Food Combining

Have you ever wondered why it is you can eat healthy nutritious food, and still feel bloated? Or like you’re just not getting the energy you need from your food? Struggling to lose weight even though you are eating ‘all the right things’?

If this is you, Food Combining might be for you!

Why Food Combining?

Did you know that how you combine your food – so what ingredients you put together in a meal or a dish – can make a difference? For digestion, weight loss, and the health of our gut? It might even be involved in reducing inflammation.

Many popular styles of eating involve completely removing a food group from our diet. Unless instructed to do so by a medical professional, removing an otherwise healthy food from your diet might not be the answer. Diets involving challenging restrictions can be hard to follow. They can also be potentially missing key nutrients for a healthy lifestyle. If you feel a particular food or food group is causing you grief, and you want to make a change. Before you remove it, consider what you are combining it with.

Synergistic & Functional Food Combining

This is based on the principles of Synergistic and Functional Food Combining. Synergistic food pairing is the theory that certain nutrients interact to amplify their combined health benefits. So what best to eat together. Conversely, Functional combining addresses what pairings to avoid.

The principles of Functional Food Combining do not declare these particular foods are bad for you and your health. Or that they do not have a role in a nutritious diet. What this theory indicates is a way to get the best nutritional value from food and avoid indigestion. To do so some foods are best consumed separately from specific other foods.

Synergistic Food Combining

Synergistic food combining is when some foods eaten together enhance the nutritional value! So even better eaten together then alone.

Some examples include:

• Turmeric & Black Pepper: When the curcumin in turmeric is combined with the piperine in pepper, it enhances the anti-inflammatory properties by 2000%!

• Broccoli & Tomatoes: When eaten together they are even higher in vitamin C the when consumed on their own! Cooking tomatoes in olive oil increases their nutritional benefit.

• Lemon & Spinach: The Vitamin C in lemons can increase the absorption of plant based iron sources like spinach.

• Kale & Avocado: Fat-soluble vitamins A,D,E, and K need fat to be absorbed properly. The monounsaturated fats in avocado can help with absorption of vitamin K in kale!

• Salmon & Bok Choy: The vitamin D in salmon when combined with the calcium in bok choy helps enhance calcium absorption, supporting strong bones and the reduction of risk of osteoporosis. Tip – mushroom are an excellent plant-based source of Vitamin D!

Functional Food Combining

Foods best eaten separately for better digestion.

Functional food combining is tool used to help heal the gut and aid in weight loss, by supporting digestion.

Some examples to avoid pairing:

• Protein & Starches: When included in the same meal can cause bloating or discomfort. Tip: Zucchini noodles and cauliflower rice are great non-starchy subs!

• Protein & Acidic Foods: Meats with acidic marinades or sauces might lead to indigestion. Tip: Swap seasonings like oregano, basil, paprika, and cayenne for marinades and sauces!

• Dairy Milk & Anything: If you drink dairy milk, it digests best on it’s own, before or after a meal. Worthy subs are nut, seed, or oat milk!

Food combining is an evolving science, and there is still a lot to be discovered. But before you get rid of a food completely, maybe consider swapping up how you pair it first?

Starting with Food Combining

Something to think about first: what food combining you are already doing? Are there certain foods you always eat together? Or specific flavours or combinations you eat on a regular basis?

At the heart of food combining is the practice of eating mindfully. This is different from the more common practice of following a set of pre designed rules or popular food trends. Eating mindfully involves the process of considering what you’re eating, when you are eating it, and how it makes you feel. It can be surprising to discover just how much knowledge we have regarding what foods and food combinations are the right fit.

Here are a few steps to get you started with food combining for your diet and lifestyle:

1. Are there any specific flavours or food combinations that work well for you, that already appear regularly in your diet?
2. Are there any flavour or food combinations that you don’t like and try to avoid?
3. Can you see any patterns where food combining might already show up in your diet?
4. Which resonates more with you, Synergistic (pairing foods together) or Functional (what foods to avoid pairing)?
5. Based on which category, Synergistic or Functional, select a food combination from the list above. If it is Synergistic, then two ingredients to pair together. If functional, then two that will appear apart. Choose one to explore and select a corresponding recipe (check out these great recipes here in my Anti-Inflammatory Food Guide!).
6. After you have tried your new meal, consider the following two questions;
   1.  How do you usually feel after eating? Did this make you feel any different?
   2.  Are there any strategies you learned from food combining you could continue to include in your eating habits?

Both Synergistic and Functional Food Combining are guides. Ultimately you are the best determinant of what foods work best for you!

For more information about Food Combining, check out these resources here and here.

Anti-Inflammatory Guide and Recipes!

Get some guidance here to use a food based approach to reducing inflammation. The guide includes lists of suggested food selections as well as some delicious recipes to get you started! Download your free copy here.