Healthy Food Combinations

SWEET FRUITS. Sweet fruits,especially all dried fruits are a concentrated source of energy-fruit sugars (fructose) and they require unique digestion. Simple combinations are best,such as a few dried fruits as a snack are ideal,however, when combining with other fruits it is best to only have a slice of apple or other sub-acid fruit. Bananas are a concentrated food and should not be combined with any dried fruit,but can be combined with apple,apricot,peach or pear. Don't combine dried fruits with nuts,peanuts or any other food group as poor digestion and gas will develop. Simple banana milkshakes are a fair combination and can be nutritious. It is best not to include any dried fruit in a fruit salad,a few slices of banana is alright. Dried fruits need to be chewed very well and preferably taken with a glass of pure water,to ensure that digestion goes smoothly.

SUB ACID FRUITS Sub acid fruits combine very well with one another and therefore a complete fruit salade can be made with them and be most nutritious. Obviously a few of the sub acid fruits would not be included due to their unfavourable taste combinations. Simple combinations such as avocado on toast or with a salad with olives is alright. Apples or peaches with almonds is an excellent, delicious simple snack.Paw paw with banana is an excellent snack. Grapes are best eaten alone or just a few in fruit salad. A fruit salad with ice-cream is delicious and alright. It is best not to combine more than one other fruit from either the sweet fruit or acid fruit group in a fruit salad.

ACID FRUITS Simple combinations of acid fruits is excellent, such as orange,pineapple, mandarin and grapefruit. Or kiwifruit,strawberry,tangerine and pineapple. The tomato is a acid fruit and is widely used in various combinations, however,they are not always nutritionally favourable. Tomato with pasta,eaten regularly can lead to ulcers in the digestive tract. Tomato in salads is very common and is alright,especially due to the benefits of fresh salads. Tomato restricts the digestion of carbohydrates such as bread and pasta. This means the meal lasts longer in the stomach and/or is not as well digested. Ideally,tomato should not be combined with starches and should be replaced with red capsicum. Acid fruits do combine well with small portions of sub acid or sweet fruits and such combinations as orange and almonds or seed is alright or strawberry, pineapple and grated fresh nuts is good.

MELONS All fruits require fairly simple digestion when compaired to starches,proteins and fats,but melons require no digestion in the stomach and are basically the simplest food to assimulate, due to their very high water content and very simple structure;they contain no protein,no fats and a minute carbohydrate content. Melons are best thought of as a drink and should not be eaten after a large meal.They are an ideal breakfast food,make a melon fruit salad with no other food and that will provide maximum benefits and taste sensation. A small quantity of melon with a fruit salad is alright occasionally. When melons are eaten with or after a large complex meal,fermentation can occur and lead to gass and possibly stomach and intestinal pains. Let the melon give you the simplest meal alone.

VEGETABLES The variety of vegetables is abundant and provides the widest range of suitable food combinations.Fresh salads are optimum nutritionally and combine very well with all grains,or nuts and seeds,or animal proteins or legumes. Ideally,fresh vegetables and cooked vegetables are not the best combinations, especially when including the group of starch vegetables. Depending on personel taste,numerous combinations of fresh vegetables can be excellent. The taste and colours of vegetables enhances the appetite of any protein meal and combines very well.Vegetables with dairy foods also combine very well. Ideally you can combine any vegetable with any protein food or grain and legume meal.

STARCH VEGETABLES. Most starch vegetables need to be cooked for easy digestion. Sliced or grated raw starch vegetables such as carrot,radish,beatroot and pumpkin can be a colourful and nutritious addition to a meal. Ideally,starch vegetables should not be combined with nuts,seeds,grains,legumes and animal proteins. It is common for the starch vegetables to be combined with meat,fish,eggs or chicken,but it is likely for such to complate digestion, due to the different requirements of starch vegetables compaired to proteins or grains and legumes. Starch vegetables when cooked are prepaired into less complex starches and when digested they require the action of the enzyme ptyalin,which is produced by the action of chewing and salivary glands. Starch vegetables combine well with one another and they combine fairly well with other cooked vegetables and dairy foods such as milk,cheese or yogurt.

