Food Combining: The Little-Understood Secret to Optimal

Health & Weight Reveale

Monday, August 1, 2016

9:13 PM

Many years ago, our ancestors worked hard at physical jobs and returned home each day
to eat big meals of meat, breads, cheeses, and even sweets with no adverse effects. They
had iron stomachs and digested everything. Our ancestors also had healthier inner
ecosystems. A healthy inner ecosystem is made up of the friendly microflora (good
bacteria) that reside in our intestines and keep us healthy and strong. A healthy inner
ecosystem also means more beneficial microflora helping you digest the foods you eat.
Over time, the introduction of antibiotics, pasteurization and processed foods, along with a
lifestyle of constant stress, has damaged our inner ecosystems. An unhealthy inner
ecosystem can lead to fatigue, poor health and a digestive tract that functions inefficiently.
Food Combining the Body Ecology Way
The process of digesting each meal takes a great deal of energy so you want to increase
your ability to digest or your "digestive fire." But what happens if your digestion is not
working properly, like so many Americans today?
The undigested food stays in your digestive tract and putrefies, creating a toxic
environment that makes your blood more acidic and allows yeast, viruses, cancer cells and
parasites to grow inside you. In essence, your inner ecosystem is damaged and you are
more prone to illness.
Proper food combining is a system of eating foods that combine 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. You can learn the basics with 3 simple guidelines.

1. Eat Fruits Alone on an Empty Stomach

For anyone just starting on the Body Ecology program, I recommend avoiding most
fruits -- they have a high concentration of natural sugars that encourage the growth of
yeast and other pathogens.
The exceptions are sour fruits like lemons and limes, unsweetened juices from
cranberries and black currants, and pomegranates. These fruits are very low in
sugars and are safe to eat, even in the initial, more limited phase of the program.

Once your inner ecosystem is restored (usually within 3 months of remaining on stage
one of The Diet), you can introduce other low-sugar fruits like grapefruit and kiwis, as
well as pineapple, blueberries, and strawberry. These sour fruits combine best with kefir
and yogurt made from milk and sprouted seeds and nuts. Nuts, seeds and dairy foods
including cheese are called "protein fats" because they truly are a protein and a fat
combined together by nature.
In the kitchen: Start your morning with a glass of warm water and lemon juice
to hydrate your body and cleanse and tone your digestive system. Lemon and
lime juice can be eaten with animal protein for flavor and to enhance digestion.

2. Eat Proteins with Non-Starchy Vegetables and/or Ocean Vegetables

When you eat proteins like poultry, fish, meat, and eggs, your stomach secretes
hydrochloric acid and the enzyme pepsin to break down the food in a highly acidic
environment. When you eat starches like potatoes or bread, your stomach secretes the
enzyme ptyalin to create an alkaline condition.
If you eat proteins and starches together, they tend to neutralize each other and inhibit
digestion. The poorly-digested food travels through the digestive tract reaching the
Food combining Page 1

digestion. The poorly-digested food travels through the digestive tract reaching the
intestines where it putrefies and causes your blood to become acidic. It also provides a
welcome environment for disease-causing pathogens!
To keep this from happening, avoid combining proteins and starches (including grains,
like rice, and starchy vegetables, like potatoes) in the same meal. Instead, have nonstarchy vegetables and ocean vegetables with your protein meals to achieve optimal
digestion.
Non-Starchy Vegetables Include: Leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus,
cauliflower, carrots, bok choy, cabbage, celery, lettuces, green beans, garlic,
fennel, onions, chives, turnips, sprouts, red radish, yellow squash, zucchini,
cucumber, beets
Non-starchy vegetables and ocean vegetables digest well in acid OR alkaline
environments, so they go with anything: proteins, oils and butter, grains, starchy
vegetables, lemons and limes, and soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds..

3. Eat Grains and Starchy Vegetables with Non-Starchy and/or Ocean Vegetables
There are four grain-like seeds: amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat and millet. These
ancient grains are high in protein, gluten-free, rich in B vitamins and feed the beneficial
bacteria in your inner ecosystem.
Starchy Vegetables Include: Acorn and butternut squash, lima beans, peas,
corn, water chestnuts, artichokes and red skinned potatoes (red skinned
potatoes are the only potatoes included in the Body Ecology program because
they have fewer sugars than other kinds of potatoes).
In the kitchen: Make hearty millet casserole with a green leafy salad and yellow
squash sauted in butter. Or try acorn squash stuffed with curried quinoa with
the ocean vegetable hijiki and onions. Warming grain soups are also good,
especially in winter.
Food Combining Details
Fats and Oils Choose organic, unrefined and extra virgin oils like flax
seed, pumpkin seed, olive or coconut oils.

