Deepak Chopra, in his classic book Perfect Heath, says that perfect health begins with perfect digestion. When I first read his book in 1995, this idea was transformational for me. Upon reflection however, I realized that I had experienced perfect digestion ten years earlier when I began properly combining my food after reading a popular diet book at the time called, Fit For Life. When I changed my diet and starting paying attention to proper food combining, eating only fruit until noon and not combining proteins and complex carbohydrates, I immediately lost weight and felt more energy. Although the concept of proper food combining was new to me, I learned that it has been around for a long time. In fact, Henry Ford followed the principles of food combining and the food served at his plant was all properly combined. Although my food choices have changed in many ways since the late 80s – I no longer eat any flesh foods and am primarily raw vegan – the impact of proper food combining was so significant for me, that I have continued to pay attention to the basic principles of food combining ever since.

The Theory Behind Food Combining

Perfect health begins with perfect digestion.
The theory behind proper food combining is the same as Deepak Chopra’s Perfect Health… a belief that perfect health begins with perfect digestion. The symptoms of indigestion, brought on by improper digestion, are so common in today’s society that over 2 billion dollars are spent each year on antacids. Rather than using drugs to suppress symptoms, food combining helps eliminate the cause of the problem by enabling us to properly digest our food and better utilize and assimilate its nutrients. The more efficiently and effectively we digest our food, assimilate the nutrients and eliminate the waste and toxins, the more energy we have, the healthier we become, and the better we feel.

It is easier to digest proteins and carbohydrates when they are eaten separately.
The enzymes and the time required to digest the food we eat, vary according to the type of food – complex carbohydrates require certain enzymes and take less time to digest. Proteins require different enzymes and take longer to digest. When we eat these foods together, the digestive enzymes, some acid, some alkaline, neutralize each other. This slows the digestive process, which in turn slows the absorption and elimination processes and which drains energy and prevents the effective removal of waste and toxins. A perfect example of the difficulty our body has digesting carbohydrates and protein together is legumes, which are a natural combination of starch and protein. Beans didn’t get their reputation from nowhere… “Beans, beans the noisy fruit…” Enough said, it is easier to digest proteins and carbohydrates when they are eaten separately.

Our body has a natural cycle of digestion, assimilation, and elimination.
When food is eaten in harmony with your body’s natural daily cycle of digestion assimilation, and elimination, the break down of the food, the utilization of the nutrients, and the removal of waste (read weight) and toxins are all maximized, which moves us toward optimal health and well-being.

The Specifics of Food Combining

Eat fruit alone
Fruit is best eaten alone and on an empty stomach. Fruit digests and moves out of our stomachs quickly (typically within 30 minutes). If fruit is eaten with or too close to other foods, it will sit in the stomach longer than it should and actually begin to ferment. This causes gas and indigestion. To insure that you are eating fruit on an empty stomach, eat it at least 30 min before another meal or wait at least 3 hours after a meal. This, in addition to the fact that fruit is high in water content, is why it is recommended that fruit be eaten primarily in the morning. So if you are used to cereal with milk and fruit in the morning, skip the cereal and milk and just have the fruit and you’ll feel better and have more energy. Avoid eating fruit as a dessert as it will sit on top of the food you just ate and begin to putrefy. The one acceptable food with which to combine fruit is leafy greens. A green smoothie of 60% fruit and 40% greens is perfectly acceptable. If you make a green or fruit smoothie in the morning however, do not use nut milk for a base and do not include any vegetables or vegetable juices (carrot, beet, etc) other than leafy greens.

Eat carbohydrates and protein separately
Eating protein and carbs together seems so ‘All American’ – eggs with hash browns and toast, steak and potatoes, a tuna sandwich, or salmon with wild rice, cereal and milk. But the truth is that, when we combine complex carbohydrates (potatoes, bread, rice, cereal) with protein (eggs, meat, ham, fish, milk) it slows digestion, which in turn slows assimilation of nutrients and the elimination of waste and toxins, all of which takes a hit on our energy levels.

Here is the simple guideline… eat protein with vegetables, or carbohydrates with vegetables, but do not eat protein and carbohydrates together. Instead of hash browns and toast, have sautéed spinach with your eggs. Try steak with grilled asparagus or a baked potato with steamed broccoli, but don’t have the steak and potato together. Try your tuna stuffed in a tomato instead of with bread. And have Salmon on a bed of salad greens, or rice with stir-fried veggies, but don’t have fish and rice together. Eat your granola for lunch or dinner and eat it plain or with rice milk. Properly combine your food and you will have more energy, feel better, eliminate more easily, lose weight and eliminate toxins.

