The seat of human health begins in the gut.
The gut is our second skin. It is a single layer of cells supported by a network of related systems, which permit the passage of nutrients into our bodies and maintains a barrier against harmful substances and organisms.
Complex or elaborate food combining can lead to digestive problems such as decreased nutrient assimilation, intestinal gas, abdominal pain, swelling, constipation, contaminated blood, and mental fog.
There are many rules regarding food combining, but our cardinal rule at The Whole Journey is to never combine fruit with carbohydrates (starches).
Avoiding this combination minimizes fermentation, bloating, and gas.
This is your one anti-cancer rule of food combining for life! Fruit and grain (or carbohydrates) have a similar digestion rate, so they, in turn, compete with one another.
The grain/carb wins the competition, and the fruit putrefies and ferments while it waits its turn to be digested. Examples of carbohydrates include potatoes, grains, bread, and legumes.
For those with well-functioning digestion, you can enjoy fruit with nuts. Since nuts take so long to digest, the fruit will get to digest first and, therefore, not create gas.
Another Rule of Food Combining
Melon: Eat it alone, or leave it alone. Due to its quick fermentation process, melon will create bloating and gas if eaten with any other foods.
What About Timing?
A good rule of thumb to follow is to eat fruit at least 30 minutes before a meal or 1 hour after.
What About Protein and Starch?
This depends on your digestion, blood sugar, and metabolic type. Many people, like myself, digest carbohydrates with their protein quite well (i.e. – steak and potatoes) and actually need this combination to properly support their thyroid and adrenals, while others do not.
Your body will let you know. If, when you combine starch with protein, the food sits like a rock in your stomach or you get brain fog or tired immediately after eating, then alternate your meals.
For example, one meal is focused on protein and double non-starchy veggies while the next on complex carbs with double veggies. Keeping these macronutrients 2-3 hours apart from each other ought to make a nice difference in those symptoms.
Oh and please don't mix animal proteins (Surf and Turf is a no-no) because they require different enzyme profiles and often don't digest completely when combined.
What if it's too late?
When you overeat or eat improperly combined foods resulting in intestinal discomfort, instead of an over-the-counter remedy, try one of the following:
- Raw apple cider vinegar in water (1 tablespoon in 4 ounces water) helps to neutralize acid acidic poisons and shift pH back to normal while also boosting the body’s own hydrochloric acid production
- Digestive enzymes (1-2 capsules 20 minutes before a meal or 2 capsules after a meal that has caused bloating)
- Ginger tea or a mug of bone broth before or after a meal
- Add one pinch of baking soda in 4-6 ounces warm water to neutralize acid
Now we want to hear from you. What combination of foods make you feel good and which ones make you feel bad and why?
Want to learn more about Gut Health?
If you are suffering from food allergies, low energy, brain fog, chronic pain, anxiety, thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions and weight gain it could be due to a leaky gut. Watch our webinar to learn how to heal your gut with our 5-Step Protocol.
I found that when eating fruits and vegetables in the same meal, if I separate them with grains in between then the grains tend to act as a buffer, and the tendency for stomach upset disappears.
Hello TWJ Team,
Regarding the not combining animal proteins, does this mean we shouldn’t have milk with animal protein powder, for example?
Or does this account for animal protein with any other type of protein, like combining milk with peanut butter, or peanut butter with animal protein powder?
Loved the Gut Thrive in 5 program by the way!
Hi Karel! Thanks for writing, we usually suggest a nut milk if you are using a whey protein 🙂
Apparently dairy milk inhibits proper digestion of flesh foods, and also the calcium inhibits iron absorption. Avoiding milk and meat together is also a biblical council (which is why it is not considered kosher).
Dear Christa, hi from far Europe 🙂 I recently started watching all Your educational videos on the channel. THANK YOU! I am happy that I found this source to force myself (I am skinny one in 31st and I should gain little my weight) I am interested in this post so I read all comments bellow still I did not find the right answer. I eat quinoa or buckwheat for breakfast and I usually combine it with few almonds (everything soaked before), 2 tablespoons of seeds (pumpkin or flaxseeds-ground), 1 tablespoon of tahini and few berries over the top. Can I actually combine non-grains with nuts and raspberries/cherries? (if apple pie down bellow is OK but fruits do not go well with carbs?) I am also interested which tahini is better (I need more calcium for bones) tahini made of whole sesame seeds or white one? I read that integral tahini has 100% more calcium.
