After dinner, should I take a walk or lie down?
That's a problem.
Do you grit your teeth and endure the onslaught of drowsiness, stand up and walk around to burn off the calories, or lie down and enjoy the wonderful dreams and let the weight go with him
Which of these two acts is more noble?
Today we will talk about the problem that has plagued everyone for a long time - the question of whether to go or sleep after dinner.
Food will be quick without walking after a meal
Become body fat?
Of course not.
The digestion and absorption of food into the flesh of the body is a long process, just food in the stomach with stomach acid, pepsin mixed, in the stomach peristalsis and other mechanisms to form chyme, and then into the intestines of this set of processes will take several hours.
And the average person is walking around the house a few times after dinner, doing housework, in fact, it does not consume much calories.
The significance of walking after meals is mainly to let the glucose in the blood flow to the muscles of the limbs slightly, reduce the rate of blood sugar rise, and reduce the secretion of insulin a little, so it is still beneficial to walk more.
At this time, many friends may think, since I don't grow meat so quickly, then can I sleep after eating? Special lunch is very sleepy after eating, why?
Why is it easy to get sleepy after meals? Can I sleep directly?
Drowsiness after meals is a very normal physiological phenomenon, but the reasons behind it should be clarified.
Not because the blood is running to the gastrointestinal tract, the brain ischemia
A widely spread saying is that after a meal, the blood runs to the gastrointestinal tract, and the brain ischemia and lack of oxygen, so we are sleepy.
The blood flow of the digestive system after meals will increase, but the human body has a strong reserve and regulation ability, and there is no evidence that the blood flow of the brain will decrease after meals, and even some studies have found that it has increased. [1]
Moreover, as one of the most important organs of the human body, ensuring its stable blood supply is the highest priority for the operation of the body, so even if the blood distribution of other organs changes, it generally does not affect the blood supply of the brain.
Mainly affected by blood sugar fluctuations and hormones
Our blood sugar rises after meals, so levels of serotonin in the brain are higher, a substance that has a wide range of effects on brain activity, including mood, energy, memory, and sleep regulation.
I also mentioned in the tips on how to sleep better at night before, you can eat some carbohydrate-rich snacks before going to bed, which helps to help the secretion of serotonin in the brain and help sleep calm (generally Chinese there is a lot of carbohydrate in lunch, so it is naturally easy to sleep after lunch).
But in general, I still encourage walking around after meals, because there are many studies showing that if you just go to sleep, long-term control of blood sugar is not conducive to, which can easily lead to fat deposition.
Take a walk after a meal, will the stomach sag?
It is often heard that some people say, "Standing and eating will cause stomach drooping" and "walking around immediately after eating will cause stomach drooping", this statement actually has no basis.
Normal people don't have to worry
Gastric sagging is mainly caused by insufficient diaphragm suspension, decreased ligament function, lax abdominal muscles, decreased intra-abdominal pressure, and the inability to support the stomach normally.
Looking at the keywords "muscle" and "ligament", and imagining the position of the digestive tract when you stand and sit to eat, it is obvious that standing does not have much impact (lying on your stomach and squatting to eat will be oppressive).
As long as the amount of food is normal, healthy muscles and ligaments can still support the stomach to remain in a stable position when eating.
But in people who already have stomach sagging, symptoms may indeed worsen when standing up to eat and when they are exacerbated by post-meal activities, as muscles and ligaments have lost their normal support function.
Causes that can cause stomach sagging
In contrast, frequent overeating, which increases the weight carried by the stomach, the stomach has food retention for a long time, which is more likely to cause stomach sagging.
Frailty, prolonged bed rest, and loss of muscle and ligament function as they age are common causes of gastric sagging.
In addition, multiple pregnancies, or abdominal surgery, can also increase the risk of stomach sagging.
What to do?
In short, if there is a condition after a meal and there is no discomfort in walking, it is better to take a walk.
It is also possible to sleep when you are sleepy, but it should be noted that this may be a reminder to adjust your diet, such as choosing more coarse grains in staple foods and ensuring that there are vegetables at each meal to help control blood sugar.
Do you take a walk or lie down after a meal?
bibliography
[1] "Drowsiness after a meal, has nothing to do with blood supply to the brain" fruit shell
[2] The reason why young people get "stomach drooping" is not eating while standing
This article is reprinted from nutritionist Gu Zhongyi (ID: yy4gz1) with permission, if you need to reprint it for the second time, please contact the original author