Everyone knows that an unhealthy diet may lead to terrible diseases, but people often ignore some small habits after meals. Unbeknownst to them, these seemingly insignificant bad habits could potentially become fatal "killers" for their health. Here's a summary of what not to do within an hour after eating:
1. Loosening your belt after a meal
Phenomenon: Many people feel too full after overeating and loosen their belt buckle, especially obese individuals who think this will make their stomach more comfortable and reduce the "workload" on their stomach. In reality, this actually burdens your stomach! The result is gastropexy (a condition where the stomach droops).
Correction method: Take a leisurely walk if you're very full. Slow walking can help with stomach movement and allow it to empty faster, so slow walking is a suitable choice.
2. Eating fruit immediately after a meal
Phenomenon: Many people like to eat fruit after meals, believing it supplements the carbohydrates and trace elements needed by the body, helps cut grease, and improves digestion. However, there are many misconceptions about this. Over time, this can cause bloating, diarrhea, or constipation.
Correction method: It's best to eat fruit between meals.
Eating fruit after a meal adds a bit more burden to the gastrointestinal tract, but for normal individuals, it's not a big issue. What needs attention is that fruits contain dietary fiber in addition to vitamins, which can affect the absorption of certain nutrients, such as trace elements. Therefore, it's best to eat fruit between meals. For those with elevated blood sugar levels, it's especially not advisable to eat fruit immediately after a meal.
3. Drinking strong tea after a meal
Phenomenon: Chinese people love drinking tea, and having tea with meals seems like a complete service. However, drinking strong tea before or after meals is a very harmful habit! The result is indigestion and iron-deficiency anemia.
Correction method: Have soup and water with your meal.
Having soup and water with your meal helps dissolve the nutrients in food, aiding digestion and absorption in the small intestine. If you don't replenish fluids before or during the meal, you'll become dehydrated due to the secretion of digestive juices, leading to thirst. At this point, drinking water will dilute the gastric juice and affect digestion.
After meals, switch from strong tea to light tea. Don't expect strong tea to reduce drowsiness, as this will interfere with nutrient absorption.
4. Smoking after a meal
Phenomenon: "A cigarette after a meal is better than being a celestial immortal," is the slogan of smokers. However, the resulting disease damages the liver, brain, and cardiovascular system.
Correction methods:
1. Cigarette smoke contains radiation agents harmful to the bronchi and lung tissue. Tea has anti-radiation properties, so smokers should drink tea while smoking to protect against radiation and promote health.
2. Vitamin C plays a significant role in eliminating nicotine in the body, enhancing cellular resistance, and maintaining vascular elasticity. Foods rich in vitamin C include oranges, lemons, kiwis, fresh jujubes, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, bitter melon, carrots, radishes, etc. Therefore, smokers should also enjoy fruits and vegetables.
3. Vitamin B2 can break down harmful substances like benzopyrene in tar, while fiber can expel the breakdown products from the body. Thus, smokers should consume more foods rich in vitamin B2, such as animal livers, eggs, milk, mushrooms, peanuts, lean meat, yeast, wheat, spinach, leeks, turnips, and cabbage.
4. Iron and vitamin B12 effectively alleviate oxygen transport disorders, so smokers can appropriately supplement foods rich in iron, such as animal livers, meat, egg yolks, seaweed, beans, and foods rich in vitamin B12, such as milk, eggs, fish, clams, beer.
5. Smoking can also lead to cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. Regularly drinking persimmon leaf tea and eating fish and caviar can prevent arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
I will continue to introduce other things not to do after meals tomorrow.
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