Avoid These 5 Mistakes After Eating

Namaskar!

Is it Enough to Eat a Healthy Diet to Stay Healthy?

Your pre-meal and post-meal activities can have a huge impact on your body. Nowadays, most people focus on eating nutritious food, but certain habits right after meals—like drinking lots of water or heading straight to bed—can disrupt digestion and do more harm than good. Let’s look at some practices to avoid after meals to keep your digestion on track and feel your best.

Things to Avoid Immediately After Meals

1. Stop Consuming Fruits 🍌

Yes, fruits are highly nutritious, but they shouldn’t be consumed immediately after a meal. Here’s why:

• Quick Digestion: Fruits digest very quickly. If you eat them after meals, they can ferment in the stomach, causing gas and discomfort.
• High Sugar Content: The sugars in fruits can make digestion more challenging.

Tip: Enjoy fruits as a snack between meals, ideally 2 hours before or after your main meal.

2. Stay Away from Tea ☕

Drinking tea right after a meal, especially milk tea (chai), can cause indigestion. Why?

• High Acidity: Tea leaves are acidic, which can interfere with the digestion of protein-rich meals by stiffening the proteins, making them harder to digest.

Tip: Have your tea 1–2 hours after meals to aid digestion.

3. Avoid Gulping Water 💧

Drinking large amounts of water immediately after a meal or while eating can dilute essential digestive juices.

• Dilution of Digestive Juices: Digestive acids and enzymes, including hydrochloric acid, are crucial for breaking down food and turning it into energy. Drinking water with food dilutes these fluids.

Tip: Drink water half an hour before or 1.5–2 hours after your meal. If you must drink water right after a meal, warm water is best.

4. Don’t Rush to Take a Bath 🚿

Digestion requires energy and blood flow directed toward the stomach.

• Impact of Bathing: Bathing right after eating lowers body temperature and diverts blood away from the stomach, slowing down digestion.

Tip: To avoid indigestion, take your bath either before a meal or wait at least an hour after eating.

5. Hold Back Your Sleep 😴

Lying down or sleeping immediately after a meal can slow down the digestive process.

• Digestive Discomfort: Sleeping right after eating can cause bloating and discomfort when you wake up.

Tip: Wait at least 2 hours after dinner before lying down. For lunch, take a gentle stroll of about 100 steps. If you need a nap, lie down on your left side to help your body digest better and encourage waste movement.

Adopt These Healthy Post-Meal Practices

Incorporate these gentle, digestion-friendly habits after meals for improved well-being:

1. Wear Comfortable Clothes 👖

After eating, loose and comfortable clothes allow your abdomen to feel relaxed, which aids digestion.

• Acid Reflux Prevention: Tight clothing can lead to acid reflux. Loose clothes support easier digestion and restful sleep.

2. Sit in Vajrasana or Another Meditative Pose 🙏

After lunch, sit in Vajrasana or Sukhasana to help digestion.

• Improves Digestion & Prevents Overeating: If you’re sitting on a chair, bring your legs up and keep your spine straight. This posture supports digestion and can even help prevent overeating.

3. Practice Nispanda Bhava 🧘‍♀️

After a meal, calm your mind with this simple meditation technique:

• Relax the Mind: Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and listen to the natural sounds around you without letting any thoughts arise. Just be in a state of listening.

4. Lie Down in Shavasana After Nispanda Bhava 🛌

• Aids Relaxation: This conscious relaxation technique soothes the mind and supports digestion, nutrient absorption, and energy.

Be Mindful While Eating 🙏

Finally, remember that food is sacred—Annam Brahman—and should be respected. Avoid distractions like your mobile phone or TV, chew your food thoroughly, and eat in silence. Embrace each meal with mindfulness to boost both physical and mental well-being.

Stay energetic, enthusiastic, and joyful! Take care. Namaskar!