Food Layering & Better Digestion

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There is a lot of talk on food "pairing" whilst "Peating", but I am finding that food "layering" is a step worth taking farther. With digestion function being the biggest player in how successful we are at being healthy it makes sense to think about these things. Things like having my honeycomb with a steak, let's say, would have me eating that honeycomb as dessert, when all this time it would have served me better to let it go in first, and turn on the "machine" aka liver, to prepare to dismantle that protein and dole it out as needed much more quickly, like getting a running start before jumping. Can you imagine poor liver peacefully resting and suddenly, without notice, is bombarded with meat? How hard that must be for him to get a movin'? No wonder our digesting gets so sluggish, hence why there is so much fat everywhere we look. Even things like having milk and orange juice together can have a happier ending. With one faster to digest than the other, having the faster orange juice in first gives it a headstart to keep far away from milk so there is no curdling to be be done. With sugar being the quickest to digest, carbs next and protein the longest, has anybody found some "layerings" to be highly effective for more efficient digestion?
 

AndrewGesell

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There is a lot of talk on food "pairing" whilst "Peating", but I am finding that food "layering" is a step worth taking farther. With digestion function being the biggest player in how successful we are at being healthy it makes sense to think about these things. Things like having my honeycomb with a steak, let's say, would have me eating that honeycomb as dessert, when all this time it would have served me better to let it go in first, and turn on the "machine" aka liver, to prepare to dismantle that protein and dole it out as needed much more quickly, like getting a running start before jumping. Can you imagine poor liver peacefully resting and suddenly, without notice, is bombarded with meat? How hard that must be for him to get a movin'? No wonder our digesting gets so sluggish, hence why there is so much fat everywhere we look. Even things like having milk and orange juice together can have a happier ending. With one faster to digest than the other, having the faster orange juice in first gives it a headstart to keep far away from milk so there is no curdling to be be done. With sugar being the quickest to digest, carbs next and protein the longest, has anybody found some "layerings" to be highly effective for more efficient digestion?
Yes. For years. I wake up to lemon water, 15 minutes carrot salad. Let that sit for an hour. Either glass of orange juice or go straight to pineapple slices. Then eggs with homemade bone broth. Then berries, cheese milk honey and chocolate (chocolate might still upset me but I don’t know what I would do without it).

For dinner I do a digestive enzyme betaine before meat but now I’m kind of thinking why not do both that and pineapple?

let that sit 3 to 4 hours before more milk, honey ice cream and cherries.

The best digestion I ever had in my life was when I did Omad high carb. 20 hours in I’d break my fast with fruit... then eat ground beef, potatoes avocado you name it. Unsustainable due to blood sugar fluctuation
 

Korven

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I find Ayurvedic food combining to be quite helpful. Especially when it comes to the drinking of milk.

I always drink milk on its own or with raw honey (not heated!). I don't drink milk with solid foods/meals. Milk combined with melons, bananas, oranges, or most fruit, is a faux pas according to Ayurveda. I got crazy amounts of acne when having milk and fruit meals, but I get no acne when having milk by itself. Or maybe it was just the fruit making me break out, I can't say for sure. Raw milk is also a no-no according to Ayurveda, it's too heavy and damp for digestion and needs to be warmed up with spices. I like to put cardamom in my milk.

Not sure if they got it all right though, potato is apparently an "unwholesome" food LOL. Before I had issues with the taters but now I seem to do fine with them if I mash em' with bone broth and butter and pepper/salt. Then I eat it with meatballs and lingonberry jam. One of my favourite meals!
 

ursidae

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I have to eat everything separately. Starch and meat is horrible for me. 2 hour fast before eating meat, 3 hours if last meal was starch. No water within 1 hour of meals. No liquid meals. Fruit on its own, eggs on their own. The only thing I can add to everything is some tomato paste
 
OP
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Yes. For years. I wake up to lemon water, 15 minutes carrot salad. Let that sit for an hour. Either glass of orange juice or go straight to pineapple slices. Then eggs with homemade bone broth. Then berries, cheese milk honey and chocolate (chocolate might still upset me but I don’t know what I would do without it).

