Herbert Shelton, the founder of the natural hygiene movement, is referred to as the father of food combining. This book was first published in 1940 and became the leading primer for anyone wanting guidance on which foods should and should not be eaten at the same meal for over sixty years.

Shelton presents information on the processes of normal digestion and examines why combinations of acids, fats, starches, sugars, and proteins disrupt theses processes. Although Shelton originally included recommendations for meat eaters, this new edition has been slightly revised to reflect Shelton's vegetarian leanings.