Food Combining Question

[donnyandcathy]

I'm really trying hard to watch my food combining due to having severe flare ups with my Gastroparesis.
I was wanting to know how combining Almond Milk with bananas, then adding greens like spinach would work. I know the almond milk and fruit would be all right, but I wasn't sure how it worked with greens.

Also, how long would you have to wait to eat, say a banana, after having a green smoothie with pineapple, mango, cherries, spinach, cilantro, chia?
Because I know bananas and pineapple don't combine well, and I wasn't sure how long the spinach took to digest, even when blended.
Make sense?? :D

Thanks
Cathy

[Aleesha Sattva]

i would give yourself an hour and see if that's long enough by eating. you'll know it if it.

in other words... experiment and see how long it takes your body to digest different foods cause i figure we are all different.

[donnyandcathy]

Thank you.
What about combining greens with the almond milk and banana?

I'm really having a horrible time right now with digesting foods, and I'm having to drink more smoothies, but I want to make sure I'm getting my greens in too. Salads aren't my friend right now, and really any of the veggies are giving me a hard time. I'm really trying to stick with the raw foods again, but I'm getting discouraged. It is not fun being in a lot of pain, and your whole digestion system just "shuts down" Right now I can do fruit, carrot juice, smoothies (even though they really bloat me up). I'm getting bored of these foods so I've tried different veggies, and pulp patties/crackers, but it is not working. I'm really hungry "mentally" and I think that is the big part of the discouragement.
Thanks again!!

[Aleesha Sattva]

i've heard greens go with everything.

how about a fast? it may be what you need. it'll shut down your digestion and give your tummy a chance to heal. i have gastritus (i believe it's called) and it suggests fasting on coconut water and water... which is what i'm doing.

amazing the healing that comes from a fast... even a short one.

[mallow]

Almond milk with bananas would be a no-no for me. I wouldn't mix nuts or fat with fresh fruit. It may work for you though.

I find that greens combine well with everything for me, as long as I chew well. Sometimes cabbage or kale combined with things seems a bit off unless I blend.

I have really sensitive digestion.

[donnyandcathy]

Aleesha
I did a 4 day juice fast the first week in January, after I got over the first day I did good, but it still didn't help once I added raw foods back. I'm not a good "faster" I know some people really enjoy it, but I guess I like to chew too much or something. I know you can "chew" your juice and smoothies, but it just isn't the same to me. I wish I could be like all of you that enjoy fasting, maybe one day??

[michigan roman]

Aleesha
I did a 4 day juice fast the first week in January, after I got over the first day I did good, but it still didn't help once I added raw foods back. I'm not a good "faster" I know some people really enjoy it, but I guess I like to chew too much or something. I know you can "chew" your juice and smoothies, but it just isn't the same to me. I wish I could be like all of you that enjoy fasting, maybe one day??

i hated fasting til like my 7th fast . banding up with cool people like aleesha / eternityrider / misslinda/path301 like we used to have going full time pushed me to keep going . now fastings easy . just keep chipping away and youll get it , its like getting in shape to run a marathon

and modern adult people have no choice in the matter as weve ate so wrong our entire current body spans that weve alot of rebuilding of our cells to do

[Aleesha Sattva]

i was going to say the same thing... but MR beat me to it. i did not enjoy fasting at first... and i never imagined i would ever fast beyond 10 days... ever.

LOL now i can't imagine fasting under 10 days LOL

perhaps give it another try? another short fast? cause it's really soooo healing and it sounds like your digestion needs a little break.

[timsmolens]

Have you taken multiple species of probiotics?

[donnyandcathy]

I do take probiotics, and enzymes, and still have major problems.
Aleesha and michigan roman, you may have made me reconsider my juice
fast ;) I am going to pray about it, and I may see you in the February challenge. Be ready for the questions and concerns though :D
I will read through the files before I start asking....
BUT :rolleyes: do you think I would be better off on a juice fast, or a smoothie feast? I'm just really worried about fasting too long, and then really throwing my digestion off when I start eating again.
If you don't know anything about "Gastroparesis" do a Google search on it so you can see what I'm dealing with when it comes to digesting foods. I also deal with slow motility disorder in the intestines which causes chronic constipation (sorry if TMI) but it's a major problem when your system doesn't work. The only way I can go is if I drink Smooth Move which is a hot herbal tea with herbs, including the No-No herb senna, but my doctor says that it's better to have the senna than not to go, and we have tried using every herb in supplement form to help me go, just doesn't work. We have even done Dr. Christopher's Small Bowel Formula, and I was supposed to take up to 6 a day, well that wasn't working so I went to 12 a day, and that still did not work. I'm not sure why the tea works, maybe because my stomach doesn't have to deal with digesting the herbs?? :confused:
So when I fast, I'm also scared that I won't be able to "go"
I could use a fasting partner, IF I decide to try this in February.
Thanks!!!
Cathy

