Ayurveda, ancient holistic science, offers a logical approach for determining correct diet based upon the elements comprising an individual’s constitution ; Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Ayurveda believes that understanding the individual is the key to finding a truly balanced diet. proper digestion is closely connected to t he strength of agni (gastric fire). the nutritionist should give consideration to the four types of agni which making suggestions concerning diet.
Ayurveda described every food has its own taste(rasa), a heating or cooling energy (virya) and post digestive effect ( Vipaka). When two or more food having different taste, energy and post digestive effect are combined, agni can become overloaded, resulting in pro stimulate agni be digested more quickly and even help to burn ama.
Poor combining can produce indigestion, fermentation, putrefaction and gas formation and , if prolonged, can lead to toxemia and disease. For example, eating banana with milk can diminish agni, change the intestinal flora, produce toxins and cause cold, cough, and allergies.
There are various factors that can help lessen the possible effects of a bad food combination.
- Ayurvedic herbs adding to cooking help make food compatible or to ease a powerful effects. Eg cooking cilantro in very spicy food
- Each different food combining equal quantity by ghee and honey , like ghee is cooling and honey is heating when mixing in 2:1 ratio is not toxic.
Some of examples of incompatible foods
| Don’t Eat | With Food |
| Beans | Fruit, cheese, Eggs, Fish, Milk, Meat, Yogurt |
| Fruits | Fruit, Especially Melon, Beans, Cheese, Fish, Kitchari, Milk, Meat, Yogurt |
| Fruit | As a rule, with any other food |
| Grains | Fruit, Tapioca |
| Honey | With equal amount of ghee is poisonous |
| Hot drinks | mangos, cheese, fish, meat, starch, yogurt |
| Lemon | Cucumber, millk, Tomatoes, Yogurt |
| Milk | Bananas, Cherries, Melons, Sour Fruits, Bread with yeast, Fish, Meat, Yogurt |
| Nightshades ( Potatos, tomato, Eggplant) | Melon, Cucumber, Dairy Products |
| Radishes | Bananas, Raisins, Milk |
| Tapioca | Fruit, Especially banana and mango, beans raisins, jaggery |
| Yogurt | Fruit, Cheese, Eggs, Hot drinks, Milk, Nightshades |
I started food combining a few years ago after suffering for year with chronic digestion issues. Now I can eat lots of fruit, provided I don’t eat other foods with them, and my stomach is fine.
Thanks for your article, and the useful chart.