All natural fruits and vegetables are wonderful for you, but did you know that some shouldn’t be mixed? Let’s talk about cucumbers and tomatoes, for example.
Cucumbers and tomatoes each offer amazing benefits. They’re jam-packed with water, antioxidants, essential nutrients, and vitamins. However, mixing them together in a salad isn’t the best idea! According to Ayurveda, we should be mindful of how long different foods take to digest when preparing a salad.
Combining vegetables that digest at different rates can be problematic. The faster-digesting ingredient will progress through your intestines while the slower one is still being digested. This could lead to food fermenting in your stomach, which might harm your body. Additionally, this mismatch can slow digestion of sugars and starches, causing discomfort and preventing you from fully enjoying your meal. The fermentation can also cause gas, bloating, and stomach pain.
There are several other food combinations besides tomatoes and cucumbers that you might want to avoid:
Fruits After a Meal
Fruits take a while to digest. Eating them right after a meal can increase the likelihood of acid reflux and other digestive problems.
Meat and Cheese
Combining too much protein in one meal isn’t advised. Stick to one type of protein per meal to avoid putting stress on your digestive system.
Macaroni and Cheese (Or Macaroni and Meat)
Even though it’s popular, this combo should be avoided. The starches in macaroni and protein digest at different rates, causing fermentation and digestive issues.
Veggies and Cheese
This combination can lead to bloating due to the mismatch in digestion times.
Bread or Noodles with Orange Juice
The acid in orange juice can interfere with the enzyme needed to digest starch, creating digestive problems.
Melon and Watermelon
These fruits are best eaten alone and not mixed with other fruits.
Bananas and Milk
This combination is also known to slow digestion.
Fruits and Yogurt
Though a popular breakfast choice, it can slow down digestion and negatively affect the intestinal flora.