food combining question

[323mattb]

My question is about the way protein, fats, and fiber slow the digestion of complex carbs. If you're eating a meal at a slow to average pace as opposed to inhaling it on the run, would it make a difference as far as which foods are eaten first? In other words, if your meal is broccoli, a sweet potato, and some steak, would it be best to eat the broccoli and or steak first, followed by the sweet potato to slow the digestion of the carbs, or would it really make no difference at all because they're all going to be digested at the same time? My reasoning is that the first food(s) eaten would be the first to begin digestion, so if you ate the carbs first, it would be even more quickly converted into glucose. Again, maybe it make no difference, and my ocd is to thank for this question.

[alan aragon]

Originally posted by 323mattb
My question is about the way protein, fats, and fiber slow the digestion of complex carbs. If you're eating a meal at a slow to average pace as opposed to inhaling it on the run, would it make a difference as far as which foods are eaten first? In other words, if your meal is broccoli, a sweet potato, and some steak, would it be best to eat the broccoli and or steak first, followed by the sweet potato to slow the digestion of the carbs, or would it really make no difference at all because they're all going to be digested at the same time? My reasoning is that the first food(s) eaten would be the first to begin digestion, so if you ate the carbs first, it would be even more quickly converted into glucose. Again, maybe it make no difference, and my ocd is to thank for this question.

you are correct.

but the degree of difference would be directly proportional to the time separation between ingestion of the individual foods. for example, if you ate the potato, then the meat/veggies 15 minutes later, then it would be less carb absorption competition than, say, eating the potato, then 1 minute later eating the meat/veggies - in the latter case, you'd be allotting less time for unhindered carb digestion, absorption, & consequent release into systemic circulation as glucose. essentially you'd be delaying absorption competition of the carbs. but if you really think about it, i don't think there's a significant difference between inhaling on the run & regular eating unless that regular eating is an exceptionally leisurely, lingering, & languid lunch with loads of luscious ladies lying poolside.

wow, i MUST have OCD for answering that question.

[323mattb]

Thanks, Alan, for the response. I feel certain that there are a number of people on these boards with a mild case of OCD!! Anyway, I'm not French or Italian, so usually my meals aren't spread out over a two hour time period....they're much more American, 20-30 mins maximum (and unfortunately not poolside w/luscious ladies lol), so I suppose a bit of this and a bite of that with no "plan" will suffice.