Food Combining

 Food Combining for Gastrointestinal Health

In one end and out the other; simple as that, right? We wish. What happens along this twenty to twenty five feet of windy, folded up tube (GI tract), is key to our health. Its function determines our metabolism, energy, immune function, and general well being. In fact, our nutrition and GI health are the basis of functional medicine and the king of disease prevention and control. 

            Without getting too much into the gross anatomy and function of the GI tract, let’s focus on how we can get the most health from our food. But first, you should know a little about how your body processes food. Please note that digestion refers to the breakdown of food, not absorption.

  

The GI Tract

 Mouth

   Balanced

 • Initial breakdown of food

 • Begins digesting starches and fats

    Out of balance

• Poor chewing equals poor digestion and nutrient absorption 

 

Stomach

   Balanced

 • Sterilizes food with stomach acid

 • Further digests starches, proteins, and fats by breaking them down into a mushy goo  

 • Regulates flow of “goo” into the small intestines

    Out of balance

 • Without enough stomach acid, bad bacteria aren’t destroyed and digestive enzymes aren’t released

 • Stress reduces body’s focus on digestion and therefore allows for undigested food to pass through the tract.

 

Small intestine

   Balanced

 • Digests starches, proteins, and fats

 • Absorbs nutrients through complex systems

 • Delivers nutrients to liver

  Out of balance

 • There must be enough enzymes to digest the food, or proteins and fats won’t be broken down

 • Nutrients may not be absorbed (malabsorption) 

 

Large intestine

   Balanced

 • Digests fats

• Absorbs more nutrients

• Removes water

• Friendly bacteria produce energy and nutrients

• Excretes waste regularly  

  Out of balance

 • High ammonia production due to too much meat or fat

 • Bloating from too much starchy food or sweets

 • Decrease in friendly flora

 • Irregular bowel movements 

 

  

Indigestion is so common in today’s society that it is practically considered normal. People spend over two billion dollars each year on antacids! And sadly this is their main treatment strategy. 

             I don’t know about you, but I would rather treat the cause of my indigestion naturally than suppress and push symptoms deeper into the body with drugs.

            Correctly combining foods is the secret to proper digestion and metabolism. It is not a secret to our ancestors, but it is to most of us in the new age world of convenience and abundance. 

            Without complete digestion however, the nutrients in even the most wholesome food cannot be fully extracted and assimilated by the body. Incomplete digestion and inefficient metabolism are some of the main causes of fat and cholesterol accumulation in the body.

            Unfortunately, food combining is not a well known practice in the western culture, although many cultures, and of course animals, practice these habits instinctively. The information here is to educate you with some answers of why you may have indigestion, bloating, and other types of digestion problems.  

            Please do not get caught up in being the perfect food combiner, it can be very tough and confusing. But with a little practice and awareness you can save yourself a lot of discomfort, get the most out of your food, lose weight if you need to, and most importantly stop flooding the blood with waste bi-products from all the food that is spoiling in your gut from being combined wrong.

            Here are just the guidelines of food combining without the detailed explanations of why and or the science behind it. If your curiosity is enough to do more research on the subject, then you will find plenty online and in books, and I highly recommend doing your own research so you can become even more educated on the topic.

Why Food Combining Works and is ESSENTIAL for your health;

– It is a scientific fact that in order to initiate efficient digestion of any concentrated animal protein, the stomach must secrete pepsin. But it is also a fact that pepsin can function only in a highly acidic medium, which needs to be maintained for several hours to complete digestion of the proteins.

– An equally well recognized truth of science is that when you chew a piece of bread or potato or any other carbohydrate/starch, ptyalin and other alkaline juices are immediately secreted into the food by the saliva in the mouth. When swallowed, the alkalized starches require an alkaline medium in the stomach in order to complete digestion.

– So, in a nut shell, proteins need an acidic environment to be digested and starches need one that is alkaline. Unfortunately these two sets of juices have opposing effects and neutralize each other once in the stomach together. Now is where it gets messy, if you mix a protein and a starch in the same meal, neither of them will digest very well and you will have clumps of “stuff” that give off a lot of harmful bi-products and gases. Certain foods will actually rot in your gut and you will notice their bi-products as stinky gas, bloating, and more.

– On top of those two major NO NO’S, there are more combinations that you will find on the following pages to stay away from and to focus on.

 Digestion plays a key role in maintaining the body’s energy levels, immunity, sex drive, mental acuity, and is absolutely essential to our well being. Because most food cannot be broken down in its natural state and need to be converted into easily absorbable micro particles, our delivery mechanisms (how we eat, cook and store foods) are the secret to optimum health. Some of the more common disorders from poor delivery mechanisms are arthritis, asthma, allergies, chronic fatigue, aches and pains, poor memory and disorganized thoughts.

 Choose at least TWO agreeable categories for each meal, although a 3rd category can sometimes be added in low doses. See the box towards bottom of article to see proper combinations.

