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Food Combining Diets
Introduction
There are several food-combining diets on the market. Their basic recommendation is as follows:
In order to optimize digestion and weight loss, you should avoid eating certain foods as part of the same meal. For example, you should not eat carbohydrates with proteins. Some versions advocate eating only fruit or fruit juices before noon. A typical food-combining diet lasts for 5 weeks, although some versions are indefinite.
The Claim
There is no hard scientific evidence to support food-combining diets. The idea that weight loss becomes more likely if you separate certain foods, is completely without foundation.
What you eat
Typically, for the first 10 days, you may eat only fruit. Thereafter, a small amount of bread and butter is permissible with a few vegetables. Towards the end of the third week, some meat/shellfish is allowed. Some food combining plans permit 'sweet-allowances' and a range of high fat treats like cheesecake, others don't.
Other dos and don'ts of food combining may include (a) No foods to be consumed that are either very hot or very cold. (b) No aluminum pans to be used during cooking. (c) Allow 4 hours between protein meals and starch meals.
Advantages
A food combining diet may benefit you for a couple of days, as a type of 'de-tox' diet. Also, due to the very-low calorie nature of the early stages of the diet, weight loss is virtually assured. Indeed, one could rename it 'Very-Low-Calorie-Diet'.
Drawbacks
Lacking firm scientific basis, many food-combining diets provide inadequate vitamins and minerals. Also, they may fall below minimum recommended calorie levels.
Verdict
Although unscientific, it's a fact that food combining diets have helped a number of people with dietary and weight loss problems. So if you've tried most conventional weight loss diet plans, maybe give food combining a try.
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