Late-night eating may not automatically result in getting pot belly – Nutritionist
A nutritionist, Fred Amese, has debunked claims that late-night eating is a major cause of pot belly.
According to him, eating late at night may not automatically result in one developing a protruding belly.
Mr Amese made this revelation while speaking to Jonnie Hughes on the health segment of the 3FM Sunrise Morning Show.
“People tend to say that when you eat late at night, you would get pot belly; it is not true.”
He went on to clarify that the problem is not about the time you eat, instead, the problem is about the duration between your last meal and your sleeping time.
“So you can say oh for me I eat my supper at 6pm. I don’t eat late at night. If you eat at 6pm and 6:15pm you are sleeping and someone eats at 11pm and sleeps at 1am, you the one eating at 6pm have done nothing. You would develop a pot belly and the one eating at 11pm would not have a pot belly,” he explained.
He stressed that the issue about late-night eating “is not about the time per se”. It is about the duration between the time one eats and the time the person goes to sleep.
“So don’t worry yourself about ‘oh it’s late I won’t eat’. If it’s late and you are hungry, eat. But make sure that you wait enough, move around, do some brisk walking, etc,” Fred Amese stated.
The nutritionist also cautioned people who are guilty of sitting in front of their television to have their supper and fall asleep immediately after eating. He noted that the habit is unhealthy and may result in getting a pot belly.
“Such people would develop pot belly even if that eating is done at 6pm,” he cautioned.
5 unhealthy things you do right after eating that need to stop
It’s good to watch what you are eating but what you do after your meal is even more crucial.
Here are a few unhealthy post-meal practices that can create havoc with your body.
Taking a nap after a meal may seem like a happy experience, but doing this can hamper the process of digestion and may take a long time to break down the food molecules. Thus, it is best to avoid sleeping right after eating a heavy meal.
Research has shown that when you drink water right after your meals, it reduces the secretion of enzymes and juices in the stomach. It may cause acidity and bloating, making digestion difficult.
Experts advise that one should drink water at least half an hour before having a meal. You should wait for an hour after you’re done eating before reaching out for a glass of water.
Always avoid bathing right after eating a heavy meal as it delays the process of digestion. This is because bathing impacts the blood flow around the stomach, which flows to other parts of the body during a shower and hampers digestion.
Exercising right after meals can disrupt your digestion process. You may even experience vomiting, stomach puffiness, and loose motions.
The only exercise that is prescribed after a meal is doing vajrasana. It aids the digestion process, experts suggest. Other than that, you should avoid everything.
If you are someone who loves smoking right after a meal as a daily ritual, then this will impact your health and metabolism silently. According to health experts, smoking after a meal is equal to smoking 10 cigarettes.