[michigan roman]

d and c , i always see millions of women with the const. problem and cant understand why they dont ingest several tbsp of a healthy oil each day to get things moving . was just on phone with my mother same problem and she wont try oil :confused:
ide be drinking cold pressed oil way before using caustic herbs

and ever try deep breathing / meditation in effort to sort of get your involuntary inner muscle workings back into a natural rythm . maybe yoga too focusing on gut area

though ive never read about your particular ailment so i'll read up on it
soon

you'll heal !!! with the power of the internet is information , just a matter of time before finding your right habits

[michigan roman]

dude bad news :eek: , i just read on it and your a prime candidate for a smoothie or juice fast :D now you cant blow it off :D

i'll post link i read below

also read about it maybe being vargus nerve related . well the old time raw foodist norman walker said celery juice good for nerves , wether modern science agrees i dont know though

says thyroid could be involved , and it seems so many women have probs with that now . could that be an iodine shortage ??? im just guessing ,but if maybe i can say kelp / dulse are good sources and can get good type from www.seaveg.com

but check out this link where it says best thing is juice or smoothie :

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geutvMiFpL9yABvgNXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyM2o3ZHA 3BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0RGUjVfODE-/SIG=12gbtb7vf/EXP=1264310860/**http%3a//digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gastroparesis/

[donnyandcathy]

The only thing with the oil is that with Gastroparesis any types of fat really aggravate it and cause pain and reflux type symptoms, and I'm even talking the healthy fats. That's another reason why raw is so hard for me. I can't enjoy all the raw gourmet meals, and not a lot of nuts, seeds, olive oil, etc..
And I can't eat garlic, onions, tomatoes, corn, sprouted beans or grains, a lot of veggies are very hard to digest, and so on. Mainly my foods would be fruit and greens ( and they need to be blended unless I want them to come out whole). I know there should be an easy answer, but I've been searching and trying different things since September.
I'm not trying to be difficult, promise ;)
I just started Yoga and deep breathing, so maybe that will help.
When you have Gastroparesis the foods they tell you to stay away from is fiber, and fats. So that may explain why it's hard to eat raw veggies.

[michigan roman]

The only thing with the oil is that with Gastroparesis any types of fat really aggravate it and cause pain and reflux type symptoms, and I'm even talking the healthy fats. That's another reason why raw is so hard for me. I can't enjoy all the raw gourmet meals, and not a lot of nuts, seeds, olive oil, etc..
And I can't eat garlic, onions, tomatoes, corn, sprouted beans or grains, a lot of veggies are very hard to digest, and so on. Mainly my foods would be fruit and greens ( and they need to be blended unless I want them to come out whole). I know there should be an easy answer, but I've been searching and trying different things since September.
I'm not trying to be difficult, promise ;)
I just started Yoga and deep breathing, so maybe that will help.
When you have Gastroparesis the foods they tell you to stay away from is fiber, and fats. So that may explain why it's hard to eat raw veggies.

did you catch my second ' bad news ' ;) post just above your last one

[donnyandcathy]

I think we were typing at the same time :D
I will look at your links and see what I can find out.
Trust me this diag. was not fun to hear.
All the medical doctors wants you to do is take medicine that has horrible side effects, or be a candidate for a stomach "pace maker" No Thank You!!!
Thanks for taking time to check this out for me, and yes, I know a fast would be good, but like I said, I'm just worried that it would really "stop" working then. I enjoy food too much to live off juice, smoothies, and soups the rest of my life.
Thanks again!!!

[donnyandcathy]

This is one part of the article, and what I have been told by my doctors...

The doctor may recommend that you avoid high-fat and high-fiber foods. Fat naturally slows digestion—a problem you do not need if you have gastroparesis—and fiber is difficult to digest. Some high-fiber foods like oranges and broccoli contain material that cannot be digested. Avoid these foods because the indigestible part will remain in the stomach too long and possibly form bezoars.

I have dealt with bezoars and they are NO FUN!!!

[michigan roman]

so to me it becomes good logic that a smoothie fast could be ideal

also maybe eastern / chinese medicine has some ideas that
western medicine would never present

[michigan roman]

accupuncture ?? chinese herbs ?

i once went to a chinese accupuncturist lady that was also an md ,
she made a cross pattern with pins on my stomach then applied heat to the pins that went down into my gut and was very relaxing

the member here greenjeannie is an accupuncturist / healer and might have some good ideas for you