Adding cucumber or boondi to your curd bowl? Here’s why you shouldn’t

Are you a fan of curd? Do you love adding it to your meals, making raitas or devouring a bowl of curd rice? Well, hold your horses, because according to Ayurveda, you might have been eating curd the wrong way! Don’t worry, we’re here to spill the beans on the dos and don’ts of curd consumption, so you can enjoy it the right way and get all the benefits it has to offer. Get ready to discover the surprising ways you may have been messing up your curd game!

In India, curd is consumed post-meal or with meals to support immune and digestive health. There are several ways to consume this milk product, including curd rice, raita, dahi-cheeni, etc. But are these healthy ways to have curd? Have we been eating it right? Let’s find out 6 reasons why you have been eating curd the wrong way and what is the right way.

Benefits of eating curd

Dr Chaitali Deshmukh, an Ayurvedic expert and consultant, explains that curd contains a range of microorganisms that support our digestive systems and increase immunity in general. For those who are lactose intolerant, it fulfils the need for calcium and phosphorus and also acts as a nutritious substitute for milk. With the aid of enzymes present in fermenting bacteria, lactose in milk is changed into lactic acid.

While curd has many benefits, in order to reap the maximum health benefits from curd, there are certain Ayurvedic guidelines for consumption. “As per Ayurveda, curd raises fat (excellent for weight growth) improves strength, boosts Kapha and Pitta (reduces Vata), and enhances Agni (digestive power). It is sour in flavour, hot in nature, heavy to digest (takes a longer period to undergo digestion), and increases fat,” says Dr Deshmukhi.

Curd has many health benefits too! Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Also read: Is curd safe in the monsoon season? A nutritionist reveals 7 myths and facts

6 reasons why you are eating curd the wrong way

1. Curd shouldn’t be consumed at night

This is because curd can help to strengthen our Kapha Dosha, which is thought to be at its strongest throughout the night. “An excessive amount of mucus forms when your Kapha Dosha is elevated, which might result in indigestion. That is one of the main arguments against eating curd at night,” says Dr Deshmukh. If you want to consume it at night, add a pinch of pepper powder and a pinch of fenugreek powder. This is not so palatable but still a superb combination to reduce indigestion.

Having curd at night can give you indigestion. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

2. Don’t heat your curd

Heating the curd is a bad idea. Dr Deshmukh explains that contemporary science and Ayurveda both concur that heating curd might change its qualities, which can cause suffocation and swelling in your body. So, it is against the Ayurveda principle to consume hot curd.

3. Don’t have curd everyday

The Ayurvedic expert explains that curd is infamous for being heavy and elevating inflammation in the body. The Kapha and Pitta Doshas also grow when there is inflammation in the body, which is very bad for your health. So, be careful and refrain from eating curd everyday. You can drink buttermilk everyday as a replacement for curd.

4. Don’t cut up fruits in it

Adding any kind of fruit in your curd is not a good idea. The expert says that being a channel blocker that is incompatible with food, curd should not be combined with fruits. Long-term usage might result in allergies and metabolic problems.

5. Don’t have curd with fish or meat

Fish and meat are incompatible with curd. “Toxins are produced in the body whenever curd is cooked with meats like chicken or fish,” says Dr Deshmukh. So, avoid accompanying your meals with these food items.

6. Don’t make a raita

Cucumber raita and boondi raita are very wrong combinations to have. Cucumber and curd are two opposite foods in terms of their properties and combining them in any way will damage your system from within and the ill effects can be seen in the form of fevers and skin diseases. As boondi is deep fried in ghee or oil, it is incompatible with curd and it also makes you put on fat. A great alternative for cucumber raita is bottle gourd raita.

If you want to have raita, bottle gourd raita is the right choice for you!. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Hence, Dr Deshmukh says if you want to eat curd, do it occasionally and the best time to eat curd is in the afternoon but that too in moderation.

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