Basic Food Combining, Part 1

Food combining refers to combinations of food which are compatible with each other in digestive chemistry.  The goal of food combining is to aid the digestive process which starts in the mouth.

We will discuss both compatible and incompatible food combinations that will guide us in selecting compatible food menus.  By applying these principles, nutrition will be enhanced as only food which is digested is capable of nourishing us.  And we avoid indigestion, along with its unpleasant symptoms.

Efficient digestion has a good effect on the body's energy level.  The energy used up to digest three conventional meals has been estimated to be equivalent to eight hours of "working" energy.  By selecting compatible food combinations, the digestive task is lessened, allowing more energy for other activities.

"The discomforts of indigestion are so common that it's almost considered normal.  And the incidence of various diseases of the digestive tract are increasing at an alarming rate," says researcher, Dennis Nelson, who suffered much from indigestion.  "Rather than use drugs to suppress the symptoms of indigestion, it would be wiser to remove the causes of the indigestion.  And then, apply those practices which favor good digestion," Nelson advises.

The Rationale For Food Combining.  Throughout the century, physiologists have been conducting experiments relating to the digestion of food.  They observed that the efficiency of digestion is dependent upon the types of food combined at a meal.  However, this information needed to be transferred from the laboratory to the kitchen if people were to benefit from it.  This was accomplished by the doctors of the "natural hygiene" philosophy.  They concluded that the human digestive system works best when meals are simple and combinations are minimal.  This results in the principle of "food combining," which stresses the importance of both simplicity and compatibility in meal planning.

The good thing about food combining is that everyone may benefit from it.  The digestive system works fundamentally the same for all of us.  This is not to deny the fact that individuals vary in their capacity to digest food, but rather to dispute the argument that food combining principles are only helpful to particular people.

Although food combining will aid the digestive process considerably, it will not guarantee good digestion.  There are other factors which may reduce our digestive capacity, such as overeating, eating under stressful conditions, eating when fatigued, eating just before or soon after strenuous exercise, and eating during strong emotional experiences, all hinder the digestive process.


(In Part 2, we will discuss a common objection to food combining and how the digestive process works. - J.P.)