I can’t diet, my younger self tried and failed often. Then magically I became my optimal healthy weight one day and I happily lived ever after…actually no, I discovered food combining and haven’t struggled with my weight since. Food combining also eliminates and reduces all of the following; acid reflux, bloating, constipation, weight loss and cellulite, certainly making this worth trying if you struggle with any of those.
I have a healthy appetite and have never been able to starve myself and count calories, so food combining on a mainly plant based diet works really well for me. Here are the main principles, there are a few more intricate “rules” but I don’t adhere to them too strictly…and I do cheat sometimes especially when we go out for a meal or to a dinner party. Life is just too short to stick to the rules all the time, right?
THESE ARE THE BASIC RULES OF FOOD COMBINING
1. Do not eat proteins and starches together. Your body requires an acid base to digest proteins and an alkaline base to digest starches. Proteins and starches combine well with green, leafy vegetables and non-starchy vegetables, but they do not combine well with each other.
2. Generally fruits should be eaten alone or with other fruits. If fruits seem too sweet, then eat a handful of nuts (80% fruit, 20% nuts). Fruits digest so quickly that by the time they reach your stomach, they are already partially digested. If they are combined with other foods, they will rot and ferment.
3. Melons digest faster than any other food. Therefore, you should never eat melons with any other food including other fruits. Always eat melons on their own.
4. Fats and oils combine with everything (except fruits) but should be used in limited amounts because while they wonāt inhibit digestion, they will slow it down.
5. Wait the following lengths of time between meals that donāt combine: a. Two hours after eating fruit. b. Three hours after eating starches. c. Four hours after eating proteins.
If this all seems too complicated…or vague, there are tons of downloadable charts that explain the above principles at a glance, and in more detail. Here is an excellent article from the extremely well respected Dr. Mercola on why food combing matters so much to our health
I recommend getting one that you can stick on your fridge for reference during cooking or meal planning. I will also be posting some more food combining recipes/meal ideas soon. In the meantime here is one of my favorite food combining meals to have, it’s so simple and all you need is a bit of time, approx. 45min to be precise:
Best Baked Potatoes
It’s no secret that I love potatoes, as a simple lunch meal I often have baked potatoes with salad, my favorite salads to combine with baked potatoes are coleslaw, or just a simple green salad with spinach, herbs, and a good salad dressing. This doesn’t even need a recipe as you can just add any other non-starchy veggies or salad ingredients to your salad. But the key to making this a delicious and satisfying meal is a perfectly cooked baked potato, here are my tips for the perfect baked potato.
– Use small to medium sized rather than large potatoes, they take half the time to cook. This way you can also have more of that delicious crispy and salty skin.
– Choose potatoes that are specifically best for baking.
– Prep your potatoes by washing them under running water and scrub them with a vegetable brush, dry them with a tea towel and then prick them once.
– Rub coconut oil over the whole surface of the skin and then salt them well on all sides. (This is the secret to the yummiest baked potatoes)
-Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for at least 45 minutes, or as high as your oven will go.
Voila, they are ready to be filled with your choice of salad once they are golden brown and can dent in to a firm press with a (brave) finger or (more sensible (utensil).
Until next time, happy cooking & food combining from the yoga kitchen with ā”
