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The Food Combining Chart!

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Protein l Digestion & Absorption

Since proteins are used by the body for repairing and building cells, understanding how protein digestion and absorption work is essential. 

Carbohydrates, fats and proteins all pass through the digestive system at a different pace, are broken down into unique components and are absorbed into the body for use as fuel or to repair and build muscles, bones and organs. 

Let's take a look at what happens after we chew down proteins.. 

What does protein require to get absorbed/digested?  

Stomach acid (this will activate the enzymes; only IF activated in proper acidity/alkalinity balance - based on the foods you ate with your protein)

Enzymes, which break down food (called amino acids aka broken down protein!)

Where does this process take? 

In the stomach (Stomach acids activate a number of enzymes which start to soften the protein)

In the small intestine (these enzymes break down the protein into amino acids, which get absorbed through the wall of the small intestine into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body)

How to make this process work smoothly 

Since high protein foods take longer to digest, it's better to eat them at the end of your meal so they don't force other foods to remain in the stomach, slowing down the overall digestion process.

Raw vegetables! Aside from their long list of nutrition benefits, raw veggies contain a certain digestive enzyme that helps break down proteins (but making sure to chew them properly and slooowly or they will make you bloat).

Including a side of cultured/fermented veggies and coconut water can help with bringing the inner ecosystem back into balance(acid/alkaline) and improve the protein digestion. 

Do not eat proteins and starches together. Your body requires an acid base to digest proteins and an alkaline base to digest starches.

Separating Carbs & Proteins for Faster Digestion 

No - quinoa w/ beans; chicken with fries; tofu w/ noodles; spaghetti w/ meatballs; burger patty w/ bun 

Yes - quinoa w/ veggies; chicken w/ veggies; tofu w/ veggies;  pasta w/ veggies; burger patty w/ veggie salad :) 

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Every morning you have two choices; continue to sleep with your dreams, or wake up and chase them.

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A berry delicious friday about to start!

Starting the day right by being mindful of food combining for better nutrition absorption -- with some anti-oxidants and protein from blueberries and 1 cup of vegetable omelet breakfast. Skipping the carb in this meal, saving it for my “carbs only” breakfast #2 with oatmeal. 

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It's all about showing love to your organs by eating right, because what you eat matters! ;)

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@DigInn, a highly recommended place for lunch in the city! ;) they have great healthy tummy-friendly options!

Good tummy-friendly vegetarian items to try for lunch - quinoa, bugler wheat, couscous salad, eggs, sautéed/steamed veggies, lentils, tofu, brown rice etc. To avoid - potatoes, kidney beans, chick peas, refried beans, or fried anything during afternoon b/c they don't mix in well with the above proteins and will create tummy problems.  

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Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in.

Jim Rohn

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Food Combining l The Basics

Food combining is a topic which has gained increasing awareness in the last decade. It is recognized that the human stomach digests food at varying rates and by using different enzymes. Food combining is a topic which has gained increasing awareness in the last decade. It follows the simple idea that proteins and starches(carbs) should not be combined in the same meal, because they are digested by the body in different ways. Proteins like meat, chicken, or fish are broken down by acid gastric juices in the stomach, while starches(carbs) like bread, rice, and potatoes start to break down when they come into contact with the alkaline juices of the mouth. 

When protein and starches are eaten together the body becomes confused and can not produce the necessary enzymes, at the same time, to properly digest the food. If you’ve never experimented with this principle why not give it a try for the next few weeks and see if it doesn’t aid your digestion, kick start weight loss, (if that’s your goal) and increase your energy levels. 

Example : Imagine eating a meal that contains protein, carbs, fat, sugar, and dairy in one plate. Now imagine pouring a combination of gas, oil, alcohol, and sugar into the gas tank of your car. These blends will not burn efficiently, will provide little power and will quickly clog up the engine so badly that the entire system will eventually shut down. Same goes to our human organs. If we don't know that the nature of these foods may be opposed to each other, and we continue to eat them altogether, then eventually more diseases and problems will start to arise. Therefore, those who wish to nurture their lives must carefully avoid doing such damage to themselves. 

