Digesting food requires so much energy from the human body and so making our digestion as quick and efficient as possible is key!
Food Combining can really be quite simple. You want to stick to just one dense food at each meal and then fill the rest of your plate with raw and cooked non-starchy vegetables.
The large majority of your diet (50-60%) should be high-water content, fresh fruit and vegetables, as these provide quick energy, body building nutrients, enough water, fibre and alkaline mineral salts to assist the body in cleansing and detoxification. The remaining portion of the diet (40%) should be comprised of dense foods: seeds, grains, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, ocean fish, organic poultry and lean grass-fed red meats (if you choose to include them in your diet).
Many individuals overeat because they have a wide variety of foods during a single meal. By creating simple meals based on the Food Combining principles, the digestive system doesn’t have to be overworked in one sitting avoiding uncomfortable feelings such as bloating, indigestion, heart burn, feeling tired after a meal, etc.
You’re choosing one category: High Starch OR High Protein OR Nuts, Seeds and Dried Fruit and pairing with raw and cooked non-starchy vegetables.
High Starch Foods:
- Butternut Squash
- Acorn Squash
- Sweet Potatoes + Yams
- Avocados
- White Potatoes
- Wheat, Barley + Rye
- Oats, Buckwheat
- Quinoa + Amaranth
- Millet + Spelt
- Pasta + Cereal
- Cooked Corn
- Beans + Lentils
High Protein:
- Grass-fed Red Meat
- Organic Poultry
- Ocean Fish
- Yogurt
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Milk
- Ice Cream
Nuts, Seeds + Dried Fruit:
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- Brazil Nuts
- Macadamia Nuts
- Cashews
- Hazelnuts
- Sesame Seeds
- Sunflower Seeds
- Hemp Hearts
- Chia + Flax Seeds
- Dried Fruit
- Dried Coconut
Non-Starchy Vegetables:
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Bell Peppers
- Beets
- Brocoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Swiss Chard
- Cucumber
- Dandelion
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Green Beans
- Kale
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Okra
- Onion
- Parsley
- radishes
- Radicchio
- Spinach
- Sprouts
- Turnip
- Watercress
- Zucchini
Fruit is best eaten on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before other foods and not for 3 hours after other meals. Most fruit, however, can be paired with raw leafy greens in salads or smoothies without impeding digestion.
Exceptions:
- Bananas can be combined with other fresh fruit or with nuts, seeds and dried fruit
- Avocados can be combined with starches or with fresh fruit or with dried fruit