Food combining is the practice of eating foods in combinations that allow the body and digestive system to absorb all of the vitamins and minerals in the most efficient way. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are digested in different ways. Food combining allows for the least amount of stress to be put on the digestive system while processing the content of meals.
Eat Fruits Alone
Fruits are best when eaten alone or only in combination with other fruits. Fruits could be eaten between meals or at least 90 minutes before or after any other foods are consumed. Fruits are most readily digested by the human body. When fruits are combined with other foods that are digested in different ways, the body experiences digestive discomfort. For example, the combination of carbohydrates and an acidic fruit may neutralize some digestive enzymes causing the food to putrefy rather than be easily digested. This can lead to feeling gassy and bloated. With this rule, pay the most attention to melons. They should ideally be eaten completely alone because they break down so quickly that they can ferment in the stomach waiting to be digested along with other slower digesting foods.
Do Not Combine Protein With Starch
Proteins and starches are broken down in different digestive environments. Proteins require an acid environment, while starches require an alkaline environment. When either is consumed, the body will naturally react by providing digestive juices to create the needed environment for digestion. This combination is a stressful load for the digestive system to process and can result in the body feeling sluggish and bloated. Starches include foods such as cereal, potatoes and beans; proteins refer to meats, nuts, soy and dairy.
Do Combine With Vegetables
Nonstarchy vegetables, such as greens, peppers and carrots, leave the stomach, for the most part, unchanged and are broken down in the small intestine. Because vegetables do not require special handling when being digested, they work well when combined with either starches or proteins, which stay in the stomach for longer amounts of time.
Protein Combining
Proteins should not be combined together because each protein has a different process for being digested. Chicken and turkey, for example, have two very separate processes of digestion and will not combine well. Each type of protein contains different amounts of different amino acids. Chicken, for example, contains less tryptophan than turkey does, so it digests at a different rate. When the body can digest things smoothly without having food sit in the stomach waiting for another substance to break down, there is less bloating and discomfort.
Exceptions
Lemons and limes are exceptions to the rules of food combining. When added as fresh-squeezed juice to a meal, they actually provide digestive enzymes that can help absorb the nutrients from the food. Avocados, though fruits, are combined well with vegetables because of the avocado's natural fat and protein content, making it act differently from other fruits in the digestive system.
References
- ''Staying Healthy With Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine''; Dr. Elson M. Haas; 2006
- The Wolfe Clinic: Food Combining
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