There are several misconceptions people have about things they should do after they eat. We would like to correct these myths as they can actually harm your digestive system and cause health related issues instead of helping out. Here are five things compiled by some help from Yahoo:
Don’t eat fruits
You may consume fruits at any time of the day, except immediately after finishing your meal. Fruits delay the time food takes to reach your intestines. So, avoid them right after a meal.
Don’t drink tea
Granted, tea has innumerable benefits, however, when it comes to diffusing cardiovascular diseases, the polyphenols in tea makes it difficult for your body to absorb the iron from your food. The acid content in tea also interferes with the proteins in the food.
Don’t go for a walk
It is a common misconception that a walk after a meal helps in better digestion. Indeed, walking helps in burning energy but doing it as soon as you finish your meals only leads to acid reflux and prevents digestive juices from absorbing the nutrients of the food.
Don’t take a bath or shower
For good digestion, you need the blood flow to be stimulated towards stomach. Bathing does exactly the opposite. It diverts the blood flow towards your hands and feet. This affects the digestion of the food and can further lead to more health issues. You should favourably wait for at least half an hour before you take a shower after having meal.
Don’t sleep
When you lie down immediately after a meal, the digestive juices start flowing away from the stomach, which may cause intestinal inflammation. This is the reason why people feel a burning sensation in their mouth if they sleep immediately after a heavy meal.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 11th, 2014.
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