Natural foods have nutritional and often medicinal value. The trick is to know what they are. By knowing what helps with what, the next time you have a cold, you may reach for the cayenne pepper and cook yourself up something spicy instead of gorging on a bowl of vanilla ice cream (which would do you absolutely no good).

Papaya contains arginine which is known to be essential for male fertility and also carpain, an enzyme thought to be good for the heart. Fibrin also occurs and this substance is not commonly found in the plant kingdom; in man it forms part of the blood clotting process. The papaya is an excellent source of vitamin C, with 82mg per 100g (4oz), and is rich in carotene.

Papaya is a fruit that has a musky taste and it sometimes tastes bit like pineapples and peaches. The papaya has a soft texture and has a yellow-orange flesh. If the papaya not yet ripe, its skin is green. Once ripe, the skin is soft and yellow-orange in color and once you open the papaya, its flesh is colored amber or orange. The good thing about this fruit is that it is very easy to prepare. You can just simply slice the whole papaya and then scoop the flesh. Many dietitians have papaya and weight loss program in their diet programs.

Using up fruit can be a challenge since it can spoil quickly so freezing your fruit before it's over ripe (when it doesn't look like it'll get eaten in time) is a great idea. You can add it to smoothies, to muffins and cereal as needed. Freezing fruit is a good idea because it retains its nutrient value as well as works great in recipes when thawed.

Papaya is linked with weight loss because weight loss problems are often linked to digestive issues, constipation, gastrointestinal distress, and rotting waste. It naturally helps with overall digestive health.When the digestion, and waste elimination processes are working better, losing weight naturally becomes easier. Rather than papaya being the cause of weight loss, it is better to think of it as an aid, as it helps to improve your body's ability to digest food and get rid of wastes.

Papaya are high in Vitamin C, a good source of fiber, and probably best known for the enzyme papain, which is used commercially as a meat tenderizer. The more educational sites report that the enzyme (papain) helps the body to break down protein, which explains its use as a meat tenderizer.

Be certain your papaya gets plenty of fresh air and exercise. The simplest and easiest way to accomplish this task is to set aside time to walk your papaya each day. Your papaya can be held in your bare hand or kept in a backpack/napsack. Purchase a pedometer and set a goal of carrying your papaya at least 10,000 steps each day. Doing so will almost ensure the success of the Papaya Diet.

Papayas contain papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins (especially food with gluten). Concentrated amounts can especially be found in unripe papaya. This enzyme helps prevent the accumulation of mucoprotein (partially digested protein) in the body and lymphatic system. In fact, papain has been extracted to make dietary supplements for digestion. Thus, the unripe papaya is considered to have more healing powers for constipation than the ripe one.