The Ayurvedic Approach To Food Combining

In Ayurveda, how we combine foods together is of great importance to our digestion. We hold a focus on having wholesome fresh foods, put together in a way that is simple and easy for our body to digest.

There are certain foods that do not pair well together and can disrupt the digestive process. Poor food combinations can lead to many common digestive complaints such as fermentation, indigestion, bloating and gas.

It may surprise you to find that many popular meals promoted in modern health and nutrition, aren’t always considered the best food combinations. Some of these combinations might even be staples in your diet (I know they were for me) and can be hard to let go of at first.  

Some common poor food combinations:

~ Fruit with muesli and yoghurt

~ Smoothies or smoothie bowls

~ A milky drink with a piece of fruit or muesli bar

~ Raw salads with fruit, vegetables and legumes

~ Cheese platters with fruit, meat, and nuts & seeds

~ Meat, fish or egg dishes with legumes or dairy

Whilst having poor food combinations occasionally may not seem like a big deal, the effects can accumulate over time and lead to an excess of ‘ama’ or toxins in the body. As well as weaken our ‘Ojas’ which is our body’s natural sense of immunity, resilience, and vitality.

Start to tune in to your own body and notice how you feel when you combine certain foods together. Once you start implementing some of these changes, you may find your digestive system rebalancing and you naturally gravitate away from these habits.

Food Combinations To Consider:

Fruit 

Compatible: best enjoyed alone or at least 2 hours away from other food as a light snack. Eat melons alone without other fruit.  

Incompatible: milk, grains, legumes, yoghurt, cheese, eggs, nuts & seeds. The only exception is dates or small amount of cooked fruit with grains.

Milk  

Compatible: milk is best enjoyed alone or with grains, dates, almonds. 

Incompatible: fruit (except dates), legumes, meat, salt, sour fruits such as lemons & limes.

Grains  

Compatible: legumes, vegetables, cooked fruit, dates.  

Incompatible: milk, eggs, raw fruit, bananas, citrus.  

Legumes  

Compatible: grains, vegetables,   

Incompatible: milk, eggs, cheese, yoghurt.  

 Nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers)

 Compatible: other vegetables, grains, legumes

 Incompatible: milk, cheese, yoghurt, citrus.

A Special Note on Fruit:

Fruit digests very quickly in the body and when it is combined with other foods, its digestibility is inhibited and slowed down. When combined with other foods, fruit gets stuck in the digestive tract and starts to ferment – causing ‘ajeerna’ or undigested food waste that gets stuck in the body.

 Generally, it is best to have fruit alone as a separate meal, on an empty stomach. I usually enjoy fruit for breakfast or as a light snack in between meals. When having fruit, it is best to only have 2-3 fruits together at one time (keep things simple) and if having melons, have them alone as they digest even faster than other fruit.

 When having fruit as a breakfast meal, I like to enjoy a fresh fruit bowl in the warmer months of the year with 2-3 summer fruits and in the colder months of the year, I love cooked fruit such as stewed apples with warming spices.

 One exception to this is dates which are considered an Ayurvedic superfood and have a unique quality called ‘prahbava’ and can be combined with almost any other foods. You can have dates with milk, grains and other fruits.

 Some practitioners do say that if you cook fruit down you are able to combine it with other foods – particularly grains. For example, a simple grain porridge (cooked with water/ plant milk) and combined with a small amount of cooked fruit like apples or pears (cooked separately).

Seasonal Eating Guide: Summer

We’ve reached the peak of summer here in the southern hemisphere and I can already feel nature in full bloom. The sun is beaming down each day, temperatures are rising and there is a greater sense of vibrancy and radiance.

Ayurveda views the season as a time dominated by pitta dosha which holds a warm, light, and active quality. In the simmering heat, it’s natural for us gravitate towards foods that are cooling & hydrating to balance our body.

During this time of year, many of us start reaching for lots of raw & cold foods like big salads, smoothies, ice cream & icy cold drinks to cool down. Whilst these can be lovely from time to time, if we consume these things in excess, they can also start to weaken our agni & send vata dosha out of balance.

