Food Antidotes in Ayurveda

In Ayurveda, digesting your food is of most importance but also enjoying food full of flavour. Ayurveda does not want you to have a restrictive diet but to understand yourself well enough to know what foods and lifestyle are right for you and your body. In the vast wisdom of Ayurveda, the sages also understood that we live in a real world and that we also need practical advice to use every day. So, here are some food antidotes that help when we eat certain foods that have adverse effects.
Cheese: Cheese causes congestions. Increases Pitta and Kapha
Antidote: Black Pepper
Eggs: Increase Pitta when cooked and increase Kapha when raw.
Antidote: Turmeric and Onions
Ice Cream: Causes mucus and congestion.
Antidote: Cloves and Cardamom
Yogurt: Causes congestion and mucus.
Antidote: Cumin and Ginger
Fish increases Pitta.
Antidote: Coconut, lime, lemon
Meat: Is heavy to digest
Antidote: Cloves, black pepper, red chilli powder, cinnamon
Alcohol: Has many adverse effects.
Antidote: chewing cumin or cardamom seeds afterwards.
Tea: Antidote -Ginger
Coffee: Antidote- Nutmeg
Sweets increase congestion.
Antidote: Dry ginger powder
Rice and Wheat: Difficult to digest for some
Antidote: Cloves and gingers
Lentils: May cause gases in excess
Antidote: Garlic, cloves, black pepper, ginger, rock salt and chilli powder.
Cabbage: Increase gases
Antidote: Oil, turmeric, mustard seeds
Salad produces gases
Antidote: Lemon juice, black pepper, cumin seeds or powder.
Onions: Can increase Pitta
Antidote: Salt, lemon, mustard seeds
Potatoes: Increase Vata and gases.
Antidote: Ghee, cumin, pepper
Tomatoes: Increase Pitta.
Antidote: Cumin and mustard
Bananas: Increase Kapha
Antidote: Cardamom
Mangoes: Increase Pitta
Antidote: Cardamom and Ghee
Melon: Causes water retention.
Antidote: Coconut and coriander
Nuts and peanuts: Cause gases, burning of stomach.
Antidotes: soak them overnight in water or cook with sesame oil, ginger, roasted cumin powder pepper.