One of the few things that most people on the planet have in common is that we all love to eat. So, if you're reading this, chances are that you like food.
Luckily, we live in a time when our food choices are limited mostly by our imaginations.
Of course, the best meals are a combination of different flavors and textures, often ones that you wouldn't normally think should go together.
I didn't believe my mom the first time she told me that pork chops and apple sauce were a match made in heaven. Needless to say, I was wrong.
That being said, not all food combinations are created equal. In fact, many of our favorite combos are actually wreaking havoc on our digestive systems.
According to the Ayurvedic Institute, unbalanced meals that combine the wrong ingredients are behind the formation of toxins inside our bodies that cause gas, indigestion, and even disease.
Before you pick your next meal, make sure you know the facts about food combinations.
Thumbnail Photos: Flickr / Laurel F // Wikimedia Commons / Tomlinson
1. Tomato And Cucumber
As someone who grew up on tomato and cucumber salad, I was surprised to learn that this combination was a no no.
Isn't a salad healthy? The answer is yes, but the tomato/cucumber pairing work against each other in our stomachs.
Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C ,according to the USDA — in fact, they actually have more of it than an orange.
However, cucumber contains an enzyme that interferes with the absorption of vitamin C, making your digestive tract a little angry, and canceling out some of the benefits.
2. Tea And Milk
Pouring some milk in your tea is a tale as old as time. However, that doesn't mean it's a good idea.
BBC explains that tea can be good for your blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health. However, proteins in milk called caseins block the effect in your body when they are digested together.
3. Melon And Everything
Watermelon is everyone's favorite summer treat. These days, you may even see people doing things like grilling slices, or tossing it with feta in a salad.
While this might taste amazing, your stomach will not be as happy as your taste buds.
The Ayurvedic Institute explains that dairy takes a lot longer to digest than melons. So when your stomach starts to take care of the melon, the milk will begin to curdle in your stomach.
In fact, melon digests faster than most other foods, so eating it as part of more complex meal can throw your body off.
4. Meat And Eggs
I love a good ham-and-cheese omelet as much as the next person.
However, combining these two ingredients makes for a very high-protein meal. Chances are, it's as much (if not more) than your daily suggested amount.
Instead, stick to a veggie omelet so you can enjoy some meat or protein later in the day.
5. Yogurt And Fruit
Combining dairy with other foods is tricky because our stomachs digest milk products at a different pace than most other foods.
The acids in fruits in particular will interfere with the digestion of the dairy.
A yogurt parfait may taste good, but you should actually enjoy these foods separately.
6. Banana And Milk
A banana smoothie is a delicious and healthy-sounding treat. But many nutrition experts think otherwise.
The Ayurvedic Institute puts the combination of bananas and milk as one of the least compatible. This is because they have opposite heating and cooling digestive patterns.
One expert tells NDTV that the combination disrupts the intestinal flora, blocks body channels, and can trigger allergies as well as mucus production.
7. Bread And Cheese
A grilled cheese sandwich is the first thing most of us learned to cook on our own.
It may be easy and delicious, but also bad for your stomach because proteins and starches are digested differently by your body.
When eaten in combination, your stomach will have to choose which one to digest, and often the starches will be left behind.
Natural hygiene expert Dr. Herbert Shelton tells Mind Body Green that undigested starchy food will undergo fermentation and can lead to food poisoning in extreme cases.
8. Lasagna
Lasagna is one of the greatest comfort foods of all time, but have you ever noticed how extremely full you feel afterward?
This food combination isn't recommended for many of the same reasons as the grilled cheese. The addition of tomato sauce makes it even more problematic.
Your body will have to go into overdrive to digest the carbohydrates, dairy, protein, and acids, which takes up a lot of energy.
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