By Natasha Longo | Prevent Disease
Sometimes we pair up foods such that even the healthy ones turn against us. We are told to have a lot of fruits and drink a lots of water. But what we are not told is that pairing them up with certain foods can can disrupt our digestive balance. For foods that are already in the list of our adversaries become worse when we hook them up with their buddies.
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“One should have a balanced diet and it is important to have a combination of all the essential nutrients required by our body,” says Dr Manish Tiwari (DM, Gastroenterology). But pairing them right is equally important. Here we bring the most common food combinations that may be doing more harm than good to your body.
1) Cold Drinks With Cheesy Foods
Sounds tempting but definitely not healthy! Foods loaded with cheese are not good for your health. But still, if you are a cheese lover then avoid soft drinks along with it. These carbonated beverages store surplus sugar, fats and calories in the body, which doesn’t get easily digested and results in increased problem of obesity.
2) Two Acid Forming Foods
Over acidity is a dangerous condition that weakens all body systems, and it's very common. It gives rise to an internal environment conducive to disease, as opposed to a pH-balanced environment which allows normal body function necessary for the body to resist disease. Check out our Acid-Alkaline Food Chart to create food pairings that are neutral and not overly acidic. Coupling an acid forming food with a base forming food is the best way to neutralize acid.
3) Yogurt with Fruit
Ayurveda and food combining theory, don’t advise mixing any sour fruits with dairy as it can diminish digestive fire, change the intestinal flora, produce toxins and cause sinus congestion, cold, cough and allergies. Ayurveda suggests avoiding congestive and digestive fire dampening foods like cold yogurt mixed with fruits. However, if you can’t resist the temptation of a yogurt parfait, there are ways to make it more digestion friendly. First of all, go for a room temperature natural unflavored yogurt. Secondly, mix a little bit of honey, cinnamon, and raisins instead of sour berries.
4) Fruits After A Meal
The ideal way to consume fruits is one hour before the meal as they work as an appetiser. If fruits are consumed immediately after a meal, all the nutrients don't get absorbed properly. Try to give at least a gap of thirty minutes between meal and a fruit snack. According to Dr Manish Tiwari, “A person should definitely have one seasonal fruit each day and if you feel hungry at night then instead of junk or unhealthy food, eat fruits.”
5) Water With Meals
Dr Manish Tiwari recommends avoiding water in between or immediately after a meal as it causes discomfort and may interfere with your digestion. Keep a gap of at least 30 minutes between your meal and water intake. This will help in proper absorption of required nutrients by the body.
6) Tea After Meal
Tea contains tannins, which hampers absorption of nutrients from the meal. Immediately after a meal, tannic acid that caffeinated beverages contain can bind food iron and protein and prevent absorption of these important nutrients.
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7) Banana and Milk
This combination is considered as one of the heaviest for the stomach. Banana turns sour in the stomach and causes milk to curdle, resulting in heaviness. This is the reason people with bad digestive systems should avoid this combination. Another reason is that dairy products are heavy and adding fruits like banana to them will make you feel bloated.
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