The Truth About Enzymes and How They Can Help Beat the Holidays

An Interview with Dr. Jerry Kartzinel by Zack Gonzalez
PART 1

So, it’s the holiday season. Basically, the time of year where we all eat just about twelve-times more than we promised ourselves we would. Goodbye Weight Watchers. It’s time to dig in to the meals we’ve been starving ourselves all year around for. And although it’s winter, and it’s easy to hide our love handles under giant coats and jackets, digesting all the crap we’re gonna eat is not going to be easy. Well, I say down for Dr. Jerry Kartzinel. The big-dawg MD, himself. And he gives me the TRUTH about enzymes and how they can help us out this month.

Consider it an early Christmas gift:

ZACK: Alright Doc, first off, it’s the holiday season and with that holiday season comes a whole lot of holiday grubbing. Now, I heard that digestive enzymes help, not only to digest all that heavy food, but also help beat the holiday belly bloat. True or false? 

DR JERRY: I’m afraid the answer is false. While enzymes do help break down food, they don’t do anything to help with all of those excess calories! I will add that they may help with the holiday belly bloat if its because you’re eating foods you’re a little sensitive to, but if you know you’re sensitive to those foods, it’s best not to eat them.

ZACK: What other products might be helpful this holiday season? For those with autism and for those without? And what makes them helpful? 

DR JERRY: Overall, we have to treat the holiday season the same way as we do the rest of the year. Healthy living is always in season. That being said, it can’t hurt to add some fiber to your diet to help your body stay regular if you’re eating more than usual of foods that may not be best for you. A multivitamin will always help with good nutrition, especially since the traditional favorite holiday foods aren’t usually vegetables. Finally, a probiotic might be a great idea to help those gut flora stay in balance with the additional sugar some people may be consuming.

ZACK: Now, clearly there’s gonna be little weight gain post-holiday season, but I read something online that says that enzymes can actually help you lose weight. True or false? If they do help, how so? If not, what might be a common misinterpretation? 

DR JERRY: Once again, this one’s false. Enzymes will help you breakdown food, but they don’t make the calories go away. This misinterpretation probably comes from a misunderstanding of how the digestive system works, and what our food does in our body. Put simply, the process of digestion involves the breakdown of foods to produce energy usable by the body. Enzymes help with the breakdown of the foods. The catch is, if you are consuming more energy than your body is using, your body will store it. So, when I eat a little more than I usually do (and more than my body needs), and especially if what I’m eating is simple carbohydrates and sugar, I’m getting a lot of extra energy that my body is going to store up for a rainy day. Really, moderation and limitation of those simple carbohydrates and sugar consumption will go a long way towards minimizing your holiday weight gain and help you a lot more than any enzyme will.

ZACK: Alright, so clearly enzymes aren’t magic weight loss pills. Now, with individuals with autism, their food sensitivities are more known than those of us without autism. So would enzymes be a good idea for all of us to have handy this holiday season? Primarily those of us who aren’t very familiar with their personal food sensitivities. Like me. I eat a lot during the holidays. But I don’t know anything about my own food sensitivities.

Screw it. Basically what I’m trying to say is, they don’t get rid of the calories, why should someone like me take them? You’re the car salesman. I don’t know why I NEED the car. Sell me the car, Doc. (And you know I want the car-fax.)

To find out the answer to this question and more, stay tuned for Part 2! (COMING SOON!)

For allergy-friendly holiday recipes, be sure to check out GFCF Done Easy!

Zack Gonzalez