5 mistakes that ruin your digestion (and how to stop making them)

Many times we believe that we are following a correct, balanced and healthy diet but there are several factors that can clearly determine How does that food make us feel?which, no matter how healthy it is, sometimes causes us discomfort, gas or heaviness.

Habits that you must abandon to improve your digestion

Today I am going to tell you 5 ways in which we ruin our digestions after eating so that you can avoid it as soon as possible and feel free of discomfort.

1. The famous siesta

Yes, I know that it feels very, VERY good to lie down with a full belly but it is not the best option if we want to lighten our digestions. The same happens when we ate very late and we went to bed right away.

When we lie down after eating, we allow our gastric juices tend to rise into the esophagus and cause heartburn. (1) When we are upright, sitting or standing, the juices are where they should be to carry out their task, that of “breaking down” all the food we eat so that they can enter our body and thus nourish us.

Sleeping automatically slows down our digestive system, so eating a large meal before bed can leave you feeling bloated and even full the next morning when you wake up. so it is recommended eat dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime.

2. High intensity physical exercise

Even if we don’t feel full after eating, it is counterproductive start practicing sports, since your body needs its energy and components to digest. By doing physical exercise we could be taking away these necessary elements from our digestive system. This can lead to dizziness, cramps, and even diarrhea. (2)

When we start practicing sports after eating, the blood begins to circulate in such a way that it carries all the nutrients and oxygen to the muscles, leaving the stomach devoid of a constant flow or less blood, greatly slowing down digestion.

It’s like pretending to write a poem while you’re painting a picture. One thing after another better.

3. Drink water with meals

If we need to drink while we are eating it is fine as long as we do it sips and let’s not abuse it. In other words, let’s not drink whole glasses of water when we are swallowing food, otherwise we will be diluting gastric juices too much and it will make them not have as much strength to perform their function.

I also do not advise drinking cold water or with ice We may feel like it on a hot day, but drinking ice cold water can put out the digestive fire that helps us “break down” the food we eat. It is preferable to drink seasonal water or a little hot as in a tea or infusion.

4. The best fruit alone

When I talk about the correct combination of foods, this premise always comes out. Fruit is a group of foods that digest very quickly, and when you eat it followed by a meal, it sits on top of everything and its sugars ferment, causing gas and bloating.

When the fruit is eaten alone (about 30-20 minutes before the meal or 2-3 hours after) your body can digest it immediately.

5. Stay out of the water

If you are used to having breakfast and then taking a shower, or having dinner and then pouring hot water on you to relax from the stress of the day, I advise you to change the order and you will feel better.

When you get in the shower, your body temperature increases and your blood rushes to the surface of your skin, hands and feet. Instead of focusing on the task of digesting, you suddenly get distracted.

The heat of the shower causes the body to regulate its temperature in a different way allowing blood flow to be directed away from vital organs and digestion to slow down.

Improve your digestions

Now that we know what NOT to DO after eating so as not to worsen our digestions, here they go some tips to improve them:

Start your meals with a good salad or with some raw ingredient before eating the cooked. This will provide you with active enzymes that will help you better digest the rest of the food. If you have very heavy and difficult digestions, I advise you to take digestive enzymes to improve this condition, until regulating it naturally when making the change of habits. Look for natural options such as papain or bromelain in your diet or herbalist. (3)Maintain a relaxed tone at the table and do not submit to stressful situations that could interrupt your digestion.

Bibliography

The dangers of eating late at night (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/opinion/sunday/the-dangers-of-eating-late-at-night.html) Runner’s diarrhea: how can I prevent it? (http://www.mayoclinic.org/runners-diarrhea/expert-answers/faq-20058107) Digestive enzyme supplementation in gastrointestinal diseases (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4923703/ )