Our body’s natural daily cycle
Our bodies have a natural daily cycle. When we eat in harmony with that cycle, together with proper food combining, our body moves toward perfect health.

Elimination – 4AM to noon. From 4AM to noon is the time when our body wants to eliminate. During this time, it is best to eat high water content foods – primarily fresh fruit, fresh fruit and/or green juices, or green smoothies with about 60% fruit and 40% greens. In this way, we work with our body’s natural cycle of elimination during the morning hours. Natalie Rose, author of The Raw Food Detox Diet, recommends that we drink Green Lemonade all morning long. This is a fresh juice made with 1 whole lemon, 1 head of romaine, 2-3 sprigs of kale, spinach or other dark leafy green, and 1 apple. If you have a juicer, give it a try. It’s super yummy. I’m also a green smoothie fan in the morning. My favorite is one grapefruit, one pear, one English cucumber (a fruit) and a hand full of spinach blended in the blender. This lasts me all morning.

Digestion – noon to 8PM. From noon to 8PM our body is poised and ready to work on digestion. This is the time to eat those non-fruit, properly combined veggie + protein or veggie + carb meals. A little Ayurvedic trick I learned is to sip plain hot water in-between meals to keep your digestive fire burning.

Absorption/Assimilation – 8PM to 4AM. At night, your body wants to go to work on metabolizing, absorbing and assimilating everything you ate during the day. If you eat after 8PM, your body has to take energy away from the job of assimilation to work on digestion. To support your body’s natural nightly inclination, avoid eating after 8PM.

Raw Food Combining Considerations

If you follow a primarily raw vegan diet as I do, it is just as important for to pay attention to the rules of food combining and daily cycles. Eat fruits and greens in the morning until noon, avoid mixing fresh fruit with nuts/seeds or starchy veggies in smoothies, salads, or desserts. Eat melon alone. Papaya can be eaten with all foods. Tomatoes combine well with low starch vegetables and either nuts or avocado. Nuts are properly combined with veggies and dried fruits, but not fresh fruits. Better to eat almonds in a salad or with raisins than almond butter with apples.
Avocado, a fruit and a raw food staple, is best by itself or in a salad. Avoid mixing it with nuts, dried fruits or sweet fruits. Some suggest however that avocado combines well with certain fruits such as papaya, mango, banana, and orange.

Reflections On Food Combining

Living with outrageous joy is the point of everything we do and nothing kills joy faster than guilt. So don’t get all ridged about this, but rather, favor those foods that are properly combined over those foods that are not. And as always, pay attention to the wisdom of your own body’s intelligence and listen to what it is saying brings you the greatest joy.

Here’s some suggestions for ways to love up your body using all your five senses during the love month…

Touch
Treat yourself to a long, luxurious massage and when you come home, continue treating yourself with a long luxurious bath.  Then love up your body some more with luxurious skin care products.  I LOVE all the raw, organic, living products from The Body Deli. Check them out and treat yourself special.

Hearing
There is a reason that spas play the music they do.  It put us in a state of relaxation.  So while in the tub, or just hanging out at home, put on some soothing spa music.  Don’t have any in your CD collection?  No problem, create your own spa channel at Pandora.com.  Just type in ‘spa’ and you’ll find several options.

Smell
Smell is one of our most powerful senses.  In a simple in-breath, smells can transport us to memories of people and times past.  Aromatherapy is used to actually change our physical and psychological state.  Surround yourself with a sent you love.  Dab some essential oil on your wrists or burn a scented candle in your home.  I love Lumen Soy Candles.  They are hand made with lots of love, don’t have the nasty off-gasing of paraffin candles, and come in lots of unusual, delicious scents like Ginger Marmalade, Current Fig and Bamboo Teak.  Order yourself some here.

Taste
Treat yourself to an entire day of gorgeous, delicious, organic, whole, raw foods.  Start with a beautiful bowl of fruit for breakfast.  Make a heaping gorgeous spa salad full of baby greens, chopped veggies and sprouts for lunch dressed with a little olive oil and fresh lemon.  For dinner, venture out and try a my Cashew Cream Sauce Over Noodles or the Butternut Squash Cous Cous.  Finally, treat yourself to a yummy slice of Flourless Chocolate Cake for dessert.  Your taste buds will love this one.  YUM!

Sight
Regardless of your age, shape or size, or gender, bring out your inner sexiness.   Dance in front of the mirror.  Put on the sexy underwear.  Have those boudoir photos taken.  It doesn’t need to be for anyone else.  Just you.  Just a reminder to see yourself as the hot, sexy, lovable thing you really are.

This is a fabulous winter salad. It’s easy to make, plus it’s flavorful, gorgeous and hearty. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Asian Pear Salad with  Celery and Dill

Ingredients

2 cups Pear, diced.  Any kind is fine.

