The idea of strictly separating proteins and carbohydrates when eating is now a hundred years old - and is still widely used. Anyone who wants to lose pounds or decides to follow a food combining diet for other health reasons is quickly convinced by this method.

The New York doctor Howard Hay (1866-1940) invented the food combining diet. He suffered from a serious kidney disease that was considered incurable. So Hay decided to completely change his diet and systematically separate his food. He became completely healthy again. Hay's conviction: A poor diet causes the body to become over-acidified. This can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity.

Food combining: how it works

The food combining principle is based on the strict separation of protein-containing and carbohydrate-containing foods. The theory: if you eat both together, they cannot be digested at the same time. Unhealthy acids are produced.

The food combining diet therefore does not eat meat with potatoes or cheese with bread. Spaghetti Bolognese, for example, is also taboo. Instead, so-called neutral foods may be chosen to accompany meat, or protein-rich foods such as quark. Exceptions: Vegetables and salad can always be eaten with meat as they belong to the neutral group, just like fats.

What sounds complicated at first is quickly learned in everyday life. However, Hay issued a second guideline at the time, which is rarely mentioned in modern food combining guides: Three-quarters of daily meals should consist of alkaline-forming foods such as vegetables, salad and fruit. Acid-forming foods such as fish, meat, milk and cheese should only make up a quarter.

The pounds fall off by themselves

According to current knowledge, doctors believe that Hay's assumption that protein and carbohydrates cannot be digested together has been refuted. Hay's classification of the various foods is also considered outdated and partly incorrect. Nevertheless, the food combining diet is very healthy: with this change in diet, people eat less meat and fat, but lots of vegetables, salad, raw vegetables and fruit. The results of the food combining diet are impressive: The pounds tumble off and blood lipid levels drop - and with them the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Read more on idee für mich about the best tricks for your dream figure and how you can easily reduce fat in your diet - and many other food combining tips.