I am always on the lookout for the magic potion that will restore me to my youthful self of yester-year; I'm a young girl trapped in a menopausal woman's body! I keep looking for that magic bullet - and then, one day, as I visited a health food store near to where I was working, I saw a pamphlet touting the benefits of enzymes, saying they are the way to restore youthfulness and are often overlooked when in search of a way to restore, revitalize and rejuvenate one's system.

Women, particularly in the midlife stages, start exhibiting signs of bloat, belly fat and weight gain. I have been on a quest to figure out what the problem is and to solve it for myself. Therefore, I read everything I can get my hands on regarding this subject. Ellen W. Cutler, a nutrition researcher and co-author of MicroMiracles: Discover the Healing Power of Enzymes, states.. "In short, virtually nothing happens in the body without the help of enzymes".

Apparently, there are different kinds/types of enzymes operating in our systems: one class is categorized as digestive enzymes; but there is another larger class of enzymes called metabolic enzymes. Both enzymes are produced by the pancreas and the liver.

An article called 'The enzyme cure" from First Magazine states ..."as we age, our enzymes "wear out" and at the same time our pancrease and liver lose their capacity for manufacturing new enzymes. That double whammy creates "enzyme exhaustion" , which affects 80% of women over 35." The articles goes on to say that if we eat raw foods and/or take supplements, we can help re-establish our enzyme levels. That is comforting to know - that there is a way to replenish and restore. That is why my personal motto has always been 'Knowledge is Power'.

Dr. Cutler also claims that because of current food processing methods, enzmyes have been depleted from food so much so that 70% of women get almost none. She goes on to say that stress lowers the stored enzymes that the body does have.

I turned on Larry King the other night - and lo and behold, his guest, Robin Quivers and he, were discussing this passion of mine - cleansing and revitalizing your entire system. If you are familiar at all with Robin, you probably know that she has worked with/for shock jock Howard Stern for the past 26 years. Robin has had weight gain and a sluggish digestive system for a number of years - and when she started tipping the scales at over 200 lbs. and experiencing bloat, discomfort in her joints and feeling in generally poor health every day, she wanted to do something about it but didn't know what.

Then one day in 2002, Robin met David Blaine, the magician, when he appeared as a guest on the Howard Stern Show. Blaine introduced Robin to the Master Cleanse which he had used and recommended it to Robin. He credited it with restoring his health. She decided to try it - and the rest is history. This has been a passion of Robin's ever since -- detoxing, cleansing and renewing self. Robin lost over 70 lbs. - her fatigue and joint pain is gone.

The Master Cleanse consists of 2 tbsp. fresh (organic) lemon juice (approx. 1/2 lemon); 2 tbsps. genuine organic maple syrup (Grade B or C) - the darker the better; a small pinch cayenne pepper; 10 oz. non-chlorinated or distilled water.

The more days that you can fast just drinking this drink, the better. Start off maybe 1 or 2 days - then introduce salads and light foods back into your diet. Robin's protocol today is drinking this detox drink all throughout the day, then having salad with maybe some fish for dinner. She said her body does not crave or require the quantity of food that she used to consume. Everything in moderation comes to my mind. Today Robin is at about 140 lbs. When I saw her on Larry King she came across to me as so bright, clear, sharp - Healthy - with a capital "H"!

Digestive enzymes break down the proteins we consume and turns them into amino acids.

Recently, Sylvester Stallone was touting the benefits of amino acids - he even has his Mother, Jackie, taking them and singing their praises. I hope to elaborate on amino acids and bring you more information in my next article as there is way too much information to be able to put it in one article.

I am planning to start taking enzymes before or with all my meals as well as making the Master Cleanse a part of my cleansing ritual several times a year. I am not as disciplined as Robin Quivers, but I hope to get better as time goes by and I see results.

Please drop me a line and let me know if you are starting some type of rejuvenation and/or cleansing process of your own. Would love to hear from you!