Food or foodstuffs that should not be combined together

This is an age-old belief in many people and families. As per Ayurveda, this combination is nor good for health. Fish is an animal. Milk is also an animal product but it is considered as vegetarian only. Milk will make your body cool. Whereas fish will heat your body. When you eat these two at a time or one after the other immediately, there will be an imbalance in your system and that may cause health problems.

Both these items are having proteins but they are different proteins and they require different conditions to get digested. This will cause an imbalance in the body and will have a very bad effect on the body. This will spoil your digestive system and your immune system may get weekend.

If you go by science, different people will have different opinions. Some people will have lactose intolerance. So if they drink milk they will have problems and if fish is also not cooked well then the combination will be a problem. Many dermatologists say there will be a problem with this combination. But some doctors say it will not have any problem.

I feel the combination may not give serious problems. But it may weaken your immune system. So it is better to avoid. Better not to eat rather than eating with a doubt.

Some more combinations which are better to be avoided.

1.Eggs and Bacon, 2. Burger and Fries, 3. Pizza and Soda
4.Olive oil and Nuts, 5. Tomatoes in Pasta, 6. Curd and fruits,
7. Meat and Potatoes, 8. Lemons and Cough Syrup, 9. Bananas and Milk,

If you ask me scientific reasons for all this I may not be able to tell you. But this what I heard from people. When there is a doubt, it is better to avoid.

Such food combinations will have some negative effects on the system and if you go for continuous eating of these combinations, your immune system will get spoiled.

You should keep a minimum of 2 hours gap for taking such foods one after another.

In olden days many things have not been informed in writing but told hereditically. That too because of adhered the elders words by younger sincerely and with respect. Nowadays the measure is not of age and experience but by money only. Son or daughter earning doubly or thrice than father so they just ignore elders and even others words. The expect every thing with proof. Elders advises were logical and meaningful. If one hear it is good for them only but ignore them by seeking proof the loss is to them only but not to the seniors.
1.Not to drink water immediately after munching snacks like nuts etc.
2.Avoid using gooseberry on nights and on sundays
3.Avoid using curd in nights
4.Not to sleep late mornings and in the late evenings.

of course there is some scientific reasons behind his saying. Many foods having different digestion time, can not together as it will affect adversly to our body. Also foods with acidic nature should not combine with non-acidic nature foods as it will wrongly affect our digestive system. the point is if we eat good combination food it will reduce the workload of our digestive system. If it not, then it will cause issues such as the digestive system will take more time. This will lead to bloating and some bacterial infections etc.
Some bad combinations of foods giving below.

1) Chicken and Yoghurt, especially in the night
2)cereals with milk
3)Milk and Banana
4)Beans and cheese
5)should not mix guava with banana
6)Orange and carrot

There are certain combinations of food items which don't go well with the digestive - system and regular usage of such items may even affect our immunity causing coughs, cold and allergy. A few deadly combinations are noted below -
1) Yoghurt with fruits - Yoghurt contains a lot of Bacterias which would react with the sugar present in the fruit causing formation of toxins, cold and allergy.
The situation can be tackled by taking plane - curd with the additions of few Raisins.
2) Banana and Milk - shake - This combination is dangerous causing heavy strain on the digestion - system. To counteract the same, a pinch of Nutmeg - powder or Cinamom powder is to be added to stimulate the digestive system.
3) Cheese and Meats - Both the stuffs contain high amount of Protien having different sources and this combination could tax the digestive- system heavily. The remedy lies in taking a little bit Cinamom powder followed by warm water just half an hour after the meal.
4) Fruits with Meal - This seems to a bad combination since the Fruits pass quickly through the digestive system but intake of the meal may impede in the absorption rate of the meal due to presence of excess glucose and fructose of the fruits.
5) Two High Protien Food Stuffs - Bacons and Eggs, Fish and Eggs - all such combinations are to be avoided because of heavy taxation of digestive system causing gas and flatulence because of high content of Protien.
6) Carbs with Animal Protien- when one eats carbohydrates along with Protien ( such as Meat with Potatoes) there could be severe strain in the digestion process causing gas and bloating and hence it is better to avoid this combination.
7) Foods and water/ Juice - Drinking Water or Juice with the meal is one of the worst habits since this may dilute the stomach acid leading to improper breakdown Protiens, Carbohydrates and Fats. It is better to take water ten minutes before the meal so as to have less intake of food- stuff in the main menu.
8) Consumption of Curd in night- According to Ayurveda, Curd is cold in nature and if taken prior to noon. there could be full assimilation of the same in the digestion system since our digestion remains in peak upto noon but in night, the Curd may not digest fully due to slow process of digestion causing Allergetic- reaction and formation of cough and cold.

