Hay System Diet
The Hay System Diet or the Dr. Hay Diet or the Hay Diet is a special diet method developed by Dr. William Howard Hay (1866-1940). How the Dr. Hay Diet has become well-known and spread worldwide can be explained by the fact that his diet was able to treat the symptoms of several diseases that Dr. Hay contracted (hypertension, Bright’s disease and dilated heart. A large number of people who practice the Hay System Diet have also obtained the benefit of improving their health.
The Hay Diet, which is also known as the Food-Combining Diet works on the separation of alkaline and acid foods. (Foods are grouped into 3: alkaline, acidic and neutral) why the Hay Diet developed such a combining method can be explained by the following quotation.
“Any carbohydrate foods require alkaline conditions for their complete digestion, so much not be combined with acids of any kinds, as sour fruits, because the acid will neutralise. Neither should these be combined with a protein of concentrated sort as these protein foods will excite too much hydrochloric acid during their stomach digestion.” Dr. Hay, How to Always Be Well.
Practically, the Hay System Diet does not combine protein, grouped as acidic food, and starches, grouped as alkaline food, at the same meal.
Vegetables, which are grouped as neutral foods, can accompany the alkaline and acidic foods. In the others words, the Hay System Diet does not combine protein-rich foods (such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese and milk) with carbohydrate-rich foods (such as rice, grains, and potatoes). The Hay System Diet follows a simple pattern, i.e. three meals per day.
A three-meal pattern of the Hay System Diet
| Meal 1 = alkaline food only |
| Meal 2 = protein foods with vegetables and fruits |
| Meal 3 = starchy foods with vegetables and sweet fruits |