Hi Debaroo,

I food combined about 13 years ago but opted for the vegetarian version - just vegetables and carbs - so I didn't switch back and forth with protien and vegetables. Did fruit in the morning and then had a fruit snack 4 hours after the last meal. I was in Mexico for 3 months at that time, so it was pretty easy to do with all the great fruits, tortillas and vegetables. When I look back, I realize I was starving myself. I took their vegetarian principles very seriously and ate very little fat as well.

Have a look at Suzanne Sommers book. It's what food combining transformed into and there is much more variety in eating. However, if you're a sugar junkie, eating any carbs at all can be dangerous and set you off on a binge or have you fall off the wagon for a long period of time.

Some people are successful with the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet where you get a "reward meal" once a day that is a balanced amount of protien, vegetable and carbs. The same warning applies to this too.

Personally, I try to stick to foods as close to their natural state as possible. When you combine flour and liquid together, no matter if it ends up as pasta or bread, you are eating glue. This is what I tell myself.

After you're in the low-carb swing of things, eating carbs will make you feel so yukky that you'll wonder why you bothered. This comes from someone who woke up with a huge carb hangover on Monday from indulging in dessert on Easter. It will now take me at least 4 days to get back on track.

With all that said, we're all unique and with determination and trial and error, we all develop an LC way of eating different from everone else that keeps us happy and healthy.

Karen