Food combining has become more popular over the years because it is more flexible and satisfying than counting calories. Food combining focuses on weight control due to proper digestion, meaning that if you group foods together correctly, you can eat more in a sitting without feeling bloated or gaining weight. Combining foods the right way to lose weight is an easy and effective way to drop pounds quickly while fine-tuning your digestive system.
How to Combine Foods the Right Way to Lose Weight
Step 1
Understand that proteins and carbohydrates require different digestive enzymes to digest these different categories of foods (see reference 3). Because of this reason, it is helpful to digestion and weight control to eat proteins and carbohydrates at different times. Proteins such as meats, eggs, cheese and cream should be eaten separately from carbohydrates such as whole grain breads, pastas and crackers.
Step 2
Wait 3 hours between eating protein meals and carbohydrate meals. This gives the digestive enzymes adequate time to break down either the proteins or carbohydrates for easy digestion for proper weight control.
Step 3
Remember when pairing vegetables with carbohydrates to use fat-free flavorings such as butter or dressings, and use whole or full fat flavorings when eating proteins. Vegetables can be eaten with both carbohydrates such as breads, pastas and brown rice, and proteins such as meats and cheeses. Options include spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and cabbage.
Step 4
Eat fresh fruit as a morning pre-breakfast food or as a mid-day snack.The thing to remember about fruit is that it is best eaten on an empty stomach. Fruit is almost effortless for the body to digest, but it does not mix well with other foods. Eat fruit and wait 20 to 30 minutes before eating other foods.
Step 5
Eliminate simple sugars and certain starches, says Suzanne Somers in her book, "Eat Great, Lose Weight." Starches such as white flour, white rice and white potatoes turn to glucose (sugar) upon digestion, and this excess moves from your blood cells to your fat cells. This includes junk foods such as chips and candy.
Step 6
Make a diet menu for 1 day consisting of 1/2 cup berries or fruit of your choice, wait 30 minutes and have 1 piece of toast with a fat-free spread. Follow this breakfast with lunch composed of 1 cup of whole grain pasta with 1/3 cup of fat-free tomato sauce with a side of 1/2 cup of green beans with herbs and spices of your choice. Dinner includes one piece of any meat such as chicken or fish and a side of 1/2 cup of vegetable such as spinach with 1 tbsp. of butter or cream sauce.
Tips and Warnings
- Drink water or herbal tea with every meal to eliminate unnecessary calories. A low-calorie dessert that goes with both protein and carbohydrates is sugar free Jell-O.
- Consult a doctor before beginning any diet program.
Things You'll Need
- 1/2 cup fruit
- 1 piece toast
- 1 tsp. far free spread
- 1 cup whole grain pasta
- 1/3 cup fat free tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup green beans
- herbs and spices
- 1 piece meat
- 1/2 cup vegetable
- 1 tbsp. butter or cream sauce
References
- Is There a Food Better Than Fruit?
- Suzanne Somers, Eat Great, Lose Weight: 1997
- Diet & Lifestyle Food Combining
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