When you separate foods that contain proteins and carbohydrates, you are able to expedite your digestive process. This boils down to the fact that foods are either acid or alkaline producing. So when you eat foods that contain both acid (meats, fish, cheese) and alkaline (fruits and vegetables) you are essentially causing fermentation in your intestines. The protein foods you eat only require a medium level of acid in order to be digested and expelled properly. They naturally spark pepsin to be activated, which is essential for breaking down the proteins. On the other hand, the digestion of starches or carbohydrates requires an alkaline balance to expedite digestion. With carbohydrates, the digestive process begins in the mouth with the release of an enzyme called ptyalin and the complex starches are broken down in part even before they reach the stomach. If you were to eat steak with alkaline foods (carbohydrates), you are hindering the natural process of your digestion.
Luckily, there are foods that are considered neutral meaning that they get along with both the proteins and the carbohydrates that you eat. For instance dairy products (with the exception of milk), olive oil, all green leafy vegetables, raw or smoked meats, fish, nuts (except peanuts), mushrooms, olives, avocados, blueberries and herbs are considered neutral foods. One easy example of a daily meal plan separating proteins and carbohydrates would be as follows. Breakfast can be fruit of your choice. Fruit should always be eaten alone because of the sugar content. For lunch, you could have a baked potato with sour cream, butter and chives and for dinner, eating a piece of fish with grilled mushrooms would be ideal. Unfortunately, common food choices like sandwiches go against the idea of the separation diet!
Essentially the problems that most people encounter by eating the common meat, veggies and bread meals that have become mainstay are stymied digestion and the inability to maintain proper pH balance or expel toxins properly from the colon. Long term, this causes just about every discomfort you might experience including things like headaches, joint pain, bloatedness, inability to lose or gain weight, fatigue, acne, and millions more. The bottom line is that the human body requires balance and that digestion is designed to break down foods so that you are able to gain the nutrients, minerals and positive factors while eliminating any of the things you don’t need for survival and health.