In Ayurveda we understand that all foods hold a type of ‘virya’ or energy. Everything we consume can either have a cooling or heating effect on the body. Foods that are considered cooling are things like leafy greens, zucchini, coconut milk, basmati rice, avocado, ghee, and cooling spices like coriander & fennel.

When we then cook and transform these foods into nourishing, warm meals our body can still receive that cooling effect that it craves whilst keeping our digestive fire balanced. This is also how we can keep vata dosha calm and bolster ourselves from post summer depletion.

To shift into the season, we can adopt changes in our ahar (diet) to balance pitta dosha. The foundation of Ayurvedic practice is ‘like increases like and opposites balance’ so to balance pitta dosha we must invite the opposite qualities of cooling, hydrating, and calming into our diet.

Supportive Ahar for Summer

Tastes - favour tastes in your food this time of year that are sweet, bitter, and astringent such as fresh fruit, leafy greens and mung beans. Avoid foods that are overly salty, pungent, and sour such as excess salt, hot spices, and fermented foods.

Qualities of food – we want to embrace foods that have a cooling, hydrating and calming effect on the body such as cooling spices, water-based fruits & vegetables and whole grains. We also want to avoid foods that are overly heating and drying to the body such as chilli, caffeine, and fermented foods.

Vegetables that have a light quality, such leafy greens kale and lettuce, asparagus, green beans, beetroot, celery, cucumber, broccoli, fennel, zucchini, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and cabbage. Avoid vegetables that are heating and ‘rajasic’ such as tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, and onion.

Fruits such as mango, pineapple, watermelon, berries, apricots, cherries, figs, kiwi, limes, coconuts, and sweet oranges. Avoid sour fruits such as lemon and grapefruit.

Grains that have a cooling and calming effect such as white basmati rice, oats, barley, spelt, sweet brown rice and soba.

Spices that have a cooling quality such as coriander, cardamom, dill, fennel, parsley, fresh basil, fresh ginger (not powdered), saffron and curry leaves. To keep your agni balanced a small amount of heating spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, and black pepper. Avoid overly heating spices such as chilli, asafoetida, dry ginger, fenugreek, and mustard seeds.

Legumes such as split or whole mung, split peas, adzuki beans, chickpeas, black beans and small amounts of tofu.

Nuts and seeds are generally best avoided as they more heating however, soaked, and peeled almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds can be supportive.

Oils including ghee, coconut oil for cooking and olive, flaxseed or sunflower oil for dressing are supportive.

Dairy can be supportive for pitta dosha as it holds a cooling and calming quality. During this time of year, you can enjoy ghee, fresh panner or cottage cheese, warmed cow’s milk with cooling spices and small amounts of yoghurt. You may also like to have a ‘takra’ with your lunch time meal, which is a wonderful digestive drink made of yoghurt and water. Avoid aged cheese and commercial yoghurt as it has a heating quality. If you do not consume dairy, option for fresh coconut or oat milk in the summer.

Sweeteners including maple syrup, agave nectar, dates, and fruit juices. Avoid honey, molasses, and chocolate.

We can start to introduce these types of foods into our meals by simply trying new seasonal vegetables, switching up our spice mix and changing our grain or legume choices. For example adding more fennel seeds and coriander to our dahl, adding coconut to our morning porridge and choosing more water based fruits & vegetables such as leafy greens, zucchini and watermelon.

Remember, the foundational principle of Ayurveda is balance and whilst this may be the most supportive ahar for the season, we don’t want to treat these as rules. When our agni is strong and we have no symptoms of imbalance, we can enjoy everything in moderation. Let this guide act as inspiration and try out a new spice, vegetable, or recipe you haven’t made before!

How To Make Chapati

In Ayurveda we are always aiming to cook food as fresh as possible and this beloved chapati recipe is a simple way to enjoy freshly cooked bread every day. Chapati is a classic Indian style flat bread cooked with whole flour over a hot skillet or open flame. It is a staple in the Ayurvedic diet as an augmenting side to any vegetable dish such as a dahl or soup. It’s also a wonderful, light alternative to traditional breads that can be considered heavy and harder to digest.

