8 Mistakes You are Making After Eating a Meal

In this article, I will share with you 8 mistakes that most people make after eating a meal that become the reason for problems like obesity, constipation, nutritional deficiencies, and can even cause chronic health issues. We will also discuss the simple ways to fix them. So without any further delay, let’s get started.

#8 Drinking Water After Meals

Do you often gulp a glass of water right after a meal? Avoid doing that. When we eat a meal, our body’s temperature rises to digest the food. But if we drink water just after a meal, it naturally lowers the body temperature reducing its digestive ability.

When we drink water after a meal, the gastric juices get diluted. As a result, food doesn’t get digested properly and rots within the system. And when food rots within the system, not only does it fail to digest the nutrients from it but it also brings along digestive problems.

Consider a fire. If you throw water on it, it will extinguish leaving behind smoke. Exactly the same thing happens when we drink too much water after a meal. Gas and bloating. Relatable?

Ayurveda equates drinking water after meals to poison which can cause huge weight gain. Simply rinsing the mouth is an effective way to reduce the urge to drink water. Well, a sip or two is still okay but from next time, try to wait for at least 30 minutes before you drink water after a meal.

#7 Having Fruits After a Meal

We love eating sweets after a meal. But when we get health conscious, we prefer fruits after a meal. But doing this, you are actually messing up with your digestive system.

Let’s say you eat a full meal and then end up having fruits. Now, grains take around 4 hours to get digested while fruits get digested much faster, within an hour or so. 

The piece of fruit which was ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestine is now prevented by the chapati which was taken just before. It's like a bus which doesn’t allow a bike to overtake.

As a result, the fruits fail to reach intestines and start fermenting in the stomach itself. This is the reason you might have heard people complaining: "I feel gassy after eating fruits" or "I feel like running to the toilet after I eat fruits." All such problems will vanish once you make a habit to eat fruits before the meals and not after. Mango, however, is an exception.

#6 Drinking Tea After a Meal

Do you have this habit of enjoying a cup of tea after your meals? It gives a sudden kick that prevents drowsiness caused by a big meal. Isn’t it? However, this is a mistake that can make your body deficient in important nutrients.

Tea has tannins which have the tendency to bind with iron, zinc, and calcium interfering with their absorption. There are studies that suggest if one regularly drinks tea after a meal, it increases the chances of iron deficiency manifold.

And yes, the same is true for green tea as well. This is often why people who have this habit of drinking tea after a meal experience extreme fatigue, low hemoglobin level, pale skin, and weakness.

So, it is always best that you keep a gap of at least 1 hour between a meal and tea. A smart option can be to have a herbal tea, something like ginger tea which will not only have a similar satisfying effect but will also support digestion.

#5 Bathing After a Meal

Do you have your breakfast first and then get ready for the day? Or do you after coming back from office, first take your dinner and then go for a shower? If the answer to any of these is yes then your digestive system isn’t happy with you.

When you eat a meal, there is a lot of blood flow towards the stomach and intestines to help with digestion. But when you take bath immediately after eating, blood rushes to other body organs to maintain its core temperature. As a result, limited blood flow will be left for digestion.

Now you had eaten a nutritious meal full of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. But since it didn’t get the optimal environment for its digestion, it sits within the stomach producing toxins.

So, always take a shower before the meals and never after. If you want to take a shower after a meal, at least wait for an hour.

#4 Lying Down After a Meal

Do you often feel like lying down after a meal? Or do you generally have your dinner late and then immediately go to bed? Just this one mistake can cause increase in belly fat and problems like acidity and heartburn.

First things first, if you feel sleepy after a meal chances are that you are overeating. Dozing immediately after a meal causes insulin sensitivity and slowed metabolism. This not only causes gain in weight but even increases the risk of diabetes and blood pressure.

Moreover, it's a proven fact that our body is most comfortable digesting the food in an upright position. Lying down after eating is like tilting a glass full of water. Stomach acid can flow back into the food pipe, triggering symptoms of acid reflux. This can damage the food pipe and cause acidity and heartburn.

So, it's advisable to wait before lying down after eating. Best is to keep a gap of at least 2 hours between your dinner and sleep time.

Also Read: Do these 5 Things while taking Bath  for glowing skin, strong hair and better overall health

#3 Smoking After a Meal

Smokers may be tempted to have an after-meal cigarette, but it's best they resist the urge. No doubt, smoking is bad all the time but scientific studies suggest that one cigarette after a meal is as dangerous as ten cigarettes smoked together. Shocking, isn’t it?

When we smoke after a meal, the nicotine from the stomach gets metabolized more due to more blood flow in the stomach. This simply means that the body will absorb nicotine from the cigarette much faster and in much more quantity than it would otherwise.