Combine With: Vegetables, grains and protein. Avoid large amounts of fat with
protein (like the mayonnaise in tuna salad) because it slows digestion. Instead
use a small amount of oil to cook and oil free dressings.
Protein Fats: Avocado, olives, seeds and nuts (except peanuts and chestnuts,
which are starches)
Combine With: Non-starchy and ocean vegetables and sour fruits.
Be sure to soak and sprout your seeds and nuts to ease digestion.
Dairy: Cheese and milk, are also protein fats. Dairy products are not on the initial
phase of the Body Ecology program because the lactose in milk feeds pathogenic
yeast and most people don't have enough dairy loving enzymes to digest the milk
protein, casein.

After you've established a healthy inner ecosystem, you may be able to benefit from
fermented dairy foods and drinks that help populate your digestive tract with plenty of
microflora. Some people do well on dairy foods and some simply do not.
Combine With: Fermented dairy products, like milk kefir, combine with sour fruits,
seeds and nuts and non-starchy vegetables.
In the kitchen: Make a Body Ecology kefir dressing with lemon juice and herbs
Food combining Page 2

In the kitchen: Make a Body Ecology kefir dressing with lemon juice and herbs
and toss it onto your favorite lettuce with some soaked and sprouted sunflower
seeds for a tasty salad.

Dried Peas, Beans, and Soybeans: These foods are mainly a starch combined with
a small amount of protein and are difficult to digest. This helps explain why many
people have problems with gas and bloating immediately after eating them.
Because they are so difficult to digest, they are not part of the initial phase of the
Body Ecology program.
Combine With: Non-starchy vegetables and cultured vegetables.

Sugar: Sugar encourages the growth of yeast, suppresses your body's natural
immunity and does not combine with anything! Instead of sugar, use Stevia in
your tea to satisfy sugar cravings or add it to a glass of lemon water.
Combine With: Nothing (if you must eat sugar, it should be eaten alone as in a
cup of tea with no other foods).
Fermented Foods and Drinks: These are the "stars" of our Body Ecology program
because they are packed with vitamins, minerals and healthy microflora that heal
your inner ecosystem. Cultured vegetables and Young Coconut Kefir are just two
examples of superfoods that help us stay healthy, slim and youthful.
o Combine With: Everything, even with fruit (in fact we sometime ferment green apples
in our cultured vegetables).
Weight Loss: You might find after just a few days of following food combining
principles that you have lost weight. Your body will no longer be bloated and
you'll rid yourself of toxins.
You might also feel hungrier...just eat more frequently. As long as you are combining
properly and eating when you are hungry, you will not gain weight!
As your energy increases, you will find you now have more energy to exercise. This then
will result in your becoming more slender and well-toned.
Some Final Notes:
Wait 3 hours after eating a grain-based meal before you have a protein meal.
After a protein meal, give yourself 4 hours to fully digest. (You may even want to try all
grain meals one day and all protein meals the next.) Assist enzymes are a must for
helping digest these meals.
Try not to drink cold water during meals. A cup of warm tea, however, will aid digestion.
Avoid ice when you drink water. Stick to room temp water that doesn't shock your body
and do not drink for at least 15 minutes before you eat or 1 hour after a meal.
Clipped from: http://bodyecology.com/articles/food_combining_optimal_health_and_weight.php

Food combining Page 3

A Review of the 7 Key Healthy Eating Principles as You

Enter the New Year
Monday, August 1, 2016

9:55 PM

The 7 Healing Body Ecology Principles

Donna Gates spent years researching both the ancient and the most current systems of
nutrition and healing to create a program that includes the wisdom of each yet
supersedes them all. Recognizing that everything has a front and a back - or positive and
negative - Body Ecology takes the positive from many healing disciplines and finds
solutions for the negatives.
The 7 Healing Principles are a result of this work and the highlights are outlined here.

