A nutritionist has named 7 things you shouldn’t do immediately after a meal

Eating habits come in healthy and unhealthy forms. For example, following a diet and eating culture improves health. Overeating, snacking on the run or having a cup of coffee instead of breakfast is harmful to the body.

President of the Association of Nutritionists and Health Coaches (ANCH)

Some daily rituals can lead to abdominal discomfort, dyspepsia, obesity and other health problems. I’ll tell you what you absolutely must not do immediately after a meal and what are the dangers of routine habits.

Many rituals are associated with the end of the meal: drink a glass of tea after lunch, lie down for half an hour, smoke a cigarette. Such habits negatively affect digestion and the work of the gastrointestinal tract, become the cause of extra pounds and a number of diseases.

To avoid health problems, give up seven dangerous habits.

Drinking cold water

Cold water slows down metabolism and worsens the process of digestion. The protein part of the food is not broken down completely and remains in the stomach, which provokes putrefactive processes that lead to intestinal diseases and dysbacteriosis.

Drinking a glass of cool water after dinner can cause spasm and contraction of the walls of the stomach, which provokes a sudden feeling of hunger. That is, cold water can cause overeating.

Drink tea immediately after the main course

Tea is a hot drink, but it will not be useful immediately after a meal, because abundant drinking after a meal interferes with the process of digestion.

Tea contains tannins that interfere with the absorption of important micro- and macronutrients, especially iron. Iron deficiency can cause anemia, dizziness, chronic fatigue.

Some herbal teas promote digestion, but they should be drunk in between meals.

Go to bed

Have eaten – you can and sleep. No, you should not lie down, even if you feel sleepy and yawn.

Lie down after eating – a harmful and even dangerous habit. In a horizontal position of the body part of the food juices can flow from the stomach back into the esophagus, provoking an attack of heartburn.

Frequent heartburn can lead to the development of GERD (gastroesophagoreflux disease) – a serious disease of the GI tract, which is accompanied by pain, acid reflux, digestive problems.

It is necessary to go to bed no earlier than two hours after dinner to protect the body from possible problems.

Smoking

Smoking is harmful to health, and after a meal, it is a double blow to the body: it can cause irritable bowel syndrome, worsen the condition of the muscles of the large intestine.

Nicotine provokes vasospasm, disrupts oxygen metabolism and reduces the production of digestive enzymes, which are necessary for proper digestion and assimilation of food.

Tobacco smoke irritates the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, which increases the risk of gastric ulcers. Nicotine penetrates food and is digested by the body in tenfold concentration.

I strongly recommend quitting the addiction to keep healthy and live a long life.

Take a bath or shower

A warm shower or a warming bath increases blood flow to the entire surface of the body, but decreases blood flow to the stomach area. Increased blood pressure and body temperature worsen the digestion process.

Undigested food, in turn, disrupts intestinal peristalsis, provokes constipation. Therefore, it is recommended to take a shower and bath two to three hours after eating.

Get behind the wheel

After a hearty lunch, the body is busy digesting food and spends all the resources on this process. Within an hour after a meal, the blood supply to the brain is slow, so the speed of reaction and concentration of attention are reduced.

It is not worth getting behind the wheel immediately after eating to avoid unexpected situations on the road due to the relaxation of the body. I recommend waiting half an hour or an hour before setting off on the road.

End the meal with dessert

A tradition of many families that has turned into a bad habit. Tea with a cake right after a hearty lunch threatens overeating, because the feeling of satiety has not yet come, and with tea you eat a few more sweets or a piece of cake.

Sugar disrupts the process of digestion, interferes with the absorption of important nutrients from the main course. In addition, drinking tea slows salivation and reduces the amount of gastric juice secreted, which reduces metabolism, reduces the speed and efficiency of digestion.

To maintain the health of the gastrointestinal tract, slimness and energy, I recommend to get rid of bad habits associated with food, and strictly adhere to the basics of nutrition.

Try to eat three meals a day and finish your meal at the “slightly hungry” stage, so as not to overeat. Eat a balanced and varied diet.

Immediately after eating, do not rush to run to workout or clean the house. Give your body some time to calm digestion and absorption of nutrients. Take care of yourself.