Hello beautiful people! I am finally getting around to writing this blog post and I couldn’t be more excited to share everything I’ve learned about food combining. I first learned of food combining on Instagram from the FC queen herself, Kenzie Burke. I love everything she stands for, her aesthetic, her work ethic, and her mindset. I ordered Kenzie’s 21 Day Reset in February of 2019. The reset is an ebook filled with recipes, ideas, inspiration and more. She recommends going completely plant based for the 21 days. Don't let that scare you! TRY IT.
WHAT IS IT?
It is not a diet. It is a way of eating to optimize your digestion. What does that mean? You know that bloated, heavy feeling you sometimes get after eating? Would you like to not have that feeling again? I remember I used to feel bloated allll the time. Since starting FC I have not felt that way—unless I eat something that isn’t food combined. The body uses different enzymes to break down different foods. Fruit digests very quickly while protein takes longer. This is why you feel bloated when you eat a bowl of fruit after having steak and potatoes. The fruit is just sitting on top of that other food, not being easily and quickly digested like it should be!
The main components to food combining are:
1. Fruit first! Only eat fruit in the morning on an empty stomach. Starting off your morning with a bunch of fruit is the best! People have become scared of fruit because of the sugar they contain. Can you really tell me that eating a bowl of fruit is the same as eating a candy bar? No. Fruit is packed with nutrients and vitamins that your body needs!
2. Veggies with starch. Do not eat starch and protein together! That means no rice and protein together, no potatoes and protein together, etc. They do not digest well together. But you can eat starch with veggies! So have your rice, potatoes, pasta with as much veggies as you want.
3. OR veggies with protein. If you want to eat animal protein this is where you would have it with veggies, not starch! This is the hardest part for me because I am so used to having protein with starch. You could have tofu or tempeh with veggies.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
●I have been vegan for 2 years and 7 months. I started REALLY following FC in September/October 2019. Before that I would do it here and there. I have noticed that pounds have come off and stayed off! I got a pair of jeans last year that are a size 25 and they are too big for me now (I can still wear them but they definitely feel loose.) Before I was vegan I was probably a size 28 or 27. Now I wear a size 24! I also used to be a size XS in Athleta leggings up until I started FC and now I like to wear a XXS. ●My digestion is in tip top shape! I used to have problems with constipation. That has improved since I went vegan but it has gotten even better with FC. ●After eating I do not feel heavy and bloated. I eat as much as I want, until I am satisfied. I’m telling you I have never eaten so many veggies in my life! People think that I’m crazy for eating so healthy but when did eating not healthy, processed, crap food become the norm?? I do eat very healthy but I also have my treats. I eat dark chocolate almost every night, sometimes I have vegan ice cream or cookies...don't worry, I am definitely not deprived of anything!
●I do not have celiac disease or any gluten allergy but after eating gluten-free for a few weeks I really noticed a difference! You might not even realize how inflamed gluten (or dairy) could be making you! You might find that gluten doesn't make you bloated but you won't know until you go without it for a few weeks.
Example of a Day of Eating while Food Combining
~hot lemon water: I love having this first thing in the morning. It feels nice to drink something warm and it has detoxifying effects. I feel like it preps my body for the day ahead.
~fruit! (breakfast 1): Any kind of fruit you want. I love eating whatever fruit is in season at the time. Whether its strawberries, apples, blueberries, plums, mango, persimmon, cantaloupe, you name it! Sometimes I like to have my fruit with a plant based yogurt. Kenzie gives a bunch of other options to eat in the morning such as smoothies and chia pudding.
~breakfast 2: Let your fruit digest for 30 minutes before eating your next meal. Here is where I usually have avocado toast! One of my favorite parts of the day. I usually do two pieces of gluten-free bread, topped with avocado, lemon, Trader Joes Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, and red pepper flakes! Sometimes I get fancy with it but that is my basic avo-toast!
~lunch: There are so many different recipes in the ebook but some examples are a huge salad with a veggie burger, veggie wrap, avocado cucumber roll, etc!
~dinner: my go-to meal is pasta (brown rice or chickpea) with a bunch of veggies (kale, zucchini, mushroom, broccoli) and red sauce or pesto! It is so quick and easy to make and you can also make a lot of it for the next couple days. Some other examples that I like to make are tacos or an asian style noodle bowl.
~post dinner: When I have a sweet tooth I turn to dark chocolate! It is totally approved with food combining (just try to get one with pretty clean ingredients). My favorite brands are Hu and Cocoa Parlor. Kenzie also recommends finishing the night with hot tea. Either ginger flavor or a cleanse blend (nettle, peppermint, fennel, dandelion).
~snacks: if you are hungry throughout the day she has a lot of snack ideas too! My favorites are crispy chickpeas or hummus/avocado with crackers.
People always say to me, "I wish I could eat as healthy as you do" or "my goal is to eat as healthy as you!" To that I say, why can't you?? What is stopping you? I see food as fuel. Food as nutrients. As I dive deeper into the world of nutrition I am learning that it can prevent and reverse symptoms of diseases. I hear stories about people going to the doctor and the doctor telling them to try going plant based (or stop eating meat) and then their symptoms get better. Why wait until you have these bad symptoms to change your lifestyle? Change your lifestyle and habits now so that you have less of a chance of getting sick in the first place. I stick to food combining because I have had noticeable changes and I will continue to stick to it because of that! That being said, sometimes I feel like having protein with pasta or rice even though I know it might make me bloated. Sometimes I have gluten even though I know it might make me bloated. Food combining is just a tool to make you feel your best and I invite you to try out Kenzie's 21 day reset to see what it's all about!
I hope this gave you some insight into what food combining is and its benefits! Please reach out to me if you have any questions, I would love to answer them.
xo,
Jess
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