1. The Principle of Balance

The Principle of Balance is based on the concept of yin and yang, the opposing
energy forces from ancient Chinese and Japanese traditions. Everything in the
world has some properties of yin and yang, but in varying proportions.
Yin energy is light, expansive, wet, soft, cold and more vegetal. Yang energy is heavy,
contracting, dry, hard, hot and more animal. Body Ecology uses the terms expansion
and contraction to explain the yin and yang energy of the food you eat.
Some foods, like sugar and alcohol, are examples of food that is way too expansive for
your body. Your blood stream quickly absorbs sugar and produces energy, making you
feel temporarily open and relaxed yet these foods are damaging because they are not
balanced.
Other foods, like excessive and poor-quality salt and animal products, are more
contracting and cause your cells to contract and lose fluids, making you feel tight and
constricted.
Your body is always seeking balance. If you eat too much salt, your body becomes too
contractive and you will quickly find yourself craving something sweet. Notice this the
next time you go to see a movie. While they may not fully understand this concept, the
movie theaters are well aware that both soda pop (sweet and expansive) and popcorn
(salty and contracting) are ever-popular combinations for concession sales.
Without understanding this principle, you may unknowingly create imbalance in a
vicious cycle of cravings.
2. The Principle of Acid and Alkaline
To maintain health, your blood must be slightly alkaline. The foods we eat and
the lifestyle choices we make impact our body's ability to maintain that
alkaline state.
Foods can be alkaline, acidic or neutral in your body. Your goal would be to have a
balance of alkaline and acidic foods so that you can maintain the alkaline state of your
blood. If you get out of balance and your blood becomes too acidic, you become more
susceptible to illness and disease.
At the same time, lifestyle choices like stress, taking prescription drugs and not getting
enough sleep can create acidic blood. Paying attention to a balanced lifestyle is also
key to your health and longevity.
3. The Principle of Uniqueness
As humans, we share so many similarities with one another, but your body is
unique. Each of us is an experiment of one and for that reason, you may need
to modify certain elements of any diet or lifestyle to suit your own
individuality.
While the Body Ecology program recommends a specific protocol for restoring balance
in your body, any time you try a new way of eating, it's vital to observe your body's
Food combining Page 4

in your body, any time you try a new way of eating, it's vital to observe your body's
reactions and assess whether this new path is bringing you back toward balance.
4. The Principle of Cleansing
Did you know that your body cleanses every day? Through elimination, urine,
tears, and sweat, your body rids itself of toxins that would otherwise build up
and could lead to sickness and disease. Fevers, colds and skin eruptions are
actually a natural part of the cleansing process and shouldn't be suppressed.
Cleansing allows your body to restore balance and occurs when imbalance is
too great and threatens life.
As you start on the Body Ecology program, you'll experience the symptoms of
cleansing, and you might feel worse than you feel now. Hang in there -- it's your body's
way of getting rid of the bad and making room for the good. After all, you cannot heal
your current condition without cleansing.
5. The Principle of Food Combining
The Body Ecology program teaches that combining certain foods when you
eat can either help or hinder your digestion. If you combine the wrong foods,
your body will actually secrete enzymes that cancel each other out!
This leads to slowed or impaired digestion, causing food to ferment in your stomach or
toxins to be released in your intestines. These conditions make your body more
attractive to pathogens. This is a highly useful principle to improve your health and
weight, and often one of the most misunderstood.
6. The Principle of 80/20
This principle has two concepts that aid your digestion:
Quantity - Overeating severely weakens your digestive system. Give your stomach
room to digest your food by only filling your stomach to 80% of capacity and leaving
20% empty to help your body digest.
Balance of Nutrients - 80% of every meal should be land and ocean vegetables. The
other 20% should be either a protein OR a grain.
7. The Principle of Step-by-Step
Just as it takes time to get out of balance, it also takes time to rebuild your
health. You cannot expect instant healing, but making small, consistent
changes gives your body the foundation it needs to support optimal, long-term
health.
Starting any new program is about creating new habits. It takes time and effort, which
can sometimes feel hard.
The key is to take everything step-by-step. Incorporate one healing principle (or even
one element of a healing principle) at a time so that you don't feel overwhelmed. Take
care of yourself by going at the pace that feels right to you.
Clipped from: http://bodyecology.com/articles/7_healthy_eating_principles.php

