The Ayurvedic approach to eating is that each food has a unique blend of tastes, energetics, and post-digestive properties. These properties have specific impacts on the entire body, in particular the digestive system. When we combine foods that have big differences in their energetic properties, our digestion is negatively impacted.
In Ayurveda, our digestive fire is called agni, and that fire can turn into a raging inferno or alternatively be essentially put out when we overwhelm our digestive system by improperly combining foods. And when our digestion isn’t running at optimal levels, we end up getting gassy, bloated, and maybe have acid reflux or indigestion. Ama, or toxins, is also created when food isn’t properly digested, causing inflammation, lower immune functions, and poor gut health.
Food combining can sometimes be a bit overwhelming and tricky, but don’t worry! You can use this graphic to help guide you through some of the bigger principles.
When you’re first starting out, begin slowly and then add more food combining suggestions to your routine. Also, notice how you feel when you eat foods that might not be great to combine, and then eat them separately another time to see if you notice a difference in how your body responds to the foods.
Many of us have a tendency to go to extremes, especially when it comes to what we eat. You might find that you go on a big “health kick” for a while, eating only a certain kind of food and eliminating other kinds completely.
The Ayurvedic approach is different and encourages us to go the middle path. What happens on the occasion isn’t usually what causes an imbalance. It’s what we do on the regular. When it comes to food combining principles, even just reducing how often you combine certain foods will make a positive impact on your body.