It is right that some foodstuff should not be eaten together otherwise they cause harm to the body. Some foodstuff which should not be eaten together are:
1. Honey and pure ghee should not be taken in same quantities since it becomes poisonous.
2. Brinjal and milk
3. Urad pulse and milk
4. Fish and milk

If you follow Ayurvedic system then you have to follow those guidelines.
These guidelines are based on the basic concepts of that system. The have been framed even before allopathy or othermodern medicines have been started. Ayurvedic system has its most medicines coming either fomour kitchen shelves(ingredients used for our food and drinks) or those plants and herbs in our frontyard or backyard -growing b themselves or cultivated by us. Ayurvedic systemplaces much and main value on our food intake.

We can understand the reasons from logic and experience also.
In chemistry we know an acid and alkali when mixed neutraliseach otherand produce another substances. In our stomach also we thrut many types of foods like alkali(kshara) and acid(amla). When two such opposite characteristic food come to contact, they react and produce some other thing which may be toxins to body.
A very simple example is milk curdling. If we adda few drops of lemon in milk, it curdles. The same thing can happen nside our stomach also if we take a sour food(acidic) with milk etc. Such foods are called Viruddhaahaar(opposite foods).
Ayurveda also has a basic concept of Tridosha.that is body's health ies in the balance situation of the Tridoshas -Vaata, Pitha and Kapha. Any imbalance will lead to some kind of illnessas per the degree of imbalance.

Each food also has its characteristic a Vaata causing, Pitha calming, Kapha balancing etc. When two opposite characteristic foods aretaken at the same time they work in opposite ways and create imbalanceinthe body Tridosha causingillnesses.
Similarly our stomach and digestion is cosidered as an engine burning fuel andproducingHeat or Agni. It is rightly so if we can think logically about pruction of energy and use.
So when an engine is working and is hot if we pour water, there will be thermal strain and damages can happen. The burning proces will get dampened. That is why itis suggested no to take water while taking food or immediately afterfood. Here wateritself will be a virudhaahar.

One by om even modern medicine and science also has started accepting the age old traditional lessons. If we follow it will be only for our good.

Food combinations and do's and dont's in this regard are age old conventions and correspond to the Ayurvedic principles. In Ayurveda, many combinations are restricted while many are allowed. These things spread all over the world from Ayurveda only and seeing their utility and effectiveness people adopted them in their food habits. Now the answer to the query point wise is as follows -

1. These are simply age old theories and observations by the people and have been established in that fashion only.

2. These are not verified scientifically but some of the things were seen working even by the researchers and were found correct but so far all these old theories are not scientifically seconded. The effect of the food combinations varies from individual to individual as people having a robust health are generally not affected by the wrong combinations. In Ayurveda it is prohibited to take cold water or ice but advises for warm water is to be taken but there are millions who always take cold water and ice also and do not get any adverse effect as their body is already tuned to it. So these old theories are not very strict in these senses but people have experienced their good effects also and we can not ignore them and outrightly can not reject these things. I have personally seen that taking warm water in the morning before any intake of tea etc is beneficial and it works for so many people so whether it is scientifically proved or not it has a merit in it.

3. There are many combinations which are prohibited. For example fruits should be taken before the meals. Scientifically also it makes sense as fruits are raw and take time in digesting while cooked food gets digested early. So to match their timings it is advisable to take fruits well before the cooked food. Unfortunately in parties and functions we do just reverse by taking fruits and custard later.

4. Harm by these wrong combination will be different from individual to individual but those who are affected by such intakes should change their eating patterns accordingly. Scientifically nothing is established regarding long term uses of wrong combinations.

