In Ayurveda, the types of food (Aahar) and how it is consumed is of great importance in determining an individual's overall health. So I thought of grabbing an attention of all you gastronomes to this important topic which often gets ignored.

‘Viruddha Aahar’ is a unique concept which is described in Ayurveda enormously, it means mixing of two incompatible food items together. Here I have tried to illustrate few of them in a nutshell.

This type of diet instead of complimenting each other, hampers each other’s absorption and create havoc inside our systems. These foods are found everywhere in restaurants, on cooking shows and even cookbooks are rife with these unhealthy combos.

How can a food be incompatible and cause a problem?

Ayurveda classifies food on the basis of three traits - Taste (Rasa), Potency (Virya) & Post digestion (Vipak). When foods with different rasas, viryas and vipakas are consumed in combination with each other for a prolonged period of time, the digestive fire or Agni tends to weaken, more toxins (Ama) are produced and body channels suffer blockage. Immediate reactions are allergies, bloating, fatigue, constipation, nausea and stomach ache while greater health problems may surface in the long run.

Below are some examples-

-According to Ayurveda, milk and melons (or any fruit for that matter) are not to be consumed together because milk is a laxative and melon a diuretic, it’s incompatible.

-Garlic and Milk, both of them has anticoagulant properties which can lead to bleeding. People on Aspirin should avoid this type of combination.

-Milk and yogurt in excess, as milk can precipitate and can cause stomach irritation which may induce vomiting.

-Adding Milk in the Tea, as Tea has rich flavonoids which are reduced by Caseins (A protein in the milk) when we add milk in the tea.

-Salads are good for dieting, but excessive intake of wet, green, leafy veggies (like spinach) or salads can cause indigestion.

-Food articles with warm potency mixed with food articles with cold potency.

-Milk with Sour fruit or Salt with Milk  (e.g. Fruit custards)

-Meat and milk/ Cheese and fruits.

-Fish with yogurt or Milk.

Note: Consuming some of the above incompatible combinations may not cause major health concerns in certain individuals. They include young men and women, people with strong digestive ability and those who exercise regularly.

Eating the right type of food with healthy lifestyle can keep you fit for the longer run.

Tips on how to improve your digestion-

-Proper chewing of food plays a vital role in improving digestion.

-One can have ginger tea or consume half teaspoon of freshly grated ginger after meals for better digestion.

-Using herbs and spices such as asafetida, coriander, cumin, cardamom and black pepper in food can enhance its digestibility. Most importantly, eat in a relaxed state of mind.

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