Have you thought your digestion today?

Seriously though, have you? Digestion is something we know but don’t give the time of day it deserves. Recently I have come across a “life style” called food combining. Food combining essentially is a method that focuses on specific food combinations that help your digestion go a lot smoother. It also advises against certain food combinations. This method isn’t about shedding weight as most diets are. This method focuses on the energy your uses to digest the food and shows how it can either negatively or positively affect you. I’m new to this myself but wanted to share a few key takeaways that I have learned so far!

Fruits

If you keep up with our Facebook posts (@WarhawkFitness), you would have seen a post talking about how it would almost be healthier to eat a piece of chocolate after dinner than fruit. This is because of how we digest certain foods. Generally speaking, fruit only takes about 30 minutes or so for us to digest completely, while proteins can take a few hours. If you were to eat fruit after dinner (which typically involves starches and proteins) it would sit on top of the proteins while they take hours to digest when really fruits only take ¼ of the time. Have you ever felt tired after eating? This is why! Your body is using more energy to digest the food groups that don’t mix, leading to bloating and fatigue. It is recommended that fruit be eaten alone (right away in the morning or before any other foods).

Proteins & Starches

Us Wisconsinites love our beef and potatoes but bad news… they shouldn’t be eaten together. Protein in general is one of the hardest foods for us to digest due to its “acidic environment”. Plant protein is fine and should be mix & match with everything, but meat is a different story. I will spare you the big long words but essentially, mixing starches with proteins can cause hours of digestion and they don’t even get completely digested! It takes so long in fact that it can cause a toxic residue. The key point it to pick a protein or starch for your meal, and pair it with vegetables.

If this topic interests you, I highly recommend doing some research! This method isn’t about losing weight (while it does do that) but about a lifestyle change. It is supposed to help you feel lighter and help have a “clearer head” all because your body isn’t using as much energy to digest your food. I am not a nutritionist at all but loved this topic so much I thought I would share what I found. Something that has helped me a lot in my journey of food combining is a licensed nutritionist’s blog, Kenzie Burke Health. Even if you are not interested in changing your eating habits, it’s always nice to know how your body works and always do what’s best for YOUR body.

Don’t wait for the opportunity, create it

Alexis Kisgen