Food combining is an eating plan that promotes digestion and can assist in weight loss... what could be better? Many diets out there specify the quantity of food to eat and require you to count calories, carbohydrates, fats, etc., but they disregard how you are consuming your food and how it can affect your body.
The basic concept of food combing is to consume certain food groups together while avoiding specific food combinations. The reason for this style of eating is that different foods get digested at different rates and require different digestive functions to assist in the process. When we eat incompatible food combinations the food only gets partially digested, leaving the rest of it to rot or ferment, which can cause gas, bloating, and poor digestion.
To grasp this concept better, here are a few of the basics of the food combining diet:
1. Eat protein with low and/or non starchy vegetables
2. Eat grains and starchy vegetables with non starchy vegetables
3. Eat fruit alone and on an empty stomach
4. Avoid eating protein and starch together (a.k.a no meat and potatoes)
5. Simpler is better- the less ingredients you add to your meal the better your digestion. Aim to eat meals with 5-6 ingredients.
Some additional points:
- When eating fats and oils, aim to make them organic and unrefined, such as extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil.
o Avoid eating too much of these fats with protein, because they can slow down digestion.
- Good protein fats to include are avocados, olives, nuts and seeds (except for peanuts and chestnuts which are starchy).
Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet, and many of the foods we eat, completely contradicts this idea: meat and potatoes, eggs and toast, turkey sandwich, chicken and rice, and the list goes on. So, switch up your meals and start incorporating some of these principles into your diet to help improve your digestion, health, and energy!
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