Ayurveda, an ancient holistic science of healing, offers a logical approach for determining correct diet based upon the element comprising an individual's constitution: vata, pitta, kapha.
This approach is quite different from the contemporary view of a balanced diet, based on eating from various food groups. Ayurveda believes that understanding the individual is the key to finding a truly balance diet.
It teaches that the gastric fire or agni in the stomach and digestive tract is the main gate through which nutrients enter the tissues and then pass along to individual cells, to maintain the life function.
According to Ayurveda, every food has its own taste (ras), a heating or cooling energy (viry) and a post-digestive effect (vipak). Some also possess prabhav an unexplained effect. So while it is true that an individual's agni largely determines how well or poorly food is digested, food combinations are also of great importance.
When 2 or more foods having different taste, energy and post digestive effect are combined, agni can become overloaded, inhibiting the enzyme system and resulting in the production of toxins. Yet this same foods eating separately, might well stimulate agni, be digested more quickly and even help to burn ama.
Poor combining can produce indigestion, fermentation, putrefaction and gas formation and if prolonged, can lead to toxemia and disease. Here are some the incompatible combinations we can avoid from consuming within short interval of time.
Some substances are inherently harmful. There are some foods which are very beneficial for health if eaten alone, but when they are eaten with another food, they do more harm than good. This is called the opposite diet. Eating fish and milk, fruits and milk, pure honey and ghee together at the wrong time can have a negative effect on our body in many ways.
Here are some food items that are not to be consumed together
Beans - fruit, cheese, eggs, fish, milk, meat, yogurt
Eggs - fruit, especially melon, beans, cheese, fish, kitchari, milk, meat, yogurt
Fruit - As rule, with any other food. (there are exceptions such as certain cooked combinations dates and milk, which have the same rasa, virya and vipaka).
Grains - fruits, tapioca
Honey - with equal ghee by weight (e.g. 1 tsp honey with 3 tsp ghee) boiled or cooked honey. According to ancient ayurvedic literature should never be cooked. If cooked, the molecules become a non homogenized glue that adheres to mucous membranes and clogs subtle channels, producing toxins. Uncooked honey is nectar. Cooked honey is considered poison.
Hot drinks - Mango, cheese, fish, meat, starch, yogurt.
Melons - everything - especially dairy, eggs, fried food, grains, starches. Melon more than most fruit should be eaten alone or left alone.
Milk - Bananas, cherries, melon, sour fruits, bread containing yeast, fish, kitchari, meat, yogurt.
Nightshades (e.g. potato, tomato) - milk, melon, cucumber, dairy products.
Radishes - banana, raisins, milk
Tapioca - fruits, especially banana and mango beans, raisins, jaggery, fruit.
Eggs - fruit, especially melon, beans, cheese, fish, kitchari, milk, meat, yogurt.
Yogurt - fruit, cheese, eggs, fish, hot drinks, meat, milk, nightshades, fruits.
Note - food in capitals are more difficult combinations
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