Taboos after a full meal
You should not exercise, bathe or go to bed after eating to avoid harming your stomach.
After you eat, blood will rush to the spleen and stomach todigestfood. Therefore, performing activities that affect blood circulation after meals can cause bloating and indigestion:
Do exercise
Vigorous exercise will promote blood flow to the muscles, causing the spleen and stomach to not have enough energy to digest food and causing discomfort. You should only take a light walk after meals.
If you want to run or do strenuous exercise, you should do it 30-60 minutes after eating, ideally 2 hours. About 30 minutes after food enters the stomach, the stomach will start to empty.
Brush one's teeth
![]() |
Photo illustration: Broomfielddentists |
Brushing your teeth immediately after a meal may seem healthy, but it is not recommended by dentists. Studies have shown that when saliva begins to break down food, the mouth becomes more acidic, and tooth enamel becomes softer.
Brushing your teeth now will damage the enamel, so rinse with mouthwash first. Brush or floss after about 15-20 minutes.
Sleep
Sleeping immediately after a meal slows down the body's metabolism and physiological functions. This not only harms digestion, but also promotes fat accumulation and can cause gastric reflux.
If you want to take a nap, you should rest 30 minutes after eating. If it's dinner, you should eat 3 hours before going to bed.
Also, when food enters your mouth, your body signals your digestive system to start working. If you go to sleep, your body cannot truly rest.
Food will go instomachfrom top to bottom. Lying flat will prevent food from entering the stomach. If you want to sleep, you should sit, use a recliner or sleep on your right side.
Drink ice water
![]() |
Photo illustration: Broomfielddentists |
In the summer, many people feel refreshed after drinking ice water. However, at that time, the stomach cools down quickly and vasoconstricts, affecting the digestive process, causing stomach cramps.
You should use ice at least 1 hour after a full meal to avoid sudden irritation of the stomach and intestines.
Bath and massage
Bathing and massaging will help blood circulation. Warm and hot water will dilate the skin and speed up blood circulation on the skin surface. Therefore, you should soak and bathe 30 minutes after eating.
Meanwhile, massage uses external pressure to bring blood to the pressed skin area. This will affect the amount of blood to the spleen and stomach to digest food.