My youngest brother recently celebrated his 50th birthday and as a tradition, organized a big party with all possible details. Food, served around eleven at night, booze and service were all excellent. The band played all our favourite numbers and we danced to our hearth's delight. All by all a moment worthwhile remembering and repeating.After a very short night rest I woke up the morning after with a terrible hang-over and an upset stomach. An urgent trip to the drugstore to look for an over the counter drug was part of my morning after routine.
Frequently we forget the main reason for consuming food.We tend to connect food to celebration and satisfaction. Sometimes it's even used for compensation. We should eat for:
- Energy (Fuel in our body)
- Regeneration (new cells and bones)
Satisfaction and celebrating should be our least reasons for consuming food.The above order is often turned around to comply with our mental and emotional satisfaction.
Food Mixing
Food mixing is basically essential, but who cares about selecting food when celebrating?
We eat, drink, party and moreover do not question our body's ability to handle all of it.
Already in 1945 it was researched and reported by one Arthur Cason M.D., that protein and carbohydrates eaten at the same meal, delay and even prevent digestion. Proper food combination results in proper break down, complete absorption and utilization of the nutrients by the human body.
Proteins do not mix with any other solid food. They solely make a digestible match with vegetables. When eaten combination with other food they sit down in the stomach for over three to four overtime hours or more, resulting in putrefaction, fermentation, gas, flatulence heartburn and acidity.
No wonder my liver was put under pressure and reacted causing a heavy hangover the morning after the night before!
Drinking while eating
Drinking usually involves alcohol and sugar containing beverages which introduce a next level of complicity to the affair of digestion. Most of us have a digestive system with an average function though we are not fully aware of it. We assume that all is well since we do not feel anything. Mostly we drink, because we don’t thoroughly chew our food. Another reason may be that our food contains too many salt or hot additives.
It is recommended to drink half an hour to fifteen minutes before we start eating and one hour to ninety minutes after. Indeed, that much time, in order to give our intestinal acids, an opportunity to do their job and avoid undesired affects.The only liquid, to eventually accompany our food is dry wine. Sweet wines and all other soft drinks and juices should be excluded
Fruit with the meal or alone?
Next is the fact of eating fruit after consuming our meal. Fruit contains a lot of natural sugars and liquid and should always to be eaten on an empty digestive system and furthermore never be mixed. When fruit is eaten it passes from the mouth to the stomach and almost directly continues its way to the digestive system. Due to its high contents of sugar and liquid, fruit easily ferments in the system and causes a high grade of acidity. Good food is usually followed by a delicious dessert, mostly full of sugar. Here a complete new chapter of food digestion starts.
No wonder, a variety over the counter drugs to handle all types of gastric indigestion and an upset stomach is big business nowadays.
Always start with the end in mind
If you wish to prevent digestive disturbances after a party night following these steps will make your after-party day a joy:
- avoid eating and drinking at the same time.
- avoid eating fruits after a meal. Always eat fruits on an empty digestive system
- avoid mixing fruits. Not all fruits match go together.
- avoid using sugar and artificial sugar substitutes.
- avoid eating late at night. 8’oclock at night is the indicative time to stop eating.
If eating for any reason after 8’oclock pm. keep it simple. Choose to eat one solid protein, if any, and a bunch of vegetables.
It’s a fact that “What and How I eat today, I feel, Smell and Am tomorrow“
Oh so true!!
