By consuming incompatible foods, we have no idea how difficult a task we are setting for our body. As well as how adequately he will cope with it. When eaten together, some of them can not only negate the benefits of each and cause discomfort, but also “give” serious health problems. Some of the incompatible pairs are known even to schoolchildren, for example, fresh cucumbers with milk.
But many irreconcilable enemies are mistakenly considered almost companions.
A little theory
Each type of food for processing requires a certain composition of gastric juice and enzymes, its own special environment. For carbohydrates it should be alkaline, for proteins it should be acidic, etc. There is no need to tell the stomach: it knows everything itself. Now imagine what position the digestive system finds itself in when it is served, for example, a pork chop with mashed potatoes. Alkaline enzymes immediately rush towards the potatoes, which block the digestion of meat. It will begin only after the potatoes are completely “neutralized.” Everything else is no longer reached, and it moves on in a completely undigested form.
This leads to fermentation processes in the intestines, during which intense release of toxins occurs. The liver and pancreas come into the fight against them, and this is a serious burden for them. If this becomes regular, they may fail. In addition, fecal stones are formed from undigested residues, forming entire deposits in the intestines. Hence - constipation, flatulence, general intoxication of the body.
And this is just one example. There is a whole science of how to combine products correctly. But first, it would be nice to at least know what you can’t combine.
Rules for combining fruits
Sweet
This group of fruits is represented by bananas, figs, persimmons, dates, sweet grapes and dried fruits. The fruits listed above break down very quickly. As a rule, the stomach takes no more than 15-20 minutes to completely break down the sweet fruit. Due to this feature, it is advisable to eat sweet fruits (as well as juices from them) separately from other types of food.
Content:
- Rules for combining fruits
- Rules for combining vegetables
- Combination of protein foods with fruits and vegetables
- Combining fats with fruits and vegetables
- Combining carbohydrates with fruits and vegetables
- Raw foodists' rules: how to combine fruits and vegetables
- In what order should you eat fruits and vegetables?
- How to combine fruits and vegetables to get maximum benefits
They can be used for snacks between main meals. But you should absolutely not enjoy such fruits immediately after dinner as a dessert, since this will cause fermentation processes in the stomach. Why is this happening? The reason is the heavier food that enters the stomach before the fruit. It usually breaks down within 3 hours. So it turns out: fruits cannot move further through the gastrointestinal tract until the previous food has been broken down. That is, while the stomach is being “cut” with a piece of meat, the remaining fruit begins to ferment. If you eat sweet fruits after a hearty meal, then no earlier than 3-4 hours later.
Fruits of this group are “friends” with sweet and semi-sour fruits. The only exception is bananas, which are best eaten separately from other foods, including plant foods. In addition, sweet fruits can be combined with fermented milk products, cream, sour cream and herbs.
Semi-acid
Apple, pear, plum, grapes (some varieties), peach, apricot, nectarine, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, blueberry, melon, watermelon. For the most part, these fruits are characterized by good compatibility. They are an excellent “company” for sweet and sour fruits, as well as some protein and fermented milk products. Acceptable combination: semi-acidic fruits and cream, fat-containing foods, greens. It is permissible to prepare dishes from unsweetened fruits, cheeses, nuts, and fatty cottage cheese. At the same time, semi-acidic fruits are not “friendly” with starches, mushrooms, eggs, fish and beans, which require a longer time to break down.
The exceptions to semi-acidic fruits are peaches, blueberries, blueberries, grapes, watermelon and cantaloupe. It is better to eat them separately, since they quickly break down and do not stay in the stomach for a long time.
Sour
The group of sour fruits is represented by lemons, oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, pomegranates, kiwis, gooseberries, cranberries, cherries, some varieties of apples, plums, pears, grapes and apricots. All sour fruits are “friends” with each other, as well as with fermented milk foods (sour cream, cream, cheeses), nuts, and herbs. But you should not simultaneously eat sour fruits and protein foods of animal origin, as well as vegetables and starchy foods.
Potatoes and tomatoes
Along with potatoes, it is unacceptable to eat other starch-containing products with tomatoes. Tomatoes with starch are long-time irreconcilable enemies. Heaviness in the stomach and indigestion are just the beginning. If you regularly test your body's strength with such gastronomic duets, you can get gastritis and even peptic ulcers.
It is, of course, difficult to keep track of all undesirable combinations, and it is not always possible. Therefore, it is important to be able to provide yourself with quick help in such cases. If a “party” has started in your stomach, sorbents will help. This is regular activated carbon, Polysorb or Enterosgel. They will also relieve the symptoms of intoxication, if it was not caused by more serious reasons. Still, it’s better to try to exclude enemy foods completely from one meal. At best, healthy food turns into empty, meaningless edible mass, at worst into self-prepared poison.
Rules for combining vegetables
The first group of vegetables consists of cucumbers, cabbage, radishes, carrots, turnips, rutabaga, beets, sweet peppers, garlic, onions, lettuce, and early varieties of zucchini. It would seem that what all these fruits have in common. The fact is that from the point of view of digestibility, they have approximately the same characteristics. Vegetables from this group go well together both in salads and in hot dishes. Interestingly, when combined with protein, fatty or starchy foods, these vegetables promote better digestion. For example, carrots go well on the same plate with cottage cheese, cucumbers are a good addition to a piece of meat, and cabbage salads are useful to season with oils. But there are some cautions about eating these vegetables. In particular, they are completely incompatible with milk, and you should not eat the vegetables and fruits mentioned in this section at the same time.
