easy-in, easy-out food combinations
Would you believe us if we told you that digestion requires more energy than any other function in the human body? Experts agree that up to 80 percent of the body’s energy goes to digesting the food we eat! Just think of how much energy you could free up if you learned to eat in a way that optimized digestion. Goodbye post-lunch nap, hello increased productivity!
Easy-in, easy-out food combining is one of the key components to success on the Conscious Cleanse. Perhaps the world’s best-kept secret for ongoing weight loss and weight management, food combining helps improve digestion, thereby reducing the burden of digestion on the body.
Nearly 2,500 years ago, the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.” We like to think that health begins in the gut, which is why food combining is such an important part of the Conscious Cleanse and our 80:20 Plan. Although weight loss is a great side benefit of food combining, the real magic comes from a system that’s free from excess gas, bloating, constipation, belching, and reflux. The result is better nutrient absorption and assimilation, making the healthy food you eat that much more powerful.
The only thing more important than what you eat is how well you digest it and eliminate it. On the Conscious Cleanse, you’ll be eating fiber- and enzyme-rich food; food that is brimming with life-force energy; and food that is anti-inflammatory, alkalizing, and hydrating. The real power in this food plan, however, is that it will attract and pull toxins from your tissues and cells, getting them ready for elimination. Food combining ensures that you get these toxins out of the body as quickly and efficiently as possible.
DON’T WORRY!
Although food combining can feel complicated and a little confusing to the uninitiated, we encourage you to give it a try! Keep it simple and remember, no two bodies are the same and each person’s digestive system is unique. That said, forge ahead and let this be part of your cleanse experiment where ultimately, you get to make up your own “rules.”
STEP 1: PICK ONE CATEGORY PER MEAL.
Animal Proteins
Bison
Lamb
Poultry
Seafood
Wild game
Starches
Beans and legumes (black beans, chickpeas/garbanzo beans, lentils)
Nongluten grains (brown rice, quinoa, millet)
Sweet potatoes
Winter squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti)
Nuts / Seeds / Dried Fruit
Raw nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts)
Raw seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, chia)
Dried fruits (unsulfured and unsweetened dried cranberries, figs, dates, raisins)
Fresh Fruits
Apples
Bananas
Berries
Cantaloupe
Grapes
Mangoes
Peaches
Pears
Pineapple
STEP 2: FILL THE REST OF YOUR PLATE WITH NONSTARCHY VEGGIES (NEUTRAL).
Artichokes
Arugula
Asparagus
Avocados
Beets and beet greens
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chard
Collard greens
Cucumbers
Dandelion greens
Garlic
Ginger
Green beans
Kale
Leafy green herbs
Lettuce
Onions
Parsnips
Radishes
Spinach
Sprouts
Zucchini
STEP 3: WAIT BEFORE EATING AGAIN.
Wait 3 to 4 hours before switching to a different category. If you are hungry between meals, nonstarchy veggies (preferably raw) are always a safe bet.
Notes and Exceptions
Fruit is best eaten alone and on an empty stomach. Repeat: eat it alone or leave it alone. Most fruit takes about 30 minutes to digest.
Dried fruit is best on an empty stomach. Dried fruit takes longer than fresh fruit to digest, so apply the 3-hour rule here.
Avocado is technically a starch-combining “fruit,” but we keep it in the neutral category since it’s usually a garnish and not a prominent ingredient.
The following can be considered neutral: lemon juice, lime juice, olive oil, coconut milk, and nut milks.
Green smoothies are blended and therefore “predigested,” making it okay to combine fruit and dark leafy greens, along with a nut milk or other boosts like hemp seeds or chia seeds.