So you’ve finally accepted that eating healthy is the best way to sustain your body. You’ve probably mastered which foods should appear on your diet already but are you familiar with the rules of combining food? Food combinations are starting to appeal to many dieters and weight-watchers all over the world because these can aid in digestion, thus eliminating bloat, heartburn, and other digestive issues. Sounds good? Well, here are some rules that you should be familiar with.

Eat fruits first 

Fruits are best eaten on their own as much as possible. However, you need to take note that not all fruits are digested at the same rate but they can be quickly eliminated from the body. Fruits are packed with nutrients, water, and anti-oxidants that can settle in your stomach for hours. If you are worried about your blood sugar, you can mix your fruits with some leafy greens to keep your blood sugar stable. 

Whole grains and greens 

Another rule that you need to keep in mind when it comes to combining foods is that you should pair your whole grains as well as starchy vegetables with greens rather than sources of proteins. Most of us eat a large slab of meat with a side dish of mashed potato but you need to keep in mind that protein needs an acid base to digest protein while starchy foods require an alkaline base to be digested. This means that when you combine these two, it will take a long time for them to be digested hence triggering bloat and indigestion. Mixing whole grains with greens and starchy vegetables with greens can eliminate the problem. 

Rules on fat usage 

The good news is that oils and fats can be combined with different ingredients with the exception of fruits. However, you need to keep in mind to avoid going overboard with your use of them as fats and oils can slow your digestion. Simply put, you can move eating a full meal for your early dinner or at least wait a few hours to have the fats and oils from your meal to be digested before eating again. 

Neutral zone 

In food combination, there is such a thing as the neutral zone. This is composed mostly of leafy greens and vegetables which can actually be combined with almost everything with the exception of melons. 

Melons should be eaten on its own 

Do you love eating melons after a meal? You’ve probably experienced a bit of nausea or bloat afterwards, right? This is because melons require a different base for them to be digested and combining them with other foods can only give you an upset stomach. The best rule here is to eat it alone or when your stomach is empty so that your digestive system will be able to break it down properly. 

These are just a few rules that you need to keep in mind when you want to combine foods for optimal results. Try these out for size and see whether they are applicable to your current weight loss program.