One of the things that has changed my well-being drastically is the concept of food combining. It’s not a diet, it’s simply being mindful of the foods you pair in a meal for optimal digestion. I got into it after having my daughter because I was looking for a way to gently shed the excess baby weight I had gained during pregnancy. I didn’t eat less, I just paid attention to keeping my meals simple and well paired and within just two months I was almost back to my pre-baby body. Looking back, weightloss was only one of the side benefits, I immediately felt more energized, less bloated and inflamed within the first week of combining my meals properly.
Food combining is also what led me to go plantbased in the first place. I have never liked meat that much and have been vegetarian on and off. So when I had the choice between eating a salad and potatoes or a salad and a steak I would go with the potatoes 100% of the time. Choosing plant foods over animal foods also keeps the body in an alkaline state, because animal products are very acidic, heavy to digest and contribute to accelerated ageing and inflammation.
The concept of food combining is based on the theory that foods digest at different speeds using different enzymes, so while dense foods like proteins and starches take the longest to break down, vegetables and fruit pass through the body at a faster rate. By making this process as easy as possible for the body, we reduce bloating because the foods don’t sit on top of each other in our digestive tract and we feel more energized because the body has to use less energy to digest our meals. This way, we also give the body time to renew its cells and stay in a state of homeostasis which ultimately leads to less inflammation, slowed down ageing and less disease.
The concept of food combining can seem complicated at first, but it isn’t if you keep a few simple guidelines in mind:
- Don’t combine starches & protein
- Leafy greens and vegetables at EVERY meal, they pair well with everything
- Fruit on empty stomach
- Eat light to heavy
- Keep it simple
Starches and protein are both dense and take the body a while to digest, so by keeping them separate, you are doing your body the favor of making it use less energy to break them down.
Leafy greens and non-starch vegetables are considered neutral and go well with either proteins or starches. Also make sure to have greens with EVERY meal, as the enzymes in raw foods help break down the heavier cooked foods besides many more benefits. Aim for at least 2-4 cups of greens every day.
Fruit should be eaten on empty stomach. Fruit digests the fastest of all, which is why it’s best eaten first thing in the morning. Avoid eating fruit as a dessert, as it will sit on top of your slow digesting meal, putrefy and leave you bloated and heavy.
Eat light to heavy. Since I have been starting my days with green juice and fruit, I have noticed the biggest shift in energy. Keeping it light throughout the morning helps the body to stay in a state of detoxification longer instead of expending its energy to digest a heavy breakfast. And if you have animal protein, make sure to have it for dinner as it takes the longest of all foods for the body to break down.
Keep it simple. By keeping your meals simple, you do your body a huge favor, because it makes digestion so much easer. So remember, when in doubt and you forget anything of the above, keep it simple!
If you want to learn more about food combining these books are great resources:
The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder
The Raw Detox Diet by Natalia Rose