5. It is always good to give a gap in meals and food intake for wrong combinations and a time of 1-2 hours is sufficient to avoid the said adverse mixing. Even the modern medical system and nutrition specialist advise different types of foods to be taken many times in the day at short intervals.

The last thing I want to add here is there is a lot of subjectivity in these age old beliefs as they are not confirmed by the present scientific knowledges and people will doubt their effectiveness. So what is required is one should experiment these things and find out what is best for ones body. Every person has a different allergy spectrum for foods. As rightly said one man's meat is another man's poison. In Ayurveda, many such things are mentioned and people all over the world have benefited by those things but again one such remedy will not work for all. At the same time rejecting them outrightly will not be a prudent thing.

There are some questions always arise in everyone's minds that whether we should combine fruits with vegetable, fruits with meal etc. Do they really hurt our digestive system? Food combination is not modern science rather ancient science.
1. According to Ayurveda, when different foods are eaten together, due to different characteristics of each food, toxins may form in the body that can harm us in long run. But the food having similar properties do not cause any harm and digested easily.
Even there are some combinations which should be avoided according to Ayurveda but dietician recommend them like eating fruits with protein and/or fat to help balance the rise in blood sugar especially for diabetic patients.
Further, most of the food combinations are based on the pH level for easier digestion. But our body is more adapted to handle pH level own its own.
Ayurveda's food combination rules are not based on biochemistry.

2. There is no scientific evidence or report available that shows a food combination in diet is beneficial or harmful. However there is a detailed concept about Viruddh ahaar (restricted food) in Charak Sahinta and Sushrut Sahinta. Ayurveda clearly defines that certain diet and its combinations can interrupts the metabolism of tissue, and inhibits the process of formation of tissue. The food taken in wrong combination, consumed in incorrect time of day and in wrong season comes under Viruddha Ahara.
Hay Diet, a concept of food combining, was given by New York-based physician William Howard Hay in 1920. He classified foods as acid, alkaline, or neutral. He gave idea of proper combination of foods to improved health. According to this rule, carbs should not be eaten at the same meal as fruits or protein, but should be eaten with neutral foods like fats.

3.A basic rule for food combining is there:
a. Foods that can be eaten together:
Starches + non-starchy vegetables
Protein + non-starchy vegetables
b. Foods that shouldn't be eaten together:
Starches and protein
Protein and other proteins

Some of the food combinations should be avoided:
i). Melons like watermelons, muskmelons, cantaloupe and honeydews should not be mixed with other fruits. They should be consumed alone and will not be digested if taken with other fruits.
ii). Do not mix acidic or sub-acidic fruits with sweet fruit. For example, grapefruits and strawberries (acidic), or apples, pomegranates and peaches (sub-acidic) fruits should not be taken with sweet fruits, such as bananas and raisins. It can affect digestion.
iii). Fruits and vegetables digest differently and should not be consumed together. Fruits have a quicker pace of digestion and also have more sugar content while vegetables take time to digest. That's why orange should not be taken with carrot, they may cause digestive problems like heartburn and acid reflux.
iv). Starchy food should not be mixed with high protein diet.
Common incompatibility/antagonistic food :
i. Potency incompatibility : fish + milk should not be taken together.
ii. Processing incompatibility: Honey should not be heated. Hot water after taking honey should be avoided.
iii. Dose incompatibility: honey + cow's ghee mixed in equal proportion.
iv. Time incompatibility: hot and spicy substance in summer and cold substances in winter should not be taken.
v. Order incompatibility food: consuming curd at night should be avoided.
vi. Combination incompatibility: fruit salad or milk + banana combination should be avoided.
vii. Contraindication incompatibility: consuming cold water immediately after having hot tea or coffee should be avoided

4. According to Ayurveda , food combination of certain type of food may have -
i) Opposite activities on the tissues
ii) Unwanted effect on the body when processed in a particular form
iii) Undesirable effects, when combined in certain proportion
iv) Unwanted effect if consumed at wrong time.

5. Wrong combination should be avoided. But if you have eaten then gap of at least half an hour between the two should be maintained.