Viruddha Ahara - Incompatible food
The literal meaning of word Viruddha is opposite. The food combination of certain type of food may have opposite properties and opposite effect on the tissues, exert unwanted effect on the body when processed in a particular form, and may have unwanted effect if consumed at wrong time.
There are some food combinations, which are not compatible as per Ayurveda. Below are the some of the common ones:
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Fruits with milk;
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Eggs with milk;
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Fish with milk;
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Yogurt with milk;
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Lemon with yogurt, milk, cucumber;
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Nightshades (potato, tomato, eggplants) with yogurt, milk.
Food and temperature
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Cold food with hot food;
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Heating honey.
Food and seasons are also important. The following are also considered Viruddha ahara.
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Pungent food in summer;
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Cold food in winter.
Food and emotions: The emotional state of the person cooking and serving the meal affects your meal as well.
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Eating food which you hate;
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Eating at a restaurant you hate, or prepared by a person who is upset;
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Eating food when you are upset.
There are many instances when we take Viruddha Ahara without knowing their effects. If the digestive capacity of the individual is at its very best, the food may be digested well. But for those who have weaker digestive capacity:
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The food may take very long to digest, and create a fullness of stomach and reduced or no appetite for the next meal;
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Most of it may be eliminated in semi digested form;
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Some of the undigested food may also be absorbed into the system creating toxins in the body;
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If incompatible food is taken for a long term, it may lead to ailments.
Best practice is to take fruits and milk separately. Sitting in a calm place and eating mindfully gives you a compass of whether the food is right for you, most often you would have a natural repulsion for incompatible food, so do not eat if you don’t like it.
Also, before your meal thank everybody who helped to put food onto your plate – the farmer, the traders, the person who cooked the food and everybody involved in getting the food onto your plate – Annadata Sukhino Bhavantu.
Mohan Govindappa, Ayurvedic Life Coach, is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner at Satvik Ayurveda in Lake Mary, and can be reached at (267) 357-1221, email [email protected], or visit www.SatvikAyurveda.com
NUTRITION
Arthritis and diet
Arthritis is a broad term, which covers a group of more than 100 diseases. Rheumatic diseases are the most prevalent causes of disability among adults over age 65. Common arthritis joint symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion.
There are three most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
Osteoarthritis: It is the most common types of arthritis affecting nearly 27 million Americans over the age of 45. OA may also be caused by obesity, sports- or work-related injuries/accidents involving weight bearing joints or congenital defects.
Rheumatoid arthritis: Targets the lining of joints, resulting in pain, swelling, stiffness and deformity, though it’s effect are systemic. Of the 1.3 million adults affected with RA about 75 percent are women. The disease most often occurs between ages of 40-60. RA is associated with lower health quality of life. It first appears in small joints and then progresses to larger joints may cause permanent damages bones and joints.
Gout: Affects approximately six million Americans age 20 and over. It primarily affects men between 40 and 50 years of age. Gout is caused by abnormal levels of uric acid, and deposition of monosodium urate crystals in the synovial fluid. It is genetic in nature and often exacerbated by obesity.
Nutritional intervention for RA
Diets with large quantities of fruits and cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts) have been shown to have a beneficial effect on preventing the development of rheumatoid arthritis.
Garlic, onions and leeks contain daily disulfide, an anti-inflammatory compound that limits the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Garlic, therefore, can help fight the pain, inflammation and cartilage damage of arthritis.
Vitamin C rich foods: These are red bell pepper, guava, kiwi, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, berries, etc. Broccoli, which contains sulforaphane, delays the progression of OA. It is a calcium-rich bone builder. The Framingham Heart Study found that increased Vitamin C intake was associated with threefold reduction in the progression of osteoarthritis of the knee.
Patients with low levels of beta carotene (vitamin A) are much more likely to develop osteoarthritis. Patients should get 9000 IU of beta carotene from food sources. One carrot contains 20,000 IU of beta carotene.
Fluids: Increase intake of water. Water helps in reducing inflammation around affected areas, helps in weight loss, increases metabolism, etc.
Fat: Healthful monounsaturated fats may benefit RA patients, particularly olive oil because of its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Fish oils provide double benefit against cardiovascular disease and RA.
Small reduction in weight can have an effect on the severity of arthritis symptoms. Fish oil supplement with a diet low in arachidonic acid (omega 6 fatty acid: poultry, fish, egg, beef, corn, canola, vegetable, safflower oil) reduces inflammation in some patients with arthritis. Research has shown that a low fat vegan diet with a total fat intake of 10 percent of energy significantly reduced RA symptoms.
Plant-based protein: Beans and lentils add plenty of fiber, which reduces inflammation, to our plate.
Recipe of the month
Broccoli, Bell pepper Frittata
- 1 small head broccoli
- ½ cup chopped yellow and ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 tbsp basil leaves or holy basil (tulsi) leaves
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed powder
- 1 cup stock (liquid only) of canned or boiled chickpeas, whisk it for few minutes with 2 tbsp chickpea flour.
- Hot green chilies, garlic and ginger
- Salt to taste.
Makes 4-5 frittatas.
Grind the first two ingredients and chop the herbs, chilies, ginger and garlic. Add the rest of ingredients to the chopped mixture. Heat pure olive oil in pan and add cumin. Spread ½ cup mixture on the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side. Serve it with coriander mint chutney!
To our health!
Bhavi Nirav is a Registered Dietitian/M.S., R.D., L.D., certified yoga practitioner, and can be reached at [email protected]