Just last weekend I visited annual NY Life Expo where different natural holistic vendors, doctors and health experts offer their services, products and conduct educational lectures. I love to check out who and what’s new, what’s exciting on the market and listen to some educational presentations. There is always something to learn, be curious about, rise questions observe and experience. My favorite booth to tour is always Vitamix. There is continuous abundance of interesting recipes, new colorful upgraded machines with fancy buttons to press and turn. This is one piece of equipment I truly can’t live without in my kitchen. As I was passing by the Vitamix station the pitch man was demonstrating how easy it was to make delicious icecream. He have put to his mix: some carrots, spinach, bananas, berries, strawberries, peaches and I almost fainted when I saw that food combo being blended. After being lectured at Hippocrates Health Institute on the right food combining I couldn’t remain silent and pointed out to him that he was poorly combining all ingredients. He lifted his paused face from the pitcher not understanding what I was talking about. He answered firmly that once you have your own Vitamix you can put and mix whatever you wish. Immediately I was rushed to the side by another Vitamix representative who informed me that I was making to much co-motion for other potential clients who were being programed how to make a “booz”.
Lack of proper information or ignorance can cause a lot of unnecessary suffering and discomfort in our body. For years that was my main concern. I didn’t understand why did I have fireworks effect in my stomach. I felt bloated after each meal despite my conviction that I was eating healthy diet. I didn’t know that fruits and nuts didn’t belong together in cereals. I had no clue that fruits shouldn’t be mixed with vegetables. I wasn’t aware that tomato is a fruit and does not belong in a salad. For a short time I was designed by a nutritionist a “nutritional” atomic bomb smoothie that consisted of the following: banana, spinach, peach, pineapple, coconut meat, strawberries, avocado, spiritualina, 1tbs of coconut oil or olive oil, 1 tbs of macca powder, 1 glass of almond milk, 1 date. Just imagine how poorly it was combined. Additionally it was overloaded with extremely high caloric content. I was to scared to count. I felt heavy and bloated all day after drinking it. At the time I didn’t understand why my weight was sky rocketing.
The most commonly served improper food combining is protein with starches. (meat and potatoes most of us grew up on) The after thoughts cause gas, heartburn and uncomfortable bloating. Various digestion process of wrongly combined foods enables the food to get digested and body can’t adept to assimilate the nutrients. Our digestive system gets sluggish and can’t eliminate waste deposits. It creates various gases in the body, including sulfur. The more ingredients goes into our stomachs the more chances of creating Digestive explosions. Combining starch and avocado is another example of bad food combining that can only contribute more sparks to the flamed stomach. We digest food at various time frames in various acid/alkaline environments.
Here is a list of food-combining groups
protein: seeds, nuts – digest on average within 4 hrs
starches: sprouted grains, sprouted legumes, hard winter squashes, sweet potatoes & yams – digest on average 3 hrs
vegetables: sprouted greens, fruits vegetables, leafy greens, low starches root vegetables – digest on average within 2.5hrs
fruits: acid (grapefruits, lemons, oranges, strawberries), sub-acid – apples, apricots, most berries, grapes, kiwis, mango, pears, peaches, sweet – bananas, all dried fruit, persimmons – digest on average within 2hrs
melons have excellent benefits when eaten alone – digest on average within 15-30mins
tomatoes are fruits not vegetables contrary to general understanding. Eaten alone they are beneficial to cleanse your liver of deposited fats.
One of my favorite breakfast meal used to be oatmeal or granola with almond milk and massive amount of fruits and nuts. Little did I know that this combination of starch and sweet fruit created fermentation and alcohol in my body. Basically I was boozed.
Nutritious combinations of foods are avocado and greens, avocado and sub-acid fruit, protein and sprouts with leafy greens, starches and sprouts with vegetables.
Here are properly food combined healthy delicious breakfast suggestions and smoothie recipes for you:
1. banana, peach, berries, sprouts like alfalfa sprout, with or without splash of coconut water.
2. Pineapple, peach, berries, avocado, alfalfa sprout with or without splash of coconut water.
3. 1 glass of raw almond milk, 1 date, 1 tbs of chia seeds. Blend all in Vitamix or other blender until creamy smooth. For being super duper you can add digestive enzymes, probiotic and blue green algae to any of the above smoothies and cerals.
4. Sprouted dehydrated buckwheat mixed with water or buckwheat milk. You can add pumpkin pie spice, pinch of cinnamon, or a drop of stevia.
If you ever make a mistake or poorly food combine just take some digestive enzymes and it will help you to speed up your digestion process.
Enjoy
P.S. As always i would like to hear from you about your breakfast choices and food combining. Share your comments, tips and suggestions with the rest of us.
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