Weight loss, weight control, weight management, dieting, counting calories, burning fat, calorie restriction, keto diet, paleo diet by any name still takes you on a journey from where you are to a state of wanting something different for yourself. On this journey of losing weight (essentially body image control) there are many roads you can take, and this is where the fun begins because there is a plethora of roads to follow. This article is going to introduce you to the yellow brick road of food combining to hopefully give you another avenue to reach your end goal.
What Is Food Combining?
Simply put, the concept of food combining stems from the premise that certain foods are better eaten together while others are not due to the nature of the food and how foods are processed by your gut for assimilation into your cells.
Where Does The Concept Of Food-Combining Originate?
I was introduced to this style of eating 30 years ago when I chose to adopt a holistic lifestyle. A quick light search showed that in the Ayurvedic tradition of medicine this style of eating was used, and it went in and out of popularity from the mid-1800s to the current revival of this concept.
What Is The Purpose Of Food Combining?
When foods are combined properly, they digest better in your digestive tract thus minimizing the problem of creating gases and other negative effects that can cause gastric upset and maximize the benefit of breaking down the complex chemical structures to be assimilated into your cells. The science behind food combining considers acid and alkaline chemistry involved in the nature of foods and how your body handles this chemistry. In natural medicine the concept of proper food combining believes that in order to efficiently digest animal proteins, the stomach secretes a substance called pepsin which functions in a highly acidic medium, which is maintained for several hours to denature proteins into amino acids. When efficient, the hydrochloric acid secreted in your stomach kills pathogens ingested with your food.
Also, to efficiently digest carbohydrates such as grains (rice) or starches (potatoes) the enzyme ptyalin along with other enzymes secreted in the mouth by the salivary glands are alkaline in nature and begin the digestion process in the mouth accompanying the food into the stomach where the digestion of carbohydrates and starches are completed.
These two very distinct types of foods require the two different sides of chemistry to extract the nutrients making them available to your cells. The problem arises because an acid and an alkaline (base) when mixed will neutralize each other. The problem with that is the food will not be digested properly causing fermentation, putrefaction of the contents rendering them practically useless and also giving rise to bacterial and other pathogenic growth (acid needed to sanitize) which can progress into different health concerns such as bloating, flatulence, colitis, heartburn, constipation and more. Therefore, the reason to engage in proper food combination is to maximize your digestion and your health.
How Can This Concept Of Proper Food Combinations Help With Weight Management?
When food do not digest properly, it creates toxic by-products that can interfere with proper metabolic functioning. However, when food combining is followed this lends itself to eating more whole plant-based foods and caloric intake from more highly nutritious and less empty caloric foods. Also, food that is digested properly will have a better effect upon the metabolism and excretion of wastes products from the body maximizing the thermogenic effect of certain foods. Therefore, food combining helps a person eat more nutritious foods and get more out of the foods eaten, which in turn will support caloric intake management.
What Are Basic Principles of Food Combining?
The most basic principles are: 1) Eat animal products (acidic chemistry) with green non-starchy vegetables (neutral chemistry). 2) Eat carbohydrates/starches (alkaline chemistry) with non-starchy vegetables (neutral chemistry). 3) Eat most fruits alone, especially melons. 4) Fats depending upon the source can be eaten with acidic or alkaline foods, but not fruits.
Give food combining a try for weight management. If that is not your issue, try it for the sake of your health. For complete charts on food combining and acid/alkaline foods, you can visit: www.pathoflifehealing.com/education
This article is also featured in Your Health Magazine