The second vegetable group consists of cauliflower, eggplant, squash, green peas, winter varieties of pumpkin and zucchini. These vegetables can be safely combined with others, including starchy ones, fats, including those of animal origin, and herbs.
The combination of fruits from this group and animal proteins (meat, eggs) is not so favorable for digestion. Well, it is completely incompatible with fruits and milk.
The third group of vegetables are starchy. These are potatoes, corn, edible chestnuts, rice and other grains. Products from this group combine well with other vegetables, herbs and fats. By the way, if you decide to cook starches with butter, be sure to add herbs to them. This combination of foods makes food easier to digest. But combining starches with each other is not the best idea. Especially for overweight people. It is also not recommended to combine starchy vegetables with carbohydrates and/or proteins on a plate.
Dill, parsley, sorrel, spinach, lettuce, cilantro and other greens go perfectly with any product except milk.
And a few more tips on combining vegetables. Almost all of them go well with animal proteins, especially cheese, fish, seafood and eggs. It is useful to add seeds and nuts, including pine and walnuts, to raw vegetable salads. Greens and green vegetables are compatible with absolutely everything, but sour ones, including tomatoes, should not be mixed with carbohydrates. You should not add sugar or sweet fruits to dishes made from starchy vegetables - this causes fermentation in the stomach. In addition, you should not eat cucumbers and tomatoes at the same time. The fact is that cucumbers contain substances that destroy vitamin C in tomatoes. Although if you do not consider tomatoes as the main source of ascorbic acid, then you don’t have to give up a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers.
Combination of protein foods with fruits and vegetables
Fish, meat, eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, seafood - all these are foods rich in proteins. Protein foods pair well with most vegetables, especially leafy greens, which help break down proteins faster. Bad combination: proteins with starchy vegetables and fruits. The exceptions are cottage cheese, fermented milk products, nuts and seeds, which “get along” well with various fruits.
Raw foodists' rules: how to combine fruits and vegetables
In recent years, the list of popular diets has been supplemented with another one - based on a raw food diet. Meanwhile, reviews about this power system are mixed.
While they talk about the benefits of this diet for the digestive system, others, on the contrary, complain that after switching to a raw food diet, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract has only worsened. Why are the reviews so different? The reason may be in the individual characteristics of the body: this system does not have to suit absolutely everyone. But another explanation is also possible: people simply combine different types of vegetables and fruits incorrectly.
Sugar and fat
Nutritionists strongly advise against combining sugars and fats at one meal. And we are not talking about pieces of refined sugar and butter at all. Now we are talking about the nutrients found in plant foods. Sugars are usually found in sweet fruits, in which they are presented in the form of simple carbohydrates - fructose.
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Fats are mainly concentrated in nuts and seeds, including avocados, coconuts, and olives. If both components are consumed at the same time, this leads to disruption of the digestion process and food, instead of being broken down, stagnates and rots in the stomach. The reason is that when sugar and fats are mixed in the digestive tract, the fermentation process begins. That is, in order to avoid unpleasant sensations after a meal, you should not simultaneously consume sweet fruits, dried fruits, dates with nuts, coconuts or avocados.
Starch and acid
Our digestive system is designed in such a way that it uses different enzymes to digest different types of food. If you consume several types of vegetables and fruits at the same time, this can cause disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. Most often, unpleasant consequences occur after mixing products containing organic acids and starch. That is, it is not advisable to simultaneously consume sour fruits, such as oranges or lemons, along with bananas, potatoes or bread rich in starches. The fact is that in this case, enzymes are simultaneously produced that neutralize each other’s effects. As a result, it turns out that none of these products are digested, but remain “lumpy” in the stomach, causing discomfort. By the way, even tomatoes contain a large amount of organic acids. So they should also not be consumed together with starchy ones.
Fats and Fats
Also, do not think that all products from the same food group can be combined “with impunity”. For example, it is undesirable to simultaneously consume plant foods rich in fatty acids. For the stomach, such a combination will be too much: it is very difficult to digest so much fat at one time. So, what products are we talking about? First of all, it is not advisable to mix nuts with vegetable oil, coconuts or avocados. Separately, they are all very useful for the body, but together they are too much.
Fish and dairy products
Some people believe that if you eat fish with any type of dairy products, you can get vitiligo (a skin disease).
Vitiligo forms when the cells that produce melanin begin to die. Most doctors think so. However, much more often the disease occurs due to problems with the immune system, genetic abnormalities or stressful situations. There is no scientific evidence to support the incompatibility of fish and dairy products.
According to experts, these two types of food, consumed together, cannot in any way undermine human health.
In what order should you eat fruits and vegetables?
There is a theory that plant foods should be consumed according to the principle from “liquid” to more “solid”. The basis of this teaching is that all food in the stomach should be arranged in “layers”. Moreover, it is very important that these “layers” be in a certain sequence. Proponents of the theory advise first eating juicy, sour fruits, and then sweet ones, and then you can start eating vegetables (also first juicier and then denser ones). And only at the end of the meal you can eat a handful of nuts. This nutritional system may seem strange to some, but the results of various studies confirm its benefits.