  

FRUITS	FILLERS	VEGGIES
In general, eat fruits by themselvesMelons do not go well with anythingSub-acid fruits go with either of the other fruits Sweet fruits do not go well with acid fruits In small doses, the more sour fruits can mix with proteins   Acid OrangeCranberryLemon Tamarind Lime Kiwi Pineapple StrawberryPomegranateTomato Kumquat Tangerine Grapefruit Sour fruits Sub-Acid AppleNectarineBlueberry Mango Pear Apricot Grape Mulberry CherryPeachTamarillo Papaya Plum Blackberry Guave Raspberry Sweet BananaDatePlantain Jackfruit Durian Dried fruits PersimmonCarobCherimoya fig Sapodilla Sugar apple Thompson grapes   Melons Cantaloupe Crenshaw Honeydew Watermelon Muskmelon	Fats are sometimes tolerable with starches or protein flesh if the fat is in a small amount It takes a lot of energy and acid to digest proteins, so mix them with non-starchy veggies for best results Carbs/Starches BreadPotatoesRice Pastas Wheat Parsnips RiceSquashGrains Yams J.Artichokes   Fats/Oils AvocadoButterAll oils CreamSeed oilSoy oil   Protein Flesh All  types of meatsEggs SeafoodChickenetc Protein Starch BeansPeasLentils Peanuts ChestnutsGrains   Protein Fat NutsSeedsOlives CheeseAvocadoYogurt	Non-starchy veggies mix very well with fillers while mildly starchy mix well with them.Fill your plate 80% with veggies to provide active enzymes that  aid in digestionStarchy veggies are considered carbs/starch (potatoes, etc.)   Non-Starchy everything else   Mildly Starchy ArtichokesBeetsCarrots Rutabaga Winter squash CauliflowerCornPeas Pumpkin Water chestnuts Sprouted grains

 

  The Basic Rules of Proper Food Combining:

*all of the following are essential for good health and nutrient absorption, but if you can only follow 5 rules, choose the first 5*

1. Do NOT eat protein foods and carbohydrate foods at the same meals . Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion while carbs/starches require the opposite.

2. Eat fruits alone on an empty stomach and wait 20–30 min before eating again; sour fruits can be eaten with proteins, as can other fruits depending on the amount of fruit and the person.

3. Have desserts and sugars by themselves as a whole meal, not after a meal

4. No cold water or liquids with meals, use 4oz warm tea or water,  kombucha or apple cider vinegar  as liquids to aid digestion, otherwise no liquid fifteen min before or until 60 min after meal.

5. Eat high fats and proteins at separate meals, or keep the fats to a very small amount. Some foods, especially nuts, are over 50% fat and require hours for digestion, and they slow all other digestion

6. Eat but one kind of protein food at a meal.

7. Eat proteins and acid foods at separate meals. The acids of acid foods inhibit the secretion of the digestive acids required for protein digestion. Undigested protein putrefies in bacterial decomposition and produces some potent poisons. A good exception is lemon juice, as it turns alkaline once in the body.

8. Milk; “drink it alone or leave it alone”

9. Eat sugars by themselves, unless you enjoy fermentation in your stomach

10. Dried Peas, Beans, and Soybeans; combine only with veggies.

11. Protein Fats: Avocado, olives, seeds and nuts (except peanuts and chestnuts, which are starches); Combine With: Non-starchy and ocean vegetables and sour fruits.

12. Fats and Oils Choose organic, unrefined and extra-virgin oils like flax seed, pumpkin seed, olive or coconut oils; Combine With: Vegetables, grains and protein. Avoid large amounts of fat with protein.

13. Avocados are best with salads and okay with sub-acid fruits or starches

14. Tomatoes are best with green & non-starchy veggies & protein FOOD GROUPS

15.Eat acids and starches at separate meals. Acids neutralize the alkaline medium required for starch digestion and the result is fermentation and indigestion.

  

FOOD COMBINING CHART

FOOD GROUPS	Protein Flesh	Protein Starch	Protein Fat	Fats	Starches	Fruits Acids	Fruits Subacid	Fruits Sweet	Veggies Starchy	Veggies non/low starch
Protein Flesh	Good	Poor	Poor	Fair	Poor	Fair*	Fair	Poor	Poor	Good
Protein Starch	Poor	Good	Poor	Poor	Poor	Fair*	Poor	Poor	Poor	Good
Protein Fat	Poor	Poor	Good	Poor	Poor	Fair*	Poor	Poor	Poor	Good
Fats	Fair*	Poor	Poor	Fair	Fair*	Fair	Fair	Fair	Fair	Good
Starches	Poor	Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Poor	Fair	Fair	Poor	Good
Fruits Acids	Fair*	Fair*	Fair*	Fair	Poor	Good	Good	Poor	Poor	Poor
Fruits Subacid	Fair*	Poor	Poor	Fair	Fair*	Good	Good	Good	Fair	Poor
Fruits Sweet	Poor	Poor	Poor	Fair	Fair*	Poor	Good	Good	Poor	Poor
Veggies Starchy	Poor	Poor	Poor	Fair	Poor	Poor	Fair	Poor	Good	Good
Veggies non/low starch	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Poor	Poor	Poor	Good	Good

 

 *Small amounts of fat or fruit

Please CONTACT ME FOR A NEW & NEVER-BEEN SEEN FOOD COMBINING CHART that unfortunately won’t fit in this blog.