Walking after eating is a digestion miracle.
You should strongly consider taking a 10 – 20 minute walk after eating.
Walking after eating a large meal could be a worthy entry into your personal code, especially if you are prone to digestive discomforts like bloating or acid reflux, which are more prevalent when eating large, greasy, or spicy meals.
Walking after eating helps stabilize blood sugar after a meal, so eating does not become a deterrent to energy, and therefore a deterrent to the pursuit of fulfillment.
Eating is a break from pursuing mastery.
Food should be fuel that energizes you to continue your pursuits, not put you into a food-coma where slothing feels more desirable than fulfillment.
You should avoid vigorous training after a meal, like running, martial arts, or other types of training, as this can exacerbate sensitive stomachs, making GERD, acid reflux, or bloating worse.
If you’re on a date or a dinner outing with friends or family, a shared walk afterward is good for everyone.
What not to do after eating
Digestion begins mechanically, in the mouth, via the teeth turning what you eat into a more digestible form; this is why it’s important to chew your food fully, to pass the most digestible version of what you eat farther down. Aim to chew your food 20-30 times if not more, depending on what you are consuming.
After your food is swallowed, it travels through your body, as acids are released throughout the journey to help digestion.
Lying down after eating a large meal is working against digestion.
Do not lie down after eating a large meal.
Gravity helps the digestion process if you walk or stand after eating.
When you stand up, or better yet go on a walk after eating, gravity brings your food down your digestive tract more effectively than sitting, or worse, lying down.
When you lie down after eating, especially on your back, stomach acid can more easily leave the stomach and enter the esophagus, causing GERD, heartburn, and even chest pain, which can be mistaken as a heart attack, causing extreme fear or panic.
One of the worst times to eat a large meal is before bedtime.
Eating before bed is associated with worse sleep quality, night disturbances, as well as nighttime acid reflux. People who eat at night, especially greasy, spicy, or large meals, may be having acid reflux burning through their body all night long, whether they realize it or not.
If you want to lie down or nap after a meal, earn it with a 10-20 minute walk first.
If you eat before bed, take a nocturnal stroll before climbing into bed.
If you are eating a large meal, take a walk afterwards.
