After having a dinner, a number of people have a tendency to lay down and watch a movie or just chill without knowing that this is a terrible habit which can be extremely harmful to their overall health.

So, today we have a list of 5 things that you should never do after having a dinner or lunch:

Many people are aware that smoking is extremely harmful to their health and yet they still continue with this terrible habit, and they even do it right after having a meal. It is very important to wait a few hours after having a meal and then smoke a cigarette because cigarettes contain nicotine which can bind to the excess oxygen essential for digestion, thus allowing the body to absorb more carcinogens than usual. According to some studies, smoking right after a meal is equal to smoking 10 cigarettes at once. In addition, this can increase your risk of lung and bowel cancer.

Eat Fruit
The best time for consuming fruit is before a meal, on an empty stomach due to the fact that fruits require different enzymes in order to digest. Also, the sugars contained in fruit need more time so they can be completely absorbed. Do not forget to mention that you will obtain the best benefits from all the nutrients, fiber and other sugars when your stomach is empty. Eating fruit after a meal, on the other hand, can cause heartburn, indigestion, and burping.

If you go to bed right after having a meal, it is more likely to experience discomfort, bloating and other sleeping patterns because this can cause your stomach to burn during the night. The University of Ioannina Medical School conducted a study which proved that people who waited a longer period of time to go to bed after having a meal, had less risk of experiencing a stroke. So, make sure not to eat at least a few hours before going to sleep.

Showering right after having a meal can increase the blood flow in the legs and hands, thus reducing the blood flow in the stomach. This will weaken your digestive system and lead to stomach pain.

Drink Tea
You should never drink tea right after having dinner because it can interfere with the iron absorption. The tea contains a tannic acid which can bind with iron and protein in our food. It is scientifically proven that in most cases this results in 87% decrease in absorption of iron. And iron deficiency can cause anemia, thus causing pale skin, poor appetite, chest pain, cold feet and hands, dizziness, weakness, and extreme fatigue.

So, you can conclude that there are certain things that you should avoid right after having a meal. Make sure to make a mental note of the time and leave some space in between eating fruit, drinking tea, or lying down!