I food combine most every meal and every day. It’s the one food secret I wish somebody had told me about way earlier. Before I met ‘food combining’ I wore stretchy pants because I was so bloated that people thought I was pregnant. Now, I fit into jeans I wore in college and feel more slender with curves I thought were long gone. Always a nice thing…
I’m convinced that food combining is the main reason why I feel so much better. I learned how to do it with The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D).
#1) Eat Fruit Alone on Empty Stomach
Fruit is cleansing, hydrating, and full of electrolytes and vitamins. It’s an alkaline-forming food that must be eaten on an empty stomach. The morning is typically the only time your stomach is truly empty and so the first thing in morning is the best time to eat fruit.
When you eat fruit late in the day, or with other food (like in the picture above) or have fruit after eating other food all day long. Or, with a sandwich at lunch. Or with fish for dinner. Then you might feel digestive discomfort like bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, etc. These uncomfortable and embarrassing issues may happen right away or will wait a few hours to pop up. Or, down for that matter 😉
Three exceptions to this rule:
- Acid/Sour Fruit (i.e. cranberries, grapefruit) combine well with pre-digested proteins (i.e. raw cheese, soaked seeds).
- Lemons combine well with animal protein (i.e. chicken, fish).
- Fruit combines well with fermented food (i.e. young coconut pudding, kefir)
If you’re confused, just eat fruit alone or leave it alone.
#2) Eat Animal Protein with Non-Starchy Vegetables
Animal protein (i.e. chicken, fish) needs an acidic environment to digest in. This food combines well with non-starchy veggies (i.e. kale, carrots).
- Fish with steamed spinach and cucumber spears
- Chicken with kale salad and cauliflower soup
#3) Eat Starch with Starchy/Non-Starchy Vegetables
Starches need an alkaline environment to digest in. They combine well with plant protein (i.e. nuts, beans), starchy veggies (i.e red potatoes, squash), or non-starchy veggies (i.e. lettuce, red peppers).
- Buckwheat pilaf with pinto beans and green salad
- Butternut squash with pumpkin seeds and broccoli
“Thanks for this Tara. It’s helpful to learn what worked for your family. Food combining is new territory for me.” ~ A.S. Montpelier, VT
Nerdy Part of Food Combining
Food Combining Chart
Nutritional Support with Tara
References
Gates, D. (2010). The Body Ecology Diet. Bogart, GA: B.E.D. Publications
Grant, D. & Joice, J. (1989). Food Combining For Health. Rochester, VT. Healing Arts Press
Marsden, K. (2005). The Complete Book of Food Combining. Great Britain: Piatkus
Meyerowitz, S. (2008). Food Combining and Digestion. Summertown, TN: Sproutman Publications
May all bellies be happy!
3 replies on “The Skinny on Food Combining”
This one may be easier to see more of the chart…https://www.happybellies.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/FCC.jpg
Yes I know. Any bigger and it becomes to easy for others to copy. Let me see if I can make it a tad bigger though. You are not the first to mention this!
Hi! Unfortunatly it is not posssible to se the food combining chart as a bigger picture than the small one on this page.