Food Combining

Food Combining Basic Rules

1. Eat fruit on an empty stomach. Allow at least 15 minutes before consuming a main meal.

2. Don't mix foods high in proteins with foods high in starch.

Protein Foods
Proteins are not digested well if consumed with starchy foods. To be properly digested, proteins need acid in the stomach. Unlike starchy foods, proteins are not digested in the mouth, they are digested in the stomach when the stomach wall produces gastric acids.

Starchy Foods
When eating starchy foods, saliva helps to lubricate food and contains an enzyme known as amylase which splits complex carbohydrates into simpler components ready for further digestion.  Saliva is chemically known as alkaline, the opposite of acid. For starchy foods to be digested properly the food needs to remain in a fairly neutral state for up to an hour after being consumed.

If the stomach is too acidic it stops starchy food from being digested. Acids and alkalis cancel each other out.

There are plenty of charts available online. Here's one that gives you a good idea of protein / starchy foods.

It's quite simple when you look at it but there are a lot of cultural food combinations that don't fit into this theory. Granted we are all individuals and whats bad for one person may not be so bad for another person but there's no harm in helping our bodies cope better as opposed to overworking them.

We highly recommend - The Complete Book Of Food Combining by Kathryn Marsden, first published in 2000. The author has clearly researched the subject matter thoroughly and this is evident throughout the book.