Whilst it can take a little time to hit your stride with making fresh chapati, once you understand the process, you’ll find it surprisingly quick and easy. You may even find yourself saying goodbye to your well loved toaster like i did!

Ingridients:

1 cup of flour

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of ghee or olive oil

1/2 cup of water

Method:

In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Create a small well in the middle of the bowl and add a tablespoon of oil and half of the water into mixture. Begin mixing the the flour and liquid together until well combined, continuing to slowly add water as you go. You want to work the mixture until it forms into a thick dough. You want the dough to be firm but, not dry. If it is too sticky, then add a little extra water. Once you are happy with the result, leave in the bowl and cover with a damp towel for 15-20 minutes.

When ready to cook, warm a pan over medium heat whilst you prepare the chapati. Ready a dry, clean surface with a dusting of flour. Seperate dough into four pieces and roll into balls. Using the heel of your hand, flatten out the ball into a flat circle and then start to roll out, using a rolling bin to create a small, round and thin chapati. Repeat this with all four balls, adding extra dusting flour as needed.

Add a small amount of ghee or olive oil to the warm pan until it melts and covers the surface of the pan. Place the first chapati on the pan and allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes. You’ll see little pockets of air bubble up and the edges will begin to crisp and curl up. Then flip over and cook on the other side. Keep your eye on these as they can cook very quickly! Ideally you want your chapati to be a little golden but, not too dry. After cooking each chapati, add a little extra ghee over each one and keep on a hot plate or cover with a tea towel, to keep warm before serving.

This recipe can act as a guide and you can play around with all different variations. I love using spelt, whole wheat or buckwheat flour. You can also add a little spice or some fresh herbs to create an interesting flavour. Chapati can also be enjoyed as a sweet dish by using sweet spices, dates or a little tahini.

Get creative and enjoy!

Recipe: Green Mung Dosas

We’ve reached the early days of Spring here in the southern hemisphere and I can already feel the season starting to shift. All of nature slowly begins to come out of hibernation and release the cold, heavy and stagnant qualities of winter. We naturally start to gravitate towards more light, fresh and vibrant foods to create balance.

These Green Mung Dosas are a wonderful spring dish and were inspired by the incredible Jody Vassallo in her book The Yogic Kitchen. This simple, easy recipe is a take on the classic South Indian Dosa, except far quicker without the fermentation time. Enjoy for a delicious and easy spring lunch!

Ingredients:

1 cup split mung dahl

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida (hing)

A pinch of salt

Handful of fresh leafy greens or herbs (I like spinach, kale or coriander)

2 tablespoons of brown rice flour (or any flour you have)

Ghee or coconut oil (for cooking)

Method:

Soak your mung dahl overnight or at least for a few hours to support digestion and quicken cooking time. Once ready to prepare, strain and rinse well. Place the mung in a blender with the fresh ginger, greens and add about 1-2 cups of water or enough to form a thick paste.

Once blended transfer to a bowl and stir in the flour, salt and spices to make a thin pouring batter. Heat a teaspoon of ghee on a dosa tawa or fry pan and using a ladle, add about 1/4 cup of batter to the pan. Quickly, use the back of the ladle or a big spoon to swirl around the batter to make a pancake like shape. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the dosa is easy to flip over. Turn and cook on the other side until the dosa is dry and crispy. Repeat with remaining batter to make about 4-6 dosas.

Serve as a main meal with roasted seasonal vegetables, chutney and fresh herbs as pictured here. You can also have these as a complimentary side dish to a larger meal. Get creative and enjoy!

Seasonal Eating Guide: Spring

Ayurveda is a holistic system of health & healing based in nature’s wisdom. It works to bring each individual – body, mind, and spirit back into a state of true, vibrant health in alignment with nature. 

One of the most simple and beautiful ways we can align ourselves with nature’s rhythms is by honouring the change of season. We’ve reached spring here in the southern hemisphere and Ayurveda views the season as a time dominated by kapha dosha which holds an earthy, heavy, and slow quality.

