Food-combining diets work on the theory that foods digest more easily when eaten in certain combinations. Each type of food requires different enzymes and different levels of acid to break it down, explains nutritionist and food-combining expert Kathryn Marsden. Mix the wrong foods together, and you might neutralize those enzymes, creating a recipe for slow digestion and weight gain, she notes. Eat fruit and meat together, and you're likely to feel stomach cramps and experience intestinal gas, or mix pasta with meat sauce, and you might feel sluggish and gain weight, according to actress Marilu Henner, author of "Total Health Makeover." Check with your doctor to help you choose an appropriate diet for your needs.
Protein
You can combine protein -- beef, poultry, eggs and dairy products -- with fats, vegetables or both, Henner notes. Recommended combinations include vegetable omelets, beef and broccoli stir-fry, and chicken Caesar salad without croutons. Protein requires an acid medium for digestion. When you mix in a starch, such as pasta, which requires an alkaline medium, the acid and alkaline chemicals neutralize each other, allowing the mixture to ferment in your stomach, causing indigestion, Marsden warns.
Starches
Starches include bread, pasta, rice, grains, potatoes, corn and legumes. You can combine starches only with vegetables. To make this simple, think of these as two types of carbs that pair well together. You can enjoy vegetarian black bean chili with corn bread, pasta with tomatoes and basil or white beans smeared on pita chips. Avoid combining protein or fat with starches, recommends actress Suzanne Somers, author of "Eat Great, Lose Weight."
Fruit and Vegetables
Eat fruit separately from all other food types, as it is broken down in the intestines, not the stomach. Combining fruit with other food types will slow down its progression through your digestive tract, giving it time to rot and cause gas. You can combine vegetables with protein and fat, or with starches. Do not combine all four groups together, as carbs do not combine well with fat or protein. Recommended veggie meals include spinach sautéed with olive oil, Greek salad with low-fat feta cheese and vinaigrette dressing, and zucchini boats stuffed with taco meat.
Fat
Combine fat with vegetables, protein or both. Avoid combining fat with starches. Because many dairy foods contain fat, remember to stick to no-fat or low-fat dairy when combining with a starch, but any cheese is fine on your bun-less burger on a bed of greens. If you weigh more than you'd like, keep your fat consumption low and stick to the recommended food combinations to boost your metabolism, says Somers, who has authored nine food-combining recipe books.
References
- "Suzanne Somers' Eat Great, Lose Weight"; Suzanne Somers; 1999
- "Marilu Henner's Total Health Makeover"; Marilu Henner; 2001
- "Complete Book of Food Combining: A New, Easy-to-Use Guide to the Most Successful Diet Ever"; Kathryn Marsden; 2005
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