For the past several months, I’ve been following the most basic of food combining tenet. When I first read about it back in November, I didn’t tell anyone I was going to give this system a whirl. Probably because it was to be yet one more trial in a long series of attempts to find “the” approach to food that meshed best with my body.
By now, external results have kicked into a point where people are starting to ask a lot of questions (i.e. “you look so much thinner — what are you doing?”). But before my food combining primer, a disclaimer of “this is not medical or registered dietician information, follow on your own discretion, blah, blah, blah.”
Basic* Food Combining Rules
1) You may mix proteins and fats
2) You may mix carbs and veggies
3) Fruit should be eaten alone and on an empty stomach
4) Veggies can be mixed with all — proteins, fats and carbs
5) Space your meals, meaning you should wait at least two hours before switching from a carbs meal to a protein/fats one or from either one to fruit.
The easiest big no-no to keep in mind? Don’t mix fats and carbs or proteins and carbs.
Absolutely, at first I definitely had to put some thought into how/when/what to eat. But I was surprised at how quickly and easily I adapted. Maybe because I felt so much better so quickly. More on results in a minute; for now a sample menu to give you an idea of a typical day’s fare:
–first thing in the a.m.: big bowl of fruit, maybe mixed berries, a variety of citrus (orange/kiwi/grapefruit slices), etc.
–one to two hours later: bowl of whole grain cereal such as oatmeal with non-fat soy milk (I am lactose intolerant)
–two hours later: sometimes a snack such as nuts or a hard boiled egg if I know a protein/fat lunch is to follow, or I might roll into lunch
–lunch is usally some sort of protein/fat/veggie mix such as grilled chicken with roasted veggies and some organic dark chocolate with PB
–a few hours later I have another bowl of fruit
–two hours later it’s dinner time: maybe more protein/veggies or a carbs meals such as pasta with tomato sauce and veggies
The only few “problems” I have with this system are, 1) my produce bill can get pretty high per week, 2) I have developed a $12+/week organic dark chocolate habit, and 3) sometimes I “run out of time” to eat something else at the end of the day, but then I figure it’s better to go to bed on a light stomach anyway, and that there will be more food tomorrow.
In any case, the payoff is worth it. Prior to food combining I felt as if my body really wasn’t digesting or accessing nutrients well. After certain meals (which I now know are horrible combos) I felt tired, muzzy-minded or even down-right irritable. I thought I had a lot of food allergies, so I avoided a lot of yummy, healthy foods such as whole wheat products like pasta, chocolate and tomatoes.
Once I started food combining though, I noticed a spike in mental clarity and mood stability. I slept sounder. I was able to add foods back into my diet that I had avoided for decades. Within two weeks, I had lost 3″ in bloat-factor. Since about mid-November, I’ve lost 8 pounds. Best of all? I haven’t really felt deprived or ravenously hungry.
Of course, there is more to it, but I don’t want to sound too infomercial-y today. Certainly, I will post more about it if there seems to be an interest via comments.
Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist
*Food combing can get very picky-detailed; there are several experts, each of whom propose their own level of rules to study/apply.