Digestion is important for breaking down food into nutrients that the body uses to create energy and for cell growth and repair. Thus, the foods and drinks we consume are transformed into small molecules of nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and vitamins) that the blood absorbs and transports to the cells of the whole body. This process is all the more important because the body needs it to function properly and stay healthy. For optimal digestion, certain foods should never be mixed according to the precepts of Ayurveda, traditional medicine. This is the case of cucumbers and tomatoes. Explanations.
Have you ever felt completely bloated after eating? Although this happens to many of us, feeling digestive discomfort or fatigue after a meal is not normal. So, if you often suffer from these symptoms, knowing some of the rules of combining foods should definitely help you. In fact, the rules on combining foods will help you improve your digestion, promote your intestinal health and alleviate your existing digestive symptoms.
These rules provide a simple diet approach, based on how your body digests specific foods. Thus, a good combination of foods will help you better assimilate nutrients and may even be useful for people with certain digestive disorders.
Better eating to live better according to Ayurveda
For many, the concept of a combination of foods is relatively new or even foreign. Yet this principle is derived from Ayurveda, traditional medicine that developed in India thousands of years ago. This science, which is close to yoga, is based on harmony between the body and the mind and attaches the greatest importance to the understanding of “eating well”. Thus, according to Ayurvedic culture, a careful combination of foods can significantly improve the quality of digestion and have a de facto positive impact on our overall health.
According to this perspective, each food has a distinct combination of taste and energy. Therefore, mixing foods with radically different energies can overwhelm the agni– third of the five elements recognized in Ayurveda representing digestive fire – and can cause indigestion, gas, bloating and toxin accumulation.
Combining food: a balanced approach
It is generally best to adopt the idea of combining foods slowly and gently, giving you enough time to make the necessary adjustments. Some of the recommended adjustments are relatively simple, while others may require a major recalibration of your eating habits. Nevertheless, be aware that the simple fact of becoming aware of it is already an excellent starting point.
According to Nadya Andreeva, certified wellness coach specializing in digestive health, there are 10 combinations of foods considered particularly bad by Ayurvedic medicine, modern hygienists and physiologists. Indeed, these can cause several unpleasant diseases such as digestive disorders, gas, bloating, upset stomach, nausea, fatigue and constipation.
In his list of proscribed combinations of foods we can find:
- Fruits after the meal
- The complex protein/carbohydrate combination
- The combination of acids/carbohydrates or acids/carbohydrates/dairy products
- The combination of cereals/acids/dairy products
- The beans/cheese combination
- The banana/dairy combination
- The fruit/yogurt combination
- The tomato salad/cucumber salad with lemon vinaigrette
Let’s focus on this last combination. Nadya Andreeva explains that tomatoes should not be combined with cucumbers. In reality, this is because the tomato is a fruit and the cucumber a vegetable. However, although this mixture seems healthy in appearance, the simultaneous consumption of fruits and vegetables can have damaging consequences on your digestion. As confirmed by our colleagues in the Times of India, these two categories of foods do not require the same digestion time. Indeed, fruits and vegetables have different biochemical structures and therefore a degradation at different stages of digestion.
By following these rules, you will be able to facilitate your digestion so that your digestive tract does not have to make too much effort to absorb the nutrients that the body needs to obtain energy. In addition, according to our colleagues at Huffington Post, the benefits of a good dietary combination include weight loss, good digestion, acne reduction, and skin imperfections, better nutrient absorption and detoxification from the body.