1 cup celery diced

2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced

Juice of one lime

A few sprinkles of sesame oil to taste (toasted for more flavor or cold pressed for strictly raw)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4-1/2 cup raw cashews, optional

Directions

Put all ingredients in a bowl.  Toss together and enjoy.

This is a super simple recipe that is fun for all and super delicious.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.  This recipe comes to us from my friend Celeste Williams.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

11/2 cups raw walnuts

Dash Celtic Sea Salt

10 Medjool dates, pitted

1/ 3 cup unsweetened cocoa (if you can’t get raw, I like the organic Green & Blacks cocoa)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons water

1/2 cup raspberries, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Place the walnuts and salt in a food processor fitted with an S blade and process until finely ground. Add the dates, cocoa power, vanilla and water and process until the mixture begins to sick together.

Transfer to a serving plate and form into a 5-inch round cake. Decorate the cake and plate with fresh raspberries before serving. Covered with plastic wrap, Flourless Chocolate Cake will keep for three days in the refrigerator or two weeks in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before serving.

This is a wonderful hearty winter dish.  I recommend that you make it a couple hours to a day ahead of time to let the flavors blend.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Butternut Squash & Cranberry Cous Cous

Ingredients

4-5 cups  butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed

1/2 cup yellow onion

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup walnuts, crushed

2 teaspoons sea salt

freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Put small batches of the cubed squash in a food processor with S-blade and process into small cous cous size pieces.  Place processed squash in a large mixing bowl. Add onion, cumin, coriander, cilantro, cranberries, walnut, and salt.  Season with pepper to taste.  Mix well and enjoy.

Source: Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen

This is my new favorite :)  This is a great crossover dish that everyone, raw and non-raw, will enjoy.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Coconut Mango Vanilla Pudding

Ingredients

1 cup coconut meat (1-2 coconuts)

1 cup mango (fresh or frozen)

½ cup coconut water

2 tablespoons raw agave

½ cup cashews, soaked 15 min.

11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon coconut oil

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until silky smooth.  Eat right away or chill for a firmer pudding.

Date Poppers are my favorite raw holiday treat.  It’s simple, all you need is three ingredients.  Medjool dates, mint leaves, and pomegranate seeds.  Bring them to your next holiday party and watch them disappear.

If you want to experience ridiculous amounts of energy, crystal clear mental clarity, more creativity and outrageous joy, raw food is the way to do it.  I went raw about three years ago now, and experienced a radical shift in my overall health and well-being.  I lost 10 lbs within a month and 20 lbs within 6 months, my energy went through the roof, and the abnormal cells that the doctor had discovered were gone. Besides that, my hot flashes disappeared, I require less sleep, and I found a deeper Spiritual connection. Although, most of the three years I have been less than 100% raw, and sometimes I have downright fallen off the wagon, I come back to a high raw diet (75%-100% raw) because I feel fantastic, and the food is gorgeous, delicious, fun, and easy to prepare, plus I never count calories or worry about how much I eat. If I’m hungry and it’s raw, I eat it.

I believe we are meant to live with outrageous joy and extreme well-being.  I believe we are meant to thrive and live lives we absolutely love living.  And I believe raw food is a power tool in the tool kit that helps us create that kind of life.

Here’s a little raw food primer on the what and why of raw food.

What is Raw Food?

Raw foods are fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts that have not been heated above 118 degrees.  It’s that simple. On a raw food diet, you can eat anything you want, and as much as you want, as long as it meets those simple criteria.

A diet is considered raw if it consists of least 75% raw foods, however anyone can benefit from incorporating more raw foods into their diet.

Why Raw?

Enzymes – It’s ALL about the enzymes.

Raw foods contain live enzymes.  Enzymes are responsible for every metabolic process in our bodies from digestion to healing. When food is heated above 118 degrees, enzymes are destroyed.  Most cooked and prepared food is served with up to 100% of the natural enzymes destroyed. When the lipase and amylase enzymes are destroyed, the body cannot digest fats or carbohydrates adequately and they are stored in the body, causing you to gain weight. When you consume living, enzyme rich food, it practically digests itself. This leaves the body with a surplus of energy to heal itself and work more efficiently, giving you ridiculous amounts of energy to fuel your life and your passion.

Vitamins and Minerals

Raw foods are nutrient-rich, delivering to the body all the vitamins and minerals the food has to offer.  Cooking destroys over 80% of the food’s nutritive value.  When you eat more nutrient-rich foods, you’ll find yourself feeling more satisfied than ever before.