For dinner I do a digestive enzyme betaine before meat but now I’m kind of thinking why not do both that and pineapple?

let that sit 3 to 4 hours before more milk, honey ice cream and cherries.

The best digestion I ever had in my life was when I did Omad high carb. 20 hours in I’d break my fast with fruit... then eat ground beef, potatoes avocado you name it. Unsustainable due to blood sugar fluctuation
I like your clean choices of foods. I have lately lost interest in meats, so things like eggs and homemade bone broth are sounding good to me right now. Do you eat meat and seafood, and if so, how are you pairing and layering those. Days seem to be simpler for me, but getting the combo and layering right at night seems to be more important, with moving around less and sleep playing into it all.
 
OP
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I find Ayurvedic food combining to be quite helpful. Especially when it comes to the drinking of milk.

I always drink milk on its own or with raw honey (not heated!). I don't drink milk with solid foods/meals. Milk combined with melons, bananas, oranges, or most fruit, is a faux pas according to Ayurveda. I got crazy amounts of acne when having milk and fruit meals, but I get no acne when having milk by itself. Or maybe it was just the fruit making me break out, I can't say for sure. Raw milk is also a no-no according to Ayurveda, it's too heavy and damp for digestion and needs to be warmed up with spices. I like to put cardamom in my milk.

Not sure if they got it all right though, potato is apparently an "unwholesome" food LOL. Before I had issues with the taters but now I seem to do fine with them if I mash em' with bone broth and butter and pepper/salt. Then I eat it with meatballs and lingonberry jam. One of my favourite meals!
I found so much interest in your response! Firstly I do drink raw milk and even yesterday, had one cup of it with a big chunk of honeycomb and felt full for awhile. I will try heating it today and see if it feels right. Potatoes with butter, salt and bone broth is another interesting combo, as I always have a batch of gelatinous oxtail bone broth around, which i love mine cold and salted. Finally meatballs and ligonberry jam!? I have been making a lot of proteins with jam, especiall orange or meyers lemon marmalades. The both go so well with shellfish and chicken. I have a half jar of ligonberry, with seeds though, that I was wondering what to pair it with. I like your sense of (food) adventure!
 
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I have to eat everything separately. Starch and meat is horrible for me. 2 hour fast before eating meat, 3 hours if last meal was starch. No water within 1 hour of meals. No liquid meals. Fruit on its own, eggs on their own. The only thing I can add to everything is some tomato paste
I feel for your limitations. Feeling horrible eating starch and meat together makes sense, since Ray Peat says you should not combine the two anyway for optimal digestion. What are the repercussions you experience, acid reflux?
 

ursidae

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I feel for your limitations. Feeling horrible eating starch and meat together makes sense, since Ray Peat says you should not combine the two anyway for optimal digestion. What are the repercussions you experience, acid reflux?
Just suboptimal digestion of both especially the meat, constipation, gas, acne, bloating, etc. Was a game changer quitting it. Not really a big deal since I’ve been doing it for a while now and got used to it. My schedule doesn’t force me to limit myself to 3 square meals though
 

Vins7

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I
I have to eat everything separately. Starch and meat is horrible for me. 2 hour fast before eating meat, 3 hours if last meal was starch. No water within 1 hour of meals. No liquid meals. Fruit on its own, eggs on their own. The only thing I can add to everything is some tomato paste
My problem is that eating only meat,fish or eggs without any starch or sugar could be better to digest but It gives me anxiety and nervousness that does not go away until I consume some starch or sugar or both (which I understand is due to hypoglycemia).

So, for me, eating protein away from other food groups is a double-edged sword.
 

AndrewGesell

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I

My problem is that eating only meat,fish or eggs without any starch or sugar could be better to digest but It gives me anxiety and nervousness that does not go away until I consume some starch or sugar or both (which I understand is due to hypoglycemia).

So, for me, eating protein away from other food groups is a double-edged sword.
You could drink sucrose Laden beverages
 

ursidae

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I

My problem is that eating only meat,fish or eggs without any starch or sugar could be better to digest but It gives me anxiety and nervousness that does not go away until I consume some starch or sugar or both (which I understand is due to hypoglycemia).

