Food Combining
one secret to vibrant health
with Lisa Spencer
Hello Paisano!
Many of you have been asking questions about some of the more E-nnoying things going on in your bod pod like bloating, gas, constipation, and all the other not so glamorous
things around digestion we’d rather not chat about at the dinner table. Those of you who’ve worked with me know that I am all about getting your digestion moving right
along..giddy up, so that you can feel amazing and lose weight more easily. I won’t go into all the yada yada here, but if you want more specifics visit my site and download
the free e-book I wrote 10 ways to Renovate your fabulous self.
Here I’m going to share about Food Combining as one way to create optimum digestion for more energy and A-list overall health.
Here’s the lowdown:
Certain foods have different transit times from entry to exit in our digestive tracts and require certain digestive enzymes and varying acid/alkaline conditions to optimize
nutrient absorbtion. When we combine food in certain ways, the traffic in our gut can transition in and out smoothly.
In other words; With food combining we negotiate the tummy traffic like a Porsche 911, rather than a VW Vanagon with a full kitchen and an old clutch. Capiche?
For some, the VW Vanagon is just fine, but for others the resulting grid lock shows up in the bod pod in its full glory as; foul farts, fermentation/rot, too much mucus,
constipation, partially digested food in your commode, and bloating that makes four days of PMS puff look like a vacation in the Bahamas. Fabulous.
Now, not everyone is sensitive to dense and complex food combinations. Perhaps you have the constitution of a gladiator and this concept will only make you feel restricted
and pissed off. If so, forget it!
While there are many respected wellness practitioners touting it, and who swear by its value, others think it is B.S. (boring & stupid, ‘course). So be a Curiously Conscious
Wellness Connoisseur. May I remind you once again, of my mantra?
I will not tell you exactly what to eat, but I will give you some guidelines and specific things to try that can have profound effects on how you feel and look if you listen to what
your body tells you when you try them. The end.
Food Combining is simply one way to give your body a break, by allowing digestion to be simplified. Healthy digestion sets the stage for a domino effect in your health and
weight loss goals. I have seen it do some astonishing things for my clients and I have my own revised version of it that works well for me.
Here is the low down and the crib notes. This chart is a simple and brief way to understand Food Combining so you can give it a whirl. It’s a little more gourmet magazine than
the earthy granola newsletter look so you won’t feel too sheepish whipping it out of your hand bag as needed. I know, it’s the designer in me. Presentation.
And as a final reminder. If this guide is a huge departure from how you eat now, just try it for a meal here and there. Be kind to your beautiful self, and just have fun with it!
So with all that said; want to try it?
Here you go:
FOOD COMBINING CHART
for a happy, healthy digestion
Starchy
Vegetables
Low & Non-Starchy
Sweet
Fruits
Grains
Vegetables
Sub-Acid
Fruits
Acid
Fruits
Melons
Proteins
and Fats
Starchy
Vegetables
Artichokes
Beets
Beans
Carrots
Corn
Jicama
Peas
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Hubbard Squash
Winter Squash
Banana Squash
Yams
It’s Simple: Combine where circles touch directly!
Low & Non-Starchy
Grains
Vegetables
Asparagus
Bell Pepper
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Celery
Chard
Chicory
Chives
Collards
Raw Corn
Cucumber
Endive
Escarole
Garlic
Green Beans
Kale
Leek
Lettuce
Onions
Parsley
Radish
Rhubarb
Spinach
Summer Squash
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Turnip
Turnip Greens
Watercress
Zucchini
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Quinoa
Millet
Oats
Rice
Spelt
Wheat and Flours
Proteins
and Fats
Meat
Fish
Foul
Olive Oil
Starchy
Flax
Seed Oil
Walnut Oil
Macadamia Nut Oil
Sesame Oil
Grape Seed Oil
Coconut Oil
Avocado
Beans
Eggs
Nuts
Flax Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Vegetables
Sweet
Fruits
Banana
Dates & Figs
All Dried Fruit
Persimmon
Prunes
Sweet Grapes
Sub-Acid
Fruits
Blueberries
Black Berries
Rasberries
Sweet Cherries
Sweet Apple
Sweet Berries
Apricot
Papaya
Pear
Mango
Fresh Figs
Sweet Peach
Sweet Plum
Lisa Spencer - Health & Weight Loss Coach CHC, AADP - insidebydesign.com
Acid
Fruits
Grapefruit
Orange
Lemon
Lime
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Sour Grapes
Cranberries
Sour Peach & Plum
Sour Apple
Sour Cherries
Strawberries
Melons
Cantaloupe
Crenshaw
Honeysdew
Muskmelon
Watermelon
8 BASIC THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT FOOD COMBINING
1. Protein and carbohydrate concentrated foods
Breakdown of protein requires an acid medium, and digestion of protein dense animal products requires high levels of
hydrochloric acid. Since digestion of carbohydrate dense foods requires an alkaline medium in orderto be broken down
high carbohydrate foods that have been mixed with high protein foods will not digestbut will sit there fermenting,
producingindigestion, bloating and gas. And since this fermentation of carbohydrates can inhibit the digestion of the
protein, more gas, bloating and discomfort will often be produced. This makes the typical American meal, composed of a
large hunk of meat along with potatoes and bread difficult for many people to digest.