Water

The basic substance on which all life is based, is water.  Water performs two key functions in the body – it hydrates our cells, enabling them to function at their peak, and it is the universal solvent for ushering toxins out of the cells and the body.  A great way to get a head start on becoming hydrated is to consume food that has not had the natural water removed from it through cooking. Cooked food dehydrates you further in your bodies attempt to digest it.

Rapid Transit

Raw foods move through your body quickly.  Because raw foods have high water content and because the fiber has not been broken down or altered in any way, this helps raw food move through your body quickly.  This helps eliminate toxins and the accumulation of waste matter, which keeps you healthier and leaner.  Waste =  weight, and the more quickly food moves through your body, the more energy you feel.

Outrageous Joy

It is true that you are what you eat.  Raw foods change our biochemistry.  The enormous energy, crystal clear mental clarity, and extreme well-being you feel on a raw food diet is enough to make you suspiciously happy right there.  But it goes deeper than that…

There is a vibration to everything in the Universe, including everything we eat, and this vibration then becomes reflected in our body. Living raw foods have a high vibration.  High-vibration foods carry a natural, positive, uplifting energy. You can feel it when you eat them. This vibration affects us down to the cellular level.  It literally makes your cells ‘happy’.  It is because of this that people on a high raw diet often experience tremendous joy and sometimes outright giddiness.

Besides my own story of a radical shift in my well-being, I have worked with so many others whose health has changed radically, from losing weight, to completely ridding themselves of acid reflux, to reducing blood sugar levels enough to avoid insulin, to overcoming depression.  The power of raw food is really quite magical.

I have the privilege of walking people through a 30-day raw food journey four times a year.  My next Outrageous Joy 30-Day Raw Food Adventure begins on Monday, January 3, 2011.  If you are interested in taking your health to new heights in 2011, I invite you to click here to learn more about this incredible journey of transformation.

Thanksgiving can be a time to celebrate being Raw…  and introduce the rest of the family to some delicious, gorgeous raw treats.  These are some of my absolute favorites.  Try them out this Thanksgiving and let me know what you think.  

Walnut Cranberry Squash “Rice”

From Ani Phyo’s book: Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen

1 small butternut squash, @ 1 pound, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2inch cubes

½ small yellow onion, about ½ cup, chopped

1 T coriander powder

1 T cumin seeds

½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup walnuts, crushed

2 teaspoons sea salt

Put small batches of the cubed squash in a food processor and process into small pieces.  Put processed squash in a large mixing bowl. Add onion, cumin, coriander, cilantro, cranberries, walnut, and salt and mix well.  This one is super YUM. Enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts

3/4 cup olive oil

½ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

5 cups Brussels sprouts

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except Brussels sprouts.  Remove the outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts and cut away the interior core until the leaves are all separated.  Place in bowl and marinade for 30 minutes.  Optionally, Brussels sprouts can be placed on a teflex in the dehydrator for up to 45 minutes before serving.

Fresh Cranberry Salad

From Patricia Cook

1 bag of fresh cranberries

1-2 navel oranges (Peel & removed white)

1-2 apples

Pecans (optional)

Agave to taste

Chop cranberries & orange in food processor. Use as much orange as needed to keep cranberries moving so that they are finely chopped. Place in a bowl. Then chop apples in food processor. Add to cranberries Chop nuts if desired and add to cranberries. Mix well and sweeten to taste. The oranges also create the juice in the salad. So adjust the amount of oranges based on how juicy (wet) you want your salad.

Pumpkin Pie

Pie Crust

3 cups walnuts or pecans

2 ½ ounces date paste (5 large date)

¼ teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor with an S blade process until crust is well mixed and mixture can be held together with slight pressure.  Distribute crust evenly on bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan and lightly compact by hand. Decorate edge of the crust to your liking.

Pumpkin Spice Filling

3 cups raw butter squash, peeled and rough cut into chucks

(medium-packed, about 7 ½ ounces weight)

1-1/4 cups coconut milk

6 tablespoons agave

1 tablespoon ginger juice

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoon liquid vanilla

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon clove

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon salt

¾ – 1 cups coconut oil

Add all ingredients, except coconut oil, to blender.  After ingredients are well mixed add coconut oil. Continue to blend until mixture is smooth and creamy.  Pour into pie crust and place in freezer to set for two hours before serving.

If you want to find out what fruits and vegetables are in season in your part of the United States, this is a great tool made available by simplesteps.org. Just enter the state where you live and the time of year, and you’ll get a list of the fruits and veggies that are in season. Even better, click on the Farmer’s Market tab, enter your zip code, and you’ll get a list of all the farmer’s markets in your area where you can buy fresh seasonal produce. When you buy locally and eat seasonally, it makes for a happier planet. Enjoy!