can we eat ghee and fish together - #43891
I am really confused about my diet lately. I’ve been trying to shift more towards Ayurveda and the whole balanced eating thing, but I keep tripping over some ideas. Like, can we eat ghee and fish together? I heard somewhere that combining these two isn’t the best idea, but then my friend said it totally depends on the type of fish used and how the ghee is prepared. Last week, I made this delicious fish curry using a lot of ghee because, you know, I thought that would be healthier – and it tasted great! But then, a couple of days after, I felt bloated and kinda sluggish. Maybe it was just coincidental or maybe I shouldn’t have had them together? I can’t figure out if it’s actually problematic or if I'm just overthinking it all. I tried googling if we can eat ghee and fish together, and half the stuff says yes and half says no, which just muddles everything even more. My Ayurveda book even suggests avoiding certain combinations, but no specifics! If anyone has some insight on this whole ghee and fish debate or their own experiences with it, that would be super helpful!! I don’t wanna get it wrong and end up feeling bad again. What do you all think?
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Doctors' responses
In the perspective of Ayurveda, proper food combinations are key to maintaining balance and promoting health. Specifically, ghee and fish is one of those combinations that is generally recommended to be avoided. The primary reason stems from the nature of ghee and fish—both possess distinct intrinsic qualities which can counteract each other, potentially leading to digestive discordance.
Ghee, which is high in the sattvic quality, is considered heavy and oily, while fish tends to be considered a source of tamas and rajas, particularly rajasic when fried or deeply cooked. When combined, they may disturb Agni (digestive fire), leading to a slowing down of metabolism, bloating, or feeling sluggish as you’ve described. This could be why you felt bloated after savoring your fish curry.
Also, different kinds of fish have variegated effects because of their varying lipid content and heaviness. So, while it may depend on the type of fish and preparation to some extent, in many traditional interpretations, the ideal is to keep them separate in your meals. It’s usually better to give a pause of at least a couple hours if you prefer to consume both on the same day.
If you experince discomfort after eating this combination regularly, it might be worth experimenting with separating these foods and observing any changes in energy levels or digestion. Enhancing your diet with warming herbs like ginger or cumin can also support digestion if you do happen to mix these foods again. These small tweaks can ensure you’re nourishing your body without any unwanted effects.
So, perhaps it’s not all in your head, and a more cautious approach might just help in balancing your dietary choices better.

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