5 Bad Eating Habits That You Should Avoid

Nutritious food isn’t the only thing you need to think about when you’re trying to stay healthy, you also need to have healthy habits!

Some of the most common, pre and post eating habits are in fact the worst. I’ve put together a brief list of common habits that I’ve heard of over the years and I’ll explain why each and every one can be harmful to your body.

1. Sleeping Directly After Eating

Lying down and falling asleep right after eating a meal can cause severe indigestion. I know eating a large meal can make you drowsy, but don’t let that feeling fool you! One of the reasons why you feel tired after eating is because your body is working extra hard to digest all of the food.

If you fall asleep too soon after eating a meal, your body’s processes (including digestion) will slow down and become extremely inefficient. If you sleep after meals, often you can develop infections in your digestive tract and intestines.

2. Eating Fruit for Dessert

I know fruit is a healthy option for dessert but you might have to wait about 30 minutes before you indulge on this nutritious dessert. Eating fruit after heavier foods such as starches, carbohydrates, or meats can inhibit your body’s inability to digest properly.

The fruit will make it more difficult for the heavier foods to move through your intestines, making your body work much harder for digestion, and most likely causing indigestion.

3. Drinking Tea After a Meal

If your meal includes protein, you may want to think twice before having tea after your meal. Tea is often acidic and this acid can harden the protein in your body. When the protein you ingested becomes hard, it is much more difficult for your body to digest it.

As well, drinking tea after a meal can make it more difficult for your body to absorb the vitamins and minerals that were in your meal.

4. Loosening Your Belt to Avoid Feeling Bloated

Loosening your belt doesn’t necessarily do anything harmful to your body, however it does play a role in tricking your mind while eating. You may have heard that untying your top button, or taking off your belt while eating can knot your intestines but this has never been proven.

I’d like to take this opportunity to point out that if you’re eating to the point of discomfort then you are most likely overeating! So don’t eat up until the point where you have to undo your pants! In addition, undoing your button or belt can make you feel like you have more room for food, which is completely false and will only promote more overeating.

5. Taking a Bath After a Late Dinner

I know the thought of taking a relaxing bath right before bed time is alluring (especially for those in wintery climates) but try to resist the temptation. Soaking in hot water encourages your blood to flow outwards towards your extremities, and away from your core.

After you eat, you need to allow your body to naturally administer blood flow, especially to your stomach, which is in full digestion mode. When your blood isn’t being pumped to your stomach to aid in digestion, you can experience severe indigestion.

It’s important to practice good eating habits – not just for your ability to absorb nutrients and get the most out of what you eat, but to improve your physical comfort as well.