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.
-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.
Kindly visit my website www.sampurnaahar.com