In the recent years, food combining has become quite popular. One of the main purposes behind food combination is to enhance digestion and assimilation of nutrients.
Eating combined foods not only fulfils the optimal nutrient requirements of the body but also promotes heath and wellness. Food combining is not a new concept and has been done since ancient times.
Although food combining is a great concept in terms of improving the digestion. Improper combination of foods may not only lead to various digestive problems but can be fatal also. Therefore, it is mandatory that people must go for proper food combinations.
Check out the list of proper and healthy food combinations that are essential for keeping your gut healthy and sound.
List of Best Food Combinations for a Healthy Gut
According to Healthline, Although the principles of food combining diets are not backed by science, that doesn’t mean that the way you combine foods is always irrelevant. There are many evidence-based food combinations that can significantly improve or reduce the digestion and absorption of certain foods.
Following is the list of foods that have been found to be helpful in improving the body's digestive processes.
1. Citrus Fruits and Iron: Iron is an important part of Hemoglobin, a protein that helps in the transportation of Oxygen in the body. There are two types of Iron in the body - heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme Iron is well absorbed in the body but non-heme Iron has a comparatively low absorption.
Citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, clementine, pomelo, etc are loaded with vitamin c, which has been found extremely beneficial for iron absorption.
Therefore, combining citrus fruits with plant- based foods that are rich in Iron is an excellent choice for not only gut health but also for increasing vitamin C levels in the body.
2. Yogurt With Whole Grains: The live bacteria present in Yogurt play a key role in maintaining the gut flora. The prebiotic bacteria present in yogurt need to flourish for a desired action. A combination of prebiotics with prebiotic fibers (non-digestible) has been found to be advantageous for the production of prebiotics. Therefore, eating yogurt with oats is useful for promoting the growth of prebiotics and hence improving gut health.
3. Combination of Fruits: Eating a combination of fruits together is definitely one of the best ways to keep your gut health in check. The reason is fruits are one of the fastest-digesting foods. For example, a bowl of berries goes excellent with a spritz of lime juice. The digestion of fruits takes different enzymes to break them down, therefore eating any other foods with fruits affects gut health.
4. Green Leafy Vegetables With Fats, proteins, and Everything: All of us know that there are countless benefits of eating green leafy vegetables in our daily diet. Green leafy veggies are nutritional powerhouses, especially spinach, chard, and kale with amazing gut health benefits. Since green vegetables do not hinder the digestion of other foods, it is better to combine them with fats, proteins, and other foods.
Following is the list of food combinations to improve the digestive processes.
Sweet potato and asparagus.
Wild-caught salmon with steamed peppers and onion.
Brown rice with vegetable stir-fry.
Protein and non-starchy vegetable.
Grains, starchy veggies, and non-starchy veggies.
Organic chicken and kale salad.
Avocado and salad.
Olive oil or coconut oil on steamed veggies.
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