6 Things You Should Not Do After a Meal

Here are 5 things that we tend to do sometime after a meal but should be avoided at all cost. Have you ever wondered why yourself of your child has tummy pains lying on a bed after a heavy meal?  There are some simple things we practice, that could irritate the stomach and cause stomach pain and bloating.  These minor things, as it may seem can cause major trouble if continued for a long time. Continue reading this article, to find out what some of those habits are and how they affect the digestive system.

The Digestive Process

Do you know that the digestive process starts even before we start chewing the food? It actually starts when we get the smell of food. By smelling food, we begin to salivate, and then the digestive process kicks in, preparing for that first scrumptious bite. The body then does its job for the next 4-5 hours digesting the food. According to nutritionists, digestion is one of the main functions performed by our body and the one that consumes a lot of energy.  Things that consume a lot of energy need to be avoided. Here are 5 such things that need to be avoided immediately after a meal.

6 Things You Should Not Do After a Meal

Sleeping

For the food to digest well, the body has to be in an upright position. Allowing the food to pass through the digestive tract and get absorbed well. Sleeping will muddle this process and can cause stomach aches, heartburn or even GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) in the long run.

Eating Fruits

Fruits are an important component in a healthy diet, however, for best results fruits should be consumed on an empty stomach or an hour or two before your main meal. Fruits require different enzymes for digestion and it won’t get the right amounts of them when eaten soon after a meal.

Bathing

During bathing, the blood around your stomach starts flowing to other parts of the body, which hinders with the digestive process. Thereby causing your digestion to get delayed.

Exercising or Running

It is best to do such effort consuming activities before a meal. These activities require a lot of energy thus depriving the digestive process of the necessary energy. It is advisable that you wait for at least 3 hours before you start running or exercising. Strenuous exercise after a meal can lead to reflux, hiccups or vomiting. It is worthwhile to note that you should not exercise on an empty stomach. A light snack would be sufficient.

Drinking Cold Water

Drinking cold water can cause clumping of food and impact the digestion. This a topic of much debate and nutritionists suggest that drinking too much of water before, while or immediately after a meal will dilute the gastric juices and hamper the digestion process. It is recommended to wait at least 30 mins after a meal before you can drink a glass full of water.

Brushing Teeth

A surprising fact about brushing teeth is that one should wait for at least an hour after eating. Although this fact does not directly affect your gut, it is still something important to keep in mind. When you eat the body starts secreting acids to help digest the food. When your acid levels are elevated, the teeth are at the weakest level. Even though a soft-bristled toothbrush is used, it can cause abrasion and damage your teeth. Dentists do agree that it is perfectly fine to rinse the mouth immediately after a meal