Incompatible Food Combination In Ayurveda
Ayurveda and Incompatible Food Combinations
INTRODUCTION:
Do you suffer from indigestion, bloating, gas, or fatigue? If so, part of the problem could be incompatible food combinations. The shelves of many health food stores are filled with digestive aids, enzymes, or pills for indigestion and gas. Often people are used to eat variety of foods that normally do not digest well together. These incompatible food combinations can result in indigestion, gas, nausea, fatigue, bloating, and elimination issues. Ayurveda looks deeper than the symptoms of imbalance and searches for the root of why these issues might be happening. Ayurveda believes that it is likely that many of the gastrointestinal issues arise from poor food combinations, a lack of Agni (digestive fire), and high Ama (undigested food and emotions).
According to Ayurveda, there are some food combinations that disturb the normal functioning of the stomach and upset the balance of the doshas (body and mind constitutions). Proper food combining can drastically improve digestion, support the body with deeper levels of nourishment, and impact overall health.
An example is eating a banana and milk. This might sound harmless enough, but it can have lasting effects. Dairy products and fruits together can diminish Agni (gastric fire) and change the intestinal flora in the gut, resulting in toxins (Ama). If done long term, it can cause sinus congestion, cough, cold, hives, allergies, and rashes.
Some of the effects of incompatible food combinations can be alleviated by using spices and herbs when cooking. A strong Agni can be the most powerful way to deal with incompatible food combinations. It is best to start slow with these changes and allow for plenty of time to make any adaptations to your diet.
Here are a few ideas of foods not to combine by category:
1. Dairy and Egg Products
Milk is incompatible with melons, fish, sour fruits, bananas, kitchari (mung dahl and basmati rice), and breads with yeast. Yogurt can be beneficial for your intestinal flora, but can also have bad effects when used with other foods. Yogurt does not mix well with sour fruits, melons, bananas, berries, and mangoes. Hot drinks (like tea and coffee), starches, cheese, and fish also do not goes well with yogurt. Eggs don’t combine well with milk, cheese, yogurt, fruit, potatoes.
2. Fruits, Vegetables, and Nightshades
Fruits are best to be eaten on their own due to their somewhat acidic nature. They tend to be fairly easy to digest and do so quickly. If this happens, the fruit gets inhibited by more complex foods and can tend to move through the digestive tract too slowly. This can cause fermentation, bloating, and gas.
Fruits can be eaten with other fruits with similar qualities. Vegetables don’t mix well with lots of fruit or milk. Corn is incompatible with dates, raisins, and bananas.
Nightshades (potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes) are incompatible with yogurt, cheese, fruit (especially melons), and milk. The combination of nightshades and cheese can be too taxing on the digestive fire. In Ayurveda, all nightshades are hard to digest and can disturb the doshas.
4. Grains and Starches
Starches are incompatible with bananas, eggs, milk, or dates. Grains don’t combine well with fruit. Grains and Starches are compatible with vegetables, beans, meat, fish, seeds, and cheese.
5. Beans
Beans does not go well with fruit, milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, meat, and fish. In order to beak them down, they both need a strong Agni (digestive fire). They also have different post-digestive effects on the body. Beans, depending on the type, usually taste astringent and sweet, can be either heating or cooling, and tend to have a pungent post-digestive effect. Cheese is mostly a sour taste.This can change or impact urine, feces, and sweat. Beans and cheese, when they are eaten together, they slow down the digestive fire. Their combined heaviness makes digestion a difficult process, which can often result in poor digestion and the accumulation of Ama.
Food combining is not about black and white rules. It’s a slow process of tapping into awareness and how our dietary choices affect our health. It is a powerful tool for improving digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Ease into it as it can feel overwhelming at first. Start small, be gentle, and tap into your greater awareness of how you’re feeling.
There is a beautiful passage in the Sanskrit literature describing all types of foods and their actions.
Among the digestive aids referred to there are:
• Water, which imparts a liquid quality and helps in digestion and absorption of food.
• Salt helps in digestion and retain water.
• Alkalies aids in digestion and regulate gastric fire (HCL).
• Ghee stimulates agni and improves digestion.
• Milk invigorates.
• Meat gives energy. Also in this literature are descriptions on influence of foods on the tri-dosha:
• Sour and pungent foods increase pitta. Kapha is aggravated by milk products.
• Vata is over-stimulated by beans, dry fruits, astringent and bitter substances. The daily diet should contain:
• 40 – 50% well-cooked basmati rice, barley, corn or wheat depending upon one’s constitution.
• 15 – 30% well cooked legumes.
• 2 – 5% vegetable soups.
• 1/2 teaspoon pickles
In order to stimulate appetite one can chew and eat 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger with a pinch of rock salt before each meal.