Just one cigarette contains as many as 60 cancer-causing substances in it. Experts say that if you smoke right after a meal, you are increasing the risk of having IBS and stomach ulcers manifold.

So it's best you quit smoking or at least never light a cigarette after a meal.

#2 Having Sex After a Meal

Masturbation or sexual intercourse is best avoided after eating a meal. During sexual activity, blood flow increases to the genital area. If your body is still processing a meal, this redirection of blood flow might not be ideal for proper digestion and can cause discomfort, bloating, or indigestion.

So, it's best that you wait for at least an hour after a meal before you indulge in sexual activity. While one should not have sex after a meal, it's beneficial to eat immediately after having sexual intercourse.

#1 Exercise Immediately After a Meal

Do you often hit the gym, go for a jog, swim or do any other strenuous exercise right after a meal? Well, you are asking for acidity and heaviness in the stomach.

Exercising right after meals can disrupt your digestion process due to divergence of blood flow which was needed in the stomach rather than in muscles. The only exercise that is prescribed after a meal is vajrasana and that’s because it pushes more blood towards the stomach, helping in digestion.

When it comes to light exercise like walking, 15 minutes after a meal is advisable. Although, for strenuous activities, one must wait for at least an hour.

Summary Table: 8 Mistakes to Avoid After Eating

Mistake	Effect	Recommended Action
Drinking water immediately	Dilutes gastric juices, poor digestion, gas, bloating	Wait at least 30 minutes before drinking water
Eating fruits after meal	Fruits ferment in stomach causing gas and discomfort	Eat fruits before meals (except mango)
Drinking tea after meal	Interferes with nutrient absorption, causes anemia	Wait at least 1 hour before tea; try herbal tea instead
Bathing after meal	Diverts blood flow, slows digestion, toxin build-up	Take shower before meals or wait 1 hour after eating
Lying down after meal	Acidity, heartburn, weight gain, slowed metabolism	Stay upright; wait 2 hours before lying down
Smoking after meal	Increased nicotine absorption, risk of IBS and ulcers	Quit smoking; never smoke immediately after meals
Sex after meal	Blood flow diverted from digestion causing discomfort	Wait at least 1 hour after eating before sex
Strenuous exercise immediately	Disrupts digestion, causes acidity and heaviness	Wait 1 hour before strenuous exercise; walking after 15 min

Final Thoughts

To recap, here are the eight things you should avoid immediately after eating:

• Drinking water
• Having fruits
• Drinking tea
• Bathing
• Lying down
• Smoking
• Sexual activity
• Strenuous exercise

Smoking after a meal increases nicotine absorption by as high as 10 times. Always take a bath before a meal and keep a gap of at least 30 minutes after a meal before you drink water.

If you often feel like lying down after a meal, chances are that you are overeating. Fruits are best eaten before a meal and not after. Tea immediately after a meal can make you anemic, so keep a gap of at least 1 hour. The only exercise that can be done after a meal is vajrasana. For walking, wait 20 minutes, and for all other strenuous exercises, give a gap of at least 1 hour.

Which one of these 8 mistakes was most relatable to you? Feel free to reflect on your habits and make small changes that can have a big impact on your health and digestion.

FAQs About Post-Meal Habits

1. Is it really harmful to drink water right after eating?

   Yes, drinking a lot of water immediately after eating dilutes gastric juices, slowing digestion and causing gas and bloating. It's better to wait at least 30 minutes.

2. Why should fruits be eaten before meals and not after?

   Fruits digest quickly and if eaten after a heavy meal, they get trapped behind slower-digesting foods, fermenting in the stomach and causing discomfort.

3. Can drinking tea after meals cause anemia?

   Tea contains tannins that bind to iron and other minerals inhibiting their absorption, which over time can contribute to anemia, especially if consumed immediately after meals regularly.

4. Is it okay to lie down immediately after eating?

   Lying down right after eating can cause acid reflux, heartburn, and weight gain. It's best to remain upright for at least two hours after a meal.

5. What kind of exercise is safe after eating?

   Light walking 15 minutes after a meal is generally safe. Strenuous exercise should be avoided for at least one hour. Vajrasana is an exception as it aids digestion.

6. Why is smoking after a meal more harmful?

   Smoking after eating increases blood flow to the stomach, which leads to faster and greater absorption of nicotine and other harmful substances, increasing health risks.

7. Is it really bad to bathe after eating?

   Bathing immediately after a meal diverts blood away from the digestive system, slowing digestion and potentially causing toxin buildup. Wait at least an hour after eating.

8. Should sexual activity be avoided after eating?

   Yes, because sexual activity redirects blood flow away from the digestive system, which can cause indigestion and discomfort. Waiting an hour after eating is advisable.