
Are you experiencing unexpected weight gain even though you are eating less? Have you been told this is a side effect of medicines or fibromyalgia? The culprit may be the way you consume traditional fare.
Many years ago, our ancestors worked hard at physical jobs and returned home each day to eat big meals of meat, breads, cheeses, and even sweets with no adverse effects. They had iron stomachs and digested everything. Our ancestors also had healthier inner ecosystems. A healthy inner ecosystem is made up of the friendly microflora (good bacteria) that reside in our intestines and keep us healthy and strong. A healthy inner ecosystem also means more beneficial microflora helping you digest the foods you eat.
Over time, the introduction of antibiotics, pasteurization and processed foods, along with a lifestyle of constant stress, has damaged our inner ecosystems. An unhealthy inner ecosystem can lead to fatigue, poor health and a digestive tract that functions inefficiently.
Trophology is the science of food combining to allow for optimal digestion, optimal absorption of nutrients and optimal expulsion of waste. Primarily chemistry, food combining explains how certain foods induce the necessary enzymatic secretions for proper digestion. When this chemistry is thrown out of balance by demanding that the body process incompatible food combinations, undigested food remains stagnant within the intestinal tract, leading to putrefaction, fermentation, overgrowth of bacteria and toxicity. This, in turn, leads to myriad illnesses, chronic conditions, food allergies, bloating, metabolic problems and the bulging and distorted body shapes we see everywhere these days.
Food combining is carefully selecting the foods that you eat together. It is a concept that was developed by a physician Dr William Hay (1866-1940) initially to overcome his own health problems. He then used it to cure a wide range of illnesses. In reality the concept is not new and can be found in the rituals of eating in many different civilizations. Part of today's high rate of chronic illness in westernized societies can be attributed to the loss of ritual in eating and not just in poor food content.
Food combining in a nutshell
- Carbohydrates (starches) should NEVER be eaten at the same time as protein.
- Carbohydrates are digested faster than proteins so the time between first eating carbohydrate and protein can be shorter than the time between first eating protein and then carbohydrate. The actual times will depend on the amounts and specific foods. One hour might be sufficient between a light carbohydrate entree and a protein based main course. Two hours might be sufficient after eating fish before eating carbohydrate but it will usually take at least three hours for the stomach to process meat.
- Fruits are better eaten on their own first thing in the morning. You might eat another food an hour or so later.
Using the food combining table
The Table below is taken from Hay's initial work. Some people have reinterpreted these but they are basically correct. The foods in the table refers to fresh unprocessed foods. The principle is that the foods in column one are incompatible with the foods in column three and should never be taken together. The food in column two are neutral and can be eaten alone or in combination with the foods in column one OR three. Note that fruits are best eaten alone. Also, fruits do not combine well and are best paired in their individual category. Run off this chart and hang it on your refrigerator.