Dangerous Food Combinations To Avoid

1. Carbs And Animal Protein

When you eat a carbohydrate with protein (such as meat with potatoes or bread) they counteract- protein putrefies and carbohydrate ferments. This leads to gas, bloating and flatulence (1). Those who have eaten this combination for years may have developed immunity, but it is better to eat complementary combinations like beans and rice which is a good combination.

2. Two High Proteins

Surf and turf, bacon and eggs- these are all popular combinations containing two high protein sources. This taxes the digestive system and takes a long time to digest. To avoid this, eat your meals in courses- keeping light proteins first and meat later and never wait more than 10 minutes between each course.

3. Food And Water/Juice

Drinking water or juice with your meal is one of the most toxic food combinations. Water dilutes your stomach acids and reduces their effectiveness in breaking down proteins, carbohydrates and fats. So drink water 10 minutes before the meal as it will make you feel fuller for longer (2). This’ll keep you from overeating or diluting stomach enzymes.

4. Fruit With Meal

Who doesn’t love some peppy mango salsa with fish or strawberries in their salads. But this is a bad combination as fruit- which otherwise passes quickly through the digestive system- is detained in the system and the sugar in it starts to ferment.

5. Yogurt With Fruit

Yogurt contains plenty of bacteria which will act on the sugar present in fruits. This results in toxins, cold, allergies. You can avoid this problem by using unflavored yogurt at room temperature and mix in honey, cinnamon or raisins instead of fresh fruit.

6. Cereal With Milk And Orange Juice

Milk contains casein, and orange juice contains acid. Together, they curdle the dairy and also destroy the enzyme present in the starchy cereal. To avoid this, have fruit juice at least an hour before or after the cereals.

7. Banana And Milk

There are very few people on earth who don’t like banana milkshake. But this also makes for a dangerous food combination, as it sits heavy in your stomach (3). Try to avoid this combination; if you cannot resist a milkshake, add a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon to stimulate your digestive system.

8. Beans And Cheese

This is a very common combination in Mexican cuisine. Cheese, beans, hot sauce and guacamole- this is a surefire recipe of bloating, gas and other digestion related problems. However, unlike the common notion, beans by themselves do not give you gas. So try to separate the cheese from beans if you have a weak digestive system.

9. Tomatoes And Pasta

No pasta is complete without tomatoes, cheese sauce or meat. However, all of these wreak havoc on your digestive system. Tomato has acids which weaken the enzyme in starchy pasta, curdles the dairy in cheese. Meat and carbs are also another bad combination that makes this fare very difficult to digest. So try to stick to pesto sauce to avoid after meal fatigue.

10. Cheese And Meat

Cheesy meatballs, meat in fondue, cheese and meat omelet- these all are very high in protein content. Naturally, it is very difficult to digest. So instead, stick to chopped vegetables in fondue, avoid cheese in meatballs and cut down the meat in omelet. [ Read: Is It Safe To Freeze Food In Plastic Containers ]

11. Sugar, Fat, And Salt

Any two of these three food combinations can be harmful. Sugar and fat are both foods with a high calorie content. Sugar has no nutritional value, and fat contains saturated fat that may elevate cholesterol levels. This combination, if taken in excess, can increase the risk of diabetes and obesity. Salt and fat can be harmful too. This is because salt causes water retention in the body and may elevate blood pressure, while fat may elevate cholesterol levels. You can instead try healthier forms of fat, like olive oil. Sugar and salt is another combination that many people enjoy. But it leads to weight gain. Examples of such foods include certain candy bars. What you can instead do is make your own granola bars. Can I eat banana and apple together? Check out the infographic below to learn more about such food pairings that one should avoid consuming to prevent any adverse reactions. I can’t eat banana and apple together. The intake of sub-acidic fruits like apples with bananas may hamper the digestion process and cause nausea and headaches. Is it OK to eat fruits and vegetables together? Fruits and vegetables may digest differently and should never be mixed. Fruits can digest quickly and hinder the digestion process of veggies due to their high sugar content. Can we eat an orange after milk? We can’t eat oranges after milk. The fruit acid in the orange may combine with the milk protein and possibly affect the absorption of nutrients.

Sources

10 Foods High In Sugar (To Avoid)