Advocates say that combining foods in certain ways reduces or eliminates gastrointestinal trouble by creating a digestive environment that favors the complete absorption of every available nutrient. The theory makes sense on the surface, but the actual practice is less clear. Different people have different methods of combining food, and many schools of thought are contradictory. No absolute evidence exists proving that food combination is beneficial; any benefits gained may be from a general diet change.
Carbohydrates
Some food combining theorists say that you should never eat fats or acids with starches, and that high starches like potatoes, cereals and breads should not be eaten with high proteins like meat, eggs or cheese. Carbohydrates break down into sugar in the body, and the presence of this sugar during digestion inhibits the formation of certain acids that are necessary to completely digest protein. The digestion of acids neutralizes the alkaline environment needed to digest carbohydrates, and fat makes the blood sugar spike after the digestion of starches. Other food combining approaches contradict this view, contending that starches and fats make good combinations.
Proteins
Many food combining practitioners claim that protein should not be eaten with fat, starches or acidic fruits, but internist Dr. Jeremy Kaslow recommends eating protein and fat together --- after all, most protein contains some fat, so the two are hard to separate. Proteins do, however, combine perfectly with nonstarchy vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli and leafy greens, and make a fair combination with mildly starchy vegetables, such as corn, peas and cauliflower.
Fats
According to Dr. Kaslow, not only is it okay to eat fat with protein, but it is necessary. He even goes further to recommend adding acid foods like citrus, apples and berries to the meal, which contradicts other food combining theorists. His theory is that acid food creates the appropriate acidic environment in the stomach that helps proteins digest completely. The opposing school of thought claims that fat is okay with starches and excellent with nonstarchy vegetables, but it should never be combined with protein or acidic fruits.
Fruits
Fruits are divided into four categories for the purposes of food combining. Acid fruits include citrus, pomegranate and most berries; subacid fruits include apples, mangoes, papaya, kiwi and plums; and sweet fruits include grapes, figs, bananas and raisins. Melons are their own category and are not to be combined with any other food according to most theorists, but some argue that they can be eaten with subacid fruits. In general, most practitioners agree that fruits should be eaten alone as their own meal and not between meals while other food is digesting. Sweet fruits and acid fruits are not to be eaten together because they digest in different environments. Many theorists specifically recommend against combining acidic fruit and protein, but Dr. Kaslow disagrees.
Vegetables
Vegetables are divided into mildly starchy vegetables, such as corn, peas, beets and carrots, and nonstarchy vegetables, such as leafy greens, garlic, squash and peppers. Most practitioners combine vegetables with any food except fruits, with the nonstarchy vegetables combining freely with protein, fats and carbohydrates. Bitter vegetables like garlic, onions and radishes should be eaten sparingly or avoided entirely.
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