In a recent post, I wrote about how cycling carbohydrates can be beneficial for hormone balance, energy and sleep. A number of people wrote in to ask "What about proper food combining?"
I feel that the benefits of cycling carbs and pairing them with proteins will outweigh the benefits of proper food combining (where proteins are not combined with starches in meals) in many cases but especially in those where there are existing blood sugar and/or adrenal issues.
There's a trade-off with every dietary decision: Proper food combining makes digestion more efficient and helps with detoxification by simplifying meals and working with the chemistry in the digestive system. It is helpful for impaired digestion such as when there is gas and bloating. I have generally taught proper food combining in the context of a cleansing diet. Over time, it can be difficult for some to achieve longterm health with proper food combining. The human body is designed to digest both protein and starch together, it is only when digestive secretions are inadequate that there is a need for on-going proper food combining. This situation can be overcome with adequate herbal and supplemental support for the digestion. In such cases I have found a good digestive enzyme like Similase GFCF, Betaine HCl and Bilemin or Beetflow are typically adequate to allow the person to combine proteins with carbohydrates happily.