Food Combining

I have followed food combining for a few years now and it has definitely changed my life for the better. I used to feel bloated after every meal, wondering why certain foods left me in such discomfort. I started eliminating diverse foods from my diet, but I would still feel bloated or constipated. My mother was a big fan of food combining and had been doing it for years. She kept telling me to try it out, but I simply loved my meals and didn’t want to change the way I ate.

I kept on believing that it was something else that made me feel this way until one day I felt completely exhausted and decided to give it a go.

So What is Food Combining?

Food combining is a way of eating that considers which foods can and cannot be combined and eaten together. The number one rule is that starches and proteins do not go together and that fruits need to be eaten on an empty stomach. Why is that?

Basically, all food we eat is broken down by enzymes in our gut to digest. However, our body utilizes different enzymes whether we are eating proteins or starches. The digestion of starches begins in our mouth, using an enzyme called amylase, which is found in our saliva. The starches are being broken down into components that are then easier to digest by the enzymes in our gut. Proteins, on the other hand, are only digested when reaching the stomach. As soon as they have been swallowed, the enzyme that digests protein (called pepsin) is being triggered by the acid that is being produced after swallowing. The thing is, as soon as the production of the acid and peptins begin, the digestion of starches cannot continue. This is because the acidity is too much to handle for the starch digestion that has already started in the mouth.

This means that if we eat starches and proteins together in one meal, the two different enzymes, that are meant to break down either the starch or the protein, are now “fighting” against each other. While the two different kinds of enzymes cancel each other out, your food digestion slows down immensely and all your energy is being spent on creating new enzymes.

Have you ever noticed feeling very tired after a big meal? Feeling like you have no energy and you wish you could just lay down? This might be because you are eating starches & proteins combined and your body requires too much energy to produce more enzymes in order to digest your food.

(I highly recommend reading the book by Kathryn Marsden, called The Complete Book of Food Combining, for more in depth detail.)

Also important to consider, is the time it takes our bodies to digest certain foods. For example, it takes our bodies approximately 20-30 minutes to digest fruits. Proteins on the other hand take at least multiple hours. Now imagine what happens if you have a meal, containing either or both starches and protein, and you are having fruits for dessert. Your body has just started to digest your starches and proteins by the time the fruit enters your body. The fruit that usually only takes around 30 minutes to digest, now sits on top of your food and is waiting for hours and hours until it can finally digest. What happens to fruit when it sits for a long time? It begins to decay and rot. I personally have noticed that if I have fruit after a meal, my stomach gets hard and heavily bloated.

So basically the two most important “rules”, are, again, to eat either starches or proteins, not both of them together, and to eat fruits before your meals.

I know all of this sounds difficult and also a bit odd, but it can make a huge difference for you if you have difficulties digesting foods. By adapting the “laws” of food combining, I have not only decreased my bloating, I have also started to lose weight thanks to optimal digestion.

How Do I Make Food Combining Work?

For every meal you either choose a protein, a starch or a fruit.

Legumes, like beans and lentils, can be combined with starches since they are rather starchy proteins. However, legumes tend to be difficult to digest for some people, because of their protein and starch components.

There are a few foods that are exceptions, meaning that they can be combined with anything. This is because they can be broken down and digested by any enzyme in your body.

These include: vegetables, fats (like butter, oils and avocado), bananas, coconut water, lemons & limes and plant milks.

Some people say that fats, such as avocado, pair better with starches than with proteins, but it depends on what works best for you. Same with nut butters. Some like eating oatmeal with peanut butter and feel completely fine, while others cannot digest both foods together. It truly depends on your digestion and how you feel the best.

Meal Examples

Protein + Vegetables

• Leafy greens with chicken breast & tahini dressing
• Grilled salmon with kale, avocado & lemon
• Steak with Broccolini & herb butter

Starches + Vegetables

• Quinoa salad with avocado, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, lime & olive oil
• Sweet potatoes with oven roasted vegetables & guacamole
• Buckwheat pasta with homemade pesto & string-beans

Fruits: You either have them by themselves or with some coconut yogurt, lime juice or cinnamon.

MY TIPS: Since starches are being digested much more rapidly than proteins, it is important to consume complex carbohydrates. Additionally, starches combined with fats will help us keep our blood sugar levels balanced out. For example, some people like having a bowl of fruit first thing in the morning. They then go on with their day and do not eat again until lunch. However, people who are sensitive when it comes to their blood sugar levels, maybe individuals who suffer from insulin resistance, cannot do that without crashing. I for example, start shaking if I eat fruits or simple sugars without any fat. So what I do is have my fruits right before a meal. This means you are still having your fruits on an empty stomach, but you will keep your blood sugar levels balanced with the meal that follows right after.

As I said, I never thought mixing foods was an issue for me, because deep down I simply did not want to change my eating behaviors. It is tough to give up spaghetti bolognese, bread with cheese and fries with steak, because these dishes taste great when eaten together. But I decided to try it and I am so, so glad I did. I, of course, occasionally eat foods without considering food combining, when invited to someone’s house for dinner or when I am simply craving a pizza. However, I am always looking forward to my own meals again, because I just feel so much better afterwards.

If you have difficulties digesting certain foods or you feel bloated after pretty much every meal, maybe food combining would work for you and is something you would like to try. If you are interested, please reach out to me and I will support you in understanding food combining a bit better and in creating a delicious meal plan. Maybe it isn’t for you, but there is a very high chance that you will feel much better and believe me, your body will thank you for it!