Salam Alaikum dear Sisters. 🌸
One more message today.
🕊️ It’s Thursday and today about the body and health.
Nowadays, we often eat mixtures of things that were never meant to be mixed.
One ready-made meal may contain many additives, artificial colorings, and it’s usually wrapped in plastic. It’s made to be fast, not to nourish.
I had the opportunity to work in a supermarket many years back , and I observed how people eat and buy. Every large chain has a department that tracks people’s buying habits -what they buy, how often, what makes money.
But I also did my own personal research, and sadly, I saw:
People buy what others buy. They eat what others eat.
And when then they suffer - doctors come next.
As a professional, I must say clearly:
🛑 Your health and your consumption habits are in your hands. And your body is a trust (amanah) from Allah SWT.
In the past, people ate what they picked from the ground, trees, or caught by hunting. With the industrial revolution, we received more, but we lost the power to care.
We forgot what is truly halal and tayyib. That pure sense of what is natural lives inside each of us - but now, tastes and desires often lead the way.
🩺 Today about unfavorable Combinations and our habits to combine or Foods That Block Each Other’s Nutrients
1. 🍖 Meat and Dairy Products (Iron + Calcium)
Calcium in dairy block the absorption of iron, because they compete in the small intestine.
👉 If you want to maintain optimal iron metabolism avoid eating meat and dairy products in the same meal.
Examples: Chicken mandi with labneh, beef curry with yogurt, kofta with labneh.
2. 🍵 Green Tea and Iron-Rich Foods (Tannins + Iron)
Tannins in green tea form insoluble complexes with plant-based (non-heme) iron, reducing absorption.
👉 Tea is best between meals, especially if you’re trying to restore iron.
Examples: Tea before/with meals or straight after the meal like lentils, spinach, or liver-based meals.
3. 🥬 Spinach and Dairy Products (Oxalic Acid + Calcium)
Oxalic acid in spinach binds with calcium from dairy and forms insoluble oxalates that block calcium absorption.
👉 Better to eat spinach and dairy separately.
Examples: Avoid spinach with paneer, feta, or yogurt in the same dish.
4. 🧃 Soy Products and Seafood (Phytates + Iodine)
Phytates in soy reduce iodine absorption -this is important if there’s iodine deficiency or thyroid imbalance.
👉 Avoid soy and fish in the same meal.
Examples: Tofu with tuna, miso soup with sushi or seaweed.
5. ☕ Coffee or Cocoa After Meals (Polyphenols + Minerals)
Polyphenols in coffee and cocoa interfere with iron, zinc, and magnesium absorption.
👉 If you’re low on these minerals, drink coffee or cocoa between meals.
Examples: Avoid Turkish coffee or hot cocoa right after a meal.
6. 🌾 Beans and Grains (Phytates + Iron/Zinc/Magnesium)
Phytates in both grains and legumes lower the absorption of iron, zinc, and magnesium.
Even heme iron from meat can be affected.
👉 Best to eat meat with vegetables, not grains.
Examples: Avoid mixing meat with lentils and rice in the same meal often like biryani.
✅ Beneficial Combinations Food That Help Each Other Work Better
1. 🍊 Vitamin C and Iron
Vitamin C boosts absorption of plant-based iron.
👉 Found in bell peppers, citrus fruits, fermented vegetables.
Examples: Lentils with lemon, liver with parsley and lemon, hummus with tomatoes.
2. 🍅 Tomatoes and Olive Oil (Lycopene + Fat)
Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, is better absorbed with fat.
Examples: Tomato salad with avocado, roasted tomatoes with olive oil.
3. 🟡 Turmeric and Black Pepper (Curcumin + Piperine)
Curcumin (in turmeric) is poorly absorbed alone piperine (in black pepper) increases it by up to 2000%.
Examples: turmeric rice with black pepper, curry dishes.
4. 🌞 Vitamin D and Calcium
Vitamin D helps absorb calcium, which supports bones and muscles.
Example: Grilled salmon
servedwith a side of
steamed broccoli + toasted sesame seeds.
5. 🥗 **Fat-Soluble Vitamins (A, D, E, K) + Healthy Fat*
These vitamins are absorbed only with fats.
Examples: Carrots with olive oil, molokhia with ghee, salads with avocado.
There are many food combination charts available online and in nutrition books. I always say:
“Know what does not work against each other by nutrients and what supports each other for healing”.
Don’t try to change everything at once.
👉 Choose just one food combination to adjust this week.
Start slow. Reflect. And return to the way Allah SWT created food with harmony and purpose.
Choose what is truly halal and tayyib. Take back the power to care for yourself and family with intention and gratitude to Allah SWT.
Wishing everyone good health and wise choices. 🤲🏻❤️