To put it simply, food combining is the concept that certain foods pair well together, while other foods do not. The main categories within the food combining sphere are carbs and starches, fruits, vegetables, proteins and fats. These are the standard rules of thumb for foods you shouldn’t combine: Knowing that protein and grain/carbohydrate combinations lead to improper digestion, you can see how lentils and beans get a bad reputation for being hard to digest. This is in part because of some sugars in beans that cause gas. Also present are enzyme inhibitors that prevent the bean from growing into a plant. Soaking beans, lentils, nuts, and grains overnight, or at least for a few hours, will break down some of the cellulose, deteriorate those gas-causing sugars, and inactivate the enzyme inhibitors, thus improving their digestibility. If you wanted to even further improve their digestibility, sprouting the seeds/grains/legumes for another day or two will initiate the plant’s growth, increasing enzymes and nutrient content. Improving digestive health is key to any nourishing lifestyle. Look at it this way: 70% of your immune system in your gut and 95% of serotonin produced in your GI tract. The gastrointestinal system clearly plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of the body! Food combining, digestive enzymes, healing the intestinal wall with supportive nutrients, avoiding depleting foods like alcohol and refined sugars, reducing toxin and food allergy exposure, and taking targeted digestive support supplements can transform your body and give you the health and wellness you’ve been looking for.
