With all of the new diets out there it's hard to tell fact from fiction. An upcoming popular topic is food combining. Have you heard of it? Food combining is when you pair your meals according to how well they digest together for optimal digestion. This is a great regime to follow if you are having digestion problems or feel you cannot metabolize certain foods well. Some of these may shock you! Remember, take this with a grain of salt, everyone's body is different. Below are a list of food-combinations that work well together and other's to stay away from (if you are looking to amp up your digestive system). There's also a handy food chart to help you remember! I like this image because it gives you the basics and makes things so much easier to understand.
YES: Carbs and Veggies: Starches also pair well with avocados
YES: Protein and Veggies: Protein is also said to be okay combined with dairy products. These take the longest to digest (3-4 hours).
Fruit: Fruit digests a lot quicker (about 2 hours) then other micronutrient food groups. It is recommended to only eat fruit by itself. This is why fruit is not best combined with starches and protein because it digests much quicker and can be blocked by other micronutrients that are taking longer to break-down. This could result in fermentation and rotting in the gut, causing digestive problems. It is recommended to have fruit in the morning on an empty stomach because it is easier to digest and then move on to the next food group for lunch and dinner. Food combining also breaks fruit down into three categories. It is recommended to eat fruit first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
NO: Protein and Carbs: This one is super hard to do, because let's be honest some of the yummiest foods are a combination of these two micronutrients (hamburgers, pizza!) This doesn't mean you can never have these options, it's just a suggestion to help aide your digestive system. Having these foods once a while is completely okay!
YES: Nuts and Veggies: Nuts also digest well with dried fruit and apparently bananas are the exception! Good thing, because I would not be able to live without my almond butter, banana bites!
The Exceptions: Oils, dressings, almond milk and dark chocolate. These are said to pair well with anything.
The recommended rule is that you wait about 3-4 hours before you switch to the next category.For fruit I would wait about an hour (since it digests much faster). If you get. hungry before this time, try to snack on veggies. If you feel like you are having digestive problems after particular meals, try this out! It may be the answer you are looking for to help you feel better and reach your goals.
I don't recommend following this diet religiously, none of this information has a ton of factual science based-evidence behind it, it is simply a suggestion that may help with digestive upsets or to apply it briefly to your diet. Some people swear by it and others do not see a difference! Doctor's have said that our bodies were made to digest a variety of foods together, especially when it comes to fruit, you need something to help counter balance all of the sugar. So just keep this is mind when deciding. It's all about how it makes you feel. I am mindful about this when I eat but I still enjoy my indulgences!I find for me, I feel better when I don't mix fruit with my oatmeal so this is a food combining aspect I have incorporated into my diet. If it doesn't make you feel good, don't do it.
Have you tried food combining? Let us know what you think.