bacteria and parasites
• LACTASE needed to break down lactose found in milk products
• LIPASE works to break down fats into fatty acids and glycerol
• OX BILE improves fat digestion, stimulates bile flow, aids gallbladder
• PANCREATIN contains protease, amylase, and lipase, functions in the intestine and in the blood
• PAPAIN extracted from papaya fruit, aids in protein digestion
• PEPSIN breaks down proteins, function depends on availability of HCL
• PROTEASE works to breakdown protein into amino

The more food that you can eat raw, the better.

If you do cook your food, the best way to cook food is to lightly steam, stew, or use a slow crock cooker. Eat as few over-processed and over-cooked foods as possible. The body has a difficult time digesting fried, pasteurized, barbecued, dried, and other over-processed and over-cooked foods which you find in boxed and processed foods.

I would encourage you to consume at least 50% of your food as uncooked. A good vegetable juicing program will easily put you over that volume.

Raw eggs are another important part of the raw food approach. If you are healthy, the salmonella is not going to be an issue for you, especially if the eggs are organic and free range.