A NEW LEASE—on Life!

By Judit Rajhathy, B.A., RNCP, D.Ac.

Food Combining and Digestive Health

 

“A good set of bowels is as important as a good set of brains” 

—Dr. Aubrey Katz, pediatric gastroenterology, Harvard

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, digestive system symptoms are responsible for an estimated 35.9 million office visits annually.  This figure includes the 14.5 million US adults diagnosed with ulcers, 7.95 million seeking help for constipation and about 16 million who complain of vague abdominal pains, cramps, and spasms (July 10/09 Medical Economics).

You’ve tried it all – motrin, pepcid, tums, nexium, zantac, antibiotics – for gastrointestinal burning, gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation – the list is endless.  Of course you have made sure that you are infectant free – no parasites, viruses, bacteria or candidiasis. You have identified and eliminated all food sensitivities and are taking the best yeast probiotic (acidophilus) on the market. You have had a colonoscopy, barium swallow, enemas, and every other iscopy and oscopy known to mankind, yet you still suffer from unpleasant intestinal issues.  Enter the concept of proper food combinations!

According to food combining experts, most of our meals are combined incorrectly – hamburgers, a typical sandwich, meat and potatoes, rice and chicken, yogurt and fruit, and the list goes on.  “But that is the way I have eaten ever since I can remember!”  You betcha but not without chronic intestinal upset!  So here is how it works:

You can still eat the same foods you have always eaten but simply in different combinations.  Why?  Due to digestive chemistry!  For instance, protein foods require a highly acidic environment for digestion while carbs (starches and sugars) require a more alkaline medium.  If these foods are mixed they often cause distress.  Even rates of digestion are different. Here are some of the very basic rules of proper food combining

Fruit is always eaten alone.  The worst thing is eating fruit at the end of a meal because fruit digests very quickly and pushes its way through the rest of the meal that digests more slowly, often causing terrible intestinal gas, bloating and possibly more serious symptoms. 

Not only does digestion often improve with these combinations but so do many other symptoms ranging from headaches to skin conditions and decreased allergy symptoms. Never drink water with meals since it dilutes your own digestive juices.  Keep a good portion of your meals veggies – raw or lightly steamed – and keep dairy products to a minimum.  And your Mom was right—chew your foods into liquids!

The only thing left now is adhering to a comprehensive, consistent fitness program.  See you at the gym!

“A good set of bowels is as important as a good set of brains”
—Dr. Aubrey Katz, pediatric gastroenterology, Harvard
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, digestive system symptoms are responsible for an estimated 35.9 million office visits annually.  This figure includes the 14.5 million US adults diagnosed with ulcers, 7.95 million seeking help for constipation and about 16 million who complain of vague abdominal pains, cramps, and spasms (July 10/09 Medical Economics).
You’ve tried it all – motrin, pepcid, tums, nexium, zantac, antibiotics – for gastrointestinal burning, gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation – the list is endless.  Of course you have made sure that you are infectant free – no parasites, viruses, bacteria or candidiasis. You have identified and eliminated all food sensitivities and are taking the best yeast probiotic (acidophilus) on the market. You have had a colonoscopy, barium swallow, enemas, and every other iscopy and oscopy known to mankind, yet you still suffer from unpleasant intestinal issues.  Enter the concept of proper food combinations!
According to food combining experts, most of our meals are combined incorrectly – hamburgers, a typical sandwich, meat and potatoes, rice and chicken, yogurt and fruit, and the list goes on.  “But that is the way I have eaten ever since I can remember!”  You betcha but not without chronic intestinal upset!  So here is how it works:
You can still eat the same foods you have always eaten but simply in different combinations.  Why?  Due to digestive chemistry!  For instance, protein foods require a highly acidic environment for digestion while carbs (starches and sugars) require a more alkaline medium.  If these foods are mixed they often cause distress.  Even rates of digestion are different. Here are some of the very basic rules of proper food combining
Fruit is always eaten alone.  The worst thing is eating fruit at the end of a meal because fruit digests very quickly and pushes its way through the rest of the meal that digests more slowly, often causing terrible intestinal gas, bloating and possibly more serious symptoms. 
Not only does digestion often improve with these combinations but so do many other symptoms ranging from headaches to skin conditions and decreased allergy symptoms. Never drink water with meals since it dilutes your own digestive juices.  Keep a good portion of your meals veggies – raw or lightly steamed – and keep dairy products to a minimum.  And your Mom was right—chew your foods into liquids!
The only thing left now is adhering to a comprehensive, consistent fitness program.  See you at the gym!
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