To be active fit and healthy it is very important to pay attention to not just what you eat but also what you do after consuming your meals. An age-old Indian concept called ‘shatapavli’ encourages one to take a stroll after eating.
Taking to her Instagram account, Dr Nitika Kohli, an Ayurveda expert wrote, “Shatpavali is basically defined as walking 100 steps after every meal.”
She explains that the habit was practiced in ancient times and is proven to be very effective for digestion.
“Walking 100 steps after every meal is just inviting good digestion habits to your body,” the Ayurvedic expert said. She also adds that running and walking is the most beneficial way of keeping the body fit and having an effective digestion process.
Agreeing with Dr Nikita, Dr Pradeep Shrivastava, Production Head, Krishna’s Herbal and Ayurveda reportedly said, “Shatapavli is a Marathi term that refers to an age-old Indian custom of going for a walk after eating. It literally means ‘walking 100 steps’ after eating.”
Dr Shrivastava states that the benefits of walking 100 steps after eating is that it aids in digestion, leads to better control of blood sugar levels, promotes calorie burning, manages triglyceride levels in the body and allows the food eaten to settle better.
Researchers of a study published in the journal Sports Medicine also reportedly found that going for a short walk after any meal can reduce blood sugar levels, which can help ward off complications such as Type 2 diabetes.
While walking 100 steps after meals is encouraged, Ayurveda experts warn of following certain other habits. Dr Shrivastava said, “Sleeping immediately after meals increase kapha (water element) and meda (fat) in the body. It also slows down the body’s metabolism due to which your food may not be digested properly.”
He also adds that drinking water soon after consuming food reduces digestion. “Drinking water immediately after food makes a person obese. Therefore, water is to be consumed in between the meals.”
He further adds that “activities like swimming, walking long distances, singing, travelling and exercise post meals are vata-aggravating and are likely to disturb digestion, leading to bloating, incomplete absorption of nutrition and feeling of discomfort.”
According to Ayurveda, there are three energetic forces of nature, or doshas — pitta, vata and kapha. While pitta is the energy of digestion, vata is the energy of movement, and kapha is the energy of lubrication.
So, while it is always encouraged to take a stroll after meals, never do brisk walking as it could aggravate the doshas in the body.
Additionally, in an earlier Instagram post, Ayurveda expert Dr Dixa Bhavsar informs about what you should avoid doing post your meals.
Dr Bhavsar reportedly said that sleeping just after meals slows down the body’s metabolism due to which the food might not be digested properly. The expert adds that Ayurveda recommends Vamkukshi (means sleeping on the left side) after walking for 100 steps post meals which helps in digestion.
Also, as per Ayurveda, water is to be had in between meals and not before or after eating food, to aid digestion and avoid obesity, she said.
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