About food, women all know a little something, like which foods brighten the skin, which cause weight gain, and which lead to pigmentation and spots... But when it comes to how to pair foods, they might not be so well-versed. In reality, some foods have no nutritional deficiencies on their own, but when combined with other foods, they can have a significant "ruin your looks" effect.
Cake + Tofu
This is related to food classification. One method divides foods into dense and non-dense foods. Besides fruits and vegetables, all other foods, such as meat, dairy, and grains, are considered dense foods.
The food pairing method suggests that in the same meal, you should only have one dense food served with vegetables. Tofu, which contains protein, and cake, which contains starch, are both dense foods. Eating them together will inevitably lead to weight gain.
Soda + Chocolate
No matter the flavor, chocolate is a high-calorie, high-sugar, and high-fat food and should not be paired with sugary drinks like soda or juice. Pairing chocolate with a cup of hot tea is a good choice, as the tea can absorb the oil from the chocolate, reducing the chance of indigestion.
The most common misconception: Cucumber + Peanuts
Cucumber, diced small and mixed with boiled peanuts as a refreshing cold dish, is often used. In fact, this pairing is not ideal. These two foods together might cause diarrhea. Cucumber is sweet and cold in nature and is often eaten raw, while peanuts are oily. Generally speaking, when a cold-natured food meets oil, it increases its laxative properties, which may lead to diarrhea.
Tea + Eggs
Besides alkaloids, tea also contains acidic substances. These compounds combine with the iron in eggs, which can irritate the stomach and is not good for digestion and absorption.
The most weight-loss pairing: Fresh Lemon + Water
Lemon is generally not used in main meals. However, you can slice it and soak it in water. This not only allows you to fully absorb its nutrients but also has a certain weight-loss effect. Nutritionists believe lemon has high medicinal value. For women, it is first and foremost a very effective weight-loss food. Drinking some water infused with fresh lemon after a meal is very helpful for digestion.
Besides being infused in water, you can follow the British example by adding two or three slices of lemon to black tea, which makes the tea's aroma even more fragrant.
Lily Bulb + Eggs
This low-sugar, low-fat food is not only delicious but also contains all the nutrients the body needs, making it a perfect pairing for weight loss.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the combination of the two has the effects of nourishing yin, moistening dryness, and calming the mind. Lily bulb clears phlegm and tonifies deficiency, while the egg yolk relieves vexation and heat, and nourishes yin and blood. When prepared with sugar, the effect is even better.
The most perfect nutritional pairing: Oatmeal + Strawberries
Although your breakfast oatmeal contains 50% of your daily iron requirement, you can only absorb about 8% of it, because the human body's absorption rate of plant-based iron is very limited. However, pairing an iron-rich food with a food rich in vitamin C can significantly increase the absorption of iron. Strawberries or kiwis are good choices. Eating them with oatmeal is both delicious and healthy.
Whole Wheat Bread + Peanut Butter
Whole grain foods, especially whole wheat bread, are rich in the antioxidant vitamin E. This substance can relieve muscle soreness after intense exercise and also has a certain protective effect on the heart. Since vitamin E "only dissolves in oil," eating whole wheat bread with peanut butter or olive oil, which are rich in healthy fats, can help the body absorb more vitamin E.
The pairing that causes the most nutrient loss: Soy Milk + Eggs
The mucoprotein in eggs will combine with the trypsin in soy milk, thereby losing the nutritional value of both.
Carrot + White Radish
White radish is extremely high in vitamin C, but carrots contain an enzyme called ascorbic acid oxidase that breaks down vitamin C. When carrots and white radishes are mixed, the vitamin C in the white radish is completely destroyed. Moreover, when cooked with other vegetables containing vitamin C, carrots play the role of a destroyer.
The most "beautifying" pairing: A mix of various seasonings
The main seasonings—sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty—are indispensable in daily cooking. They reduce greasiness, detoxify and kill bacteria, relax muscles and invigorate blood, protect vitamin C, reduce the loss of water-soluble vitamins, maintain the body's osmotic pressure and blood acid-base balance, and maintain the rapid response of nerves and muscles to external stimuli. From this, its beautifying function is undeniable.
Black Beans + Oranges
Black beans contain many nutrients, but their phytic acid can hinder the body's absorption of other mineral elements—zinc and iron. To help the body better absorb these minerals, you can pair beans with foods rich in vitamin C (such as oranges, grapefruit, etc.) in your diet, because vitamin C can reduce the effect of phytic acid, and it is also the best element for skin whitening.
Yogurt + Jerusalem Artichoke
The calcium and lactic acid bacteria in yogurt can improve the human body's immune function. Inulin in Jerusalem artichoke is a hard-to-digest carbohydrate that can promote the growth of beneficial gut flora and promote the absorption of calcium in the body. These two foods are a perfect match.
The most "ruin your looks" pairing: Seafood + Fruit
Seafood like fish, shrimp, and algae are rich in protein and calcium. If eaten with fruits containing tannic acid, not only is the nutritional value of the protein reduced, but the calcium in the seafood can also combine with the tannic acid to form a new, indigestible substance that can irritate the stomach and cause discomfort. Fruits with high tannic acid content include persimmons, grapes, pomegranates, hawthorn, and green plums.