Food combining.

I am always confused about what foods are good to combine, and which to avoid eating together. Can you give me some helpful guidelines, and some information about why I shouldn't mix certain foods?

According to Ayurveda, India's ancient science of life, the foundation for optimal health is good digestion. Foods have different qualities and require different digestive energies. This is why food combining is of the utmost importance in Ayurveda. When a food that digests easily and quickly (such as fruit) stays in the stomach while other, heavier foods (such as grains and carbohydrates) finish their "cooking" process, a mixed message is sent to the internal organs, disrupting the digestive fire (or agni) and creating toxins (or ama). Likewise, when you combine foods that have a sour quality, or fermented foods such as yogurt, with sweet foods such as milk or fruit, the sour quality can cause the milk to separate and ferment in the stomach, leading to toxic buildup in the GI tract and the deeper tissues over time.

These are just a couple of examples of the dietary guidelines Ayurveda offers to benefit everyone's health. Ayurveda recommends not only avoiding certain food combinations, but also making food choices according to your constitution (vata, pitta, or kapha).

Vishnu Dass, NTS, LMT, CAyu, 828-713-4266, www.bluelotusayurveda.com