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Following a healthy diet is a good thing and everyone knows it. Making sure that your meals are balanced and include plenty of colourful sources of macronutrients and micronutrient is something that most people now try to do, to some degree or the other. But even if you approach your meals with the best of intentions and make sure they are balanced and healthy, just eating that plate of nutritious goodness won’t do you good if your post-meal behaviour is unhealthy.
If you are wondering how, then here goes. What you eat needs time to be digested and synthesized by the digestive system. So, the hours after eating a fantastic balanced meal can make or break your attempt at eating healthy. What's more, if your post-meal behaviour isn’t healthy then it can not only cause digestive issues but also unnecessary weight gain!
So, if you are already trying to eat healthy to lose weight or manage your wellness better, then here are some common post-meal mistakes that you need to avoid.
Video Credit: YouTube/Natasha's Kitchen
Snacking
This is the most obvious and common mistake people make after eating a wholesome and nutritious dinner, especially those on a calorie-restrictive diet. Snacking on unhealthy dishes like deep-fried chips, crisps and other packaged snacks can not only overfill your stomach and add pressure to it, but also completely disqualify the healthy meal you just ate. The best way to avoid this is to make sure you have eaten enough so that hunger pangs don’t lead to bingeing.
Exercising
You might think going for a long and rigorous walk after a meal or exercising is a good idea, but it is counterproductive. Instead of aiding digestion, vigorous physical activity after a meal can redirect the blood flow from your stomach to your limbs, which in turn will slow down your digestion and cause discomfort, cramping and indigestion. So, best to go for a light walk at least an hour after dinner.
Eating Desserts
You might get cravings for sweet treats and desserts after a meal, but giving in to them can cause weight gain. When you eat a wholesome and healthy meal, your body starts working hard to digest and synthesize the nutrients from them. But the intake of sweets after meals can add a lot of sugar and fat to the stomach, both of which are very difficult to digest. So, eat the sweets as a snack in the morning or evening, but never after a major meal.
Alcohol Consumption
Quite like desserts, alcohol contains plenty of complex sugars and calories that can be very difficult to digest. Drinking after a meal can therefore add pressure to your stomach and digestive system, slow down bodily function and cause symptoms like indigestion, bloating, stomach ache, constipation and even gas-induced headaches.
Smoking
For those who are addicted to smoking, indulging in a cigarette after a meal is a ritual—but it is a bad one that will inevitably lead to weight gain as well as a number of other health issues. The nicotine in cigarettes enters the bloodstream, binds with oxygen and then gets absorbed very quickly if you smoke after a meal. So, the best thing to do is to kick the butt completely or at least not smoke after eating.
Napping
Feeling sleepy after a happy and healthy meal might seem like a good idea, especially in parts of the world where an afternoon siesta is traditionally enjoyed. But the problem is that digestion needs a lot of work and so, if you fall asleep after a meal, your sleep is likely to be restless and your digestion slowed down. Napping after a meal can therefore cause digestion issues that can cause weight gain over time.
Eating Fruits
Yes, fruits are healthy, nutritious and should be a part of your weight loss diet. But, there is a caveat that you shouldn’t eat fruits after a meal. This is because fruits are packed with natural sugar and dietary fibre which can overburden the stomach and digestive system and cause indigestion, acidity, stomach aches and even flatulence. So, treat fruits like a separate snack between meals.
Taking a Bath
Have you ever had the feeling where your body starts turning a bit hot and heavy after a meal and you feel nothing will relieve you more than a cold shower or bath? The idea might seem relaxing, but if you do take a bath after meals it will cause weight gain. This is because a bath can relax the blood vessels and increase circulation in other parts of the body instead of the stomach, where it is most needed after a meal for digestion.
