Oct 11-Nov 11th I embarked on a 30 Day Food Combining Challenge. If you need a bit of a refresher as to what the challenge entailed, have a look back at the guidelines! "30 Day Food Combining Challenge".
The 30 days actually flew by. However, having said that, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking that I could eat this way forever and it didn't seem so hard. But as soon as Nov 11th hit, my body innately stopped food combining, or made it really difficult to continue. So I will try to explain what I actually did.
I generally eat gluten free; the only dairy I consume is goat milk cheese and raw milk cheddar cheese; and sugar free. I used to be anaphylactic to lentils, beans and peas, although I am no longer, I just generally still avoid all these. When you grow up thinking a "pea" can kill you, it kind of the best way to stop any need or desire for that food, dead in its tracts. Lets just say, me and pea's are not friends.
Anyhow, I will lay out a typical diet intake, and then below will indicate how I modified it:
B – 2 poached eggs with cheese and guacamole + 1/2 cup of granola (protein+carb)
L – Beef and vegetable spaghetti sauce with 1 cup of brown rice pasta (protein+carb)
S – 1/2 cup black berries+ 1.5 scoop Dream Chocolate Whey Protein+1 tbsp virgin coconut oil = Smoothie (ok exception to combining rules)
D – Fish and vegetable thai coconut curry+ 1/2 cup of buckwheat noodles (protein+carb)
30 day food combining challenge modification:
B – 2 poached eggs with cheese and guacamole (protein+veggies)
2 hours later snack – 1/2 cup of granola (carbs)
Lunch – Beef and vegetable spaghetti sauce + spaghetti squash (protein+veggies)
2 hours later snack – 1 cup brown rice spaghetti aioli – made with olive oil, garlic and green olives (carbs+veggies)
Snack – protein smoothie same as above
Dinner – Fish and vegetable coconut curry (protein+veggies, an fish is not combined with dairy)
Can you see how I did that? Was not to difficult! I basically split up my 4 meals to 6. The extra carb only meals provided a bit of a challenge as it was a bit of extra cooking. I can't just eat spaghetti on it's own, so I had to cook an extra sauce for that spaghetti in place of having it with the meat sauce. The second thing I found most challenging was breakfast. The timing of having the eggs separate from granola. Was a bit hard to fit that in while working. If I had gotten up 2 hours earlier, it may have been easier, however, I generally did not. But I did manage to get everything in, and keep it separate.
How did I feel? It was quite a neat experience. I may not be the best to provide feedback, as I have changed and altered and played around with my diet so many times. Earlier in my health history it was out of need, and later on it became moreso about tailoring to my own personal body chemistry. So I didn't experience any cravings. I did have a bit of a headache for one or two days, but it was very minor.
I noticed a huge improvement in overall digestion. I thought my digestion was great, but apparently it can get alot better, and so it did!
I noticed overall less puffyness in my entire body.
I think with proper and complete digestion it eliminate the overall stress of the digestive tract and therefore, the entire body. The majority of the nervous system is located in the gut. So the theory of Ayurvedic medicine is to have strong digestive fire, and that will result the absence of disease and long term health.
Ayurveda encourages us to take responsibility for our health as much as possible by making appropriate changes in diet and lifestyle. What we eat and how we live on a daily basis can be our strongest allies in changes in diet and lifestyle. What we eat and how we live on a daily basis can be our strongest allies in restoring and maintaining health. All other therapeutic measures will be strongly supported by this daily effort. According to Ayurveda, there is no separation between body, mind and consciousness. Healthy gut, equals clarity of mind and a sense of ease with daily life.
I had a big A-ha moment while doing the 30 day challenge. Is that there are so many diets out there to treat various conditions, to build muscle, to make a political stand for the environment, and everyone feels there way is the best way to eat.
You can be vegetarian, you can be vegan, you can be gluten free, you can have a paleo diet and consume all meat products and no carbohydrates, you can have no carbs at night only protein..etc..etc. And the list can go on and on.
However, what is the common thread of all of the above diets? At some element, if you partake in any of the above diets, you have to food combine.
Paleo diet – all meat, no carbs = follows the laws of food combining
Vegetarian/vegan – all plant source carbs+grains and no animal protein = follows the laws of food combining
Gluten free – if you can't eat gluten, you have to do more meals with just the protein+veggies, or protein+plant based carb such as potato's. Innately when you go gluten free, there is far more meals of food combining included. And less mixing of carbs+protein. = follows the laws of food combining
No carbs at night – even just that one meal allows you to sleep with completely digested food not resulting in any stress to the system = follows the laws of food combining, even for just one meal per day.
All of these diets are decreasing the stress of the digestive system, and therefore the entire nervous system.
That was my huge epiphany. I think it is unlikely I can food combine for the rest of my 6 meals per day. But I am committed to at least one meal per day. And if I can include more, that is just a bonus!
We would love to hear your feedback if anyone tried the challenge along with me. Please email us or comment on facebook.
Until the next challenge. In health, Neetu
