Ayurveda, the traditional system of Indian medicine, names 3 main mistakes in nutrition: a combination of incompatible foods, overeating and untimely meals. An important concept in Ayurveda is “ama” - poorly digested food that turns into toxins and contributes to the development of disease, fatigue and poor health (both physical and spiritual).
Ideas about food pairings came to Europe only in the 19th century (it’s not surprising that the French eat cheese with figs, and Americans add bacon to cupcakes), so there is little research on this yet. But if you combine Ayurvedic teachings with research on digestion, you will get good recommendations for proper (according to all canons) nutrition, which will cleanse the skin, give vitality and will not contribute to the accumulation of toxins.
Why is it important to combine foods wisely when losing weight?
In order not to experience hunger and constant irritability from food restrictions, you need to organize a moderate and balanced food intake. A table of food combinations for proper nutrition and certain recommendations help you cope with this task.
This is useful: PP menu for 7 days.
Constantly feeling hungry when eating regularly or gaining weight when eating on a limited basis are the first indicators that your menu does not match the combination of foods with proper nutrition.
Vegetables and fruits (fiber) + yogurt or kefir
Don’t hesitate to dress your salads with mayonnaise or sour cream? It's much healthier to use yogurt! You will kill two birds with one stone. Firstly, you will significantly reduce the calorie content of the dish - for many this is already an argument. But there is a second point: fiber, which is abundant in vegetables and fruits, is a good nutrient medium for the beneficial bacteria contained in yogurt. In the vicinity of fiber, they feel much more comfortable and take root better in the intestines, healing our microflora, and in the future they themselves help the body extract vitamins and minerals from food. Of course, we are talking about “live” yoghurts, but if they are not available, you can use good kefir.
How to properly combine products on a PP
For quick digestion and maximum absorption of food, you need to follow the right combination of foods for a healthy diet:
- Squirrels. Absorbed in an acidic environment. These include: poultry, meat, fish, seafood, cottage cheese, eggs, beans and mushrooms.
- Animal and vegetable fats. Lard is difficult to digest. Fish oil, milk, and vegetable oils are easily digestible.
- Complex carbohydrates. Absorbed in an alkaline environment: cereals, honey, flour products, fruits, vegetables and berries.
Let's take a closer look at the common associations of the main food groups:
- meat and fish products with greens and non-starchy vegetables, which will help speed up digestion and get rid of cholesterol.
- Pulses – contain vegetable protein and starch. Combine with vegetables and vegetable oil.
- Confectionery, sugar . With PP, you should completely abandon them. Fast carbohydrates slow down digestion, cause a number of diseases and damage the skin. When combined with other types of food, they tend to stimulate fermentation, heartburn and belching. The exception is honey.
- Milk. Some nutritionists do not recommend drinking it due to poor digestibility. Try not to combine it with other foods, giving preference to fermented milk products.
- Eggs – supplemented with herbs and low-starch vegetables.
Also read: ideal foods for proper nutrition.
Orange, yellow fruits and vegetables (vitamin A) + fats
Gnawing on raw carrots or drinking carrot juice is highly commendable. But remember that vitamin A , which comes from bright orange and yellow vegetables and fruits, is fat-soluble.
That is, it is easier for the body to absorb this vitamin in the presence of some fats. Combine carrots, sweet peppers, pumpkin with vegetable oil, sour cream, and cheese. Apricots, peaches, cherries, currants and even red rowan - with ice cream, whipped cream or full-fat cottage cheese cream. Vitamin A is friendly with vitamins E and C - they protect it from oxidation, so nuts and citrus fruits will not disturb the harmony of your golden-orange salads and desserts. And it makes sense to add a little cream to your morning glass of freshly squeezed carrot juice.
How to combine foods to lose weight more effectively
There is a time-tested and expert-tested combination of foods with proper nutrition to lose weight and keep yourself in perfect shape:
Protein + vegetables
This is an ideal combination for weight loss. Vegetable fiber guarantees the active functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, helps reduce blood sugar levels and saturates with essential vitamins. The slow rate of digestion of vegetables requires energy, which the body draws from accumulated fat reserves.
Complex carbohydrates + vegetables
Carbohydrates include almost all known side dishes (porridges) and potatoes. The cuisine familiar to us since childhood combined any side dish with meat, but this combination was criticized by nutritionists as absolutely not beneficial for the body, leading to weight gain. It is recommended to combine carbohydrates with vegetables, then the resulting food will give us a maximum boost of energy, improve intestinal function and normalize blood sugar. If you decide to treat yourself to new potatoes, give preference to a vegetable salad of cabbage with cucumber and olive oil.
