Learn which of our everyday food combinations are actually not good for us and get acquainted with the rules of balanced food combining for a healthy life.
1. Never eat carbs and acid foods at the same meal.
The first rule of healthy food combining says you should never eat carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, peas, beans, bananas, dates) at the same meal with lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, tomatoes or other sour fruit. The acids found in fruits interfere with the digestion of carbs and favor fermentation.
2. Never combine a concentrated protein with a concentrated carb.
Protein foods like nuts, meat, eggs or cheese shouldn’t be combined with bread, potatoes, pasta or other carbs. Different digestion processes apply in the case of proteins and carbohydrates and, when both foods are mixed in the stomach, the two processes interfere with each other. The rising acidity ultimately stops carbohydrate digestion and leads to fermentation.
3. Never eat two concentrated proteins at the same meal.
Another rule of healthy food combining is to avoid eating two concentrated proteins (nuts and meat, eggs and meat, cheese and nuts, cheese and eggs, etc) at the same meal. This is especially important in the case of milk, which, according to food combining experts, is best taken alone.
4. Do not eat proteins with fats.
You should also avoid combining fats like cream, butter or oil with meat, eggs, cheese or other proteins. Fats inhibit the secretion of the gastric juices needed for protein digestion.
5. Do not eat acid fruits with proteins.
An equally important food combining principle: do not mix acid fruits with meat or eggs (though you can mix them with protein fats like avocado, cheese or nuts). Contrary to popular belief, orange or grapefruit juice does not stimulate the digestion of proteins, but actually stalls it.
6. Do not mix starches and sugars.
Do not combine sugary treats (jellies, jams, honey, syrups, molasses) with bread or cake. Mixing sugar with starch results in fermentation. Tempting as they may be, food combinations like cakes with honey or syrup are potentially damaging to your health.
7. Eat a single concentrated starch food at a meal.
Another important food combining rule: do not mix two or more starch foods at the same meal. The actual motivation behind this is to discourage the over-consumption of starches, which can lead to fermentation.
See also:Easy Healthy Eating Habits“Healthy” Foods that Are Bad for You
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