The Food Combining Diet

The food combining diet plan is centred on the theory that different food groups are digested optimally when eaten in certain combinations

The food combining diet has seen some recent attention in the press. Like with any new diet plan that comes along; people are intrigued.

So many people struggle with weight loss that they’re constantly looking for diets that will work for them.

The food combining diet prescribes that you eat certain foods in combination with each other to promote nutrient absorption.

How the Food Combining Diet Works

The food combining diet is based on the premise that our bodies have difficulty digesting our foods if we eat the wrong foods together.

Proteins need stomach acid to digest properly, while carbohydrates need a more alkaline environment to be digested appropriately.

Therefore, starchy carbs are not eaten with protein. Starchy carbs and protein, however, can be combined with vegetables. On this diet, fruit must always be eaten alone.

For example, the food combining diet recommends that you have just fruit for breakfast with nothing else. Then, for lunch, you can have, say a salad with grilled chicken. For dinner, you might choose some green vegetables and a baked potato.

Some additional guidelines include:

• Do not combine protein with fat – so no frying of meat or eggs in oil or butter
• Do not combine sugar and starch – no jam on toast, no cakes or cookies
• Limit yourself to one starch serving at any meal.
• Limit yourself to one protein serving at any meal – no omelets with meat or cheese in them.
• Milk must always be consumed alone.

According to the theory behind this diet, by eating foods in the proper combination, your body will digest the nutrients better.

This should cause you to eat less, because your food is more satisfying to you. In addition, the food combining diet is purported to help those with digestive troubles, such as diverticulitis, heartburn, indigestion and gas.

The Advantages of the Food Combining Diet

One of the major advantages of the food combining diet is that no food is off limits. You don’t have to give up sugar, for example. But, you do have to be careful how you eat it. A piece of chocolate is ok, but a chocolate cookie is not.

Secondly, this diet is appears to end gastrointestinal discomfort in many people. There are plenty of people who have turned to this diet for this reason; even if they didn’t need to lose weight.

Those who have been successful with the food combining diet say that they have not felt deprived. They don’t count calories; rather they eat the prescribed foods together and with regular sized servings and still lose weight.

The Disadvantages of the Food Combining Diet

The primary disadvantage to the food combining diet is that it can be difficult to follow. Gone are sandwiches and mainstay meals like steak and potatoes. The diet may be pretty easy to follow if you prepare all your meals at home, but choices will be limited when dining out.

Still, many people report success with food combining. Both Suzanne Somers and Marilu Henner have written best selling diet books whose plans are essentially food combining plans. It may certainly have merit for some dieters.