As all of nature comes out of hibernation, it’s normal to feel a little sluggish as we shake off the stagnancy of winter. You may be experiencing symptoms of kapha accumulated during winter including slow digestion, excess congestion or mucus, low immunity, heaviness in the body or generally feeling a little low and unmotivated.

To shift into the season, we can adopt changes in our ahar (diet) to balance kapha dosha. The foundation of Ayurvedic practice is ‘like increases like and opposites balance’ so to balance kapha dosha we must invite the opposite qualities of warmth, energy, and stimulation into our diet. We want to be moving away from the grounding, comforting foods of winter and towards a more fresh and vibrant diet in Spring.

Supportive Ahar for Spring

Tastes - favour tastes in your food a this time of year are bitter, astringent, and pungent such as leafy greens, sprouts and ginger. Avoid foods that are overly sweet, salty and sour in such as high sugar fruits, excess salt or citrus.

Qualities of food – we want to embrace foods that are warm, light, and energising for the body. We can also consider foods that have a more extractive or cleansing quality on the body to release excess water and heaviness accumulated over winter.

Vegetables that have a light quality, such leafy greens kale, spinach, rocket and lettuce, beetroot, fennel, broccoli, green beans, asparagus, onion (cooked, in moderation), garlic (cooked, in moderation) celery, carrot, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, zucchini, radishes, fresh ginger and sprouts. Avoid vegetables that are overly heavy and sweet such as potatoes, pumpkin, and mushrooms.

Fruits such as apples, pears, oranges, lemon, lime, peaches, berries, pomegranate, and raisins. Avoid fruits that are overly heavy and sweet such as dates, bananas, and mangoes. Citrus can be had in small amounts but, excess sour taste will aggravate kapha.

Grains that have a warm and drying quality such as buckwheat, barley, millet, quinoa, spelt, rye, amaranth brown, and white basmati rice. Avoid having heavy grains such as oats, wheat, and rice in moderation. Generally bread is best avoided ~ try some homemade chapati bread instead!

Spices that have a warming quality or are supportive for digestion such as ginger (fresh and dried), cinnamon, clove, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, mustard seeds, saffron, black pepper, asafoetida, ajwain, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Generally, most spices are supportive when balancing kapha dosha.

Legumes such as split or whole mung, red lentils, chickpeas, adzuki beans, black beans, or cannelloni beans. It can also be wonderful to sprout your legumes at this time of year.

Nuts and seeds are generally best avoided as they are heavy and oily however, light seeds can be had in moderation such as sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, or flax seeds. Ground flaxseed can also be supportive for elimination if digestion is feeling sluggish.

Oils including ghee, olive oil for cooking and flaxseed or sunflower oil for dressing are supportive for kapha dosha in moderation. Be mindful about not using excess oil as you want to maintain a dry, light quality to your food.

Dairy is best avoided or had in moderation at this time of year as it is heavy and can cause excess mucus and congestion. If having cow’s milk always make sure to have it warmed and with a little spice, you can also consider watering the milk down 50/50 with fresh water. Generally, cheese and yoghurt are best avoided however, a small amount of white cheese or takra (digestive lassi) can be had in moderation.

Sweeteners are best had in moderation however, a small amount of honey can be supportive. Avoid having sugary foods such as dried fruit, chocolate, or cakes etc.

We can start to incorporate these types of foods into our meals by simply trying new seasonal vegetables, switching up our spice mix and changing our grain or legume choices. For example adding a little more ginger or ajwain to our dahl, switching our morning oat porridge to millet or buckwheat and favouring zucchini and leafy greens over pumpkin and sweet potato.

Remember, the foundational principle of Ayurveda is balance and whilst this may be the most supportive ahar for the season, we don’t want to treat these as rules. When our agni is strong and we have no symptoms of imbalance, we can enjoy everything in moderation. Let this guide act as inspiration and try out a new spice, vegetable or recipe you haven’t made before!

Spring Recipe: