food combining

[Guest guest]

we were just talking about this recently, so i thought i'd post this

article from http://www.yogajournal.com/health/934_1.cfm?ctsrc=nldn

The Right Combination

Mixing too many foods at one time can trigger poor digestion. Here's

a practical guide to combining foods appropriately.

By Hale Sofia Schatz

If you've ever tried to practice yoga right after a meal, then you

know how uncomfortable your Downward-Facing Dogs and spinal twists

can feel with a full or bloated belly. Even if you've finished eating

several hours before stepping onto the mat, your body may still be

working to digest your last meal, which means less available energy

for your practice. To keep your body feeling light and vibrant, look

within—to your digestive tract.

The main reason we eat is to provide our bodies with the fuel we need

to live—fuel for walking, thinking,, making art, working, playing

with our children, and doing yoga. But the very act of digestion also

takes energy. You can assist your body's digestion before you even

take the first bite of food. If you think of the stomach as a blender

that purees food into a molecular soup, then what you eat together at

one time doesn't matter because it all gets mixed up anyway, right?

Wrong.

Different foods have different digestion times and require different

digestive enzymes. Therefore, eating too many kinds of foods at one

time—such as proteins with grains, fats, and sugars, a la the common

peanut butter and jelly sandwich—can result in difficult digestion.

Eating the appropriate food combinations not only helps improve

digestion, it can also increase energy, regulate elimination, and

help relieve depression, anxiety, and mood swings. And increased

physical energy means more vitality, clarity, and focus in all areas

of life. Although food combining isn't a panacea, it can ease

digestion so that energy flows through the body unimpeded.

We do yoga not just for the sake of physical results, but so those

results—a strong, supple, and receptive body—-give us greater access

to our spirit. Why should feeding ourselves be any different? Think

of food combining as food yoga. By keeping the core of our bodies

functioning with ease, we can access our inner selves more deeply

because less of our attention is diverted to the physical.

A Process of Elimination

How often do you actually think about the food that's being digested

by your body? Most of us think about digestion only when we suffer

indigestion—bloating, gas, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, and all

the other unpleasant symptoms that quickly direct our attention to

our bellies. Yet the digestive tract is the center of the body—the

alchemical furnace in which what we eat is transmuted from separate

foods into the fuel our bodies and minds need. The next time you eat

something, think about when your food actually becomes you.

The digestive tract has three basic functions: The stomach separates

the food into smaller parts, the small intestine completes the

breakdown and assimilates nutrients to supply to the rest of the

body, and the large intestine eventually eliminates any remaining

waste. Keeping this system in good working order is essential to

overall health and vitality.

Digestive problems can arise as we age, undergo stress, eat too

quickly or on the run, or eat diets composed of refined and rich

foods, too much food, or foods eaten in complicated combinations.

Eventually, the proper flow of digestive juices slows down,

compromising the breakdown of foods in the stomach and small

intestine. Like any plumbing system, the digestive tract can erode or

get backed up, resulting in chronic diarrhea and/or constipation. If

elimination doesn't happen properly, we don't receive the nutrients

we need and toxic waste matter can remain in the system. This causes

us to feel uncomfortable and lethargic; the flow of life energy is

blocked.

The word digestion comes from the Latin for " separate " or " arrange. "

In fact, this is exactly what happens in the digestive tract:

Nutrients, in the form of molecules, are separated from food and

arranged through assimilation to provide energy for all the body's

internal organs. With food combining, you assist digestion by

separating and prearranging your food before it even lands in your

stomach.

Although medical research hasn't yet been done on the specific

benefits of food combining, this system, which has been around in

various forms since the 1930s, is based on the understanding that

eating foods in combinations that have compatible enzymes and

digestive times makes for easier and more complete digestion. High-

protein foods require the acidic medium of the stomach to be broken

down, whereas carbohydrates require the alkaline or neutral medium of

the small intestine. When high-protein and high-carbohydrate foods

are eaten together, digestion becomes more complicated, since the

transit time for carbohydrates is slowed by the breakdown of protein

in the stomach. If the breakdown is impeded, then the absorption of

nutrients and elimination also may become more difficult, with

undigested food particles remaining in the system. These undigested

particles can create allergens, bacterial imbalances, and other

disorders in the gastrointestinal tract.

A Simple Approach

In many aspects of life, with simplification comes less excess. The

same is true for the body. In a world obsessed with abundance and the

availability of every imaginable foodstuff 365 days a year, food

combining helps us simplify our food choices. The basic rule of thumb

is: The simpler the meal, the easier digestion will be. Simple meals,

moderate portions, and chewing food slowly and with an attitude of

reverence all help maintain easy digestion and free-flowing energy in

the body. It doesn't take long to get the hang of food combining with

these simple guidelines:

Fruits are the easiest and fastest foods to digest, and for that

reason should always be eaten separately from proteins, grains, and

vegetables. They are further classified into acid, subacid, sweet,

and melons—based on their levels of acid and sugar—and have their own

set of guidelines for combinations. Digestion time: 20 minutes to one

hour.

All vegetables can be combined with one another as well as with

proteins. For optimal digestive ease, it's best to combine only

nonstarchy and low-starch vegetables with grains. Digestion time: 30

minutes to two hours.

Grains can be eaten alone or combined with nonstarchy and low-starch

vegetables. Do not combine grains with protein or with starchy

vegetables. It's best to have only one type of grain at a meal, so

decide if you really want that hunk of bread or if it's worth waiting

for the rice. Digestion time: two to three hours.

Proteins can be eaten alone or combined with nonstarchy, low-starch,

and starchy vegetables. It's best to have only one type of protein at

a meal. Digestion time: two to four hours.

When selecting what to eat, consider not only the culinary appeal of

your choices but how your body will interpret the foods you are about

to ingest. Ask yourself: Will these foods fuel my body so it can be a

strong vehicle for my spirit, or will they slow me down? Feeding

yourself purposefully is like doing yoga off the mat: Each choice of

what and how to feed yourself is an opportunity to practice

awareness, compassion, and self-love.