It is necessary to follow a healthy diet to remain fit, however you may not be getting optimal health advantages after all the efforts you’re putting in. This could be due to things you perform in your everyday routine that affects your digestion. One such error is to rest right after you eat. Some people just rest on the couch, while others take a fast nap after they’ve consumed their meals. No matter how healthy your diet is, you will end up putting on weight and getting particular gastrointestinal system problems if you do not stop lying down after eating. Why is that?
Is Lying Down After Eating Bad for Your Health?
Yes, it is. That’s generally due to the fact that your body soaks up food properly just when you’re in an upright position. Lying down after eating will result in indigestion. You must await at least 2 hours after a meal before you go to your bed. If you’ve established a routine of lying down soon after you eat your food, you may eventually develop gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) in which your lower esophagus cannot close off correctly after you’ve eaten something. Lying down after eating makes it much easier for your stomach acid to come up, which might cause lots of gastrointestinal concerns. Remaining upright after you eat will help prevent the symptoms of GERD.
How Long Should You Wait to Lay Down After Eating?
As we mentioned above, two hours after eating should be enough before you lie down to sleep or just relax. But if you need to go to bed earlier, you can try drink some water before eating and/or eat liquid meal.
What Other Things to Avoid After Eating
Lying down after eatingis bad for your health, however there are some other things you have to avoid after eating.
1. Sleeping
After a heavy meal, it’s natural to feel a bit sleepy. Be careful! If you sleep after eating, you will end up slowing down your digestive system, which in turn will cause several health complications. As mentioned already, lying on your back or side after eating will make it much easier for your stomach acid to move back up your esophagus. Moreover, if you sleep after a heavy meal, you will wake up bloated. Simply make certain to provide your body enough time to absorb your food prior to slipping between the sheets.
2. Difficult Exercise
Even when you have actually taken a light meal, you should still prevent exercising right after you’ve completed eating. Laborious exercise makes it difficult for your body to digest your food due to the fact that it uses a few of the body’s resources needed for proper food digestion. That’s why you’re most likely to experience issues like cramps, nausea, and even diarrhea when exercising after eating. Your stomach needs oxygenated blood to finish digestion, but your body will start sending out blood and oxygen to your hard-working muscles when you begin working out after eating. This slows down your food digestion that can result in all sorts of digestive problems. So, constantly provide your body some time to digest food then workout. It’s even much better to exercise first and eat later.
3. Eating Fruit
Yes, eating fruit is healthy, however not after your meal. This is generally due to the fact that fruit absorbs the fastest as compared with other types of food, so it is more likely to sit on top of your meal as well as ferment there. This will create gas and even lead to weight gain. Eat fruit a minimum of 3-4 hours after your last meal to ensure you get maximum benefits without needing to stress over bloating, gas, and other pain.
4. Drinking Too Much Water
You may not discover any issues if you drink a little water with your meals, however you need to prevent gulping down a huge glass after eating your meals. It dilutes the digestion juices and makes it tough for your stomach to digest food. Likewise, consuming ice cold water after eating can slow down your stomach. Rather, drink hot natural tea if you wish to drink something after your meal — still, you have to prevent drinking excessive of liquids after eating.
5. Taking a Shower
You may have already established a habit of taking a shower after eating. Change it because it will ultimately cause particular digestive system issues. The reason is that your body temperature increases when you shower. This makes your blood to move to the surface of your skin, the feet, and the hands. It indicates it will no longer be available for digestion. Your gastrointestinal system will slow down considerably, causing gas, bloating, and numerous other concerns.
6. Loosening the Belt after Meals
If you need to loosen your belt after a meal, it generally implies you have actually consumed a little too much to sit easily with your belt in its previous position. Once you have loosen it up, you might once again feel comfy adequate to continue eating, which will cause obesity. It is for that reason a smart idea to eat as much as you can without changing your belt.
7. Walking Immediately After Meals
Similar to lying down after eating, walking instantly after meals is bad. You might end up handling concerns like indigestion and acid reflux. It is necessary to take some rest in an upright position and then walk to help stay fit. You can avoid acid reflux for perambulating 10 minutes at least half an hour after your meal. This will likewise enhance your metabolic process and give your muscles a stretch that will prevent fat deposition in your body.
Tips for Better Digestion
You currently understand what you should refrain from doing after eating, but you can also add a few regimens in your life to enhance your food digestion. For instance:
- Have a well-balanced diet with food consisting of probiotics. These good bacteria reside in your gut and aid improve your gastrointestinal health. Attempt yogurts, such as Activa, that contain live active cultures of
- Lactobacillus acidophilus. You can likewise get your dosage of probiotics through food such as buttermilk, kefir, and probiotic drinks, such as GoodBelly. The GoodBelly Probiotic Coconut Water is a great option because this non-soy, non-dairy, and vegan probiotic juice tastes great and enhances digestion also.
- Make a routine of eating gradually. By eating quickly, you will wind up swallowing excess air that will lead to gas and affect the digestive process in many methods.
- Be sure to supply your digestive tract with adequate fiber. Fiber will assist improve your food digestion, but you need to increase your fiber consumption slowly to avoid constipation. Also, drink plenty of water when eating diet abundant in fiber.
