There are those who only live to smoke, drink, beze, and the others. Like us. Those who live only to eat, puff, grill. We thought we were implacable on the question of meals, being misunderstood experts on grilling, and yet… What was our disappointment to realize that… We had it all wrong. All. Worse, that we were putting our health squarely at risk. How am I going to do without my post-lunch naps, anyway?
1. Sleep
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WHAT? Hard blow. This siesta is clearly the best time of the day. However, lying down after eating completely upsets the digestive process. Food has a hard time going down, stays in our stomach longer and slows down our digestion. This position also promotes the rising of gastric juices and creates heartburn. It is better to wait two hours before taking a nap, or just sleep sitting up! Oh? Nope ? Good bah… Not seated either, in fact.
2. Sit down
In the same way as the lying position: the sitting position slows down the digestion process. The reason is quite simple: our stomach is compressed. If I understand correctly, after eating, the best thing is to stay up? Well yes. More or less. The ideal and to take a small digestive walk, of about ten minutes. Damn, this story.
3. Smoking a cig
The post-drink cigarette is a smoker’s favourite, yet…it’s shit. The cigarette, already, it’s not phew, but the cigarette after eating… It’s worse than anything. According to some studies, smoking one cigarette after eating is equivalent to smoking several in normal times. It is therefore advisable to wait at least 1h30 after a meal to have one.
4. Drink a tea…
NO BUT… NO NAP OR TEA? Do you want us to be amorphous, or what?? You have to wait an hour after eating to drink your tea, for two reasons: the first is that the tannin contained in the tea can cause the reduction of certain digestive enzymes. Then, these tannins can make it more difficult to absorb iron, a mineral that is nevertheless vital for our body.
As for coffee: it would have the same effect on iron. On the other hand, it would also be beneficial for accelerating digestion! Coffee promotes blood flow in the abdomen, accelerates the absorption of food and helps digest lipids more quickly.
5. Eat fruit for dessert
Fruits are among the foods that the stomach digests most quickly and easily. If in normal times, it is digested in about twenty minutes, it stagnates much longer when it mixes with other foods in the stomach. Since the interior of this organ is hot and humid, blocked fruits can ferment and release their acidity. Consequence: disturbed digestion, destroyed vitamins and nutrients, stomach aches, bloating and flatulence. Not serious, but boring. Especially in the office.
6. Take a chewing gum
What is flattering for your breath is not necessarily for your gut. Nor for your colleagues’ sense of smell. Chewing gum after eating will cause you to swallow air. Lots of air. Guess what’s the only way to make it stand out? Eh yes ! Prout, prout, prouuuut.
7. Exercise
AH BAH FINALLY GOOD NEWS. Already that I had not planned to do so, the idea of making an effort after eating exhausts me even more. So much the better, since it’s bad! First, it prevents our poor digestive system from properly absorbing nutrients. Then, playing sports after meals overloads our body. Digestion already requires an effort from our body, so we avoid adding a workload to it, oh! Finally, when we digest, oxygenated blood is sent to our stomach. However, during physical activity, it is this blood that our muscles need. BRIEF, after eating, you put your ass on… Oh no, sorry. We are content with a short stroll.
8. Take a shower
Well, it’s still not the first reflex after the lunch break. After dinner, on the other hand… It’s more likely. Showering increases blood flow to the hands and lower extremities, while reducing blood flow to the stomach. Reducing the flow in the stomach, at the time of digestion, may not be very smart.
9. Drink cool water
We avoid just after, but also during the meal! Water that is too cold can (again) be responsible for poor digestion, making it more difficult for nutrients to be absorbed and waste to separate.
10. Bathe (yes, you can)
Not everyone agrees 100% on this subject. If we listen to our parents, post-meal swimming = death by immediate hydrocution. It might be a bit strong. Indeed, our body temperature increases during digestion, however, not sure that the temperature difference is sufficient enough to reach such conclusions, each time. According to the SNSM (National Society for Rescue at Sea) “bathing after eating does not seem to be a direct risk factor for hydrocution”. We remain vigilant, we enter the water quietly, but we calm our drama queen side, all the same.