Benefits Of Combining Food For Digestion

There just may be some truth to the saying, “you are what you eat”.  Our health and well-being are dependent upon what we consume on a daily basis.   Some real health benefits can be found in eating certain food combinations.

Perhaps you have never thought that you could be causing harm to your body by what foods you eat together.  If you eat the wrong combination of foods- for digestion, you can suffer consequences quickly in the way of bloating, constipation, gas, diarrhea, stomach aches and even headaches.  On down the road, you could have more serious effects such as irritable bowel syndrome, colon cancer, ulcers, blood sugar problems, eczema and other conditions also.

Perhaps you have been eating all of the necessary basic dietary recommendations, including five servings of fruits and vegetables, fiber, and even drinking sufficient water.  If you are eating the right things and continue to feel bad, perhaps you are eating the wrong combination of the right foods.  Change your habits of eating to eating food for digestion.

You digestive system is affected by each type of food you eat in a different way.  Each one requires a specific amount of time and specific enzymes to digest properly.  Certain combinations of foods can cause poor digestion and create a lot of digestive problems and pain.

Order of Meals

Eating food for digestion in a certain order will enhance the digestive process.  You should start your meal eating the foods which are easiest to digest working your through to the most difficult foods to digest.  Foods with more density, more solid than liquid, are the most difficult to digest.   This is a suggested order for consuming your meal based upon digestion time:

  • Beverages
  • Soups or fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Grains and starches
  • Meat, fish, beans, poultry

Each of the seven food groups are digested in a different manner.  It is important to know how to combine the food groups to enhance the digestive process by eating food for digestion.

Proteins –Proteins should be eaten in moderation.  Some proteins can take over 3 hours to digest completely.  There are 5 different categories of proteins and the body digests each one differently:

  • Grains
  • Beans
  • Dairy
  • Meats
  • Eggs and nuts

Grains and beans can be combined but the other types should not be combined with each other.  Consuming a large amount of protein can deplete your digestive juices.  Proteins are digested best when non-starchy vegetables are the only combination.

Starch–Proteins and acid fruit should not be combined with starches.

Sugars–It is not good to have a combination of starch and sugar or sugar and protein.

Fats–Avoid as many of the saturated fats as possible.

Fruits–Proteins and starches should not be combined with acid fruits.

Vegetables–Starchy vegetables require the most time to digest in the category of vegetables.

Non-starchy vegetables—Non-starchy vegetables can be combined with any of the other food groups.

Following these guidelines for optimal food combinations will greatly aid in the digestive process, which will also benefit your overall health and well-being.  Remember, it is how you eat the right foods that provide the greatest benefit.