Food Combining Diets can be used by all

The basic principle of proper food combining is to avoid eating protein and starch meals.  Starches, fats, green vegetables and sugars can be combined together in one meal, since they all require either an alkaline or a neutral medium for their digestion. Proteins, fats, green vegetables and acid fruits can be combined together since they need an acid or a neutral medium for digestion.  However, as a general rule, proteins and starches, or starches and acid fruits should not be eaten together.  This is because their digestive processes are chemically opposed so when they are eaten together they stress the system by producing fermentation, flatulence and indigestion.   However proteins and fats, or starches and fats, may be eaten together because their digestion does not interfere with each other.

There is one exception however.  Eggs and flour (protein and starch) when cooked together to form simple foods such as pancakes and bread, are quite permissible.  The reason for this is that the proteins and starches are chemically blended into an integrated food which can be properly digested.

Young and healthy people with a strong digestion and plenty of stomach acid may not be affected by protein/starch combinations. However, older people or individuals with a weak digestion can easily develop indigestion, particularly if food is not thoroughly chewed.  Most modern meals include protein and starch combinations – burgers and fries for example, or steak and chips. The potatoes ferment in the stomach and stress it while waiting for the meat (protein) to be digested.  When you eat a sweet dessert after a juicy steak, the sugar is held up in the stomach until the protein has been digested.  In the meantime, for three to five hours the sugars ferment and bloat causing indigestion and heartburn. Sugary desserts are best avoided.

Correct food combinations are regarded by many nutritionists as the simplest, most effective way to prevent such common problems as stomach acidity, heartburn, bloating, dyspepsia, headaches, allergies and nervousness. There is also evidence that correct food combinations can contribute to weight loss. Meals should be planned according to individual taste and tolerance, and correct food combining may be the key to easing long term digestive distress, and embarking on a new era of personal well-being.