What You Eat

There was a food talk show on Rediffusion, yes Rediffusion is still around, and the host mentioned something about not eating watermelon with mutton. The combination can cause stomach pain.
Watermelon is a "cold" food. When taken together with mutton, the "heat," the nourishing effect of the mutton will be dramatically decreased. For those who suffer from asthenia of the spleen, it can harm their energy and upset the spleen and stomach.

But a research by a Texas university show that the humble watermelon is a natural Viagra. Citrulline, the phytochemical can be converted in the body into an amino acid known as arginine, which is known to relax blood vessels much like viagra does.

So here are some do-nots that should be avoided.

When bean curd and spinach are eaten at the same time, they affect absorption of calcium and may lead to blockages in the abdomen. Spinach contains oxalic acid, which can react with the calcium in bean curd in the intestines and form insoluble precipitates of calcium oxalate. The foods taken together affect the absorption of calcium.

Believe it or not, milk and chocolate do not match. While milk is rich in protein and calcium, chocolate contains oxalic acid. Eaten together, the calcium from milk and the oxalic acid of chocolate can combine and form insoluble calcium oxalate, which is not only indigestible but also can cause diarrhea.

Many people like having a sandwich with yogurt. However, ham and bacon in sandwiches, when taken with yogurt, could cause cancer. To extend the preservation of meat products, producers add nitrate to prevent decay and botulinus. But when nitrate meets organic acid, it can turn into nitrosamine, a carcinogen.

Some people might get used to drinking tea after eating crabs, thinking that it is good for the digestion. On the contrary it can cause indigestion. Gastric juices are diluted after drinking tea while eating crabs, and this not only disturbs assimilation but also reduces the ability of the gastric juices to sterilize.

If someone eats prawns and also takes a lot of vitamin C on the same day, he or she is taking a serious risk. Shrimps contain a compound which reacts with vitamin C becoming the poison arsenic.

The ferment in carrot can destroy the vitamin C in the white radish. To get the best nutrition, it is better to eat them separately. So your mother is right after all when she say don't take "chai tow" after drinking herbal soup.

Mutton is a "hot" food, while vinegar is "warm" like alcohol. When the two are cooked together, they can over-activate yang energy and the circulation. Eating mutton and vinegar at the same time harms the heart.