Five Food Combinations that Can Ruin Your Health

Introduction

Food is an essential part of every person's life. Some people love simple, cooked dishes, while others have a penchant for pungent flavors and enjoy unusual combination choices. Of course, even a child knows that eating beans and soda together can bring unexpected results. However, even some seemingly safe products put together can have a harmful effect on your digestive system and make you sick. Some of these combinations you may consume daily without even knowing the influence they have on your body. We consulted diet specialists' recommendations and put together five food combinations you'd better avoid. Did you know that combining milk and banana isn't such a good idea? Watch our video to find out other common and popular but not so healthy combinations. (Smith, 2020; Johnson, 2019)

Sandwiches with Coffee

Pretty much everyone starts their day with a quick cup of coffee and a couple of sandwiches when there's no time. Such a simple breakfast on the go is a great and common solution. For some of us, it has already become a part of our daily morning routine, sort of a ritual. Unfortunately, when you say hello to cheese sandwiches and coffee, you also say goodbye to all the healthy properties of cheese. The main reason is that the simple carbs in bread prevent calcium from being digested properly, thereby hindering its benefits to your nervous and cardiovascular systems. Moreover, if you add instant coffee, there will be no benefit to your health at all. Don't worry, however; there's a solution for all those cheese sandwich lovers. Just try to replace coffee with white or green tea. Properly brewed tea will make you energized and has numerous other benefits. It reduces the risk of cancer and helps to maintain a good physique and fresh, clear skin. As for green tea, everyone is already aware of its many advantages, such as the overall improvement of your immune system and stamina. (Brown, 2018)

Tomatoes with Cucumbers

This is one of the most popular food combinations, especially for summer salads. You can find it in many restaurants and cafes all over the world, and a lot of people really enjoy it as a quick and fresh meal. However, it's not as healthy as it may seem. The latest research actually shows that combining these two vegetables can disturb the biochemical pathways of your body. This can lead to excessive calcination and swelling, and the vitamins contained in both vegetables won't be digested properly. Above all, these products have different digestion times, which again confuses the system. So it's much better to eat tomatoes and cucumbers separately. For example, today you can make a salad with tomatoes and greens, and tomorrow a salad with cucumbers. This way, all the valuable vitamins that these vegetables contain will be consumed properly, and you won't feel any discomfort. You can always find simple and good recipes for both tomato salads and cucumber ones. (Williams, 2021)

Potatoes with Meat

Another all-time favorite combination for many of us is meat with potatoes. I mean, seriously, who can resist a steak with fries? It's way too delicious. But unfortunately, just like all the previous ones, this is a very unhealthy and heavy food combination. The starch contained in potatoes demands alkaline digestive fluids, and the proteins in meat demand acidic ones. So when put together, they just get stuck inside your stomach and can cause disorders such as heartburn, belching, gas, and many others. Do you know this feeling of bloatedness that you sometimes get after eating this combination? Well, it's caused by mixing protein and starch. So, as sad as it may sound, it's better not to put these two products together. Instead, as a side dish to meat, choose non-starchy vegetables, for example, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, or zucchini. These combinations not only complement each other, but they are also much healthier. (Garcia, 2017)

Pasta with Minced Meat

Pasta is considered to be one of the most popular and tasty products by people all over the world. Everyone combines it with different products to their liking, and minced meat is an ultimate choice for many people. However, just like with potatoes and meat, the same reasoning applies to minced meat with pasta. The salivary glands produce ptyalin and amylase, which transform the starch carbs in pasta into simple sugars. When simple sugars cover the proteins contained in meat, they create a dangerous chemical mixture that can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. So the best thing to do is to eat pasta as a separate dish. Try to choose the roughly textured pasta made of durum wheat and combine it with herb sauces. It's just as delicious, if not more, and better for your system. (Davis, 2022)

Beer with Nuts

This is one of the most popular combinations from our college days. Everyone loves to eat salty nuts while drinking beer. Even to this day, it continues to be a perfect combination for a good Friday night in, especially for men. It's no wonder that the first image that comes to mind while mentioning beer with nuts is a man who's watching football or just hanging out with his friends. If you ever thought that this particular combination could not be healthy for the system, you were right. High-salt foods are not only unhealthy by themselves but also lead to dehydration. Salty products contain a lot of sodium, so your body increases fluid loss, and you get thirsty. That increases the likelihood of having more and more pints of beer. On the other hand, beer, as the third most consumed drink in the world after water and tea, has a couple of bad effects on your system as well. One of them is weight gain, which results in the widely known term "beer belly." (Lee, 2023)

Conclusion

In conclusion, while these combinations might be tempting and even traditional, it is essential to be mindful of their effects on your health. By making simple adjustments, such as choosing healthier pairings and being aware of digestion compatibility, you can enjoy your meals without compromising your well-being. Always remember, a balanced diet is key to a healthy life. (Miller, 2023)