Food combining is a nutrition approach that enables our bodies to better absorb all the vitamins and minerals from different types of food, and as a result of combining the right food you optimize your digestion. This way you can feel light and full of energy after every meal because the body is able to benefit from all the nutrients present in different foods. Your body will use all the nutrition in your food and you will be able to use your energy for anything you want, and not only for digesting the latest 'heavy' meal.
Food combining is about choosing the types of food we consume together in a single meal. Every food group causes the secretion of different gastric juices and digestive enzymes which may not necessarily be complementary.
Carbohydrates need about 3 to 4 hours to digest and they require an alkaline environment, whereas proteins stay in our digestive system for about 4 to 6 hours and prefer an acidic environment. Therefore, one of the most vital principles is not to combine carbohydrates and protein in a single meal because during digestion the environment is being neutralized again and again, digestion time is prolonged and the nutritional value of the meal remains only partially used or even completely unused. It requires a lot more energy from our body to digest such a meal, often accompanied by feelings of fatigue, tiredness, bloating, gassiness or other intestinal issues since the consumed food starts to decay. Even unclear skin and acne are often connected with improper food combining.
The fastest food to digest is fruit which keeps our digestion busy from 15 to 45 minutes, therefore it is advisable that we eat only fruit on an empty stomach (ideally for breakfast) or that we combine it with only green leafy vegetables. The exceptions are watermelon and cantaloupe as they can't be combined with anything. Therefore, it is not advisable to have fresh fruit for dessert. Eaten after a meal, the whole meal requires a longer time to digest and fruit actually starts to rot on top of it.
Basic guidelines
1. Eat fruit individually on an empty stomach.
2. Do not combine carbohydrates and protein in the same meal.
3. You may combine carbohydrates, and protein with non-starchy vegetables.
4. You may combine different types of carbohydrates, but not different types of protein.
5. Fats with carbohydrates are a good combination and in smaller amounts you may combine them with protein as well.
6. Leave a 3 to 4 hour difference between the main meals.
Categorizing food in food combining:
*legumes (except soy) are considered to be carbohydrates in food combining although they are also a very rich source of protein.
How simple is food combining in practice:
Breakfast:
Fruit
Fruit and vegetable smoothie
Brunch:
Avocado toast
Hummus with fresh vegetables
Dessert:
Nut butter smoothie
Avocado cocoa pudding
Lunch / dinner:
Baked sweet potato with mixed vegetables + arugula and avocado
Toasted tempeh with Swiss chard or spinach + green salad
Minestrone soup with chickpeas and Italian herbs
Kitchari with lentils
Asparagus and zucchini risotto with plant-based cream + green salad
Curry baked broccoli, cauliflower and hokkaido pumpkin + yogurt and cucumber dressing
Rich salad with kale, quinoa, hokkaido pumpkin, avocado and hemp seeds
Salad with red radicchio, sauerkraut and toasted tempeh or tofu
Let’s be aware of what we plate together in our next meal so that we can have plenty of creative energy to enjoy many lovely moments without a bloated belly.
For more thorough research turn to:
Shelton. Food Combining Made Easy (1951).
Young. The pH Miracle (2002).
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