Food combining is a very interesting science and one I am looking more deeply into at the moment. Did you can know that you can strategically mix food together to heighten the effect of certain nutrients? So for example, eating food high in iron does not guarantee adequate iron absorption. The International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research has published multiple studies showing that vitamin C allows the body to absorb more Iron and the amount is directly proportionate to the amount of vitamin C consumed. So translated into a meal, that would mean if you are eating a lentil stew for lunch, combine it with a salad that has a lemon and olive oil dressing. The Vitamin C in the lemon will insure that you absorb more of the iron from the lentils.
Another interesting one is the absorption of Vitamins like A, D, E and K by the body. These vitamins are fat-soluble which means they require fat to be present to be efficiently absorbed in the body: so drizzle olive oil on baked sweet potatoes or sprinkle Pine nuts on asparagus and broccoli to maximize the health benefits.
One of my favorite combinations is berries mixed with Raw chocolate. If you mix the two, you can literally triple the amount of anti-oxidants that enter your blood. That in itself is incredible, but then add to it the fact that raw chocolate is the number 1 antioxidant in the world by far and what do you get? An exceptional super boost of antioxidants in your body! To put things in perspective, raw chocolate has 15 times more antioxidants then blueberries, 20 times more then Green tea and 30 times more then red wine. Don’t mistake dark chocolate for raw chocolate as it is quite different (in the UAE you can buy raw chocolate in the Organic Food and Cafe).
When choosing your meal, it is of course very important to know what nutrients are available in your food, however the second most important question to ask is how much are you absorbing? That’s where food combining comes in and magic happens!
Great article. Combining the right food is very important. However even perfect balanced healthy meal will not supply your organism with all available nutrition if it’s consumed under the stressed conditions. Therefore avoid to eat in rush, at work in front of the computer, during argument etc.