Food Mixtures That Can Harm Your Health

We all know that a poor diet directly affects the state of our health. But, when we talk about poor nutrition, you probably only think of excesses in the meals: too much salt, too much sugar, too much oil or spices…

Do you know that besides these overflows, some good foods, can be bad depending on their tasting? In general, we tend to mix all that is delicious or all that we like, without considering the complications that these mixtures may cause. You may be aware that the foods we eat are rich in healthy substances. However, some blends are not welcome in our stomachs and can affect our health.

In this article, we bring you five tips to educate you on foods that can harm your health.

1- Do not eat raw fruits for dessert! We usually eat fresh fruit for about half an hour before a meal or at least 3 hours after a meal. You probably ask why? Well, fruits are composed of sugar digested quickly and easily by our body. But, consumed with a meal, the fruits will be crossed in the stomach and can cause inconvenience (fatigue and bloating). Consumed alone, they will not all spend this time in our belly; the digestion would be done quickly enough. So, it would be better to consume your fruit at the proper time!

2- Do not mix Proteins with starches! Each category of food (protein, fat, carbohydrate) has its characteristics of digestion, the time needed, degree of acidity, etc. It is essential to avoid associating protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, shellfish, or cheeses with pasta, farinaceous, bread, or rice. You say why? Well, the digestion of proteins in amino acids is done in acidic medium, and this acidic medium blocks the transformation of the starch which needs an alkaline medium. As a result, it makes the digestion long, exhausting, resulting in a sensation of postprandial heaviness, fermentation, gas, or bloating. It would be better to associate healthy proteins or starch with cooked vegetables, for example.

3- Avoid drinking during the meal! It is advisable to drink a large glass of water 15-20 minutes before meals. However, drinking during the meal will drown the digestive enzymes and dilute the gastric juices, which are very acidic.

4- Do not take coffee at the end of a meal! The consumption of coffee after a meal will cause the early opening of the pyloric sphincter muscle, so the function is to control the gastric evacuation (feces). The time of digestion will be reduced in the stomach and will lead to the passage of partially digested food waste, resulting in poor digestion. Over an extended period, this can cause digestive disorders.

5- Give time to chew well and do not eat too fast! This bad habit is known, but it’s just a reminder, it’s important to chew well because proper digestion starts in the mouth. It is useless to make the right food combinations and eat healthy if you do not take enough time to chew your foods. Besides, the meal swallowed too quickly does not give the brain time to release the hormone satiety (leptin) that appears 15 to 20 minutes after the start of the meal. The more we take care of chewing, the less we need to eat to be satisfied.

To feed is a necessity, to know how to eat is an art! It’s time to start eating well and use some of these tips next time you have a meal.