I've had several inquires asking me to post information on digestive times when consuming basic food combining principals. Many of you have stated that you've been doing a bit of food combining already and have noticed improve energy and health with following this pattern.
Your digestive process can be as individual as your personality, and a number of factors depend on how food passes from your mouth to your esophagus, stomach, intestines and outside your body. If you are concerned you may not be digesting food as efficiently, understanding the typical time frame for your digestive process can help. Always speak to your physician if you are concerned you may not be digesting foods properly.
Depending on your individual digestive factors, the entire digestive process from eating food to excreting it via your stool can take between 24 and 72 hours, according to MayoClinic.com. Passing food from your stomach to your small intestine takes about six to eight hours. From there, the stool passes to your bowels, which includes the colon.
The following chart takes a look at the individual process of digesting certain foods.
Your digestive process can be as individual as your personality, and a number of factors depend on how food passes from your mouth to your esophagus, stomach, intestines and outside your body. If you are concerned you may not be digesting food as efficiently, understanding the typical time frame for your digestive process can help. Always speak to your physician if you are concerned you may not be digesting foods properly.
Depending on your individual digestive factors, the entire digestive process from eating food to excreting it via your stool can take between 24 and 72 hours, according to MayoClinic.com. Passing food from your stomach to your small intestine takes about six to eight hours. From there, the stool passes to your bowels, which includes the colon.
The following chart takes a look at the individual process of digesting certain foods.
Normal Digestive Times
Water - when stomach is empty, leaves immediately and goes into intestines.
Juices - Fruit vegetables, vegetable broth - 15 to 20 minutes.
Semi-liquid - (blended salad, vegetables or fruits) - 20 to 30 min.
Fruits
Watermelon - 20 min.digestion time.
Other melons - Canteloupe, Cranshaw, Honeydew etc. - 30 min.
Oranges, grapefruit, grapes - 30 min.
Apples, pears, peaches, cherries etc. - digest in 40 min.
Vegetables
Raw tossed salad vegetables - tomato, lettuces, cucumber, celery, red or green pepper, other succulent vegetables - 30 to 40 min. digestion.
Steamed or cooked vegetables
Leafy vegetables - escarole, spinach, kale, collards etc. - 40 min.
Zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, yellow squash, corn on cob - 45 min. digestion time
Root vegetables - carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips etc. - 50 min.
Semi-Concentrated Carbohydrates - Starches
Jerusalem artichokes, acorn & butternut squashes, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, chestnuts - 60 min.
Concentrated Carbohydrates - Grains
Brown rice, millet, buckwheat, cornmeal, oats (first 3 vegetables best) - 90 min.
Legumes & Beans - Lentils, limas, chick peas, peas, pigeon peas, kidney beans, etc. - 90 min.
Soy beans -120 min.
Seeds & Nuts
Seeds - Sunflower, pumpkin, pepita, sesame - 2 hours.
Nuts - Almonds, filberts, peanuts (raw), cashews, brazil, walnuts, pecans etc. - 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Dairy
Skim milk, cottage or low fat pot cheese or ricotta - approx. 90 min.
whole milk cottage cheese - 120 min.
whole milk hard cheese - 4 to 5 hours
Animal proteins
Egg yolk - 30 min.
Whole egg - 45 min.
Fish - cod, scrod, flounder, sole seafood - 30 min.
Fish - salmon, salmon trout, herring, (more fatty fish) - 45 min. to 60 min.
Chicken - 11/2 to 2 hours (without skin)
Turkey - 2 to 2 1/4 hours (without skin)
Beef, lamb - 3 to 4 hours
Pork - 41/2 to 5 hours
Now you have the tools to keep on combining and fend off hunger pains! When using food combining techniques it is good to eat approximately six small meals a day. This will keep your energy up and fend off irritability.
Water - when stomach is empty, leaves immediately and goes into intestines.
Juices - Fruit vegetables, vegetable broth - 15 to 20 minutes.
Semi-liquid - (blended salad, vegetables or fruits) - 20 to 30 min.
Fruits
Watermelon - 20 min.digestion time.
Other melons - Canteloupe, Cranshaw, Honeydew etc. - 30 min.
Oranges, grapefruit, grapes - 30 min.
Apples, pears, peaches, cherries etc. - digest in 40 min.
Vegetables
Raw tossed salad vegetables - tomato, lettuces, cucumber, celery, red or green pepper, other succulent vegetables - 30 to 40 min. digestion.
Steamed or cooked vegetables
Leafy vegetables - escarole, spinach, kale, collards etc. - 40 min.
Zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, yellow squash, corn on cob - 45 min. digestion time
Root vegetables - carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips etc. - 50 min.
Semi-Concentrated Carbohydrates - Starches
Jerusalem artichokes, acorn & butternut squashes, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, chestnuts - 60 min.
Concentrated Carbohydrates - Grains
Brown rice, millet, buckwheat, cornmeal, oats (first 3 vegetables best) - 90 min.
Legumes & Beans - Lentils, limas, chick peas, peas, pigeon peas, kidney beans, etc. - 90 min.
Soy beans -120 min.
Seeds & Nuts
Seeds - Sunflower, pumpkin, pepita, sesame - 2 hours.
Nuts - Almonds, filberts, peanuts (raw), cashews, brazil, walnuts, pecans etc. - 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Dairy
Skim milk, cottage or low fat pot cheese or ricotta - approx. 90 min.
whole milk cottage cheese - 120 min.
whole milk hard cheese - 4 to 5 hours
Animal proteins
Egg yolk - 30 min.
Whole egg - 45 min.
Fish - cod, scrod, flounder, sole seafood - 30 min.
Fish - salmon, salmon trout, herring, (more fatty fish) - 45 min. to 60 min.
Chicken - 11/2 to 2 hours (without skin)
Turkey - 2 to 2 1/4 hours (without skin)
Beef, lamb - 3 to 4 hours
Pork - 41/2 to 5 hours
Now you have the tools to keep on combining and fend off hunger pains! When using food combining techniques it is good to eat approximately six small meals a day. This will keep your energy up and fend off irritability.
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