INTRODUCTION:
Do you suffer from indigestion, bloating, gas, or fatigue? If so, part of the problem could be incompatible food combinations. The shelves of many health food stores are filled with digestive aids, enzymes, or pills for indigestion and gas. Often people are used to eat variety of foods that normally do not digest well together. These incompatible food combinations can result in indigestion, gas, nausea, fatigue, bloating, and elimination issues. Ayurveda looks deeper than the symptoms of imbalance and searches for the root of why these issues might be happening. Ayurveda believes that it is likely that many of the gastrointestinal issues arise from poor food combinations, a lack of Agni (digestive fire), and high Ama (undigested food and emotions).
According to Ayurveda, there are some food combinations that disturb the normal functioning of the stomach and upset the balance of the doshas (body and mind constitutions). Proper food combining can drastically improve digestion, support the body with deeper levels of nourishment, and impact overall health.
An example is eating a banana and milk. This might sound harmless enough, but it can have lasting effects. Dairy products and fruits together can diminish Agni (gastric fire) and change the intestinal flora in the gut, resulting in toxins (Ama). If done long term, it can cause sinus congestion, cough, cold, hives, allergies, and rashes.
Some of the effects of incompatible food combinations can be alleviated by using spices and herbs when cooking. A strong Agni can be the most powerful way to deal with incompatible food combinations. It is best to start slow with these changes and allow for plenty of time to make any adaptations to your diet.
Here are a few ideas of foods not to combine by category:
1. Dairy and Egg Products
Milk is incompatible with melons, fish, sour fruits, bananas, kitchari (mung dahl and basmati rice), and breads with yeast. Yogurt can be beneficial for your intestinal flora, but can also have bad effects when used with other foods. Yogurt does not mix well with sour fruits, melons, bananas, berries, and mangoes. Hot drinks (like tea and coffee), starches, cheese, and fish also do not goes well with yogurt. Eggs don’t combine well with milk, cheese, yogurt, fruit, potatoes.
2. Fruits, Vegetables, and Nightshades
Fruits are best to be eaten on their own due to their somewhat acidic nature. They tend to be fairly easy to digest and do so quickly. If this happens, the fruit gets inhibited by more complex foods and can tend to move through the digestive tract too slowly. This can cause fermentation, bloating, and gas.
Fruits can be eaten with other fruits with similar qualities. Vegetables don’t mix well with lots of fruit or milk. Corn is incompatible with dates, raisins, and bananas.
Nightshades (potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes) are incompatible with yogurt, cheese, fruit (especially melons), and milk. The combination of nightshades and cheese can be too taxing on the digestive fire. In Ayurveda, all nightshades are hard to digest and can disturb the doshas.
4. Grains and Starches
Starches are incompatible with bananas, eggs, milk, or dates. Grains don’t combine well with fruit. Grains and Starches are compatible with vegetables, beans, meat, fish, seeds, and cheese.
5. Beans
Beans does not go well with fruit, milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, meat, and fish. In order to beak them down, they both need a strong Agni (digestive fire). They also have different post-digestive effects on the body. Beans, depending on the type, usually taste astringent and sweet, can be either heating or cooling, and tend to have a pungent post-digestive effect. Cheese is mostly a sour taste.This can change or impact urine, feces, and sweat. Beans and cheese, when they are eaten together, they slow down the digestive fire. Their combined heaviness makes digestion a difficult process, which can often result in poor digestion and the accumulation of Ama.
Food combining is not about black and white rules. It’s a slow process of tapping into awareness and how our dietary choices affect our health. It is a powerful tool for improving digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Ease into it as it can feel overwhelming at first. Start small, be gentle, and tap into your greater awareness of how you’re feeling.
There is a beautiful passage in the Sanskrit literature describing all types of foods and their actions.
Among the digestive aids referred to there are:
• Water, which imparts a liquid quality and helps in digestion and absorption of food.
• Salt helps in digestion and retain water.
• Alkalies aids in digestion and regulate gastric fire (HCL).
• Ghee stimulates agni and improves digestion.
• Milk invigorates.
• Meat gives energy. Also in this literature are descriptions on influence of foods on the tri-dosha:
• Sour and pungent foods increase pitta. Kapha is aggravated by milk products.
• Vata is over-stimulated by beans, dry fruits, astringent and bitter substances. The daily diet should contain:
• 40 – 50% well-cooked basmati rice, barley, corn or wheat depending upon one’s constitution.
• 15 – 30% well cooked legumes.
• 2 – 5% vegetable soups.
• 1/2 teaspoon pickles
In order to stimulate appetite one can chew and eat 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger with a pinch of rock salt before each meal.
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