FOOD COMBINING GUIDELINES

The idea of food combining is based on the premises that fruits, proteins, and starches digest at different times. Improper food combining can lead to bloating, weight gain, waste retention, acid reflux, and indigestion. For example, animal protein requires hydrochloric acid to digest well and starches require an alkaline environment in the stomach. If we eat a starchy food in a meal without animal protein, the meal is much more easily digested because the body is being asked to break down just one concentrated type of food. By practicing food combining, we optimize digestion, and ease the level of work that the body has to do to digest what we eat.

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GUIDELINES FOR OPTIMAL DIGESTION: LIGHT TO HEAVY

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To aid digestion, structure your meals from light to heavy. With the idea of food combining, the lightest foods digest much faster (raw vegetable salads, raw fruits) than the heavier foods (animal protein, nuts, cooked starches etc). Some people find it helpful to eat a raw salad or cooked vegetables first before eating their main meal. Sometimes taking digestive enzymes helps the digestion process even further especially when you are tired, stressed, or would like to support your body in assimilating your food more fully.

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GENERAL FOOD COMBINING CHART

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Fresh Fruits: bananas, apples, melons, cherries etc

• Only eat with other fruits first thing in the morning on a empty stomach. To have fresh fruit with other food creates gas, acid reflux, and bloating.

• Allow 30 minutes to digest before eating i.e. starch, protein, nuts, vegetables.

• Melons and watermelons must be eaten on their own (do not mix with other kinds of fruit). All melons take 30 minutes to digest when eaten alone.

• Bananas and mangoes take about 40-45 minutes to digest.

• Avocados by themselves take 2 hours to digest.

• Avocados with salads with oil take 2.5 hours to digest.

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Proteins: eggs, chicken, lamb, turkey, fish, shellfish, cheese etc

•  Eat with all raw and cooked non starchy vegetables (no potatoes, cooked corn, beans/lentils, sweet potatoes, winter squash, yams etc).

• Spaghetti squash is ok to have with proteins.

• Allow 4 hours to digest before consuming a starchy food.​

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Nuts/Seeds/Dried Fruit: almonds, cashews, flaxseeds, chia seeds, all dried fruit etc

• Eat with all raw vegetables or bananas.

• Avocados combine well with dried fruit.

• Typically nuts/seeds can be combined with protein and cooked vegetables in small quantities. 

• Allow 3 hours to digest before eating from a different food group.

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Starches: all grains, avocados, cooked corn, beans/lentils, yams, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, winter squash 

•  Eat with raw and/or cooked vegetables.

• Allow 3 hours to digest before eating a protein​.

• Avocados by themselves take 2 hours to digest.

• Avocados with salads with oil take 2.5 hours to digest.

• Avocados also combine well with fresh fruit but not melons.

Neutral Foods:

• Ketchup, mustard, vinaigrettes, butter, maple syrup, honey, olive oil, coconut oil, spices, olives etc.

• Neutral foods can be combined with most foods.

• Maple syrup, honey, coconut oil, carob powder, chocolate, and spices can be combined with fruits usually without issue.

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TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND

​Limit your intake of liquids with meals, it helps with digestion.

• Fresh raw vegetable/fruit juices must be drank always on a empty stomach, ideally only in the morning before eating. Allow 20-25 minutes to digest before eating.

• Keep yourself upright for at least an hour after eating to help your stomach digest well.

• If you want to combine a protein with starch for example, its best to do it at the end of the day, and make it your last meal.

• Carbonated beverages including seltzer water and kombucha (even though the carbonation might natural) can lead to bloating and gas. 

• If you drink coffee/tea in the morning, have that first before having fresh raw vegetable/fruit juices (if you have raw juices that is).