All You Ever Wanted to Know About Food CombiningYou asked for it. I just hope you really want to know. I haven’t posted anything about food combining before for a couple reasons, the first and most glaring excuse being that I don’t strictly follow these rules myself. The second reason is because my goal here at My New Roots is to get you excited about eating a raw brownie instead of a regular brownie, which I feel is such a huge step in the right direction, that throwing another caveat into your new, healthy lifestyle feels cruel. Just when you thought you had it all figured out, here comes another rule?!? I know. I get it. I struggle with this one a lot (hence the not doing it part). Judging by the number inquisitive emails piling up, lots of you want to know about this food combining. So what is it exactly? Food combining is a centuries-old way of eating for optimal digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Food combining centers around the idea that meals should be kept simple in order to be digested properly by enzymatic action - the natural way our body works to break down food and absorb nutrients. As different foods require their own unique enzymes (even foods in the same basic category, such as wheat and barley), too many different foods in one meal confuse the body and it is not able to produce all of the necessary enzymes simultaneously. This leads to a whole host of digestive issues, starting with belching, heartburn, intestinal gas, abdominal pain and swelling. As benign as these symptoms seem, they are just that: symptoms of a larger problem. If you are experiencing these digestive “upsets” on a regular basis, you should definitely consider food combining. After years of ignoring these signs that your body is delivering, you can begin to experience far more serious problems and irreversible damage. When food is not digested properly, many issues arise. For one, when we eat too many different foods at one sitting, the body has a difficult time digesting through enzymatic action. Instead bacterial digestion takes over, leading to the aforementioned issues, but also creating poisonous bi-products. Secondly, when undigested food leaves the stomach, small portions can pass through into the intestinal tract, become trapped in crevices, and putrefy, producing toxins. Food that the body cannot utilize wastes energy and overworks the organs, which will eventually lead to organ malfunction. Undigested foods are also perfect breeding grounds for unfriendly bacteria that further cause fermentation to occur. Thirdly, tiny particles can pass into the blood stream, causing allergic reactions. The last reason, and one that definitely motivates me, is that food which we do not digest completely, cannot be broken down into parts that our bodies can assimilate. If I choose to invest extra money in organic foods for the higher nutrient levels, isn’t in my best interest then to eat in way that actually allows me to unlock those nutrients? I think so! In North American food culture, we’ve been conditioned to eat a “balanced diet”, yet somehow this term has been misinterpreted to mean a “balanced meal”. We throw all kinds of stuff on one single plate, pour a big glass of milk on the side, with the best intentions - to cover all our nutritional bases. Unfortunately, this doesn't exactly accomplish what we were aiming for. If we look to our ancestors, and in fact many cultures around the world, individual foods were eaten alone, or combined with only one or two other foods. Such primitive eating patterns were practiced for thousands of years and are the foundation of our digestive capacities. Simple dietary plans are simply best, especially for anyone with compromised digestion, in a weakened or stressed condition. Eating simply is also a way to preserve vitality and maintain strong digestion into the later years of life. There are two ways of food combining. The first one I’ll present, Plan A, is the “light” version, and designed for people with normal digestion and without any serious health conditions. The second, Plan B, is one that ideally should be followed by everyone, but especially those with poor digestion and major health problems. Plan A - Food Combining for Better Digestion {click here to download a PDF} This plan for food combining is relatively simple and follows eating in a specific order for satisfactory digestion. This does not mean that all of these categories of foods should be eaten in the same meal; it means that the categories should be eaten in a specific sequence. The best-digested meals are in fact very simple ones, including a maximum of three foods per meal. 1. Protein // Eat proteins first. Although we’re pretty used to digging in the bread basket before our steaks (or legumes, nuts, seeds…) it is best to eat protein foods first as they require the most digestive enzymes in comparison with those required for plants and starches. When you eat protein-rich foods after starches or other food, your stomach acids will not be sufficient for their digestion. Protein foods can be combined with cooked or raw green and non-starchy vegetables. 2. Starch // Eat starches after protein foods, or omit protein foods altogether and eat only starches. Starches can be combined with cooked or raw green and non-starchy vegetables. 3. Salad // Eat raw vegetables, salad and sprouts after proteins or starch. These foods contain their own enzymes and digest more rapidly than proteins and starches. 4. Dessert // Eat sweets last. Desserts include fruits, dried fruits, and any foods containing concentrated sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, or molasses. Because of their relatively simple carbohydrate structures, sweet foods digest very quickly. Plan B - Food Combining for Maximum Digestibility {click here to download a PDF}
