The Art of Combining Foods
Combining Foods for Optimal Results
Our meals comprise a different form of foods. We eat food in combination to get the most out of them. Combining different foods serve various purposes. Every food has different nutritive value and other important components to maintain our health. We can’t survive on restricted food categories. We need protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamin, minerals and antioxidants to fuel our body. Food in combination affect each other’s absorption and effectiveness. They can have either synergistic or antagonistic effects.
Two principles apply while selecting foods and their combination.
- Acid Alkaline Balance
- Nature (element) of food
What is acid-alkaline Balance?
Acid-alkaline refers to the pH. pH is the measure of Hydrogen ion concentration of an aqueous solution. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 where 0 represents the most acidic, 7 as neutral and 14 the most alkaline. Our kidneys and lungs regulates the body’s pH between 7.3 and 7.4. Our body tissue and blood pH are more towards alkaline base. To assist this function, we need to eat more alkaline foods as compared to acidic foods to maintain the optimal pH. Every food has its own acidity measured as pH.
Food variation is must
Food affects our health in a positive or negative manner. But stress levels, exercise and sleep patterns affect our health. People often get confused by ever changing dietary trends on social media. Be warn, that restricting to one type of food category makes us prone to nutritional deficiencies. No single diet is perfect. We need different foods for nutritional needs. Eating only alkaline food in not a solution, we need acidic foods also as they contain different nutrients especially proteins and fats.
Acid-Alkaline Foods
All foods either generates an alkaline or acidic ash/residual after digestion. The net effect of food on the kidney refers to “Potential Renal Acid Load” or PRAL. This determines whether the food fits into acid or alkaline continuum. To understand better, lemon juice is acidic with a pH of 1.9 but when metabolised in body producing alkaline ash exerting alkaline effect. Foods like meats, nuts, refined flour, milk products and sugar products produces acidic ash. While fruits, veggies, legumes almonds, millet, sprouted seeds have an alkaline effect. Our diet should comprise foods including acidic and alkaline foods. Alkaline foods should make the bulk of the diet close to 70% of total food intake for optimal health. We need different foods for various reasons such as nuts, oils and seeds for essential fats. Milk, cheese, meats covers our protein intake while vegetables and fruits provide fibre, phytonutrient and vitamins.
See the acid-alkaline food chart below for reference.
Food Combinations
Foods have a synergistic or antagonistic effect when combined. They can either aid or inhibit each other’s absorption or effects. It’s best to eat Fruits either an empty stomach or between meals. It is because of the fact that fruits support cleansing and detoxification. They also contain sugars which ferment when eaten with regular meals or foods. The fermentation produces gas and can cause bloating. In the same way, it is best to avoid mixing protein with starches. Meats need more acidic pH for digestion while starches need alkaline pH which becomes antagonistic. It is best to combine meat with non-starchy vegetables or fats. Fats aid the digestion of meats. It is because of this that all protein in nature occurs with fats such as eggs, cheese or meats. Milk products are antagonistic to meats and starchy foods.
