Food Combining is the science of how different foods digest.
This can be contrary to all our menu combinations.
But when you understand that a protein takes more time to digest than a fruit or a starch, it will begin to make sense to you.
The goal of food combining is complete digestion and assimilation.
Complete digestion means – no gas!
Complete assimilation means you feel energized by what you eat and the food has turned into fuel, not fat or tiredness.
There are 4 basic food groups:
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Carbohydrate/Starch Foods
- Protein
A fruit will digest completely in the mouth while chewing.
A vegetable carries digestive enzyme that will digest in the stomach. The vegetable will also aid the digestion of either protein or carb/starch foods.
Starch Foods for example, rice, root vegetable (like potatoes), flour products (like bread and noodles) will digest 50% in the mouth and the other 50% in the stomach with the help of alkaline liquids like amylase and ptyalin, which are produced by the body.
Proteins, like nuts, meats,soy, cheese etc., need the longest time to digest in the stomach. This digestion process starts in the stomach with the help of hydrochloric acid.
The fact that fruits are completely digesting after they leave our mouth makes them the fastest to leave our stomach.
As long as they are eaten by themselves.
If you combine fruits to other food groups, fruits will start to ferment (bubbles=gas) in the stomach.
Therefor the rule is:
Always Eat Fruits by themselves.
As you can see protein and carbs have two very different digestive liquids that the body produces to break down. One is hydrochloric acid, the other alkaline. These fight each other in the same stomach.
Therefor rule#2:
Always eat starches and protein at completely different meal times. Do not mix together.
Have protein with veggies at lunch.
And eat carbs with veggies at dinner.
Examples of your meal planning can look like this:
Day 1
- Drink 8 glasses of water or herbal teas during the day. Preferably 20 min before meals.
- Breakfast: sauté kale and salmon (if you do not eat animal protein: substitute – but AVOID beans: they will give you gas and make the session unnecessarily uncomfortable)
- Lunch: quinoa and broccoli
- Dinner: Salad of mixed greens, tomatoes and olives. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
Should you get hungry in between meals: drink more water.
Day 2
- 8 glasses of water or herbal teas during the day. Drink 20 min before meals.
- Breakfast: saute spinach and chicken
- Lunch: cooked dark rice with cabbage and parsley
- Dinner: Salad of mixed greens, top with sauteed onions, bell peppers and mushrooms. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
Day 3
- 8 glasses of water or herbal teas during the day. Drink 20 min before meals.
- Breakfast: saute Chard and bison pattie
- Lunch: cooked quinoa and brussel sprouts
- Dinner: have yourself another happy salad: mixed greens, top with sauteed green beans and almond slivers. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
Da shopping list:
1 bunch of kale,
broccoli,
1/2 savoy or white cabbage,
chard,
parsley.
1 pound of green beans
1 bag of brussel sprouts
2 bags of mixed greens
1 bell pepper
1 onion
handful of mushrooms and olives
1 cup dark rice
1 pkg Quinoa
1/3 pound salmon
1/2 pound chicken
1/4 pound ground bison
Voila, Food Combining in a nutshell.