The science of “food synergy”, “food combining” or “food coupling” began to be evaluated by modern scientists after the discovery of micronutrients. Food combining is the practice of eating certain foods together that increases the amount of nutrition your body will absorb from the food. The more nutrients you get, the more energetic you will feel. Why not learn a little about food combining and make the food you’re already enjoying even healthier for you?
This does not mean the (now debunked) notion of avoiding carbs and protein together or avoiding mixing fruits and vegetables under the false fear that they will somehow “cancel each other out.” This is the use of foods together that have been proven to provide benefits for you. All ingested food is digested in the same places (stomach, small and large intestine) and in acidic and more alkaline environments as digestion proceeds.
In the last 10 years, research has come a long way toward understanding how food synergy works according to Elaine Magee, MPH, RD When you eat certain foods together on the same plate or at the same meal, certain aspects of each food are They combine in the digestive system to make the nutrients more bioavailable to you. When you know which types of combinations are likely to release the most nutrients, you can make healthy choices based on what you already like to eat.
Remember, you don’t have to have the foods on the same plate, just at the same meal, and you’ll reap the benefits. You may even be practicing food combining already, even if you didn’t know it! Here are some examples of food synergy that may work for you:
Salad:
If you add a citrus or high-C fruit to a leafy green salad, the vitamin C in the fruit will help your body absorb iron and other nutrients from the vegetables. You’ve just increased the nutrition available from an already healthy salad by making it easier for your body to absorb the nutrients.
The most common combination that has been around for years is a salad with dressing. The fats in the dressing or oil make the nutrients in the greens and leaves more available to you. Strawberries and bell peppers contain vitamin C which will also help convert the plant-based iron in green leafy vegetables. So be sure to enjoy a salad with fresh citrus (or strawberry) dressing, a dressing with fats or oils, or a little bell pepper. Avocado will also work as it is a vegetable rich in healthy fats, as are nuts and seeds as they contain vegetable oils.
Cinnamon and carbohydrates or sugars:
Cinnamon naturally increases insulin sensitivity. You can help your glucose rise more slowly (avoid spikes) by combining cinnamon with sweets or carbohydrates. Cinnamon tea, cinnamon in meats, and cinnamon in cookies or bread are examples of this combination.
Tomatoes and avocados or olive oil
Tomatoes are rich in antioxidant carotenoids that reduce the risk of cancer. They also retain many healthy properties (and some even increase them) when cooked. When combined with the good fats in avocado or olive oil, it makes the tomato carotenoid more accessible to the body. Tomato and olive oil are popular in so many great Italian dishes, that if you like to eat Italian-style, you’re probably enjoying the benefits of combining them too. Think guacamole with chunks of ripe tomato and pasta sauce that started with garlic-infused olive oil for more great ideas.
Spices/herbs and grilled meat
Did you know that pickles can be rich in antioxidants? If you plan to grill your food over charcoal, wood, or a gas flame, this is an important fact. Grill smoke can contain carcinogenic compounds and oxidizing particles. There is research that says the use of heavy marinades with seasonings of rosemary, thyme, garlic, or oregano when used before grilling, may reduce levels of cancer-causing compounds (HCA heterocyclic amines) caused by for roasting meat by 61-78%. In case you want to add a little more armor to “fight” those carcinogens, have a vegetable-laden salad alongside your grilled meat.
enzymes and proteins
Want to get the most out of your animal or plant protein source? Remember, items like chia seeds, almonds, spinach, and the quinoa grain have protein, not just meat. Eat a little bit of an enzyme-rich food at the same meal. Pineapple has bromelain, papaya has papain, and fermented foods like yogurts, pickles, and pickled products also have beneficial enzymes for you. To avoid enzyme inhibitors, it is best to use cooked or soaked nut kernels and seeds (quinoa).
mixed fruit salad
Synergy works hard in mixed fruit compote. The multitude of different micronutrients in berries, melons, apples, and grapes enhance each other to help your body absorb them more efficiently. Try adding some fruit to your dark green salads. It may even get some of your “picky eaters” to try new ideas because the touch of sweetness counteracts the slightly bitter taste of some of the vegetables. Additionally, WebMD’s Elaine Magee reports, quercetin (an antioxidant) taken in the same food or meal combination may help fight respiratory problems and some cancers and keep memory sharp.
These are just some of the most common combinations that you can try.
But what if you have an ingredient that needs an oil or fat, but you don’t like the flavor options? You can always use chia seeds. Chia is rich in healthy omega 3 oil. It has no cholesterol (unlike fish) and the antioxidants in the seeds keep the oil fresh for long periods. Chia has no flavor of its own. You can sprinkle the seeds on anything you already like and they won’t change the flavor of the food. They are perfect for adding more fiber and omega 3 oils to salads or other foods that require a healthy fat. The soluble fiber on the outside of the seed shell is a prebiotic, feeding the healthy probiotics in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and some pickles.
Eating a colorful variety of foods and combining certain foods can improve your nutrition, energy, and health. There are so many recipes at your fingertips with simple internet searches. When you’re ready to make a positive change with the help of food synergy, fresh recipes are just a search away.
