Secret of Food Combining

Another important rule for food combining is to avoid mixing carbohydrates and acid fruits in the same meal. The starch-splitting enzyme ptyalin in the saliva plays an important role as the food is chewed. It converts the complex starch molecules into simpler sugars. Ptyalin requires a neutral or slightly alkaline medium for proper functioning and this is the normal condition of the saliva in the mouth. However, when acid foods are taken, the action of ptyalin is halted. It is, therefore, necessary to avoid acid fruits in the same meal as sweet fruits or starches. Thus tomatoes should not be eaten with starches especially potatoes or bread.

Refined sugar products are also acidic, both in the mouth and in the bloodstream. The acidifying of the saliva by sucrose is one of the main causes of tooth decay. It can also cause severe damage to the digestion.

Food combining is designed to facilitate easier digestion. The chart in Table I, represents diagrammatically food combining rules in an easy-to-follow method. Accompanying this chart are the lists of food in their correct classification.

In a nutshell, starches, fats, green vegetables and sugars may be eaten together as they require either an alkaline or neutral medium for their digestion. Similarly, proteins, green vegetables and acid fruits may be eaten together as they require an acid or neutral medium for their digestion. But starches and proteins, fats and proteins and starches and acid fruits should not be eaten together as a general rule, if the best results are required from the ingestion of the food eaten. This in brief is the whole basis for successful food combination.

An important point to remember about meals is that the smaller the number of courses they consist of, the better it will be. They should approximate to a one-course meal as much as possible. Simple meals in every way are more conducive to health, than more elaborate ones, no matter how well they may be combined.

A meal consisting of proteins,carbohydrates and fats may remain in the stomach for six to seven hours before the stomach is emptied. If carbohydrates are eaten without proteins, they remain in the stomach for a relatively short period. A fruit meal remains in the stomach for even shorter time. It is advisable to eat these different foods at different meals - a fruit meal, a starch meal and a protein meal. The ideal practice is a fruit meal for breakfast, a starch meal with salad and non- starchy vegetables for lunch, and a protein meal with a salad and non-starchy vegetables for dinner.

Proteins :Nuts, seeds, soyabeans, cheese, eggs, poultry* meat*, fish*, yogurt.

Fats :Oils, olive, butter, margarine.

Starches :Whole cereals, peas, beans, lentils.

Vegetables :Leafy green vegetables, sprouted seeds, cabbage cauliflower,brocoli, green peas, celery, tomatoes, onions.

Sweet Fruits :Bananas, fits, custard apples, all-dried fruits, dates.

Sub-acid-fruits :Grapes, pears, apples, peaches, apricots, plums, fruits guavas, raspberries.

Acid fruits :Grapefruit, lemons, oranges, limes, pineapple, strawberries.

* Not recommended for good nutrition