We all know our day activities have a direct impact on our health. From exercise to our workload, all decide where we stand on the health-o-meter. But, there are some specific activities that can really mess with our health, especially if we take them right after our meal. And, these are not some unusual routines, rather some pretty common things we normally do, not realising the extent of the harm they could inflict.
Here are 5 things you should not do after a meal at all:
Take the next step towards greater and better health.
1. Smoking
Smoking alone, in general, is bad enough and when you mix it with food, it’s highly deadly, according to experts. Apparently, one cigarette is equivalent to ten if you smoke it after a meal! The tests show that after you have your food, it is easier for nicotine to get absorbed in the blood. Think about it, this thing contains at least 60 carcinogens. You sure don’t want to have all that much of poison at once in your body now, do you? It’s as simply put in theory as done in practice – steer clear away from smoking post lunch/dinner at all costs. Your body will thank you.
2. Taking Tea and Coffee
That’s right, caffeine consumption is a strictly a no-no after you have your meal, especially dinners. Firstly, it interferes with digestion. You wouldn’t like at all that your cuppa is messing with the process related to absorption of important nutrients by your body. Researches have shown clearly that tea and coffee make the protein content in your body hard, in turn, making its digestion difficult. They also intervene with the absorption of iron in the body. It’s suggested not to take caffeine even prior to the meal. A one hour of time should be elapsed both before and after you have your food.
3. Eating Fruits
Whether you know it or not, fruits are one of the eatables that are easiest to digest. With an exception of a few, most fruits reach from the stomach to intestines in just about 20 minutes where they get completely digested. But, mix them with your food and you have all sorts of digestion problems and nutrients-absorption-gone-wrong cases. The foods you eat in full meals generally reach late to the intestines. Fruits taken after them will get stuck with the food and reach there much later. Results? The fruit would often get spoiled and fermented in the way over. And, the story doesn’t end there. It would also spoil the food with it as well. The sum total is that you won’t be getting any potential nutritional benefits either from your fruit intake nor your food. Moreover, you might also experience heartburn, indigestion, and other digestive discomforts. So, don’t take fruits after your meal. Plain and simple.
4. Bathing
Many people like the idea of taking a tub bath or shower right after they have their meal. But, this is a very bad idea, to say the least. The blood when you bathe moves to another part of your body when it should’ve moved to the stomach to aid the digestion. And in all this, digestion gets delayed which also leads to other serious consequences (Gastroparesis).
Let’s see how this happens. Suppose, you take a bath in cold water after you’re done with your food. Now, as cold water trickles down your body, the surface temperature changes, a decrease in this case. The brain perceives this temperature change as the immediate need to send blood to the skin in order to bring the temperature back to normal. The blood vessels getting all the excess blood dilate in order to dissipate the extra heat. And this, in turn, results in more blood flow to the skin, all the while it should have been sent to the stomach! Weaker digestion, all for unnecessary and avoidable activities! So, better put off your leisure water-times after your meal-times. And, nobody would get hurt.
5. Sleeping
Dozing off after a meal is a bad idea. Really bad. But, we get it. It’s natural to feel inclined towards taking a nap, especially after lunch. And, the temptation can be strong. But, when you read about the harm it can do to your body, you might turn up next time with stronger willpower against it. So, here’s some basic science. When you lie down, several digestive juices run in the opposite direction from the gut and end up in your food pipe. Sometimes when you feel a burning sensation, it is because of this, those juices have been corroding your pipe’s inner layer!
Plus, digestion gets delayed down as well. Most people waking up after a meal still feel full. This is due to the fact that the meal hasn’t been digested at all! There are other risks involved as well, such as weight gain and even stroke! So, next time you feel a need for shuteye, shake it off by chatting with your annoying friends, watching TV, or looking at the bills you have to pay. You’ll get over the zzz in no time.
So, that was all. Have you been doing any of these activities after a meal? We hope you won’t anymore.
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