Thank you for this information. How can you have fruit durning the day (4-6serving) when you have other foods in your system. For your food to completely digest would it not take about 24 hours.
for the candida cleanse you recommend sacchrymeces boulardi… probiotic. can you still do the cleanse. What would be done in this case?
Hi there, i’ve been experimenting with food combining for a while. I have found that fruit and grains is a massive problem for me but I can eat grains on their own. If I have eaten too much sugar I can feel it and eat a raw clove of garlic before bed which seems to sort the problem.
Bread is interesting. I can eat quality bread with animal fat…. butter or eggs and it seems to get digested OK. Are there any reasons for this that anyone knows?
Hi. When making smoothies can I do raw milk and fruit for my kids together? I really like to get that raw milk and kiefer in them but it is difficult without fruit or chocolate syrup.
Thanks,
Catherine
Have awful digestion so look forward to trying food combining. Is it ok to have yogurt with oatmeal, also is it ok to have potatoes and meat together or eggs and toast? Thank you,
Hi Shirley, So sorry to hear about your awful digestive problems, but you’ve definitely come to the right place to find information on how you can improve that. The examples you give do not break proper food combining rules, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t cause you digestive upset. Dairy, gluten and eggs rank high when it comes to food sensitivities. Please click this link to check out Christa’s blog on the 5 Most Common Food Sensitivities to learn more.
Can you combine sweet potatoes and almond butter?
Or sweet potatoes, bananas, almond butter? I’ve read so many conflicting articles where one says yes and the other says no! Thanks!
Hi Michelle, The examples you give don’t break proper food combining rules, but if you are sensitive or allergic to any of the ingredients you listed then consuming them can result in digestive upset.
I have a couple questions regarding this….does this rule apply to even sprouted or fermented grains–such as with sourdough bread? My understanding is these kinds of grains process in the body more like a vegetable, and may not contribute to the standard issues of carbohydrates….am I wrong?
Also, does this rule also apply for other natural sugars, such as something like honey, on bread (or with grains)? They “compete” to digest, or is honey a different ball-game? Thanks in advance!
Hi CB! Great questions. Thank you for posting them. Yes, the food combining rule applies to sprouted grains as well. Honey isn’t a fruit and does not compete to digest the way fruit does so no issue there.
Hi, any problem with coconut oil and high cholesterol?
Also having trouble finding coconut chunks..
Thanks!
Hi Kristin! So glad you posted this question. Coconut oil is a good fat and Christa has a very informative blog about the cholesterol controversy I think you will find very helpful. Here’s a link to that blog https://thewholejourney.com/the-cholesterol-controversy-video/. If you have a Trader Joe’s market in your area they carry frozen coconut chunks. If not, please ask the produce manager at your local health food store.
How about eggs and bacon? Would that still be a bad combo?
Thank you so much, Christa, for addressing this. So many trad foods and other natural food teachers do not “believe” in food combining. I have been practicing it for 45 years ever since I discovered Dr. Sheldon and the natural hygiene movement, and find it indispensable for good digestion.
You’re welcome, Moxie and thank YOU for sharing your positive experience following proper food combining rules.
Stacey, I see you reply to comments. Hi to you 🙂 Christa said in the video that blueberries in our oatmeal is bad. However TWJ Cookbook has recipes where dates, dried coconut, applesauce or bananas are used with oats. I can understand the thing with dates and dried coconut, as I heard dried fruits are an exclusion to this rule and thus can be combined with grains, but how is banana or applesauce different from blueberries that Christa mentioned? Thanks so much in advance for your reply!
Hi Alice, I wonder if you might be referring to a recipe from an older cookbook because we now adhere to the food combing rules Christa shares in the blog. In this case you can adjust the recipe based on these food combining rules and omit the banana and applesauce. Happy cooking!