What happens when you combine both Protein/Starches together -- If a meal is consumed that contains both starches and proteins, digestion slows right down, and food remains in the digestive system for too long, encouraging fermentation, gas, and production of toxins. Over time, this can cause colon irregularities and illnesses. And it can cause weight gain and bloated looking stomach. 

Benefits of Food Combining :

Improve digestion (no bloating, heartburn or puffiness after eating a meal)

Aid the absorption of vital nutrients (important b/c some minerals are so delicate that their benefits die in few minutes after swallowing them in your food i.e. leafy greens)

Increase energy levels (because you were able to absorb the nutrients right away by eating the right type of food which digested quickly)

Balance body weight (because you will be able to get the toxins out of your system because it was able to digest properly at a quick speed)

Enhance your general well-being (digesting foods on time = absorbing their nutrients = a healthy and happy body!)

Weight loss (Food combining has regularly been used as a successful method of losing weight. Unlike diets, food combining encourages changing long-term eating habits, eating three good meals a day, and not restricting calorie intake. A ‘food combiner’ is not only combining food differently, they’re also eating different kinds of food, and may even be eating less food because of the practical constraints of eating to a set of rules. This helps them lose weight and maintain it for long-term.)

The Basic Rules to Follow in Food Combining

Rule 1 - Eat Fruit on an empty stomach and by itself. This can be first thing on a morning or between meals, but not combined with other foods, or as a dessert or in the middle of a meal. This is because fruit is digested a lot quicker than proteins or starches and requires less energy to digest. Combining fruit with other foods can lead to fermentation and purification.

Rule 2 - Do not combine proteins with starches in the same meal. Example - pasta with meatballs, omelet with french toast, chicken sandwich, paneer curry with naan. 

Rule 3 - Start every meal by eating greens first then move onto proteins or starches. Because greens take less time to digest in the stomach, therefore for full nutrition benefit, it's better to eat them first then move onto the heavy stuff in the plate while the vegetables already start to digest. 

(For proper digestion, start from the item that takes the least time to digest.)

****Protein can take up to 5 hours to digest

****Starches can take up to 3 hours to digest 

****Fruits can take up to 30 minutes to digest 

****Vegetables can take up to 15 minutes to digest

These are the basics to know about food combining. My future posts will go into more detail and explore the different food categories, foods, and the acid/alkaline balance. etc. 

Happy Food Combining! :) 

Henali

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Why Early Morning Workout is Better for You

Not every person is a morning person. 3 years of morning workout regimen later, it still takes a lot out of me to get myself out of bed for that 6am session. Getting yourself physically out of bed is probably the hardest part of sticking to morning workout routine. But once you discipline your mind to get out of bed for gym, you will experience some really cool stuff below happen to you daily that will motivate you to stick to your morning regimen and will fill your day with ten times more alertness, positivity, and a speedy metabolism! 

Exercising early in morning boosts your metabolism, which will help you burn calories all day long because you finished your exercise first thing after not eating for hours -- this lets you burn the fat and calories that were stored inside for a while, not just your last meal. This is one of the reasons why people who workout first thing in morning were able to reach their fitness goals faster than those who worked out during different time of the day. 

Exercising in the morning wakes up the body and energizes you throughout the day. 

Endorphins - these chemicals will start to flow first thing in the morning after your workout -- to help you "feel good" throughout the day and keep you motivated to make healthy choices during all your meals (woah, that's a given!). 

Studies have shown that exercising significantly increases mental acuity—a benefit that lasts four to ten hours after your workout ends. Exercising in the a.m. means you get to harness that brainpower, instead of wasting it while you’re snoozing.

Exercising first thing in the morning helps you get that one big thing out of the way before your mind realizes the day has already begun. This means you will be able to stick to your regimen easily and not have to skip a happy hour or feel guilty for not wanting to workout after having an exhausting work day. 

Now that's a lot of reasons to consider setting your alarm for early morning workout tomorrow! Start by small 10 to 20 mins workout in morning, then work your way up to however longer to help you reach your fitness goal. 

"Wake up with determination. Go to bed with Satisfaction"

No more Snoozing! Happy Gyming!

Henali

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Nutrition Tree