Food combining Page 5

Should You Avoid Grains? The Risks of Consuming Grain

Monday, August 1, 2016

10:12 PM

Most of the mainstream focus with carbs has been on how they affect your weight.
However, there are more reasons than weight for deciding which carbs to include in your
diet.
The fact is, just like the controversy over "good" and "bad" fats, we see certain carbs as
good or bad and it's the type of carbs that matters the most.
Low carb diets had been "in" for years until recently, and so by now maybe you consider
yourself an expert on why they aren't good for you. Yet most people still consume a high
carb diet, and current market research is showing that the low-carb craze has passed.
Carbohydrates are made up of sugars, both simple and complex. Refined sugars digest
immediately (and therefore the term, "sugar high".) Because digestion of refined sugars is
so immediate (and there are no balancing minerals) your blood almost immediately
becomes too acidic.
That burst of energy that feels so great is soon followed by a "sugar low" your energy
slides way downhill and can even bottom out completely. Roller coaster rides like this
affect your behavior, your power to think and focus, your emotions and even your
willpower and ability to accomplish. Is it worth it?
Why Not To Eat High-Carb Grains, Grain-Based Product, and Even Whole Grains
Grains, breads, flour products and pasta can actually damage your digestive system and
feed pathogenic bacteria and yeast.
Flour products are mucus-forming and are basically "glue-like" in your intestines. Since
most of the beneficial fiber has been removed from flour products like cookies, donuts,
pasta and today's modern bread, they move slowly through your digestive system. With
their sticky, glue-like consistency, they literally "gum up" your intestines.
These foods are also very dehydrating. Besides causing constipation, they help you create
a toxic environment that is attractive to pathogenic microorganisms like yeast. Please
note, I said, "help you create," because it is you doing the choosing and the eating.
While sugar and flour are the most damaging to your colon, even the unrefined "whole"
grains that we've been told are "healthy" can wreak havoc on your health.
Whole grains like wheat, barley, rye, oatmeal, spelt and rice are acid-forming. They have
a lot of sugar in them. Pathogens (yeast, viruses and parasites) find them to be very
sweet foods and thrive on them. The Body Ecology Diet is an antifungal diet, so these
grains are strictly avoided if you have a yeast or fungal infection (and it is believed that
eight out of ten Americans do have a fungal infection.)
But there's another problem with most grains. Wheat, barley, rye, oats and spelt all
contain gluten. (Rice is gluten-free.) Today 1 out of every 133 Americans has a negative
reaction to these gluten grains and are said to be "gluten intolerant." Even worse is a
condition called celiac sprue.
Just as the Earth has ecosystems that regulate survival and balance, our bodies have an
inner ecosystem - and our inner ecosystem must be healthy if we want to thrive, not
just survive.
A healthy human intestinal ecosystem (inner ecosystem) is made up of the friendly
microorganisms (microflora) that reside in our intestines and keep us healthy and strong.
These microflora work to protect us by digesting our foods, strengthening our immune
systems, guarding us from parasites and other pathogens in our foods. They literally
Food combining Page 6

systems, guarding us from parasites and other pathogens in our foods. They literally
make vitamins (Bs and K) right down inside us, and they do so much more.
Unfortunately, many people take drugs and lead overly-stressful lifestyles. They eat highsugar foods and foods that are processed and fried. They take in the wrong kind of fats
and oils and the animal proteins are overcooked.
With deficient amounts of digestive enzymes they still try to digest all of these foods, yet
most don't yet understand the role of the inner ecosystem and have not made any effort
to establish or maintain one. Most people live with "gut dysbiosis" that makes us
intolerant to most grains.
Healthy Carbs, The Body Ecology Way
On the Body Ecology system of health and healing, there are four grain-like seeds that are
encouraged: millet, quinoa ( keen-wa), amaranth and buckwheat.
These seeds are very ancient foods used by man for thousands of years. In fact,
buckwheat (not related to wheat at all) and amaranth are thought to have been cultivated
about 6000 years ago.
Quinoa was revered by the Incas who are said to have been the greatest agriculturists of
all times. Millet is an ancient grain brought to America by African slaves. They are
amazing foods and are gluten-free, high in protein and high in fiber. While these grains
may not yet be familiar to you, they are readily available in health food stores and some
supermarkets.
Here are some more essential details on each:
1. Amaranth - Contains B vitamins, calcium, iron and Vitamin C. Amaranth may help
lower cholesterol.
2. Buckwheat - Rich in flavonoids like rutin and a good source of magnesium, buckwheat
is good for your cardiovascular system. It's a valuable food for those with diabetes, as
it can be helpful for regulating blood sugar.
3. Millet - A good source of manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium, millet is beneficial
for your heart.
4. Quinoa - A good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorous, and
riboflavin (B2). Quinoa may be helpful if you have migraines, diabetes or
atherosclerosis.
Millet, quinoa, and amaranth are alkaline-forming, while buckwheat is acid-forming. Acidforming is not necessarily "bad." Please don't think good or bad when it comes to acid and
alkaline, think balance.
Ideally a Body Ecology meal might have about 20% acid-forming foods like animal
proteins or buckwheat combined with 80% alkaline-forming foods like vegetables, ocean
vegetables and cultured vegetables. However, at times when you are too toxic and very
acidic, meals that are 100% alkaline-forming will work best for you.
The Overall Benefits of Body Ecology Grains