So, for me, eating protein away from other food groups is a double-edged sword.
Pineapple and kiwi might be okay as an accompaniment. Personally I eat my meat along with most of my fat for the day in the afternoon/evening
 

Nomane Euger

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Pineapple and kiwi might be okay as an accompaniment. Personally I eat my meat along with most of my fat for the day in the afternoon/evening
hi,you dont eat any meat up until the evening?wich fats do you eat with your meat?
 

ursidae

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hi,you dont eat any meat up until the evening?wich fats do you eat with your meat?
I eat one serving of protein that has naturally higher fat content like sardines or full fat ground meat. It's not optimal because stomach acid secretion and digestive strength is highest in the middle of the day. It's just that insulin sensitivity is also highest at that time so I choose to eat starch for lunch. I add an avocado to the meat for weight gain and because I don't digest lots of animal fat well. It seems beneficial to my skin and hormones. I try not to add much fat to my carbs due to my insulin resistance
 
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Vins7

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Pineapple and kiwi might be okay as an accompaniment. Personally I eat my meat along with most of my fat for the day in the afternoon/evening
I thought meat and protein in general is more difficult to digest than carbs, so I thought eating more carbs/less protein in the evening is a better option for having a good sleep.

Does It work for you? Do you sleep well doing this dinner?
 

ursidae

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I thought meat and protein in general is more difficult to digest than carbs, so I thought eating more carbs/less protein in the evening is a better option for having a good sleep.

Does It work for you? Do you sleep well doing this dinner?
Meat is very hard to digest indeed, I try to eat it a few hours before sleep. 6 pm dinner is what I try to do but don't always manage to. When I can't sleep I feel the need to ingest something steady, warm and substantial. My sleep is not the best regardless of diets, but at least I stopped waking up at 3 am. I haven't experimented much with having starch or fruit for dinner.
 
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OP
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Just suboptimal digestion of both especially the meat, constipation, gas, acne, bloating, etc. Was a game changer quitting it. Not really a big deal since I’ve been doing it for a while now and got used to it. My schedule doesn’t force me to limit myself to 3 square mealshough
I hear you on the meat, as I am finding meat to not be an optimal food for mixing. It doesn't give me any grief, but digestion does slow quite a bit with it, unless it is rare. I find myself eating small pairings throughout the day too. Admittedly I feel better, and get more accomplished eating two larger meals, which also gives my body a chance to work up a hunger, but I can't think of any big meals that would provide all that I need in a day.
Just suboptimal digestion of both especially the meat, constipation, gas, acne, bloating, etc. Was a game changer quitting it. Not really a big deal since I’ve been doing it for a while now and got used to it. My schedule doesn’t force me to limit myself to 3 square meals though
 
OP
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Pineapple and kiwi might be okay as an accompaniment. Personally I eat my meat along with most of my fat for the day in the afternoon/evening
Pairing fruit and meat would be a great idea protein plus sugar wise, especially the pineapple, but vitamin C makes you absorb 3 times more iron, from the meat. So I haven't found any really good places for fruit, besides having it with cheese.
 

AndrewGesell

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Pairing fruit and meat would be a great idea protein plus sugar wise, especially the pineapple, but vitamin C makes you absorb 3 times more iron, from the meat. So I haven't found any really good places for fruit, besides having it with cheese.
How do you get rid of iron?
 
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How do you get rid of iron?
Ray Peat says pairing iron rich foods with caffeine, suggesting coffee or Mexican Coke, keeps the body from storing it. The iron causes an array of issues. He says it is the reason why some elderly people have that hard leathery skin, it is hard metal iron. He says once it gets into the skin, it is hard or not possible to get it back out.
 

AndrewGesell

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Ray Peat says pairing iron rich foods with caffeine, suggesting coffee or Mexican Coke, keeps the body from storing it. The iron causes an array of issues. He says it is the reason why some elderly people have that hard leathery skin, it is hard metal iron. He says once it gets into the skin, it is hard or not possible to get it back out.
Sounds like Mexican Coke is off the table now. I thought caffeine increased iron storage?Any caffeinated substance?
 

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