Proper Food Combining

{Actually not such a good combination. Melon should always be consumed alone}

Source

Have you ever heard about food combining? I first read about it on the blog, Tales of me and the husband. Great blog and sometimes her mom writes health posts that are so thought provoking and helpful! Since your digestive system is all tripped out during pregnancy (slowed digestion due to better chance to get nutrients to the baby, etc) and can result in not so awesome side effects (constipation, heartburn) I decided to learn more about the topic. While I have yet to experience those not so awesome side effects, maybe I will lessen my chances by proper food combining?

Proper food combining is a system of combining certain foods together efficiently to assist digestion so that your digestive tract does not have to work so hard to give you the nutrients you need for energy.

Basically, stop eating certain foods together and you won't feel as tired, gassy or have problems in the bathroom after meals! There is a lot to the subject, but here is what I am starting with:

-Chew food well

-Fruit should be eaten 30-60 minutes before meals. This way it prepares the digestive tract by rinsing and hydrating it for the more complex foods to come. Never have fruit after a meal, it will compete while the other stuff is trying to digest. 

-Cold liquids and food may slow digestion.

-Minimize drinking liquids during meals or after. Liquids wash away and dilute important enzymes needed to aid in digestion. 

-Avoid having a protein and carb in the same meal. Both require the most energy to digest and require different enzymes. This creates a big old slow fight. Steak and potatoes? No! Pasta with chicken? No!

-Pair carbs with vegetables (not starchy ones) and same for proteins. A green leafy salad is good with almost any meal. 

-Drink milk alone. This cannot be counted as a form of hydration either. 

More info and a helpful chart: here!