We have all experiencing food coma now and then, but if it happens to you every weekend or every time you go to a restaurant then you have to change something. It’s simply not normal to feel bloated, sleepy, and sluggish after every meal.
However, what if you don’t overeat and you have a healthy diet but still feel bloated and sluggish afterward? This is where digestion comes. Unfortunately, a lot of people aren’t aware that their eating habits are the reason they feel that way.
Experts advise avoiding the following 3 unhealthy eating habits:
1. Consuming Protein and Starch Together
All the glorious food combinations like burgers and fries, eggs Benedict, steak, and mashed potato make us want to pass out on the couch after eating them. Consuming large amounts of protein (chicken, eggs, fish, beef, etc.) and starch (pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, etc.) at the same time, can cause acid reflux and indigestion.
The reason for this is that starches have a much faster rate of digestion into simple sugars, while protein digests much slower. Although starches should leave the stomach quite fast and enter the small intestine to proceed with the next stage of digestion, when mixed with protein, they have to stay in the stomach for hours and wait until the end of the protein digestion.
And when starches stay in the stomach for too long, they ferment and release gasses that make us belch.
Solution
Consume the starch first, and then the protein. The key is not to exaggerate the rice and potatoes. Vegetables with starch or protein are excellent combinations.
Drinking Ice-Cold Water During Your Meal
If you drink water while eating, make sure it has room temperature rather than cold. Ice-cold water causes constriction of blood vessels and hampers the digestion and absorption of nutrients. It also hinders the digestion of consumed fats, as it solidifies them. Moreover, your body will use its energy to balance its temperature instead of using it for digestion.
Solution
Before the start of your meal, slowly drink some green tea or hot water (with lemon) to prepare your gut for proper digestion. Always order room-temperature drinks without ice.
These bits of advice for optimal digestion will show the best results for those who suffer from weak digestion as opposed to people who rarely feel sluggish or bloated after a meal. Moreover, they are especially useful when you know some big celebratory meal or big brunch is coming on.
Consuming Plenty of Water with Your Meal
You may be surprised by hearing that drinking a lot of water is an unhealthy eating habit, but this counts only during your meals. And when it comes to the rest of the day, you should consume a lot of water as there’s nothing better for your health than this natural fluid. Drinking small sips with your meal will help digestion, but drinking multiple glasses of water will make you feel bloated and will give you ingestion.
Once the food enters the stomach, the stomach lining begins secreting HCL (hydrochloric acid) which helps the digestion process. It is highly acidic since it needs to break big chunks of food into miniature absorbable nutrients. Drinking a lot of water with your meal will dilute the acid and will lessen its efforts. Imagine your stomach full of chunks of food floating around, and HCL fizzing out in the effort to do its job.
Solution
Drink only a glass of water with your meal in small sips. Consume plenty of water an hour before or after the meal.
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