Have you ever thought about the idea that some foods digest well together while others do not? Food combining is an essential part of understanding how to eat properly in Ayurveda. We actually often say that careful food combining can dramatically improve the quality of digestion. 

According to Ayurveda, every food (proteins, carbohydrates and fats) has its own attributes, taste and post-digestive effect. When different types of foods of different taste and post-digestive effect are combined together, our digestion can become overloaded inhibiting the enzyme system and resulting in production of toxins in the system. Disturb digestion = create toxins in the body.

Combining foods improperly can produce indigestion, fermentation, putrefaction and gas formation. This condition, if prolonged, can lead to toxemia and disease complex. For example, eating bananas with milk can diminish agni, change the intestinal flora producing toxins and may cause sinus congestion, cold, cough and allergies.

Best practices for food combining: 

• Keep your proteins separate

• Dairy is a protein that is best eaten alone of with some grains

• The less combos there are in a meal, the simpler it will be to digest

• Fruit is best to eat alone, or in small amount with other foods if cooked!

Some basic food combos to avoid: 

• Avoid taking dairy… with citrus fruits, bananas, cherries, melons (rethink yogurt parfaits!) + bread + fish + meat. Dairy is best enjoyed alone to the exception of dates. 

• Fruit… with anything else

• Cheese… with eggs, fish, meat

• Eggs… with fruit, milk, beans, fish, yogurt, milk, cheese

• Beans… with dairy

• Melon… with anything else!

• Honey... should never be cooked. Honey digests slowly when cooked and the molecules become a non-homogenized glue which adheres to mucous membranes and clogs subtle channels, producing toxins. Uncooked honey is nectar. Cooked honey is poison.

• Nightshades (tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes, eggplants, bell peppers)… with dairy, melon, cucumber