March 4, 2018
Food combining is particularly important for those who suffer from digestive issues or who choose to eat in a way that best supports the digestive system.
The human digestive system is not designed and is unable to properly process mixtures of carbohydrates, proteins and fats all at the same time. When planning a meal, the following combinations are best for the digestive system to do its job of absorbing optimal amounts of nutrients and moving food through at an efficient rate.
How to Combine Foods to Heal and Enhance Digestion
DO Combine
- Vegetables with starches
- Fats with starches
- Starches with other starches
- Protein with Vegetables
- Eat simple meals with few ingredients. Less ingredients = Less digestive distress
AVOID Combining
- Fats with proteins (in large amounts!)
- Starches with proteins (in large amounts!)
- Multiple protein sources together
- Melons with anything else
- Sweet or dry fruit with nuts. (a small 150 calorie snack such as a bar or trail mix is OK, just try to avoid this combination as a meal)
- Fruit with any other food OR eat fruit right after a meal. Fruit as dessert leads to fermentation in the gut. It throws off your bacterial flora and it leads to indigestion and acid which over time damages the stomach and creates toxic buildup.
–> Let your stomach rest between meals. Do not eat on a stomach with half digested previous meal still sitting in it.
–> Eat loads of leafy greens and veggies which can neutralize some bad combos. Greens will rebalance your gut flora. They act as a buffer. Fruit and greens rebalanced my gut relatively quickly.
Once healthy, if you believe “all rules are there to be broken”, then “moderation is key” will be your favourite motto. Live your life and enjoy good food. Eat simple meals as often as possible and indulge on occasion. 80/20!
Good Digestion determines whether or not you are actually absorbing all the nutrients you are working hard to consume and it is so worth the effort of optimizing your gut health!
I hope this was helpful to you,
Love Bri!
