3 Things You Should Avoid Doing After Eating | AC Punc Acupuncture
In this blog, as an oriental medicine doctor, I want to explain 3 things you should avoid doing after eating. A lot of people tend to do something that they shouldn’t do, especially after eating.
Do you tend to do such behaviors?
- Lay down immediately after eating
- Exercise immediately after eating
- Take a bath or soak in the bathtub immediately after eating
These are easy tips, and I also explain what to do to avoid doing such things.
1. Avoid laying down after eating
I understand you would feel sleepy and want to lay down on the couch and watch TV or Youtube after having a big meal.
So do I.
But, it is the one big mistake you are making because it can cause stomach juice to upward and creating heartburn, called GERD.
Acid Reflux, also called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), is a chronic condition in which the stomach juice goes up to the throat, especially when lying down after eating.
It can cause symptoms and complications, including sourness in the mouth, heartburn, bad breath, chest pain, vomiting, and respiratory distress.
Solution
Suppose you feel heartburn or acid reflux after eating.
In that case, I recommend you taking natural Chinese herbs to calm down your stomach upset.
Ban Xia Hou Po Tang
Ban Xia Hou Po Tang is one of the significant Chinese herbs to treat acid reflux.
The principal herbs in this formula are Pinellia and Magnolia.
Pinellia has been using for eliminating phlegm, coughing, and vomiting.
But, it has been frequently reported about its toxicity.
This study shows that the herb’s toxicity will be minimized when it is appropriately processed. Therefore, even FDA states that it is OK to use Pinellia only in traditional Asian medicine.
And Magnolia has over 200 compounds that have antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, antibiotics effects.
In addition, this study shows that subjects with anxiety disorders took Magnolia supplements and lowered their stress levels by checking their cortisol, a stress suppressor.
2. Refrain from exercising immediately after eating
To digest food, you need a significant amount of blood in your stomach and intestines.
A large amount of blood is required to digest the food and nutrients taken into the blood and store them in the liver.
However, suppose you exercise immediately after eating. In that case, the blood moves to the brain and muscles instead of the digestive organs.
Then, You don’t get enough blood flow to the organs of the digestive system.
Walking and running will reduce 20 to 30% of blood and nutrients to the liver.
That is why you shouldn’t exercise immediately after eating.
Solution
Please wait about 30 minutes to 1 hour after eating.
Probably, you can read a book or watch Youtube instead of running.
Suppose you want to promote digestion from the food. In that case, you can take Bao He Wan, one of the powerful Chinese herbs, to induce ingestion, especially when you overeat.
Bao He Wan
The principal herbs in this formula are Chinese Hawthorn Fruit and Radish Seed.
The dried Hawthorn fruit has antioxidants and digestion-improving agents.
This study shows that dried Hawthorn fruit accelerated gastrointestinal transit in mice.
And Radish Seed has been using to promote movement of the intestines.
This study indicates that radish extract stimulates gastrointestinal activity through activation of muscarinic pathways.
3. Do not take a bath or soak a hot bath after eating
Taking a Bath immediately after eating may reduce your digestive function because hot water dilates blood vessels and reduces blood flow in the internal organs.
If the blood flow in the stomach and intestines is low, you can’t absorb enough nutrients from food.
When water is too hot, your nervous system activates, and it slows digestive function.
So, I recommend avoiding taking a bath within 1 hour after eating.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I want you to avoid 3 things to prevent proper digestion after eating.
Firstly, please avoid lying down after eating because of acid reflux.
Secondly, do not exercise after eating because it disturbs the digestion properly.
Finally, refrain from soaking a hot bath after eating because you diminish the function of the digestive system.
I hope it helps your condition, and you will be able to have a good time.
Recommended article to read together
Easy 3 Tips You Can Do for Acid Reflux when lying down
Please feel welcome to comment if you have any questions about this post.
Sayonara till next post.
About Author: Satoru Ozawa, DOM, L.Ac, ATC — Doctor of Oriental Medicine, an acupuncturist, and a Chinese herb specialist. With his ten years of experience in Oriental Medicine, he will recommend the best natural Remedies, including Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and health tips to relieve your suffering.
Source
Regurgitation in Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (2013)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3975977/
Pinelliae Rhizoma, a Toxic Chinese Herb, Can Significantly Inhibit CYP3A Activity in Rats(2015)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6272293/
American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook, Second Edition (2013)
Metabolomics reveals the mechanisms for the cardiotoxicity of Pinelliae Rhizoma and the toxicity-reducing effect of processing(2016)
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep34692
Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and Honokiol(2018)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29925102/
Effect of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense (Relora®) on cortisol and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects(2013)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23924268/
Chemical constituents, antioxidant and gastrointestinal transit accelerating activities of dried fruit of Crataegus dahurica (2018)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29291866/
Radish extract stimulates motility of the intestine via the muscarinic receptors (2000)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11007076/
Originally published at https://acpunc.com on July 24, 2021.