Fat + protein
An ideal company that stabilizes the functions of the entire body by creating optimal levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. It saturates well for quite a long time. Choose healthy combinations: dairy products + nuts, meat and cheese.
Fruits
Fruits are a separate food, which is recommended to be combined only with fruits of another variety, then they are quickly digested. Fruits are a great snack option. When ingested simultaneously with other foods, fruits are prone to fermentation and rotting, and also contribute to the processing of other foods into unwanted fat deposits. Eat fruits 30-40 minutes before meals or 2 hours after the main meal.
Dried fruits + nuts
The most popular option when choosing a menu for a snack. This combination is quickly digested, but you should not combine nuts with fresh fruits - this may cause an unpleasant feeling of heaviness. The daily intake of nuts that does not lead to excess weight is up to 30 g per day.
Shellfish, veal liver, spinach and apples (iron) + vitamin C
Sprinkling seafood, spinach and apples with lemon juice is tasty and healthy. These products contain iron , a rather capricious microelement. The body receives very little of it with food and it is absorbed in small quantities. Ascorbic acid significantly activates the process of its absorption and helps get rid of iron deficiency in the body. Good sources of iron are veal liver and pork kidneys. So that the body can “catch” this iron, combine such foods with vitamin C-rich tomatoes, fresh or sauerkraut.
And don’t forget about parsley and dill - their greens contain both iron and ascorbic acid. When preparing “iron” dishes, avoid fermented milk products and legumes - calcium reduces the absorption of iron.
Product Compatibility Chart
Let's look at the table of food compatibility for proper nutrition.
Click to enlarge. Red – cannot be combined, yellow – not advisable, green – can be combined.
The result of the right combination of products
By following a combination of compatible foods for proper nutrition from the table, you will soon notice the following positive manifestations:
- ridding the gastrointestinal tract of waste deposits;
- healthy breath;
- no constipation;
- normalization of sleep;
- weight loss;
- lack of fatigue and sufficient energy to work throughout the day.
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Apples + dark chocolate or buckwheat porridge + onions
In a healthy body, not only is the spirit healthy, the cardiovascular system is also healthy. We do not recommend canceling contrast showers and sports training, but there is a real opportunity to pamper yourself and your loved one. Eat apples with chocolate. Such a simple dessert triggers the process of complex biochemical relationships between quercetin and catechin . Quercetin, a substance found in apples, reduces the risk of allergies, myocardial infarction, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Chocolate (especially bitter) contains catechins, which reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis and cancer. By combining, these substances resist the formation of blood clots, reduce the risk of strokes, and also improve the condition of the cardiovascular system. If such desserts are detrimental to the brutality of your image, feel free to eat buckwheat porridge with onions - the effect will be the same.
What about alkaline and acidic foods, can the stomach cope?
A follower of Shelton and the creator of the idea of “acid” and “alkaline” foods was the surgeon William Hay. Allegedly, in order to digest, for example, an alkaline cucumber, acid is released in the stomach, and “acidic” tomatoes begin to ferment. Those who have already become familiar with the basics of digestion already understand how stupid this sounds. When food enters our mouth, it turns into one mass. And then the composition and acidity of this mass changes from one organ to another: starting with the addition of saliva in the mouth and ending with intestinal enzymes. Our amazing body is able to digest and assimilate any combination of foods and isolate different substances from this mass at different stages of the digestive process.
Hay was against vaccinations and did not understand the principle of the stomach.
Although Hay was trained as a doctor, in addition to sharing food, he called for stopping drinking while eating and advocated for a ban on vaccinations. His activities were officially condemned and destroyed by the scientific community [5]. But, as often happens, the idea has already spread to the masses.
William Hay also argued that water dilutes gastric juice. But as the study showed, you can drink during meals [6]. As sports doctor and nutritionist Alexander Burlakov writes, “water does not affect the pH of the stomach and does not interfere with digestion. If this interfered, what would happen to soups? Plus, the rate of evacuation of water from the stomach is 10-15 minutes, and solid food up to 6 hours. Those. We ate meat 3 times a day and can’t drink for 18 hours (sarcasm... you can drink!)” [7].
To finally deal with the followers of separate nutrition, scientists decided to conduct an experiment. They divided a group of overweight people into two categories of people [8]. Some received a regular balanced diet, while others ate according to the Hay and Shelton method. Everyone was in a calorie deficit. As a result, people in both groups lost several kilograms. As a result, weight loss in the balanced diet group was even higher than in the separate nutrition group.
