There are habits that it is best to do on an empty stomach or not very full. Sleeping, for example. In fact, experts recommend eating at least three hours before going to bed. Studying or working is also another thing that is best not to do after a binge, as the sleep attack can be uncontrollable. The same thing, if we have to take the car.
However, there are things we should not do on an empty stomach, because they go against our health. We detail the most outstanding.
Drink tea or coffee
There are days when I wake up with nothing hunger and all I want is my latte nice and warm. However, I strive to try to eat a good breakfast early and delay a little coffee time, until past 9 am. Still, I confess that lack of hunger or the rush, sometimes I’m leaving home after taking just one coffee. The problem is that drinking coffee on an empty stomach can increase the acidity of our stomach, which translates easily into burning and digestive discomfort throughout the day.
If you are more of tea, you should also take it after eating a little, because it can suppress the secretion of gastric juices, it can adversely affect the absorption of nutrients later and reduce our sense of appetite.
Drink an orange juice
I have mentioned more than once that I like to start the day with orange juice freshly squeezed. But in this case, if I take it, I always do it with toast or a sandwich. While it is true that in certain people, drinking an orange juice on an empty stomach can be a stimulus to avoid constipation, in others it can cause a sudden emptying of the gallbladder, causing discomfort such as nausea or abdominal heaviness. I intuit that I am of this last group, because the juice ‘to dry stick’ does not feel me anything well.
You may also like to read another article on CarolineJoyBlog: Proper nutrition, important tips to improve
Taking medications
Although some medications must be taken on an empty stomach or just before eating, most of them are best taken while eating or just after. Aspirin or ibuprofen, for example, is best taken on a full stomach to prevent stomach irritation, digestive problems and even ulcers. In other cases, it is best to accompany them with food to avoid vomiting or nausea (if these may be side effects of the medication) or to help our body absorb the drug better.
Exercise
There was a time when I liked getting up very early, going down to the gym (just below our house) and doing about 10-15 minutes of elliptical in a gentle way. It helped me to carry the energy to start the day well and clear the mind. Then I showered and prepared a good breakfast. I had recommended as an expert in fitness. One day I decided to do the same, but I tried with a pilates class … And I had to stop, because I was afraid to end up fainting. Also, the fatigue and stiffness I had the following days were epic. The truth is that our body can withstand gentle exercise fasting, plus it ‘might’ have some benefits (although there is much controversy about it …). But exercising from moderate to intense without having eaten can cause us to end up depleting glycogen stores, burning muscle and increasing cardiovascular risk factors. And different studies have proven, furthermore, that it is not effective to burn fat.
Drink alcohol
Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach makes this pass quickly into our bloodstream and expand throughout our body, causing blood vessels to expand. This can cause a temporary decrease in our pulse and our blood pressure.
Travel
Traveling without having eaten anything at all can also make us feel dizzy. A while ago I saw a report on television in which said that salty foods or snacks were very effective to prevent seasickness we can feel when traveling by boat or plane. In fact, on many long-haul flights the first thing served by stewardesses or flight attendants is a bag of peanuts or salty crackers. On the contrary, before traveling it is advised to avoid foods that can produce gases such as broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts.
Go shopping
Go to the supermarket hungry is the worst thing we can do if we want to go home with healthy choices … Different studies have proven that when we are hungry, we tend to choose more fatty foods, sweets or processed.