GRAINS & PRODUCTS Generally the use of whole grains is very limited and the use of grain products in commercial sales is most common.Rolled oats and rice are the most popular whole grains with sweet corn also being used directly as a whole grain. Such whole grains combine very well with vegetables,especially rice and corn. Rolled oats combine very well with most sub acid fruits and milk. The variety of bread is increasing to include mixtures of wheat,rye,oats,corn, barley,triticale and rice. All of which combine very well with fresh vegetables or dairy produce.Pasta is very suitable when combined with vegetables. Pizza varieties are numerous and for best digestion the vegetarian with cheese is alright. Pies and pastries are best when combined with vegetables such as spinach,asparagus,cabbage,onion,leek or zuccini.

LEGUMES Legumes is the term used to describe beans or peas, sometimes referred to as pulses. Most legumes contain a fair amount of protein plus a generous supply of carbohydrates. The best single combination with legumes is vegetables. Numerous traditional meals include legumes with whole grain and vegetables. Such as rice and beans,lentils and rice.Such combinations are good as they improve the protein value of the legumes. The simple baked beans on toast is a good,cheap and simple combination. Legumes should not be combined with protein foods as they are a concentrated starch and need very different digestion to meat,fish,eggs,nuts or seeds. Legumes combine with dairy foods well. The peanut is an ideal snack food when eaten alone or as peanut butter on bread or peanut sauce with rice.Corn chips with beans is a very good combination. Carob powder is ideal with milk drinks. Legumes need proper digestion or the problems of gas and stomach aches and indigestion will easily occur.

NUTS & SEEDS The best combination for nuts is with other nuts,especially almonds,brazil and cashew as a complete protein snack.Simple snacks of almonds with apple or peach is good.Nuts and seeds ar not the best combination. Nuts or seeds with fresh or cooked vegetables is very good.Don't combine nuts with starch vegetables,legumes,animal protein or sweet fruits.Simple combinations of nuts with cookies are alright.A fruit salad with acid fruits with nuts or seeds is fine.Seeds such as sunflower combine well with oats and milk for breakfast. Pumpkin seeds with rice is alright with vegetables.Alfalfa sprouts combine well with sandwiches or salads.Sesame seeds are too small to digest,however tahini is ideal with salads,bread or sub acid fruits.

ANIMAL PROTEINS Compared to all other food groups,the animal protein foods require the most omplex digestion,specially within the stomach.They all require high concen-trations of the enzyme pepsinogen,which is made up from hydrochloric acid and the enzyme pepsin.The best combination for animal protein foods is with salads or cooked vegetables,no starched vegetables. A seafood combination is alright if no other food groups are eaten at the same time,apart from salads. A mixed grill is a very complicated meal to digest,especially when potatoes and other starches are combined.Meat with vegetables is a very good combination.Any fish meal is ideal with salads or cooked vegetables. Eggs should not be combined with other animal proteins.Eggs in cakes and vegetable omelets is alright.It is not recommended to combine any animal protein food with another or with cheese. Fish and chips are a fair combination,but not as a regular meal.Chicken and salads is a good combination.Keep the meals simple and you will be assured of better digestion.

DAIRY & OTHER PRODUCTS. Cheese is the most concentrated dairy food.It combines well with salads,bread, pasta and with starch and other vegetables.Cheese requires unique digestion and should not be combined with proteins as they require very different digestion.Cheese and milk will inhibit the secretion of essential digestive enzymes required for protein digestion.It may feel like a satisfying meal, but the result is often gas,indigestion and aches a few hours later. Butter with bread or vegetables is alright.Yogurt is best eaten alone or with a simple addition of apple,apricot or peach. Due to the high fat content of dairy foods,they privide a satisfying and taste abundant combination with other foods,especially when sugar is added such as ice-cream.Small portions are alright but better not eaten after a large protein meal. Chocolade is concentrated milk fats and should be treated as a snack,not as a meal.Non dairy produce(such as soya milk and tofu)combines very well with grains,vegetables,fruits,legumes,nuts and seeds.