Thread: Should we combine foods?

What book? I've never read anything on that but I would be interested in reading.

I am sure there are many available, but his particular one is called Food Combining Made Easy by Herbert M. Shelton.

It was very interesting and insightful, he also talked about drinking a lot of water, and how that is bad when eating because it dilutes the gastric juices and makes it more difficult for digestion.

Originally posted by Prince

It was very interesting and insightful, he also talked about drinking a lot of water, and how that is bad when eating because it dilutes the gastric juices and makes it more difficult for digestion.

I have heard this but never got anywhere without comsuming vasts amounts of water. I heard this from a Mens health mag at the time and that was 3 years ago, i have far progressed since then without reading them.

I am not sure whether I agree with this food combining theory or not, some things made sense, but others just seemed very exaggerated.

That's why I started this thread, I was hoping to hear other opinions on it.

ive been wondering as well

its hard to eat just one macronutrient, unless your drinking oil, eating nothing but meat, and whatever pure carb food there is out there.

Here is the jist


Principles of Combining Foods Properly
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By Dr. Herbert M. Shelton
Reprinted from Dr. Shelton's Hygienic Review

There are sound physiological reasons for eating foods in compatible combinations. In other words, some foods, if mixed in the digestive system, will cause distress! The principles of food combining are dictated by digestive chemistry. Different foods are digested differently. Starchy foods require an alkaline digestive medium which is supplied initially in the mouth by the enzyme ptyalin. Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion- hydrochloric acid.

As any student of chemistry will assure you, acids and bases (alkalis) neutralize each other. If you eat a starch with a protein, digestion is impaired or completely arrested! The undigested food mass can cause various kinds of digestive disorders. Undigested food becomes soil for bacteria which ferment and decompose it. Its by products are poisonous, one of which, alcohol, is a narcotic that destroys or inhibits nerve function. It plays havoc with nerves of the digestive tract, suspending their vital action such that constipation may well be a result! As set forth in Dr. Herbert Shelton's FOOD COMBINING MADE EASY these are the salient rules for proper food combining.

The Basic Rules of Proper Food Combining:
1. Eat acids and starches at separate meals. Acids neutralize the alkaline medium required for starch digestion and the result is fermentation and indigestion.

2. Eat protein foods and carbohydrate foods at separate meals. Protein foods require an acid medium for digestion.

3. Eat but one kind of protein food at a meal.

4. Eat proteins and acid foods at separate meals. The acids of acid foods inhibit the secretion of the digestive acids required for protein digestion. Undigested protein putrefies in bacterial decomposition and produces some potent poisons.

5. Eat fats and proteins at separate meals. Some foods, especially nuts, are over 50% fat and require hours for digestion.

6. Eat sugars (fruits) and proteins at separate meals.

7. Eat sugars (fruits) and starchy foods at separate meals. Fruits undergo no digestion in the stomach and are held up if eaten with foods that require digestion in the stomach.

8. Eat melons alone. They combine with almost no other food.

9. Desert the desserts. Eaten on top of meals they lie heavy on the stomach, requiring no digestion there, and ferment. Bacteria turn them into alcohols and vinegars and acetic acids.

yup, that is a good summary of the book I read, the question is whether or not this makes sense???

I definitely feel it makes sense in terms of having a smooth flow GI tract. I feel as a standalone that this is a very sound theory. Unfortunately, I feel that when you take into consideration other things such as hormonal response it kinda loses it's weight.

Originally posted by Prince
yup, that is a good summary of the book I read, the question is whether or not this makes sense???

yeah it sounds good in theory, but i doubt it would really give you better gains. prob. would help avoid distress though.

Sorry, but it sounds like a load of crap to me. The human GI tract digests foods sequentially, not all at the same time.

Salivary amylase (starch digesting enzyme) starts things off in the mouth. This stops in the stomach when pepsin (protein digesting enzyme) takes over. Then in the duodenum, bile salts and other enzymes (can't be bothered to look all this up) digest fats. Then, in the small intestines, more carb digestion takes place (I think) and so on. Some enzymes work in acid conditions, some in alkaline and some almost neutral.

Millions of years of evolution or w.h.y. have resulted in us being able to eat animals (protein + fat) and nuts (protein + fat) and legumes (proteins + carbs) and so on. The only thing we have not evolved to eat is junk (carbs + fat).

Where's TCD when you need him? He knows all about this stuff.

