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• Herbs And Their Healing Properties
• Phytonutrient Sources
• Protein and Vit. B-12 Sources
• The Dangers Of Refined Foods
• Sprouts & Sprouting
• Vital Nutrient Properties
• Natural Sources Of Common Nutrients
• Whole Grains
• The Nature’s Choice Super-Food Phenomenon
• More About Organic Foods
• Dietary Fat Sources-Chart
• Food Combining Principles
• Herbal Support Teas
• Classes Of Healing Herbs
• Why You Need Soya Beans To Stop Aging

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Food Combining Principles

Category: The Good Food Guide

There are many voices crying out about various food combining programs today and this is causing some confusion amongst consumers. We would not like to criticize the sincere efforts of others, and we would even go so far as to say that if it works for you, stay with it.

The suggestions made below have worked for us and for many others. They have helped many people to overcome prolonged digestion problems - including indigestion, and they have certainly helped many others to prevent such problems.

Milk & Sugar Combinations:

When taken together, milk and sugar cause fermentation which, in turn, can lead to any number of immediate discomforts such as acidity, gas, bloated feelings, etc. If this habit is not corrected it can contribute towards the development of more serious ills.

If milk and sugar combinations are eaten freely, and we have infection in our teeth, halitosis is sure to follow, for the fermentation in the digestive tract will provide a perfect breeding ground for the bacteria that have found a breeding ground in the teeth.

Children with ever-running noses are usually victims of this faulty combination – coupled with too many sweets and cold drinks.

Sugar is an addictive sweetener in that its continuous use leads to a disrelish for natural sweet foods such as fruit and dates. Because refined sugar is an empty calorie – a non-food that is totally lacking in minerals and essential nutrients, the body has to “borrow” nutrients from tissues and bones in order to digest the sugar. This could eventually lead to dental cavities, to osteoporosis and/or to nutritional deficiencies. These deficiencies, in turn, lead to cravings. In the case of sugar cravings, the body usually interprets these cravings as a cry for more sugar, and a vicious cycle is thus set up. Ever been on a sugar binge?

Bear in mind, however, that the craving for sweet foods
is an educated craving – and it is one that soon disappears when we switch to using more natural sweeteners in moderation.

The following bio-friendly substitutes will serve you admirably. Always try and use

natural sweeteners wherever possible. While fructose is preferable to sugar, it is still a processed product and should be used in moderation.

Liquids With Meals

Taking liquids just before, during, or after meals dilutes the digestive juices and can severely impair digestion, causing stomach pains and heartburn. It is best to take liquids at least 30 minutes before a meal, and not earlier than two hours after a meal.

Fruit & Vegetable Combinations

You will notice that the recipes on this website are categorized as either Fruit (F), Vegetable (V), or Neutral (N). This is to assist those who prefer not to mix fruit and vegetables at the same meal. If you are having digestion problems, acidity, gout, rheumatism or arthritis, this food combining plan could prove to be of great benefit. If you are not suffering from any of these maladies, you will still derive great benefit by avoiding fruit and vegetable combinations at the same meal.

Rationale: On average, vegetables take four hours to digest, whereas fruit usually takes approximately two hours to digest. Eating fruits together with vegetables will thus cause the fruit to remain in the stomach for far longer than Nature intended. This often causes fermentation, gas, bloating, acidity and discomfort. Sometimes, in some people, this will cause extreme discomfort. Far better, therefore, to eat vegetable or vegetable and neutral combinations at one meal, and fruit or fruit and neutral combinations at the next meal. See the Food Combining Chart below. At first this will be a little confusing, but it soon becomes a way of life.

Please note that we do not suggest this food combining program as a temporary measure but as a program for life. It is simple and it is logical and it has often brought profound results where protracted medical procedures have failed.

Please do not make others miserable because of this suggestion. Certain individuals might find that they can afford to be a little flexible on this score – others again have found that for them suffering is always the consequence of combining fruit and vegetables at the same meal.