He Forgot The Hands That Held Him — Until He Fell Again

 Common Post-Meal Habits That Can Harm Digestion

By Kelvin Muoto

 

He sat by the fire. The light flickered on his face. He had just eaten. The meal sat heavy in his stomach like a stone.

You think the work is done after you eat. But it is only beginning. The body needs calm. Respect. There are things you do that break the fragile order.

Here are seven things you must never do right after eating. The quiet habits that turn the good fight of digestion into a losing battle.

1. Lie Down Immediately

The bed calls. You want to rest. But lying flat after a meal is like lying down in the wrong trench.

The stomach is full. The acid that breaks down food has no fight left. When you lay flat, the acid creeps back into the esophagus. It burns. The doctors say it is called reflux.

You will wake with fire in your throat. The night won’t be kind.

Stand or sit. Let gravity hold the acid where it belongs.

2. Smoke a Cigarette

He lit the cigarette, fingers shaking from the day’s fight. Smoke filled the air. But it was a poison to digestion.

The muscles that close the door between stomach and throat loosen when you smoke. Acid flows freely. The pain returns.

The body is already at war inside. Don’t help the enemy.

3. Drink Ice-Cold Water

The cold water felt like relief. But it slowed the work of the fire in the belly.

Blood vessels shrink in the cold. The heat of digestion needs blood. Less blood means slower work.

The body cools down. The food waits.

4. Exercise Vigorously

You think movement is good. But a hard run or fight right after eating sends blood away from the stomach.

The muscles need fuel. The stomach needs blood to break down what you ate.

Both can’t have enough.

The body loses the fight to digest properly.

5. Brush Your Teeth Immediately

The teeth felt rough. You wanted to clean. But food and acid soften the enamel after a meal.

Brush too soon and the enamel wears away. The damage is slow but sure.

Wait a while. Let the mouth heal.

6. Drink Strong Coffee or Tea

The bitter drink calls. It wakes you up. But caffeine stirs the stomach to make more acid.

Too much acid is not good after a full meal.

It can speed up emptying but also bring discomfort. The balance breaks.

7. Overeat

You fill the plate. You eat with hunger and pride. But too much food weighs down the stomach.

It stretches. The body struggles. Digestion slows. The mind grows dull.

Learn restraint. The body thanks you for it.