Combining foods or eating only one thing at a time

[jbischke]

So lately I've gravitating into making sure I'm consuming a very wide spectrum of healthy foods on a daily or every other day basis. For example, I'll make salad including a variety of types of lettuce, avocado, carrots, onions, nuts, dried fruits, healthy oils, etc. I love 'em.

Had a good conversation today with a friend who is very knowledgeable about nutrition and we were talking about the benefits of consuming food in this way (wide spectrum of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fats, etc. ) vs. consuming food on a more "individual" basis. For example, eating some lettuce, then following up with carrots later, then an avocado after that, etc.

I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts or experiences here. Thanks!

[Jaben]

Raw food recipe books usually talk about food combing. The guidelines are usually very similar to what they have at this website:
San Francisco Living Foods Enthusiasts Home Page

I have been eating exlusively raw for over 7 months. I'm slightly conscious of the food combining rules, but haven't experimented enough to feel the benefits of appropriate combining. I have recipes I really like that violate the rules, so I have avoided this. But I'd like to give it a try. Thanks for the reminder.

[jbischke]

Cool. Thanks for the link. Wasn't a ton there but it was helpful.

I've read in the past about not combining proteins and starchy carbohydrates because of the different digestive processes each has. That sort of makes sense except for the fact that proteins and carbs are present in almost all foods so it's really only a matter of degree.

I've been restricting carbs pretty significantly and digging that (eating mostly veggies, nuts/seeds, fruits and high-quality sources of protein). However, I'm wondering if better combining would offer the potential of more energy, better health, etc.