What is Food Combining?

Food combining is not new, but with today’s fast paced way of life it can sometimes be hard to implement. The idea behind proper food combining is that better digestion and absorption of foods are obtained by combing certain foods in a meal.

Each food has its own rate of digestion and absorption. Foods are broken down into unique components; proteins, carbohydrates and fats. For optimum digestion, eating foods separately and allowing time for digestion is best. So many of us often grab take out and meals  and eat on the run.

The main principle of food combining is that starch foods and protein foods are not eaten at the same time.

Think about how you feel after you eat meat and potatoes, or turkey and potatoes? Do you often feel tired or sleepy? That’s because each food needs its own time and energy to digest. When you combine a starch and a protein it puts a much heavier load on your digestion and your body.

Food breaks down in different parts of the intestines, so it’s important to combine foods that will break down together. For example, if you eat some pumpkin seeds that break down in the stomach, and then you eat a piece of fruit, the following will happen. The fruit will get held up in the stomach with the seeds, it will start to ferment, and gas will result. The fruit, will therefore ‘rot’ before it can be absorbed and broken down.

Many people find that when they practice proper food combining they will have less gas, heartburn, fatigue and bloating.  Some even begin to lose weight.

Some basic rules for food combining are to eat fruits alone. Do not consume proteins and starches together; green vegetables go well with proteins or starches.

Check out this easy to read chart that will help you to know which foods work best with each other. And if you are stuck feel free to book a dietary consult with me so you we can figure out which foods are right for your body type, which will enable proper digestion, and optimal health.

One of my favourite salads is my Lentil Rice Olive Salad–