Food Combining
(Viruddha Ahara)
The Ayurvedic concept of food combining or incompatible foods, known as Viruddha Ahara in Sanskrit, is all about optimizing digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food in the body. The idea is that some foods digest well when paired together, while others don’t. Conscious food combining can drastically improve digestion, help the body receive deeper nourishment, and positively affect our overall health and well-being.
Some of these suggestions may seem absurd! I mean, roasted chicken and potatoes, yogurt with fruit and granola, or even a fruit salad are now off-menu? Well, yes. For the most part. You’ll notice you’ll feel lighter and less bloated if you replace the potatoes with roasted asparagus and have that with your chicken instead. You will also find that eating only one type of fruit at a time digests better than if you combine five different kinds. But does that mean you should avoid such treats for the rest of your life? Not necessarily. In fact, if you’ve been culturally used to eating certain things together, your body has probably already adapted to it, therefore, it doesn’t seem to react much. Excluding certain combinations that compromise the strength of our Agni (digestive fire), and cause inflammation in the gut is always recommended for optimal health. Some reactions can be so subtle you barely feel them, but that doesn’t mean they are not there.
In Ayurveda, it is recommended to avoid bad food combinations most of the time. If you do decide to enjoy your yogurt with some fruit on top, make it an occasional thing, have it in small amounts, and chew properly. Adding spices such as cardamom and ginger will also help aid digestion. Someone with a particularly strong Agni is able to digest everything and anything, but should still consider applying these principles in their cooking and eating. The following list of incompatible foods is a general guide to keep in mind. Do your best to follow these guidelines, listen to your body, and take note of which combinations make you feel uneasy, and which ones don’t seem to affect you all that much. It will get easier with time and practice.
fruit
Out of all food groups, fruit is the fastest to digest, therefore, it should be eaten alone, or be left alone. Fruit moves quickly through the digestive system, and adding other types of food to it delays the evacuation process. This causes it to ferment in the colon, and consequently, making you bloated and gassy.
There are further recommendations within this category. For example:
– Avoid mixing fruit with milk
– Eat no more than two types of fruit at a time
– Fruit ferments in the gut, the way it stinks up an entire trash can when it rots, so eat it on its own
– Eat uncooked fruit in the middle of the day, when your digestive fire is strongest. Otherwise, cook it
– Fruit is cooling for the digestive system, therefore should be avoided for breakfast or dinner when the digestion is weak
– Avoid eating raw fruit during winter, it will cool off your body and weaken your digestive system. Cook it and spice it up! Check out this Stewed Spiced Apples recipe
– Not all fruits are equal. Two fruits can be as different as rice and wheat in their nutritional value and qualities. Choose wisely
– Pomegranates can be eaten by anyone at any time, even when sick!
– Melon and watermelon shouldn’t be mixed with other fruit
– Avoid eating fruit for breakfast if you have seasonal allergies
– Fruit should be eaten before a meal, as an appetizer, not for dessert
– Dried fruit is ok to mix with other foods. Sweet dried fruits like raisins, dried figs, and dates can be added to granola, porridge, and or warm milk.
– Mango is the only fruit that is ok to mix with dairy.
– Sour and sweet-tasting fruit shouldn’t be consumed together in one sitting
– Bananas should never be consumed with buttermilk or yogurt. This combination is heavy, mucus-forming, and can cause allergies.
Examples of sweet fruits: bananas, dates, figs, grapes, mangoes, etc.
Examples of sour fruits: all citrus, pineapple, apples, kiwi, passion fruit, berries, etc.
vegetables
Vegetables are divided into two categories, starchy and non-starchy, and each type acts differently when combined with other foods.
Non-starchy vegetables combine well with everything. Starchy vegetables should be consumed with other vegetables only, not with proteins (think meat and broccoli, not meat and potatoes).
Examples of starchy vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, etc.
Examples of non-starchy vegetables: leafy greens, cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, cucumber, etc.
proteins
Proteins, especially meat, take the longest to digest. Pure proteins, such as those coming from animal sources, are considered the heaviest and slowest to get evacuated through the digestive tract. Generally, proteins combine best with non-starchy vegetables and fats. They also pair well with acidic fruits such as lemons and limes (the high vitamin C content in them, helps break down fatty acids and makes iron more absorbable).
Avoid combining proteins with starches like starchy vegetables, beans, and grains. Combining different kinds of proteins in one meal is also not recommended (so no beans with cheese, eggs with meat, beans with meat, or dairy products and meat).
grains and legumes
Starchy grains and beans should only be combined with vegetables and fats. Avoid combining them with dairy products, or with other proteins.
dairy
Milk products should only be consumed with vegetables or on their own. Combining milk with sour foods or with fruit causes the milk to curdle and should be avoided. Similarly, avoid mixing milk or cream with salt or fish, this combination is known to cause skin disorders. Always boil your milk and add spices like cardamom, cumin, or cinnamon to make it easier to digest.
fats
Fats combine well with proteins and vegetables. In fact, consuming a small amount of fat with your food is essential for the proper absorption of nutrients in the body. Avoid eating fats and carbohydrates in similar quantities in the same meal. This 1:1 ratio is responsible for causing diabetes and weight gain.
honey
Never consume equal amounts of honey and ghee or butter (by weight, that’s about 1 tsp of honey, with 3 tsp ghee). This ratio will result in the production of Ama (toxic matter) and will cause weight gain in the long run.
Honey should never be boiled or cooked. The beneficial enzymes and nutrients in raw honey are lost during the cooking process, leaving only the sugars to circulate in the bloodstream. When cooked, the structure of honey becomes similar to that of glue, turning it sticky, mucus forming, and toxic.