Do you know what foods pair well together and which do not? Food combinations are one of the more overlooked aspects of eating healthy. Food combinations significantly impact digestion and nutrient absorption. This blog post dives deep into proper food combinations and how they optimize your health.

When the body and the mind are in harmony, only then will there be an opportunity for proper spiritual developmet. Do not forget that the spiritual man is the first man. The mental man the second, and the physical man the third. Only when the second man and the third man are in harmony can there be a proper spiritual state.

-Dr. William Howard Hay

Digestion begins in the mouth, travels through the stomach, and small intestine, and it ends in the colon. The enzymes and acids in your stomach break food down into nutrients for your body to absorb.

Carbohydrates are 20% more concentrate than non-starchy foods. 

Different foods digest at different rates. Proteins and fat can take longer to digest. They require stronger stomach acid and enzymes to break them down. Fats are emulsified in the small intestine. Carbohydrates are broken down quickly. It seems simple enough, but each process requires different timing and chemicals. It’s important to have balanced meals to ensure your stomach can digest the food properly.

Animal protein is 20% more concentrated than plant based protein

Horrible Food Combinations

Some food combinations can lead to bloating and gas. Some combinations are blatantly awful such as pasta and beans. Proteins such as meat and starchy foods can be slower to digest and can lead to fermentation in the gut. Mixing acidic fruits (oranges, limes) with proteins and starches can also cause digestive issues because they have different digestion times and enzyme requirements. Another poor food combination is mixing dairy with fruit high in citric acid. It too can cause digestive discomfort. Being mindful of your food combinations and their impact on your digestion system is important.

The science of digestion

Proteins require a strong acid to be digested. Eating animal protein stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid. This activates the enzyme pepsin. The function of pepsin is to break up and digest the protein. Highly concentrated starchy foods and sugar neutralize the stronger acid. This can lead to incomplete digestion which can lead to physical discomfort- and audible objections.

Carbohydrates require an alkaline environment for proper digestion. Starches and sugars begin their digestion process in the mouth. An Enzyme called ptyalin will break down the carbs. This allows them to be fully digested in the small intestine.

Remember to chew your food thoroughly! The stomach’s normal acidity can’t break down the carbohydrates that didn’t get broken down by ptyalin from the saliva. Having meat or acidic fruits in the stomach at that time can lead to discomfort in the body.

It has been said that people who have been diagnosed with schitzoprenia were found to have fermintation of food in their intestines.

5 Easy Steps to Ensure Proper Digestion

1. Starches and sugars shouldn’t be combined with proteins and acidic acids in the same meal.
2. Veggies, salads, and fruit are to be a major part of the diet.
3. Fats, starches, and proteins should be consumed in small quantities.
4. Refined foods are a no-go. Unprocessed whole-grain starches are what should be consumed.
5. Your body needs time to digest food after you’ve eaten. Give your system a break.

Naturally occurring protein and starches

While there are natural occurrences of protein and starch in foods. High concentrations of starches and proteins do not occur naturally in nature. The carbohydrate that occurs naturally in meat is glycogen which doesn’t require strenuous digestion. While there are grains that contain protein, the protein isn’t in a concentrated form. Excluding legumes such as peas, beans, lentils, and nuts, nature has combined the protein and starches in proportions that are digested together perfectly.

Fun Fact: Did you know sprouting your  legumes makes the high percentage of protein and starch compatable and easily digestable? 

Conclusion

It’s our responsibility to eat foods that support our digestive health. We boost the body’s ability to extract nutrients from food when we eat well-balanced meals. Everybody is different. Experiment with different food combinations to see what works best for your body. Remember all things are possible, they are! The best is yet to come, and the goods are always in your favor. Take care!

-Aiyaken Sarai