This plan is similar to Plan A, but a little more restrictive for people with compromised digestion, in times of sickness, or for those wanting to prolong heir strong digestive powers. Refer to the graphic to see which foods can be combined in one meal – they are directly connected by a dotted line. 1. Eat high protein foods, starchy foods, and high-fat foods in separate meals // The macronutrient groups that we are all familiar with (carbohydrates, protein, fats) are best kept separate when eating, and should not be combined at all in Plan B. Rice and beans? No. Pizza? No. Steak and Potatoes? You get the idea. However, all of these categories combine well with green and non-starchy vegetables, respectively. Green veggies actually aid the digestion of starches, proteins and fats, so having eggs with steamed spinach is a great idea; eggs on toast not so much. 2. Fruit and sweet foods should be eaten alone // Although we all love dessert to end a meal, fruit and sweet foods have relatively simple carbohydrate structures, meaning they digest very quickly. While the sugars in the cookie you just ate on top of dinner have already broken down, the other foods in the meal sit and ferment. Crazy as it sounds, it is best to eat dessert first (at least 30 minutes before a meal), or wait 4 hours after. Enjoy a piece of fruit first thing in the morning as a terrific cleanser, then wait half an hour before eating a full breakfast. Plan B: The Exceptions Of course there are exceptions to every rule, so just to confuse inform you further, here are a few more conditions to eat by: 1. Foods that are high in fat and protein (cheese, yogurt, kefir, nuts, and oil-bearing seeds) are okay to combine with acidic (sour) fruit. Examples: tahini and lemon dressing, almonds and sour apples, yogurt and strawberries. 2. Drink dairy milk alone. When milk from animals is consumed with other foods it tends to curdle, insulating itself from digestive enzymes. Curdled/fermented milk products such as cheese, yogurt, and buttermilk do not cause this problem and can combine well with green vegetables. 3. Eat melons alone. Melons digest very rapidly, and will cause any other food with which they are eaten to ferment. Proscuitto and cantaloupe = digestive suicide. 4. Celery and lettuce can be eaten with fruits. 5. Lemon, lime, and tomato can be eaten with green vegetables. As I said before, I am not so strict when it comes to food combining. I enjoy eating a banana with my morning grains, I like butternut squash and chickpea soup, and I love raw brownies! You should see my breakfast smoothies: I jam just about anything edible into that blender and whizz it up, without batting an eyelash. Fruits, veggies, nut milk, algae, chlorophyll, bee pollen, avocado, flax oil, …basically something from every single food group because I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it won’t digest properly – I’ve been taught for so long to eat as much good stuff as possible! Doesn’t that mean all in one go? Argh. I too struggle with being a more health-conscious individual. So where does this leave us? Well, I am going to continue on my path with greater awareness of these principles, and use them as a guide whenever possible. I will still drink my green smoothies once in a while, but maybe commit to proper food combining at least one meal a day. That feels reasonable for me right now. Start small. I love how I am talking myself through this in front of you. In the meantime, I went back about a year in the archives and dug up a few the recipes that are a pretty good fit with food combining principles. There are many that can also be tweaked just a bit to suit the plan you choose to follow. No, the raw cashew dreamcake was not on that list, sniff, but I suppose it should be saved for special occasions anyway.Not Tuesday breakfasts. Wild Mushrooms on Toast Roasted Sesame Winter Slaw Chanterelle Soup Roasted Roots Lemony Leeks with Chickpeas Spicy Roasted Broccoli with Almonds Carrots with Mellow Miso Grilled Corn Salsa Tarragon String Bean Salad Black Rice Salad Asparagus Ribbon Salad Sources: Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 2003. Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Berkley, CA: Wiley, 2006. Balch, Phyllis A. Prescription for Dietary Wellness. New York, NY: Penguin, 2003. * Charts modeled after those found in Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford *
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How to Cleanse Uric Acid From Your BloodHigh levels of uric acid in the blood can lead to a variety of conditions. One of the most common is gout, in which uric acid crystals accumulate in the connective tissue of the joints. Gout is an extremely painful condition in which movement of the joints is severely restricted and the affected area is very painful to the touch. One of the ways to avoid or eliminate uric acid crystals is to lower the amount of uric acid in the blood, which will then help dissolve existing uric acid crystals as well as prevent the formation of new ones.
How to Reduce Uric Acid With VitaminsExcessive uric acid in a person's body can lead to uric acid crystals forming in the joints and in tissue surrounding the joints. This condition is known as gout, a type of arthritis involving sudden attacks of severe joint pain and inflammation. Gout usually develops after years of high uric acid production associated with diet, and some people are more susceptible than others to this condition. If you are overweight, losing weight can help reduce uric acid. Avoiding foods high in purines, such as many types of meat and fish, can also decrease uric acid. Certain vitamins also can affect uric acid levels.