Most protein foods are best digested when accompanied by a fresh green salad.Other concentrated proteinfoods like nuts
andseeds combine well with acid fruits such as oranges, pineapples blackberries, or strawberries. They also work fairly
well withsub-acid fruits such as apples, cherries, mangos, or peaches. The vitamin C in these fruits aids digestion of the
mixture.
2. Eating two concentrated proteins together
Each type of protein requires a specific character, strength and timing of digestive juice secretions. This means that for
steady digestion no two types of concentrated protein should be consumed together at a meal. Nuts, meat, eggs, cheese,
or other protein foods should not be eaten together. And no two types of animal protein should be eaten together, a
guideline that may be hard to swallow by the surf and turf crowd.
3. Fats
Fats and Oils combine with everythig except fruits, but should be used in limited amounts because while theywont inhibit
digestion, they will slow it down.
4. Acid Fruits with Carbohydrates
The enzyme in saliva that begins the breakdown of starch concentrated foods in the mouth does the importantjob of
convertingcomplex starch molecules into more simple sugars. In order to work, the enzyme requires a neutral or slightly
alkaline medium, the natural condition found in the mouth. When acid foods are eaten, the action of the enzyme needed
to break down starch is halted because the medium needed has been altered. So acid fruits should not be eaten at the
same meal as sweet fruits or otherstarches. This combination is what makes spaghetti and other dishes combining tomatoes
with starch so bloating.
5. Acid Fruits with Proteins
Oranges, tomatoes, lemons, pineapples and other acid fruits can be easily digested and produce no distress when eaten
away from starchy and protein foods. However, when included in a meal that contains a protein concentrated food, the
acid fruits can hamper protein digestion.
Lisa Spencer - Health & Weight Loss Coach CHC, AADP - insidebydesign.com
FOOD TRANSIT TIMES
Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-15 minutes
Juice . . . . . . . . . . . . .15-30 minutes
Fruit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-60 minutes
Melons . . . . . . . . . . . . .30-60 minutes
Sprouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 minutes
Wheatgrass Juice. . . . . 60-90 minutes
Most Vegetables. . . . . . . . . 1-2 Hours
Grains and Beans. . . . . . . . .1-2 Hours
Meat and Fish. . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Hours+
Shell Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Hours+
6. Starch and sugar
Eating starches that have been disguised as sweets is not the easiest way to digest starch. Although the sugar produces an abundance of saliva, the salivacontains none of the
enzyme needed to digest the starch because the sugar has turned the environment acidic. This is why such items as fruit filled Danish can settle on the digestive tract like a sack
of bricks. The carbohydrates are fermenting in the body, producing noxious gases.
7. Consuming melons
Melons digest best on their own. Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and the more exotic melons should be eaten away from mealtime and alone. Melons are meant to
decompose quickly in the digestive system, which is what they will do if there is no interfering with the process.
8. Consuming milk
Milk does not digest in the stomach, but in the duodenum, so the presence of milk in the stomach does not promote secretion of gastric juice. This is one reason many people
dont do well with milk. The use of acid fruits with milk does not cause any digestive difficulty, although the benefits of the antioxidant potential of the fruits may be lost due to
the affinity they have for the protein in milk.
Remember: Your body knows best what works. Food combining is a tool that works exceptionaly well for some people with digestive issues. Try it if you like, and
see how you feel!
Ok Paisanos!
So there you have it. A simple and friendly food-combining chart. Have fun with it!
Any Questions?
I’d love to connect with you! for weekly
inspiration, wellness knowledge,
revolutionary tips & recipes, visit
www.insidebydesign.com
To chat with me online, follow me on
twitter and like my Facebook Page.
Lisa Spencer is a certified health and weight loss coach,
a wellness educator, and a cleanse specialist, who helps men and
women find their own personal version of radiant
health, inside and out.
Lisa Spencer - Health & Weight Loss Coach CHC, AADP - insidebydesign.com