The Hay Diet: Food Combining For Health

Find out how you can lose weight and get healthy while eating the foods you already eat.

Dr. William Howard Hay developed the Hay Diet early in the 20th century. He created the diet to treat his own health conditions and to lose the 50 pounds he felt he needed to lose. The modern version of his diet plan is essentially the same as it was nearly 90 years ago.

Benefits of the Hay Diet

The rules that make up the Hay Diet are not only important for accelerating natural weight loss but the diet can also help turn around some degenerative health conditions like indigestion, constipation, asthma, arthritis, and allergies.

Rules and Principles of the Hay Diet

Some people refer to the Hay Diet as food combining. There are five rules that must be adhered to in order for the diet plan to be successful:

1. Carbohydrates cannot be eaten in the same meal with proteins and acid-based fruits.

2. Salads, fruits, and vegetables should be the main part of the diet.

3. Proteins, starches, and fats should be eaten in small amounts.

4. Only unprocessed starches and whole grains should be part of the diet. Never eat refined or processed food like white sugar, white flour, and margarine.

5. There should be four to four and a half hours between meals that are made up of different types of foods.

Dr. Hay prepared a chart of food combining guidelines that is still in use today. The chart lists certain food groups, what that food group consists of, what these foods can be combined with, what they should not be combined with them, and exceptions to the rule, if there are any. Here are a few examples from the chart:

· Protein – This includes things like, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, nuts and seeds, and dry beans. These may be combined with vegetables with low or no starch but should not be combined with other proteins, carbohydrates, and starches.

· Low or no starch vegetables – Things like asparagus, green bans, broccoli, cabbage, onions, and carrots can be eaten with proteins but not with fruit.

· Carbohydrates and starches – This means foods like pasta, breads, grains, and potatoes. They can be eaten with low or no starch vegetables and with fats, but not with fruits and proteins.

· Fats – Avocado, butter, olives cream, and most oils can be combined with low or no starch vegetables, carbohydrates and starches, but not with protein and fruit.

This is just a small portion of the chart. Anyone willing to try this diet plan must be committed because the one drawback to the diet is that planning meals and recipes can become complicated. You are not allowed to eat certain foods at specific times of the day, so planning ahead is important. Many people find themselves carrying a set of the principles with them.

There are a few key things to remember while on the Hay Diet. First of all, you can eat a variety of foods, but you can’t mix most of the food groups in one meal. Secondly, it is important to learn how to classify the foods you are allowed to eat and how to combine correctly. Another key is that you must also eat your meals at specific intervals. This is vital in order for your body to digest the food from the meal before.