FOOD COMBINING?!

If you’re anything like me then this whole food combining idea will be pretty much unheard of. Diets, cleanses and fads are shoved in our faces every single day but the concept of combining certain foods for certain benefits or results?

Not really something we hear of often.

I’ve been learning about food combining throughout my nutrition and natural health studies and its SO INTERESTING!

I am definitely a complete nerd, however, when it comes to natural health and the manipulation of food and things like this so perhaps you wont agree but bare with me!

Food combining, I think, is something we can all benefit from having knowledge of. Its not a diet, or a fad its simply a set of principles which apply to the foods we should and shouldn’t eat together, to avoid negative outcomes, or gain beneficial outcomes.

What I mean is, sometimes we eat foods and we get bloated, gassy, we feel heavy or lethargic. Of course this could be related to intolerances etc, but it could also be related to the combinations of food we are eating.

Our bodies are SO smart and the way we digest foods is one of the most mind blowing processes within our body. Our body works on different foods, AKA fats, carbs or protein in different ways, releasing different enzymes along the foods journey down our gastrointestinal system to effectively break them down into the nutrients which are then absorbed for our bodies to use as fuel.

Because the processes of breaking down foods can be so different for different food groups, for example, the process of breaking down protein is very different to the process of breaking down carbs within our bodies. The combinations of certain foods can therefore create havock due to the differences required for digestion and these differences not interacting amazingly. These different processes take time, like HOURS, and if we are consistently loading up on food combinations which don’t digest well together, we can further slow this process down. This can lead to food sitting within our gastrointestinal system longer than is ideal, resulting in fermentation and issues with the breakdown of foods, which may present as the bloating, gas or lethargy we sometimes notice.

Some people have these symptoms so often after eating that they’ve almost deemed it normal or “just how their bodies are”.

Fortunately, this is WRONG.

Food combining principles are a great guide to follow to improve gut health and digestion and alleviate some of these unwanted symptoms – however, a quick disclaimer, like any other “rules” around food, it is important to follow them as needed, and as deemed appropriate. Don’t take these rules and live by them as if it were the bible, take it simply as knowledge to add to your knowledge bank around food, and apply where necessary.

Now that that’s out of the way, lets get onto the principles..

Protein and carbohydrates such as starches are a very common combination. A common example is a burger with meat and bread buns – we’ve all been there right? (If you haven’t, I cannot relate).

The digestion of protein requires an acidic environment, whereas carbohydrates require an alkaline environment.

So its Friday night, you’re keen to get amongst a burger, you pick up ya burger fuel order and begin to DEVOUR it.

You’re body is like ooh hello protein, let me just release the appropriate enzymes and generate an acidic environment to digest this appropriately.

Then its like, ooh hang on, carbs too? Okay I need to create an alkaline environment and produce a whole set of different enzymes to digest those bad boys.

So the body does just that. Acid and Alkaline solutions neutralise one another, which slows down the breakdown of each of these food groups, and ultimately slows down digestion. This burger then sits in our digestive tract for far longer than is ideal, it ferments and it might make us feel bloated, gassy or tired. Poor digestion can also lead to food particles ending up in our blood stream, because they haven’t been properly broken down, this leads to food sensitivities. This scenario of poor digestion can also feed the “un-friendly” bacteria in our gut which can result in a candida overgrowth within our gut, which we ALSO don’t want.

Soooo, how do we avoid this?

1) Eat Fruit Alone

Fruit is a simple sugar and actually digests rather rapidly, like I’m talking within 30 minutes. If we go and eat fruit with other foods like protein, which takes a lot longer to digest, were going to create a bit of a traffic jam within our gastrointestinal tract because these foods digest at such different rates. Fruit left sitting within the gut can ferment which as mentioned above, leaves us gassy, bloated and becomes a feast for the bad bacteria. So, as a general rule it is best to eat fruit alone, and not directly before or after meals.

HOWEVER, if you’re a big smoothie fan, do NOT fear. Blending foods is actually like pre-digesting them, it kind of takes a lot of the work away from our gut, so in this instance it is okay to combine fruit with say healthy fats, or protein and you shouldn’t experience any negative side effects.

2) Protein + Non-Starchy veges

As we discussed, protein needs an acidic environment in order to digest appropriately and because of this it means it is not best mates with carbohydrates which need an alkaline environment. Protein, therefore, is best eaten with non-starchy veges and not with carbs (the old body builder in me who ate protein and carbs at every meal is cringing). Think, protein with leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, cucumber, celery, capsicum… the list goes on! These veges are very rich in their own enzymes and do not require an alkaline environment to be digested so this makes them a great match for protein, HELLO FOOD COMBO HEAVEN!

3) Starches/Carbs + Healthy Fats + Veges

These three food groups all require the same alkaline environment for digestion, making them a great food combo! Think, a brown rice bowl with lots of veges cooked in coconut oil or soup with vegetable broth and mixed veges??! I feel like we’re getting the picture here…

4) Leafy greens and non-starchy veges are your new BFF

These foods are amazing and contain a lot of their own enzymes necessary for digestion. Because of this they can be paired with any food and you wont experience the dreaded gastrointestinal traffic jam!

5) Avoid water at meal times

Water dilutes the digestive enzymes released in response to foods. Dilution will only slow down the digestive process and so water is best drunk away from meal times. If you want to be an over-achiever, drinking a glass of lemon water or water with ACV (apple cider vinegar) 20 minutes before a meal will actually mimic our own stomach acid, and will help stimulate digestion, which enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of this process when you come to eat your meal = smooth sailing!

So basically, when In doubt, chose a single macronutrient and pair it with leafy greens or non-starchy veges and embrace a minimalist approach when it comes to meals!

Food combining has been a game changer for me in terms of feeling energised and fuelled after my meals, as opposed to sluggish and bloated. It has also been an integral part to keeping my gut healthy, which is something we all seem to be striving for these days!

I really, really hope I have portrayed this whole food combining concept in a way which is understandable and feels manageable. Such easy principles to follow, and can make a world of difference! I challenge you to try it out, even for just a couple of meals a week and see how you feel! I also encourage you to practice awareness around mealtimes to observe where you feel maybe your food combos aren't amazing and then perhaps tweak them next time to align with some of these principles!

Or just carry on with your life as you are, either way…

Happy food combining!!!!

Vaida xxxxx