Food-Combining 101
Breaking down what is food-combining and why I have been following its principles for so long
What is food-combining? This is one of the most common questions I hear when I tell people about the way I eat. With protein-ism, paleo-ism, and every -ism under the book running rampant on wellness tok and beyond, food-combining has remained surprisingly elusive. Yet, in my experience, it has been the most effective for my vitality. I’ve eaten this way for years ever since I came across Natalia Rose’s book The Raw Food Detox Diet. This led me to meeting my personal wellness guru, Gil Jacobs, a colonic therapist and expert on all-things detox. Since re-structuring the way I eat, I’ve experienced stable weight loss, better skin, more energy and just an overall better well-being. More so, as I get older, I feel how valuable my energy and chi is so important. The best part? I have not had to limit my portion size or calorie count. I’ve been able to enjoy a wide range of cuisines and foods while consistently detoxing a as long as I follow a few simple guidelines So how does it work? Read on.
CHOOSE A PROTEIN OR STARCH FOR EACH MEAL, BUT NOT BOTH
First things first. The concept of food combining is based on the premise that fruits, proteins and starches digest at different times. Improper food combining can cause gas, indigestion, bloating , weight gain and eventually speed the process of aging. If you eat a starch meal, it’s ideal to wait at least three hours after having a protein meal. The reason being, you want food to move through your body before adding more. Once we start to have food back up in our digestive system, things begin to ferment and create gas and dis-ease. Protein takes longer to digest, so ideally you would wait 6 hours or longer. (This is why I prefer to have protein at dinner only since the next time I’ll be eating is the next day.) That means, yes you can have carbs (sprouted or fermented are best but white basmati rice or jasmine rice is not nearly as offensive as we’re led to believe–just as long as you pair it with vegetables and not a protein like salmon. One of my favorite ways to order at a restaurant is a big salad (double order at times) with lemon and olive oil, all the veggie sides as a main and one grain, whether it’s gluten-free pasta, quinoa or a side of rice. If you’re a carnivore, you can keep your grass-fed steaks, just pair them with non-starchy vegetables like spinach or broccoli rabe and nix the potato. They mean it when they call meat and potato meals “stick-to-your-ribs meals.” So, in order to aid digestion and expedite the process of food leaving the body, you should never mix food groups, which brings me to the next principle.
