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Food Combining for Optimal Digestion*

Proper and complete assimilation of food is a result of the action of digestive enzymes, molecules that help break foods down into their smaller building blocks. When too many different types of foods are eaten at the same time, the body is unable to manufacture all of the multiple types of enzymes needed at once so some of our food is digested by the bacteria in our gut instead. This also happens when we combine foods that digest quickly with foods that take a longer time to digest.

Unfortunately, the bacteria in our intestines digest foods by fermentation, excreting toxic by-products such as ptomaines, leucomaines, alcohols, lactic acid, and carbon dioxide. Common symptoms of this pathological bacterial fermentation process include decreased nutrient assimilation, intestinal gas, abdominal pain, bloating, and heartburn. This process can be minimized or even prevented by what is referred to as food combining, intentionally eating foods in a certain order and in specific combinations.

Plan A - Guidelines For Individuals with Normal Digestion and No Serious Health Conditions

Salty and fermented foods should be eaten first.
Salty and fermented foods stimulate the production of gastric juices so they should be eaten first. For example, in many traditional diets a small amount of miso soup or pickled vegetables are eaten at the beginning of the meal to get the digestive process going.
 
Eat high-protein foods at the beginning of the meal.
Because high-protein foods take longer to digest and require lots of hydrochloric (stomach) acid to break them down, they should be eaten first. This ensures both that they enter the stomach before other foods have a chance to absorb the acid, and that the digestive enzymes can start working on them before the more-easily digested foods enter the intestines. High-protein foods include legumes, nuts, seeds, and animal products.
 
Proteins, fats and starches combine best with leafy green and non-starchy vegetables.
Always eat proteins, fats, and starches first, followed by generous amounts of green and non-starchy vegetables. The high fiber and easy digestibility of the vegetables will help move the other foods through the digestive tract before they have time to ferment.
 
Concentrated proteins digest more easily if they are eaten in small amounts.
Because they are so dense and take so long to digest, concentrated proteins are best when eaten in small portions. This is especially true of animal proteins which naturally contain saturated fats that slow their digestion down even further. The process of digestion will be slower yet if the animal proteins are deep fried, prepared with fatty sauces, or particularly high in fats (like bacon). Ideally you should minimize the consumption of fats and oils, especially in protein-rich meals.
 
Fruits and sweets should be eaten either alone or in small amounts at the end of a meal.
These types of carbohydrate-rich foods tend to be simple structurally and break down very quickly. When eaten with starches and proteins, which are more complicated and take longer to digest, the body tends to focuses on breaking down the simple carbohydrates first. Meanwhile, the starches and proteins sit and wait their turn and wind up being fermented by the bacteria in our guts instead. For those with normal digestion fruits and sweets are okay if combined with green and non-starchy vegetables. Still, for optimal digestion and assimilation, fruits and sweets should be eaten either alone or at the end of a meal.
 
Don't drink iced or excessive amounts of fluids with your food.
It is good to drink some fluids with meals because they help liquefy and dissolve your food, making it easier for your organs to handle and digest. If you drink too many fluids, however, they can actually dilute your hydrochloric acid and enzymes, inhibiting proper digestion. Ideally, eight ounces or less of fluids should be taken with a meal. As with most things, food dissolves better in warm liquids. When you drink iced beverages your body has to expend extra energy heating it up to a workable temperature. Iced drinks can also literally freeze the tissues of your stomach, making it less flexible and less able to squeeze and mix your food around.
 

Plan B - Additional Considerations For Individuals with Poor Digestion and/or Serious Health Conditions

Acidic fruits combine well with high-fat proteins and fats and oils.
Acidic fruits can actually help break down certain foods, especially proteins, making them more digestible. Marinating proteins like meat and beans with acid fruits or vinegar can help tenderize or predigest these foods, dismantling protein chains into simpler amino acids. Fats and oils also combine well with acidic fruits, such as in oil and lemon juice dressings.
 
Proteins and starches require different digestive enzymes.
Simplify the load on your organs and reduce the potential for bacterial fermentation by simplifying your meals.
 
Eat just one type of starch per meal.
Each type of starch requires different digestive enzymes to break them down. Improve your digestion of starches by eating just one per meal and combining them with plenty of green and non-starchy vegetables. Also, avoid combing grains with starchy vegetables like potato, beets, squash, or carrots.
 
Drink milk alone.
When milk is consumed with another food it tends to curdle around it, insulating it from digestion. Milk products that are already curdled (fermented), such as cheese and yogurt, do not cause this problem.
 
Fruit juices should only be taken between meals.
Unlike whole fruits, fruit juices do not contain fiber, meaning that they break down even faster. Because of this, they should only be taken two hours after a meal containing starch or four hours after a meal containing protein.
 
It is best to eat fruits alone.
Fruits digest the fastest of all the whole foods so they are best eaten alone. For those who could benefit from fruit's cleansing and detoxifying properties it is better to have one completely fruit or fruit-juice meal, preferably the first of the day, instead of eating them with other types of foods. Melons, in particular should always be eaten alone. For those with poor digestion and/or a serious health condition, melons should not even be combined with other types of fruits.
 

Plan C - For the Weak, Convalescent, or Chronically Ill

Eat one-pot meals.
For those who are particularly depleted, foods like soups and stews are ideal. Cooking foods in plenty of water on low heat over a long period of time is basically equivalent to predigestion, making these foods perfect for those who are weak and depleted. Nutrients are extracted but not lost because they stay in the pot and the tough fibers of vegetables are broken down. Another great benefit of eating this way is that the foods harmonize in the pot, making it easier for individuals to eat foods of different kinds at the same time. Because this method of cooking is so harmonizing, these meals need not be as restrictive and can even be made following the guidelines in Plan A.
 

In Conclusion

Different foods require different digestive enzymes and some foods digest very quickly while others take a long time. In order to prevent pathological bacterial fermentation in your intestines, eat foods either alone or combined with only one or two other types of foods. In general, you should keep your meals as simple as possible, with a limited number of ingredients, and you should always eat copious amounts of green and non-starchy vegetables with your proteins, starches, and fats. Protein should be eaten at the beginning of the meal and in small amounts while fruits and fruits juices are best eaten at the end of meals or between meals. For those who are very ill or convalescent, well-cooked one-pot meals are most ideal.

*From Paul Pitchford's Book, "Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition," one of the most comprehensive and interesting books ever written about nutrition.
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