Food Combining : A Potent Combination

On the surface you would think that going raw or vegan would solve all dietary or weight woes. Like you could just go on your merry way eating anything, in any way, that wasn’t restricted by that diet. But it doesn’t necessarily work that way. And it’s most likely that any problems that do ensue, come from really bad food combining.

Prominent doctors and nutritionists have studied the whole science of food combining. There are many charts out there reflecting their findings. The general consensus is that properly combining food, whether raw or vegan or vegetarian or omnivore, is essential to good health. This is due to the fact that digestive enzymes are essentially specialized, with a variety of digestive juices being secreted for the digestion of different kinds of food.

Some foods digest better in an alkaline environment and some in a more acidic one. Subsequently, eating foods at the right time in the order of how quickly they are digested allows for better absorption of nutrients and discourages internal ‘traffic jams’. Eaten in the wrong order, certain foods  ferment and cause gastric distress – never mind making you just feel generally exhausted from all the work going on inside your body. Proper food combining makes digestion more efficient. It makes you look and feel better too.

Starches + Proteins= Bad Food Combining

The biggest mistake most people make is combing starches and proteins. Big no-no. Starches such as grains and starchy veggies like potatoes and proteins like seeds, nuts and even protein powders, should never be eaten in combination. Here’s why: proteins need an acid environment to break down and starches need an alkaline one. The body is eager to make provisions but acid and alkali cancel each other out. They neutralize.

Oppressing digestive enzymes are fighting a losing battle; even with the stomach pitching in with additional digestive juices to help in breaking that food down and move it on through, they are neutralized over and over again. This means that the digestive process is taking hours – even days – longer than it should and using excessive amounts of our bodies energy for the process. It literally makes us tired.

And the food never is fully digested.

Food needs to be properly digested in order for us to reap its nutritional benefits. Instead this inefficiently digested food is  making its way through us at a snails pace, literally rotting as it plods its way through, contributing to a toxic internal environment that does nothing for looking or feeling ones best. It can take up to 40 hours for this stuff to weave its way through the swirl of intestines and while it’s there its not doing anyone any favors.

It’s S.A.D.

Ironically the protein/ starch combination is a huge Standard American Diet favorite; it’s the old standby. It’s the basis for almost every holiday dinner. And we’ve all seen the comatose aftermath of a big Thanksgiving dinner. Why the hell do you think everyone is watching football? They can’t move.

If you don’t combine these foods you will get a higher nutritional boost and your energy levels will improve as well. Otherwise you may as well be eating rocks. Conceivably you might actually absorb some minerals from those!

Fruit Paves The Way

Fruit breaks down more quickly than any other food. Because of this it should be eaten first or alone, on an empty stomach. With the exception of melon, it can be paired with raw greens  Because of its quick digestion you don’t want to eat it after foods that require longer digestive periods. It will end up sitting on top of everything else and fermenting. Fermentation would make everything else in that meal acidic when our goal is to maintain a highly alkaline environment. Vegetables happen to be alkaline foods; their digestion is easy and quick, the fiber literally serving as a broom, sweeping the  clingy sludge from our system. That’s one of the benefits of smoothies as opposed to juices: the fiber’s all intact.

Watch the Fat

Two starches can be mixed together and Plant proteins can be mixed too but throwing a bunch of fat into the mix is not the best idea, because fats can restrict the digestion of protein. Raw foodists – especially novices – can have a tendency to go crazy with the nuts and seeds and avocados. Not a great combination. Moderation needed there.

Generally for any given meal only one thing on your plate should be a concentrated food. This basically refers to any food that, unlike fruits and vegetables, does not contain significant amounts of water. Grains, nuts and seeds all fall into this category as do all starchy vegetables.

The Basics of Food Combining

• Melons stand alone
• Eat Fruit and Vegetables separately
• Vegetables and Protein can be eaten together
• Vegetables and Starches can be eaten together
• Proteins and Starches should be eaten separately
• Only one concentrated food on your plate at a time
• Drink water before or after a meal, not during

So there are the basics: the ‘nut shell’ version. Not that much to remember. But when you start eating with awareness and practicing good food combining,  you will truly experience a whole new level of wellness. You will feel like less of a slug. And it won’t be long before it’s all second nature. I promise.