If you get indigestion,it's usually because of poor food combining or too spicy.I agree with some of the above especially most fruits should be seperate by an hour except(depends on the fruit meaning apples,avo ok.And deserts are killerI wouldn't worry about the rest much though.I combine several proteins and carbs no problem as with most of us.
I definitely wouldn't eat melons with entree's etc.Bottom line,some people have stomachs of iron others are more sensitive.Find what works,
I'd also like to say that food tends to stratisfy in the stomach so it's better to mix it up while eating.They may have a point about carbs starches and proteins but hey if it digests no prob, doesn't seem too important.
I agree Prince it is an interesting read and something to consider when grindin away.
On a final note some fruits have digestive enzymes others don't.I'm referring to papain(papaya) and bromelin(pineapple).Avocado is high fat but works with anything.I don't think I'd have tomato with strawberries.Apple works with everything as well.I think alot of it is common sense.We don't eat Banana's with Broccoli,I don't anyway.Try it and see how you feel.Gotta tweak the diet to find the rough spots.

Originally posted by Nigeepoo
Sorry, but it sounds like a load of crap to me. The human GI tract digests foods sequentially, not all at the same time.

Salivary amylase (starch digesting enzyme) starts things off in the mouth. This stops in the stomach when pepsin (protein digesting enzyme) takes over. Then in the duodenum, bile salts and other enzymes (can't be bothered to look all this up) digest fats. Then, in the small intestines, more carb digestion takes place (I think) and so on. Some enzymes work in acid conditions, some in alkaline and some almost neutral.

Millions of years of evolution or w.h.y. have resulted in us being able to eat animals (protein + fat) and nuts (protein + fat) and legumes (proteins + carbs) and so on. The only thing we have not evolved to eat is junk (carbs + fat).

Where's TCD when you need him? He knows all about this stuff.

This is almost right on, except the final part. We have certainly evolved to eat carbs and fat (man did not eat on food source at a time).

What we have not evolved to eat is simple sugars (especially high fructose corn syrup), refined grains, and so on.

Berardi espouts the theory of not combining carbs and fats, but there is no science behind it, just unproven theory.

Pardon me. Sometimes I miss out words. There are many different types of carbs. I should have said junk (refined & high-GI carbs + fat).

But still common sense tells us not to combine certain foods.If you don't believe it try some experimenting.
I used to love beer and pizza but got tired of throwing up all the time.I guess beer isn't food though.Spaghetti and ice cream do it.
And why is it on holidays we often feel sick from eating? Bad combining.

Everything you mentioned falls into the "junk" category that we have not adapted to eating (refined sugars and grains, etc).

OK fair enough,But just for the sake of argument lets go natural.
How about mixing weird combos like Bananas with Broccoli and mustard? My point is that food combining does have an effect on digestion.
Although I admit that since I started the carb cycling I drink an ounce of fruit juice before the carbs and it hasn't bothered me.
Whether natural or junk doesn't it seem logical to combine well to possibly aid digestion/assimilation?Tks

Are you saying that in nature the same tribes would be cultivating broccoli and bananas? And at the same time? And you do think mustard is natural???

As an aside, are you doing the Carb Cyling plan I outlined in my article? If so, what are you doing drinking fruit juice???

I had a feeling I'd get some response on the juice.It's a rasberry,currant boysenberry mix,so I figured I can drink it as well as eat it before the carbs.Fruit sugar is fruit sugar,right? except I don't do OJ or grape.
And in response to mustard,yes it's natural if it's ground from seed and not processed.And yes probably the guys in the jungle can digest anything.
I suppose the bottom line is what works for our individual bodies.Some are more sensitive than others.
So your not going to give me the go ahead on the J? Really what's the diff between an apple and an ounce of juice?Tks TP

The fiber, among other things. Your body digests them quite differently.

But the J is so convenient.I suppose I can chew on an apple.After all,I like the fib.I just thought the liver would have the same response.Anyway I'll stick as closely to your outline as possible because I want to make it work.Definitely feeling FULL! Actually I look forward to the no carb days more. Tks!

Glad you are enjoying it. Yes, the juice would still provide a similar fed signal through the liver, BUT you'd be consuming simple carbs that *might* halt fatloss.

OK I got that and can go with it.But bottom line,what fruit do you eat on it?

As the article says, almost any, except banana/kiwi. Typically, I eat a small apple or a few strawberries.