These grain-like seeds are very nutrient-dense and act as antioxidants. Besides being a
significant source of proteins and minerals they contain B vitamins. They help your body
make serotonin which makes you feel happier while providing a calming, soothing effect
on your nervous system.
This is one of the reasons we recommend a dinner meal consisting of these grain-like
seeds combined with a wide variety of vegetables, ocean vegetables and cultured
vegetables. These foods are all easily digested and will help make you feel sleepy at
bedtime.
Food combining Page 7

bedtime.
Did you know that eating grain-like seeds (and even whole grains that are properly
digested) can help balance your hormones? They contain fiber to help sweep excess
environmental estrogens (xeno-estrogens) from your intestines so they can't be
reabsorbed. One of the many roles of beneficial microflora is to also help regulate
hormones in the gut.
Preparing Grains

It is always recommended that you soak any grains or grain-like seeds for a minimum of 8
hours. 24 hours is even better. Grains have phytic acid in them (as do nuts, beans and
other seeds) that makes them difficult to break down in your digestive system. Since most
people have weak digestive systems, eating grains without soaking them could cause
symptoms of digestive upset. And as you are already learning, improper digestion leads to
a toxic body.
Trouble Digesting Grains?
As mentioned above, poor digestion of grains and gluten intolerance is common when
your inner ecosystem lacks the "grain-loving" microflora to digest them. Understanding
the value of fermented foods, we created a product that would help solve this problem.
Passion Fruit Biotic is a wonderful probiotic liquid (to be taken like a supplement, not like
a beverage that you drink in full) that contains beneficial bacteria and even prebiotics to
help these good guys grow. Drinking a 2 ounce shot of this organic, non-GMO, dairy-free
probiotic per day can help to promote smooth, healthy digestion, while hydrating and
cleansing to increase daily energy. Strengthening the gut with good bacteria may also
make it easier to digest grains.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We often put a few spoonfuls of a fermented liquid like Passion Fruit
Biotic into grains (and grain-like seeds) when we soak them. We let them soak longer
than usual (36-48 hours). The microflora in the soaking water softens the grains even
more. You'll find your grains and grain-like seeds even easier to digest this way. You
might want to try this if your digestion is very sensitive or if you are introducing the grainlike seeds to your baby.
We also combine probiotics with sparkling mineral water and Stevia for a healthy
alternative to soda pop. It is very popular with our children in our BEDROK group.
After about ten days on this probiotic liquid, you may also find yourself tolerating all
grains better than ever before... even those grains containing gluten. We personally find
one must be on fermented beverages and cultured veggies to really benefit from eating
grain foods for as long as they live. Otherwise, true grains should be avoided in your diet.
When to Add Other Grains Back into Your Diet
Once your inner ecosystem is healed, you may want to start adding whole grains back
into your diet.
We recommend avoiding wheat products for good, however. Hopefully, you won't even
want them. Today's wheat is nothing like the ancient wheat of long ago. No one seems to
do well on it. If this seems impossible because you and your family are practically living
off wheat-based foods right now, try a short-term experiment. Go ten days without it and
see how you feel. Then add it in and decide if it's right for you.

Make sure to prepare all grains properly, as noted above, in order to aid your digestion.
And include fermented foods and drinks to give your inner ecosystem the boost it needs to
keep you in balance!
A Final Note: Are Vegetables Carbohydrates?
Food combining Page 8

A Final Note: Are Vegetables Carbohydrates?

At Body Ecology, we don't think vegetables should be in the same category as grains or
seeds. They need to be in their own separate category simply called "vegetables."
We do define them as starchy or non-starchy, however. We also label them as coming
from the ocean or grown on land. Yes, vegetables do contain some sugars, but they are
alkaline-forming in the body and contain lots of important vitamins and minerals.

Certain veggies like beets and sweet potatoes become very sweet when baked. (They are
not so sweet if eaten raw.) Since the Body Ecology diet is an antifungal diet, we avoid the
very sweet vegetables if they are cooked until the inner ecosystem is well-established and
the beneficial microflora are thriving inside your intestines. The microflora then consume
the sugar.
We also always include fermented foods, like cultured veggies, to help digest all the
natural sugars in that meal.
Clipped from: http://bodyecology.com/articles/risks_consuming_grains.php

Food combining Page 9