What To Do After Overeating?

Overeating shouldn’t be a common problem on one’s fitness journey. We’d like to think that people who read Corpus Aesthetics don’t really need this advice because they’re self-disciplined and don’t cheat on their diet. 😉

However, the concept of “cheat day” is a thing, as well as indulging in too much food during holidays or on your birthday.

And finally, maybe some people who are not into fitness just yet will stumble upon this article after overeating, and the rest of the articles on the blog may inspire them to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Because of this, we think it’s necessary to publish this article, for the benefit of gym rats and couch potatoes alike. So, without further ado, we present to you these five remedies that help after overeating.

Apple cider vinegar

This amazing home remedy contains healthy probiotics. What are probiotics, you ask? Well, have you ever heard of the “good” bacteria that are very important for the functioning of our body? That’s exactly what probiotics are – they’re yeasts and live bacteria that are good for our digestion. When our gut is working slowly, which happens after overeating, probiotics restore the work of our digestive system.

How to apply this tip? Mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a glass of water and drink it.

Baking soda

Baking soda is a natural antacid. It’s a popular ingredient in all sorts of cleaning recipes, from drain unclogging and various sorts of degreasing, all the way up to homemade skin scrubs. 

Since it’s edible (in small quantities) and even has health benefits, its antacid properties can help you “unclog” your gut after overeating

How to apply this tip? Mix half a teaspoon of baking soda with a glass of water and drink it.

Lay on your left side

“Lay down after eating” may not seem like a ground-breaking piece of advice, but it’s very important that you lay on your left side.

As we already explained in our article about lower back pain exercises, your stomach is located on the left side of your gut, and the food you have eaten enters it through esophagus, on its right side.

Should you lay on the right side, you would “undo” the process of food entering the stomach, which would make you feel even more bloated.

However, when you lay on your left side, you are aiding the stomach and the esophagus to perform their role in the process of digestion, simply because the force of gravity will play a role that’s complementary to their position in your gut.    

How to apply this tip? As you probably assume, all you need to do is just lay on your left side! Stay like this for a while, usually just 10-15 minutes should do.

Vajraasana yoga pose

Just like most physical exercises, yoga shouldn’t be practiced on a full stomach. However, Vajraasana, also known as Adamantine Pose or Thunderbolt pose, is an exception to this rule. Not only is it ok to practice it on a full stomach, but it’s in fact more effective that way, because it promotes digestion. 

How to apply this tip? Perform this pose on the floor. You may place a cushion under your legs if it’s more comfortable. At first, kneel on the floor, and after that, sit on your feet. Once you’ve done that, place your palms on your knees. Now, start taking slow deep breaths. You can stay like this for as long as possible, ideally up to 10 minutes.

Take a short walk

If you are not feeling too bad or too bloated, taking a short walk after eating may aid your digestion and regulate your level of blood sugar. In other words, this is especially useful for people who are at risk of type 2 diabetes. 

How to apply this tip? Just a 15-minute walk should do. Don’t do anything that’s exhausting and don’t walk too quickly. Simply activating your muscles by walking will be enough.

Again, in case you’re feeling seriously bloated, other tips from this article may be better than taking a walk.

We hope that this article was useful to you. However, we also hope that you won’t need to resort to the advice presented here too often. Remember, a healthy balanced diet, along with regular physical exercise, is the best way to not only improve your health, but also to improve your mood and your overall wellbeing. There’s very little place left for overeating in a balanced lifestyle – but should it ever happen, now you know how to deal with it.