Food Incompatibilities
In addition to the foods you should avoid based on your particular energy field makeup are the following incompatible combinations. You should always avoid eating these foods together because they can provoke the physiology in general and can produce imbalance.
The following table lists some of the incompatible food combinations to avoid. A more detailed description of these is available in Food Heal.
| Beans | Fruit, cheese, eggs, fish, milk, meat, yogurt |
| Eggs | Fruit (especially melons), beans, cheese, fish, kichari, MILK, meat, yogurt |
| Fruit | As a rule, with any other food. *There are exceptions, such as certain cooked combinations, as well as dates and milk which have the same rasa, virya, and vipaka. |
| Grains | Fruit, tapioca |
| Honey ** | With equal GHEE by weight (e.g. 1 tsp honey with 3 tsp ghee); boiled or cooked honey |
| Hot Drinks | Mangos, cheese, fish, meat, starch, yogurt |
| Lemon | Cucumbers, milk, tomatoes, yogurt |
| Melons | EVERYTHING — especially dairy, eggs, fried food, grains, starches. Melons more than most fruit should be eaten alone or left alone. |
| Milk | BANANAS, cherries, melons, sour fruits, bread containing yeast, fish kitchari |
| Nightshades, e.g., potato, tomato | Melon, cucumber, dairy products |
| Radishes | Bananas, raisins, milk |
| Tapioca | Fruit, especially banana, mango, beans, raisins, jaggary |
| Yogurt | Fruit, cheese, eggs, fish, hot drinks, meat, MILK, nightshades |
Foods in CAPITALS are the most difficult combinations.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. It must be remembered that a proper Ayurvedic approach should also consider nutritional value, constitution, seasons, age, and any disease condition. More information is available in Foods Heal.
** According to ancient Ayurvedic literature, honey should never be cooked. If cooked, the molecules become a non-homogenized glue that adheres to mucous membranes and clogs subtle channels, producing toxins. Uncooked honey is nectar. Cooked honey is considered poison.
Amended extracts reprinted with permission from:
Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing (Usha and Dr. Vasant Lad, 1997)
For more information on this book, Ayurvedic programs, products and services contact:
The Ayurvedic Institute, P.O. Box 23445, Albuquerque, NM 87192-1445, (505) 291-9698; www.ayurveda.com