food combining basics...

[kellibelli]

I tried to do a search, but I keep getting a "fatal error", so I need to ask you all... The other day I ate a whole watermelon, not at one sitting but over the whole day. It was wonderful, but I think I ate it along with some other things perhaps too closely together because my tummy started to ache at some point. That got me to thinking...can anyone give me just the very basics on what not to eat together, just so that I can avoid that kind of an experience again. What I have found on the internet is the following: Don't eat acidic fruits with protein sources like nuts and eat melons alone (learned my lesson the hard way). I would love any info you can offer me. :)

[veganman]

Also add....wait 2 to 3 hours after eating something else before eating fruit. Probably at least 4 before eating melon.

[kellibelli]

awesome...thanks :)

[sport]

The basics
1. Liquids. Never with food. At least half an hour before a meal and as long as possible after.
2. Do not mix concentrated proteins and concentrated starches.
3. Keep fruit for a seperate meal.
4. Do not mix acid fruits with sweet fruit.
5. Keep melons away from everything else and allow at least half an hour before following it with other foods.

The above is a synopsis from Living Foods for Radient Health by Elaine Bruce

[lavendarJ]

Your melons and citrus foods should always be eaten alone. Also, in my opinion you shouldn't take liquids for at least an hour after eating. But you can drink liquids up to 15 minutes before. I've been doing 100% raw for 35+ days now and that is a big concern of mine - food combinations. I've been consciously combining foods since about '00. I see a lot of wonderful recipes on the site but the combinations concern me. A lot of the recipes violate what I have come to accept as healthy and unhealthy food combinations. I struggled with this for a while but I have found harmony and I am open to trying some combinations because of the fact that the combinations are raw (and chemical and process free). I also believe that fruits should only be eaten in the morning (on an empty stomach) and not past noon. This is something I'll have to work on because I've been eating my fruits past noon since doing raw. I used to have a chart that I loved that I received years ago after doing a colonic but I don't know what happened to it (might have been thrown out when I moved). Food combining I have learned all in all, is going to be a very personal experience and the most important thing to do is to listen to your body and recognize how it is responding when you eat foods of various combinations. Here are a few website that offer some basic charts about food combining:

http://www.webnat.com/ailm/FoodCombiningChart.asp
www.alderbrooke.com/chart.htm (http://www.alderbrooke.com/chart.htm)
http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/foodcombining.html
http://www.puristat.com/foodcombiningchart_2.asp
http://www.hsu.com/food_combining_simplified.htm

I don't know what else those sites offer, I was looking for some very detailed charts and couldn't find them, but I liked some of the ones above anyway. On that last link, Mrs. Hsu has a food combining cookbook. I don't know anything about it however. I thought about buying it but I didn't know if the recipes were cooked or not. If you come across detail charts specifically dealing with raw food combining please let me know.

[kellibelli]

How about in my green smoothies? Is it acceptable to mix my greens with fruits to get the taste where I want it to be? I will keep melons alone as that was a nasty experience when I combined them (erp!), but I have grown to enjoy a couple of squeezed oranges with a banana and some baby spinach thus far and I havent felt nasty afterwards...opinions?

[lavendarJ]

I think that as long as it doesn't bother you digestion wise and your body responds in a positive way then you are good to go. You know this whole process - whether its eating raw, combining foods, or consuming water - is really individual. I have to remind myself of that. I have a pretty sound stomach compared to one of my best friends (who's balance is set off with the wrong food choice and then its off to the toilet). Then on the other hand, there is me, who's digestion - while it is improving - is very slow. I may have one, two, or three bowel movements a week if I am lucky and so for me strict combining is important. I'm no expert though, just sharing my thoughts. It's all a matter of us knowing ourselves and just tweaking here and there when we need to in order to live our best lives possible.

[Sheryl]

Greens are separate from other vegetables and mix well with fruits. Victoria Boutenko goes into this in her material. She thinks greens should be there own food group and I'm inclined to agree with her!

Sheryl