Amino acids and enzymes is a subject which has always fascinated me. Both of these play a vital role in the overall health of the body, yet not a lot of people know about them or what they do. Without amino acids and enzymes, your body would not be able to function. They rely on you to give them adequate nutrients so that they can do their job. All this is reflected in the quality of the diet you eat. If it is lacking in vitamins, and minerals, then you could have a nutritional shortfall. This is where dietary supplements come in-to help replace any shortfall in essential nutrients. I have often heard it said that if you eat a balanced diet, then you don't need supplements and you will get all the vitamins and minerals you need from your diet. Interestingly, no one has yet been able to describe to me what a balanced diet is-that would be suitable for every individual. Consider this Someone who has a very physical job will burn more calories and will require more energy and will therefore have different nutritional needs to someone who has a more sedentary occupation, where not a lot of calories or energy is being expended. Likewise, a young person who is involved in power sports will burn a lot of calories and will expend a great deal more energy than someone who is elderly who is retired. Again, a different diet will be required. We next have to look at the quality of food available today. Vegetables and fruits are often lacking in essential nutrients due to over-intensive farming techniques using pesticides and fertilizers, as well as the way it is sometimes harvested, stored and finally cooked. Also the soil has become very depleted in minerals-which the body needs to perform its many functions. Unlike vitamins, which many plants can synthesize themselves, minerals have to be obtained from the soil. Moving on to animal husbandry, antibiotics and growth promoters are in common use, all of which affect the nutritional quality of the food. And finally, the popularity of processed and junk food is at an all-time high. Often this type of food is high in saturated fat, sodium, sugar, artificial ingredients, artificial colors and preservatives. The end result-it might taste good, but the nutritional value is often lacking. In this book I have described in an easy to understand style what amino acids are, what good food sources are, and what they do. I have also done the same for enzymes, describing the digestive enzymes as well as metabolic one, and what they do in the body.