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“You are what you eat.” You’ve surely heard this well-known saying. However, what we do before the meal itself also has a big impact on our health.
There are 9 things you should avoid doing especially when you have an empty stomach, or if at least 2 hours have passed since your last meal. And those are exactly what we’ll discuss in today’s article.
As a bonus, we’ll also reveal at the end what you should do instead when you feel hungry.
1. Do not take anti-inflammatory drugs
Common pain and anti-inflammatory medications, for example aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen, should not be taken on an empty stomach.
Not only does this reduce their effect, but they can cause serious health problems, such as bleeding in the stomach or intestines.
Milk tends to reduce the undesirable effects of these drugs. If you don’t have it on hand, at least drink plenty of plain water when taking them.
2. Do not drink coffee
Even decaffeinated coffee stimulates the production of stomach acids, which on an empty stomach can cause heartburn or other digestive problems.
If you also skip breakfast after drinking coffee on an empty stomach, the result can be a lack of serotonin and a bad mood for the rest of the day.
If you can’t give up the habit of drinking coffee first thing in the morning, at least add milk or cream to it. Just like in the previous case, milk can blunt its undesirable effects on the stomach.
It’s also better to drink real coffee than instant.
3. Do not drink alcohol
Without food, the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into the blood doubles and approaches the effect of being injected directly into a vein.
At the same time, the breakdown of alcohol’s metabolic products is impaired, often resulting in a severe hangover. The rapid effect of alcohol on the body has harmful consequences for your liver, heart and kidneys.
If you find yourself offered an alcoholic drink and you haven’t eaten, choose a chilled, non-carbonated alcoholic beverage. This type is absorbed more slowly.
Also try to eat at least one small sandwich, ideally one with butter on it (fat binds alcohol).
4. Do not chew gum
Stomach acids that are secreted while chewing gum damage the stomach lining. Frequent chewing on an empty stomach can lead to gastritis.
It has been scientifically proven that people who chew gum prefer fast-food items like fries or various sweets over fruit and vegetables.
If you do chew gum, at least choose ones that contain natural sweeteners like xylitol and sorbitol rather than sugar, sodium cyclamate or aspartame.
It is also not recommended to chew gum for longer than 10 minutes, not even on a full stomach.
5. Do not go to bed
Hunger and low blood sugar prevent us from falling asleep, cause shallow sleep and trigger premature awakening.
It is also interesting that lack of sleep increases levels of hunger hormones. That’s why the next day after skipping dinner we eat more.
However, eating right before bed is not a good idea either. It’s best to have a glass of warm milk with honey then.
Milk contains calcium and magnesium — minerals that support sleep. Honey increases blood glucose levels and helps us fall asleep more easily.
6. Do not exercise intensely
There is an opinion that exercising on an empty stomach burns more calories. The truth, however, is that it does not affect fat loss, but it does affect the loss of muscle mass.
Besides, exercising on an empty stomach is more difficult because you lack energy.
Instead of intense exercise, do aerobics. But first have a small snack, because any exercise increases the production of stomach acids, which can be harmful to the stomach.
7. Do not shop or make shopping lists
We all know that hunger makes us buy more food in the supermarket than we actually need.
According to research, the internal signal “I need food” turns into “I want more” and a person then listens to this inner voice and buys more.
Therefore, prepare shopping lists in advance and always only when you are fed. Saving money in stores is also helped if you pay with cash instead of a card.
8. Do not drink citrus fruit juices
The acids and insoluble fiber in citrus fruits irritate an empty stomach, which is especially dangerous for people with gastritis or stomach ulcers, or those at increased risk for these conditions.
The only exception is drinking lukewarm water mixed with a little fresh lemon juice in the morning after waking. Even here, breakfast should follow.
Freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice should also be diluted with water at a ratio of 1:1 for people with stomach problems or 2:1 for others (2 parts juice, 1 part water).
9. Do not argue
Research has shown that when we are hungry, we are more likely to argue. This is because self-control requires energy, which we have little of when hungry.
If you don’t have time to eat before a more serious discussion, at least drink some warm beverage and offer it to the other person as well.
Your discussion will then be much more productive and pleasant.
What to do instead when you are hungry
You may now be thinking that we’ll tell you to eat.
You can do that, of course, but there are things you can do during hunger that you may even do better than when you are full.
A. Problem solving
When hungry, attention and concentration are higher than when sated. This stems from ancient instincts, when our hungry ancestors had to focus on catching food.
The hunger hormone ghrelin also helps with various other activities that require brain activity.
B. Making decisions
If you can’t decide what you want, for example whether a red skirt or a blue jacket (or anything else), try making that decision on an empty stomach.
Research confirms that hunger leads people to more successful, although more impulsive, decisions.
Of course, do not use this method when it comes to serious decisions about finances, relationships or other important matters.
