Myths and Facts About Incompatible food combinations in Ayurveda

What are incompatible food Combinations?

According to Ayurveda, certain foods should not be eaten together because their combinations can aggravate your doshas and cause digestive issues. 

Some of the common food combinations considered incompatible are:

• Dairy and fruit: Ayurveda advises against mixing dairy and fruit, especially citrus fruit. The reason is that fruit digests quickly, while dairy digests slowly. When eaten together, they can ferment in your gut and lead to indigestion, cramps, and bloating.
• Honey and ghee in equal quantity: While both honey and ghee (clarified butter) have their benefits when consumed separately or in unequal quantity, Ayurveda considers them incompatible when eaten together. The sticky and heavy qualities of honey and ghee are thought to overload the digestive fire and create toxins.
• Fish and milk: Fish and milk are thought to have opposite qualities – fish is heating while milk is cooling. Consuming them together can diminish each other’s effects and may lead to skin conditions. It’s best to avoid mixing fish and milk in the same meal.
• Eggs and milk: Eggs and milk are considered incompatible in Ayurveda for the same reason as fish and milk. While eggs heat the body, milk cools it. Their opposing actions may weaken digestion and contribute to allergies or sinus congestion in some people.
• Curd and sour or bitter food: Curd should ideally be eaten with moong dal or honey. Mixing yogurt with sour, bitter, or spicy foods like citrus, tomatoes, or chili peppers can curdle the yogurt and make it difficult to digest. It’s best to avoid this combo.

Following these food-combining guidelines can help improve your digestion, health, and well-being.

Understanding incompatible foods is integral to the Ayurvedic approach to nutrition and balance.

Why does Ayurveda say some food combinations are bad?

According to Ayurveda, some food combinations are incompatible and can disrupt digestion or balance your doshas (energy).

Incompatible foods taken regularly can induce inflammation at a molecular level, disturbing the eicosanoid pathway and creating more arachidonic acid leading to increased prostaglandin-2 and thromboxane.

 This inflammatory effect is the primary pathology that causes a low digestive fire, accumulation of metabolic toxins, and several other metabolic disorders.

Common incompatible foods, according to Ayurveda

According to Ayurveda, certain food combinations can be incompatible and lead to digestive problems or reduced nutritional absorption. 

Here are some of the most common incompatible foods to be aware of:

Dairy and fruit

Consuming dairy and fruit together is considered incompatible as the combination may lead to increased mucus production, congestion, and fermentation in the gut. 

For the best digestion, enjoy fruit as a snack between meals or at least 1 hour before or after consuming dairy.

Eggs and milk

Eggs and milk are considered incompatible in Ayurveda, and combining them is thought to lead to skin conditions or gastrointestinal issues in some people. 

If you do choose to eat them together, do so in moderation and watch for any symptoms of discomfort. 

As an alternative, you might substitute plant-based milk when eating eggs.

Honey and ghee in equal quantity

Although honey and ghee (clarified butter) are prized foods in Ayurveda, combining them in equal proportions is thought to form toxins in the body and lead to overweight or other health issues over time. 

Consuming them separately is best, with ghee used for cooking and honey added as a sweetener to warm water, tea, or yogurt.

Nightshades and legumes

The nightshade family of plants, including tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, are incompatible with legumes like beans, lentils, and peas. Eating them together may lead to inflammation, joint pain, or digestive issues in sensitive individuals. 

Enjoy them in separate meals or, if combined, in moderation while observing your feelings.

Tea or coffee with Namkeen

Combining milk with salty foods may lead to digestive issues, skin diseases, etc. Enjoy them in separate meals or, if combined, in moderation while observing your feelings.

Being mindful of these common incompatible food combinations in Ayurveda and making appropriate substitutions or separating them in your diet may help improve your digestion, nutrition, and overall health. However, everyone is different, so get to know which combinations do or do not work for your unique body.

What are the diseases caused by bad food combinations?

According to Ayurveda, consuming incompatible foods together can lead to health issues over time. 

Many diseases may occur due to the administration of incompatible foods, such as impotence, skin diseases, blindness, ascites, bullous, insanity, fistula in ano, coma, intoxication, abdominal distension, stiffness in the neck, anemia, indigestion, intestinal disorders, swelling, gastritis, fever, rhinitis, and infertility.

Some of the common diseases said to arise from bad food combinations include:

Indigestion and gas

Eating foods with contrasting energies, like fruit and dairy or beans and cheese, can be hard to digest, leading to gas, bloating, and indigestion. Your stomach has a hard time producing the correct enzymes to break down foods that require very different pH levels and digestion times.

Ama (toxins) buildup

When foods are not digested properly, ama (toxins) can accumulate in the body. Over time, ama buildup is thought to lead to weight gain, joint pain, skin problems, and other health concerns. Following food combining principles helps ensure complete digestion and avoidance of ama.

Constipation and IBS

Combining cold foods like dairy, fruit, and raw veggies with warm, spicy foods can dampen your digestive fire and slow digestion. 

This can lead to constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and other issues. Consuming cold and warm foods separately is best, giving your body time to adjust to different temperatures.

• Dairy and fruit can lead to congestion, cold, and cough.
• Fish and milk: This may cause skin problems.
• Honey and ghee: This can increase body heat and cause pimples.

Skin Diseases

You may constantly try different medicines to cure your skin diseases. But every time, you end up in vain.

The reason for your skin disease might be the incompatible food combination you incorporate daily. Eating dairy products and fruits, incredibly sour fruits, tea with salty snacks, curd and dairy products, etc, maybe the reason.

Infertility

You may wonder how incompatible food combinations may lead to infertility, right? 

Incompatible foods or Viruddha Ahara also act at the gene level, which reveals that it is a cause for many congenital factors leading to infertility, like the absence of a uterus, etc.

While Ayurveda recommends following proper food combinations for optimal health and digestion, For some, following loose guidelines may relieve specific symptoms. Still, as with many holistic practices, there is no one-size-fits-all rule. The key is listening to your own body and making balanced choices.

Tips for proper food combinations

Combine foods with compatible qualities.

When eating according to Ayurvedic principles, combine foods that have similar qualities. 

This helps each ingredient digest properly and prevents discomfort. Some tips:

• Always eat curd along with moong dal
• Fruits should be consumed individually
• Match your proteins. Eat animal proteins with other animal foods and plant proteins with plant foods.
• Combine cooked and raw foods carefully. Raw foods disrupt digestion, so eat them separately or in moderation. 

Allow proper spacing between meals.

Give your body adequate time to digest before eating another meal. Waiting 3 to 6 hours between meals is ideal for most people. Snacking frequently inhibits digestion and creates excess kapha.

Stay hydrated and drink warm or room-temperature beverages.

Drink 6 to 8 glasses of warm or room temperature water daily to aid digestion. Cold beverages shock the system and slow digestion. Herbal tea, especially ginger, fennel, or peppermint, also helps stimulate digestion. Avoid drinking large volumes of liquids with meals, as this dilutes digestive juices.

Get some rest

Adequate rest allows your body’s energy to focus on digestion and absorption of nutrients. Lack of rest builds toxins and slows the digestive fire. Try to schedule sleep around 10 pm and wake up with the sunrise for the most balanced rest.

Conclusion

Incompatible foods taken regularly can harm you a lot. The tips above will help you properly combine foods and support your digestion. Making one change at a time and finding what works for your unique constitution will serve you well.