Types of DiabetesThe three major types of diabetes are: Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent diabetes) Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease where the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes, also known as juvenile-onset diabetes, accounts for 10-15% of all people with the disease. It can appear at any age, although commonly under 40, and is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. People with type 1 diabetes must inject themselves with insulin several times a day and follow a careful diet and exercise plan. Type 2 diabetes (previously known as non-insulin dependent diabetes) Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90% of all people with the disease. This type of diabetes, also known as late-onset diabetes, is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The disease is strongly genetic in origin but lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and poor diet are major risk factors for its development. Symptoms may not show for many years and, by the time they appear, significant problems may have developed. People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to suffer cardiovascular disease. Type 2 diabetes may be treated by dietary changes, exercise and/or tablets. Insulin injections may later be required. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) GDM, or carbohydrate intolerance, is first diagnosed during pregnancy through an oral glucose tolerance test. Between 5.5 and 8.8% of pregnant women develop GDM in Australia. Risk factors for GDM include a family history of diabetes, increasing maternal age, obesity and being a member of a community or ethnic group with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While the carbohydrate intolerance usually returns to normal after the birth, the mother has a significant risk of developing permanent diabetes while the baby is more likely to develop obesity and impaired glucose tolerance and/or diabetes later in life. Self-care and dietary changes are essential in treatment. What is type 1 diabetes? Type 1 diabetes (formerly known as Insulin Dependant Diabetes or Juvenile Diabetes) occurs when the pancreas is unable to make enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that acts as a key to let glucose from the food we eat pass from the blood stream into the cells to provide energy. While type 1 diabetes affects people of any age, it usually occurs in children and young adults. Type 1 diabetes is the less common form of diabetes, with just 10 to 15 per cent of all people with diabetes having this type. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. The pancreas cannot produce enough insulin because the cells that make insulin have been destroyed by the body’s own immune system. What is the cause of Type 1 diabetes? We don’t yet know the exact cause of type 1 diabetes, but we do know that some people carry genes which might make them more likely to get type 1 diabetes. However it can only occur when something such as a viral infection triggers the immune system to destroy the insulin-making cells in the pancreas. This is called an autoimmune reaction. How is type 1 diabetes treated?Insulin must be replaced so insulin injections are needed to control blood glucose levels. Therefore, people with type 1 diabetes must have insulin every day to live. The goal of diabetes management is to keep blood glucose levels as close to the normal range as possible as this reduces the risk of developing long term complications. This can be achieved by insulin injections, blood glucose monitoring as well as balancing food intake and physical activity. At this stage type 1 diabetes can’t be prevented or cured, although there is a great deal of research being done. For example, the INIT II trial. What are the symptoms? In diabetes, glucose stays in the blood, causing the blood glucose level to become abnormally high. Symptoms may include:
Signs of DKA
Find out about DKA and managing type 1 diabetes during illness Type 1 diabetes statistics
What is type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85 to 90 per cent of all people with diabetes. It usually develops in adults over the age of 45, but it is increasingly developing at a younger age. Type 2 diabetes is known as a ‘lifestyle disease’ as it is often triggered by being inactive or carrying excess weight around the abdomen. It tends to run in families and it is not uncommon to have high cholesterol and high blood pressure as well. Unlike type 1 diabetes where the body produces no insulin, people with type 2 diabetes are still able to produce their own insulin. There may not be enough insulin for the body’s needs and/or the cells in the body are resistant to the action of insulin (insulin resistance). Type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition and treatment usually needs to change over time so that blood glucose levels can be kept within the target range. In the early stages the body may be producing more insulin than normal, but after having type 2 diabetes for a number of years, the pancreas becomes exhausted and makes less insulin. The management of type 2 diabetes initially involves regular physical activity, healthy eating and losing excess weight,. This will help the insulin to work more effectively. With time, tablets may be needed and eventually also insulin injections so that blood glucose levels can be kept within the target range. Losing weight and being physically active can delay the need for tablets or insulin. Even when medications or insulin are commenced, regular physical activity and healthy eating remain the cornerstone of diabetes management. People with type 2 diabetes often have no symptoms, so they may have diabetes for a number of years without knowing it. Sometimes the first sign that something is wrong is when they develop a complication of diabetes such as a heart attack, vision problems or a stroke. Typical symptoms of type 2 diabetes
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