Food Combining

 FOOD COMBINING CAN IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

Food combining is a way of eating categories of food that can be digested together. Our stomach has particular digestive enzymes and acids that are used to break down only certain foods at a time. Like Fats need the enzyme Lipase, Protein need the enzyme Protease and Carbohydrates need Amylase in order to break them down into smaller forms.

When you properly combine your food, utilization of nutrients and elimination of waste in your body health is improved. When your intestinal tract cannot break down food completely, and you cannot eliminate toxins out of the body problems starts to form; this becomes the cause of the 3D's, Discomforts - Disorders - Dis-ease. Fermented particles pass through the blood stream and cause a breeding ground for bacteria and parasites to reside; the organ become overworked and daily functions become tough. Weight problems, elevated cholesterol and sugar levels, circulatory issues, inflammation, to name a few are all a signs of improper food combining. Combining foods that we eat correctly at every meal is a very important element to our health. Making a few simple changes in your eating habits can bring forth an enormous amount of positive effects later. Wouldn't you just love to be able to eat your favorite food without suffering with an extreme case of gas afterward?

The Simple Rules Of Food Combining... BUT WAIT! Before I go on, I want to encourage you to keep an open mind when you read the following information. A lot of what I'm going to put will Ex-Out a lot of your usual American dishes that you are accustomed to indulging in. But trust me as I speak from experience; you can still enjoy a lot of meals and improve your health at every mealtime.

The Basic Principles of Food Combining:

• Green Vegetables, Acidic Fruits, and Protein can be eaten together
• Green Vegetables, Starches and Fats can be eaten together
• Proteins and Starches / Fats and Proteins /Starches and Acidic Fruits should not be eaten together

The reasoning behind these basic rules as explained earlier is that each group of food needs a different enzyme to be broken down. Let me give you a brief description of each food category so you can better understand why the rules are such.

PROTEIN

Our bodies contain more protein than any other substance with the exception of water that is. It is the building block nutrient for our cells to develop into the various organs, tissues, glands... Protein can convert itself into fat which then can be used later as functional energy. Foods like beef, pork, fish, poultry, dairy, beans, nuts, soy and green leafy vegetables as well as some grains all fall in the protein category; whether it be a complete or incomplete form they all contain protein. Most of the foods listed are high concentrated foods and may be high in fat, meats for example all are high-concentration and fatty. The energy necessary to break down and eliminate protein can be a hard job on the body. So if the body utilizes most of its energy on the stomach then the body may become sluggish by the time the food reaches the intestines making elimination a problem. This is called constipation, a discomfort many of us suffer from. It can take up to 12 hours, sometimes more for meats to be broken down in the digestive system and if you consume too much protein in your diet you expose yourself to various kidney and liver disorders, cholesterol problems, weight gain and it can interfere with your absorption of vital vitamins & minerals. Now because proteins in any form may take a while to metabolize it is best to eat this last at every meal to avoid any digestive fermentation issues. A good rule to apply is to eat proteins during the day when your body is at its peak.

CARBOHYDRATES

Simple Carbs and Complex Carbs break down differently than proteins. They use a different enzyme and break down at different speeds. Sugary and Starchy foods all fall under the Carbohydrate group. Foods like fruits, grains, pasta, flour (not refined or bleached), some beans and some vegetables may fall under this group. Sugar slows down the digestion process, so keep this in mind when you're eating something that contains a protein and a starch together. Carbohydrates all can be converted into fat in the body and later used for energy. Simple Carbs can ferment when mixed with protein and the effect of combining the two can be foul-smelling gas or stool, bloating and even heart burn. Complex Carbs are the best type to carbohydrate to eat because they allow a slow and steady rate of sugar into the body for use. They provide dietary fiber and are full of vitamins and minerals. A good rule of thumb to take on when eating carbs is to eat complex carbs during the day when your body is at its peak to digest; eat simple carbs alone like fruits so it doesn't interfere with the digestion of any other dish.

FATS

Now fats are tricky because we cook oils with everything, especially proteins and this is a problem. Fats can lower the entire gastric tone more than fifty per cent. Fat depresses the action of the gastric glands by delaying the development of appetite juices and inhibiting the pouring out of the proper gastric juices for meats, nuts, eggs or other protein. So we can safely say we know not to mix fats with proteins. This means do not use cream, butter, oil, etc. with meat, eggs, cheese, nuts, etc. which we all do... So just be mindful of this when cooking. Plus some proteins have fat in them already, so depending on how that protein is cooked you will not need to add any oils.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Fruits come in 3 categories and this is important because being a simple carb this can become confusing at first, so special attention needs to be given when choosing fruits. The three groups are Acidic, Sub-Acidic and Sweet. Now sweet fruits should never be eaten with Acidic fruits, (Like banana and pineapple) but they can be combined with sub-acidic fruits (Like apples and bananas). Sweet fruits should not be combined with starchy foods like breads, muffins; crackers (Like prunes or dates) but can be mixed with sub-acidic and acidic fruits can (Like berries). This is why I say it's important to know what category each fruit falls in. Sour fruits (lemons, limes, or grapefruits) can be combined with other foods only if the other food is soured or fermented like cottage cheeses or yogurts.

Vegetables are the most flexible food to eat with all other foods. When eating concentrated proteins, eat non-starchy vegetables or ocean vegetables with your meals to achieve optimal digestion. Non-starchy vegetables and ocean vegetables digest well, so they go with anything: proteins, oils and butter, grains, starchy vegetables, lemons and limes, and soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds.

Non-Starchy Vegetables: Leafy greens, cabbage, celery, lettuces, green beans, garlic, fennel, broccoli, onions, chives, turnips, sprouts, red radish, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumber, beets, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, and bok-choy.

Starchy Vegetables: Acorn and butternut squash, lima beans, peas, corn, water chestnuts, artichokes and red skinned potatoes (because they have fewer sugars than other kinds of potatoes).

Steak and potatoes, tuna-noodle casserole, scrambled eggs with toast... these definitive American meals are also classic examples of why the Standard American Diet (SAD) is making us more prone to Dis-Comforts, Dis-Orders and Dis-Ease. Over time, the introduction of antibiotics, pasteurization and processed foods, along with a lifestyle of constant stress, has damaged our bodily systems. An unhealthy system can lead to fatigue, poor health and a digestive tract that functions inefficiently. Food combining is the little-known secret to eating that enhances your digestion to give you energy and to help you lose weight and keep it off!

In Conclusion: For starters try some of the above basic suggestions and see how it works for you. If you need further help combining your food properly contact my office and we can set up a visit to disguise better options for you.

DISCLAIMER:

Windows of Wellness provides educational support to individuals who want to improve their health. We give recommendations and information on nutrition to the best of our knowledge and abilities. An individual voluntarily accepts the information and services rendered from my articles for informational and educational purposes only. We do not claim to be medical health care professionals, or nutritionists.

Any changes that an individual makes to their life and the results of those changes, is their decision and responsibility. We do not recommended that any person stop using any prescribed medicine or other therapy that he/she may be using, without consulting with their doctor first. 

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