Thanks Stacey. I have the cookbook in pdf format of 244 pages. I got it perhaps last year or so. Is there an updated version?
I mean: 244 pages, “180 delicious ways to use food as medicine”, with a nice introduction and the food pyramid, plenty of food/dish categories, and a food glossary at the end.
You have the most recent copy, Alice. If you notice any more recipes that break food combining rules, please readjust the recipe and apply the new information Christa shares in the blog. Thank you!
Wondering if fruit spreads (ie. apple butter, pumpkin butter, jelly, etc) are allowed to be eaten with grains/starches/breads, or do they follow the same exclusion as whole fruits? Thanks for all this great info!
Logically thinking, Sonia, they are all made of fruits, thus follow the same exclusion.
What about yogurt and fruit? Would yogurt be considered a protein, thus making it okay to combine with fruit? Or is yogurt considered more of a Carbohydrate, and make combing it with fruit a no no?
Hi Angela, Yogurt is a carbohydrate with fat and protein. Since it’s not a starch it’s ok to combine with fruit.
I don’t understand this. How is yogurt a carbohydrate with fat and protein and as you say, it is okay because it is not a starch. What is the difference between a carbohydrate and a starch? I her video above she says you cant mix carbs and fruit. So confusing.
are cooked fruits with carbs the same. like apple pie, etc. ?
Correct, Susan. If you use a grain-free pie crust it would be fine.
I have a question about tomatoes and avocados. Both are technically fruits so does that mean I shouldn’t be eating tomatoes/tomato sauce on my pasta or avocado on my toast?
Great question, Emily! The acid in the tomato helps the digestive process and the fat in the avocado makes it digest slower than fruit and so both are fine with starch/toast. Thank goodness. 😉
Can you mix melons, such as watermelon and canteloupe? Are herbs not good with melon, such as a mint leaf? Also, is melon infused water OK? Thanks! Melon is our staple in season!Love your programs and info! 🙂
Hi Tina! Mixing melons is okay as is adding in herbs which help the digestive process. Yes, infusing water is fine too. So happy you love our programs. 🙂
Thank you! By not combining proteins, would that also include using bacon fat as part of a meal with a different protein?
Hi Sharon! Great question. Combining different animal fats when cooking is ok, but digestive upset can occur if you combine multiple animal proteins.
Hi Christa! Thank you for this information. I have lived in Europe where they are kind of obsessed with food combining, but I found the German methods made me feel worse. Italians ate things in a very specific order and always ended with fruit (just after mopping up their plates with bread!). This time of year they would often have mushy, overripe persimmons. What gives? I thought it was because fruit enzymes were supposed to aid in digestion. My vegan friends are always telling me I need raw fruits and veggies for their enzymes, too. I guess the thing I don’t understand why fruits and starches don’t digest together if they digest at the same rate. Why does one have to be first?
Hi Kristie! Fruits and starches do NOT digest at the same rate. They compete for digestion and the fruit loses (and ferments) while the starches win and are digested first. This is what creates gas, bloating and digestive upset. To avoid these symptoms, make sure to follow Christa’s tips noted in the blog.
I love your tips! So, as a good rule, should I always eat fruit alone or only with nuts/seeds? How much time “around” the fruit consumption should I allow before eating other foods?
Hi Lia, Melon you eat alone. Other fruits can be combined with nuts/seeds and proteins. Just be sure to avoid combining fruit and starches. A good rule of thumb to follow is to eat fruit at least 30 minutes before a meal or 1 hour after.
If you eat the fruit first before a meal, how much time do you allow before eating the other carbs and meat at a meal?
Hi Sharon, A good rule of thumb to follow is to eat fruit at least 30 minutes before a meal or 1 hour after.
Thank you for this!!!!! It’s so helpful for me!! I have been wondering about food combinations and timing for a while now!! And thank you for the suggestion of the digestive enzymes! I know there are certain foods that I eat that don’t “sit well” so I would love to have these for those times I just can’t help myself ☺️
You’re welcome, Morgan!
Love true health information..you are a blessing
Thank you, Barry!