The Shelton Diet Principle
The dissociated diet, created in 1951 by the American Herbert MacGolphin Shelton, is explained in his books, in particular his book "Food Combining Made Easy".
This diet is based on the principle of decoupling food intake, i.e. avoiding combining certain types of food during the same meal.
He points out that each food has a specific digestion time, a specific acid-base environment required for digestion, and a different assimilation of nutrients depending on the organ (stomach, duodenum, intestine, etc.) and the food.
Thus, by eating only one similar category of food, the energy spent on digestion and nutrient assimilation is optimised: less energy spent on digestion and therefore more energy for other physical, organic and intellectual activities.
In addition, since digestion is facilitated, digestive pains and disorders are eliminated and certain diseases are avoided.
The main points and aims of the decoupled diet
Key points
- Do not mix foods.
- Prioritise foods that are digested similarly during the same meal.
Goals
- Better digestion
- Daily energy gain, no "hunger pangs" between meals
- Avoidance of fermentation and putrefaction in the body (source of gases, digestive slowness and bed of certain diseases)
- Prevent certain modern diseases (cardiovascular, autoimmune)
- Prevention of certain diseases linked to the acidification of the body (acidification of the tissues and mucous membranes, inflammation of the joints, tendonitis, arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, etc.).
- A return to a healthy weight and general wellbeing
The 7 main nutritional principles
Combinations
The general idea is not to mix so-called acidic foods (proteins) with alkaline foods (fruits).
The enzymes needed to digest them are different for each, and the nutrients from each are not assimilated in the same way in the same organs of the digestive tract, so it is best to eat them separately.
Ideally, each meal should consist of only one type of food.
For example, Shelton points out that proteins are digested in the stomach by enzymes in an acidic environment, whereas carbohydrates are digested in a basic environment.
So when you mix the two foods, the stomach tries to produce acids and bases to digest everything as well as possible, which leads to very slow digestion, stomach pain, considerable fatigue, bloating, gas, etc.
Shelton recommends eating protein-rich foods with vegetables, vegetables with starches, but never starches and proteins at the same time.
Acids are not associated with proteins or starches.
Lipids can be combined with vegetables, but very rarely with proteins (to be avoided as they slow down digestion).
It is not recommended to mix 2 different types of protein (e.g. egg and meat).
It is therefore advisable, for example, to have a fruit meal, a starchy meal and a protein meal in the same day.
Digestion time
The concept of digestion time also comes into play.
After a protein meal, you need to wait 4 hours before eating anything else.
For starchy meals, you also need to wait 4 hours.
For meals consisting of protein or starch combined with lipids, you need to wait 7 hours.
For fruit, a 2 hour wait is sufficient.
Fruits
According to him, fruit is not compatible with any other food.
He explains that they are the fastest digested foods (in less than 20 minutes) and are digested at the level of the intestine.
If they are left to sit in a stomach full of other, slower-digesting foods, there is a risk of fermentation, resulting in stomach pain, bloating and, above all, gas.
They should therefore be eaten on their own, on an empty stomach, as a single meal or outside of meals.
However, not all fruits are eaten together: neutral fruits can be eaten with sour or sweet fruits.
However, sweet fruits should not be eaten with sour fruits.
There are 2 exceptions: melon is a separate fruit that can only be eaten by itself.
Lemon can be combined with protein (e.g. in fish).
Vegetables and starches
Vegetables are associated with starch or protein.
But acidic vegetables (tomatoes, gherkins, soursop, etc.) do not go well with starchy foods.
Starches only go well with vegetables or other starches.
Juices
Of course, the same applies to juices.
Fruit juices should be consumed on their own or with other fruits and away from meals.
They cannot be combined with vegetable juices.
Vegetable juices can be consumed with other vegetables, proteins or starches.
Dairy products
As for dairy products, Shelton recommends avoiding them as much as possible or eating them only occasionally, just like fruit.
Water
As water is essential for life, Shelton stresses the importance of drinking enough (about 1.5 litres) per day.
To summarise the associations
- Proteins and vegetables (but never starchy foods)
- Starches and vegetables (but never proteins)
- Fruit alone (but not sweet and sour together)
The benefits of the diet
The advantage of this diet is that no foods are excluded, although their intake is regulated.
In addition, there are no limits on the quantities of different food categories.
This avoids deficiencies and the frustration associated with the restrictions of conventional diets.
Meal preparation is also made easier as only one type of food needs to be cooked.
Furthermore, the right combination of foods eliminates the putrefaction and fermentation associated with poor digestion, preventing the passage of endogenous toxins through the intestinal wall into the blood and thus preventing certain modern pathologies.
Finally, the dissociated diet often leads to weight loss, as health improves and the feeling of fullness comes quickly with the same type of food as a meal.
Disadvantages of the diet
The decoupled diet is moderately easy to set up.
Once the food categories are well understood, compatibility is easy to manage.
However, it is a rather complicated method to follow in society, for example in restaurants, and therefore quite isolated.
You also need to know the macronutrient content of the food before you eat it, so that you know how to combine it.
Finally, if you want to reach the recommended daily allowance, you need to consume a large amount of protein in the meal that is dedicated to it, as there is no other meal of the day.
Precautionary measures
As with any diet, it is important to be supervised by a doctor or health professional while on a low-carb diet.
Example of a typical day
Morning
- Banana Juice
- Apricot juice
Snack
- Oilseeds (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts)
Lunchtime
- Vegetable soup
- Cauliflower gratin
- Boiled broccoli
- Boiled potatoes
- Wholemeal Bread
- (without cheese)
Dinner
- Raw vegetables
- Vegetable and herb omelette
- Dessert without sugar (optional)