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.