Principles of combining products from Maya Gogulan
Maya Gogulan is a famous journalist and supporter of the principle of separate nutrition. Her system is a combination of products based on nutritional components. The main rules of the combination look like this:
- carbohydrates should not be consumed simultaneously with carbohydrates (for example, eat porridge and pasta with bread);
- eat proteins at one meal with carbohydrates (for example, do not eat fish as a snack with bread, but oatmeal with chicken);
- vegetables can be combined with each other and with any other products;
- Vegetable and animal fats are well complemented by carbohydrates or protein.
In addition, Gogulan advises completely eliminating sugar from the diet, reducing the amount of salt and spices, which lead to increased appetite. Make the choice of products towards unprocessed ones. Oatmeal is a good example—coarse, unrefined flakes are better than processed ones. It is necessary to leave the table slightly undernourished. There must be a desire to do something. Drowsiness and laziness are signs that a person has overeaten, and this is not beneficial.
Many experts also advise paying attention to the method of preparing dishes - reducing the consumption of fried foods, replacing boiled
Convincing arguments against such a food system
Proven facts and scientific justification are not an argument for everyone. There are those who reject fractional meals. They make the following arguments:
- the combination of ingredients from different groups during processing in the body complement each other;
- Meat protein is absorbed better if combined with carbohydrates. They activate the production of pancreatic juice, which digests protein ingredients;
- sour fruits should be eaten with grains - they help with the absorption of iron;
- vegetables should be combined with all groups, because fiber is important for the proper functioning and cleansing of the intestines.
But, nevertheless, many positive reviews, healthier and thinner people, prove the effectiveness of balanced nutrition. This approach is not a diet, but when fighting extra pounds it gives quick results, because the body works easily, its organs are not overloaded, vitamins and microelements are better absorbed. In addition, the calorie content of one meal, if the combination of foods from the same group is observed, is much reduced.
However, you should not suddenly switch to fractional meals. This should be done gradually, starting with one fasting day a week, gradually increasing the number of days. Then you can create a menu for the month, choosing suitable recipes that you like. In any case, you need to listen to your body, and if necessary, consult a doctor.
Fasting for weight loss
In addition to the principles of separate nutrition, Shelton was convinced that periodic hunger strikes . He argued that hunger strikes are good for the body , they unload internal organs and systems, and cleanse the body of accumulated toxins. In his opinion, in order to start fasting, you do not need to somehow prepare the body. During fasting, you are only allowed to drink. You should not drink more than your body requires, always listen to your body!
During fasting, he recommends that patients refrain from heavy physical activity , reduce water procedures, and set the body up for complete rest and recuperation. For Shelton's conviction in the need for fasting, his weight loss system was and is subject to great criticism. Despite this, many have used and continue to use this weight loss system to this day. In the next article you will learn an approximate menu for separate meals , practical recommendations for separate meals.
Separate meals. Product Compatibility Chart:
Champignons (B12) + calcium
B12 was considered a vitamin found in animal products until scientists turned their attention to mushrooms. They found significant amounts of this vitamin in the pulp of champignons. In terms of biological activity, “mushroom” B12 is in no way inferior to that contained in fish and beef liver. Fresh champignons, of course, contain more of this vitamin, and we highly recommend salads and sandwiches with them. But it is relatively stable and with not particularly long heat treatment is destroyed only slightly. But vitamin B12 is very demanding of its environment. For good digestibility, it needs calcium, but under the influence of iron, copper and vitamin C it turns into a substance useless for the body. If you're on the hunt for vitamin B12, opt for cream of mushroom or julienne soup on the menu, or spread butter on bread, top it with thin slices of raw mushrooms and sprinkle the whole thing with salt and freshly ground black pepper - delicious!
Ideal food combinations
5. Red meat and rosemary
Red meat is not exactly a healthy food, but we all like to enjoy a steak from time to time. The damage can be mitigated with the help of romarin, in fact, it will only add flavor to the meat. The antioxidants rosmarinic and carnosic acids found in rosemary can absorb and neutralize free radicals found in meat, which are one of the key causes of aging.
6. Orange juice and oatmeal
This is truly the breakfast of champions. This duo is proven to prevent heart attacks and clear arteries twice as effectively as either alone. Organic substances known as phenols are found in both products and stabilize cholesterol levels when consumed together.
Instant oatmeal contains too much sugar, salt and dyes, so give preference to cereals that require cooking.
7. Blueberries and grapes
Packed with antioxidants, both of these fruits are great to snack on on their own or added to yogurt. It has been proven that together they provide stronger antioxidant effects than when consumed separately.
