After dinner, I always sit on my desk to read or watch tv. right away. My mom told me it was’t good for my digestion. She told me to wash dishes or take a walk for about 30 minutes right after dinner before I do any reading. Do you agree or disagree with her? Why?

Mike,

There are many opinions regarding “what is best to do after a meal.”  In order to devise your own, I think it is important to understand what your body is actually doing during digestion.  Depending on what you ate will dictate what level of activity your body is ready for after a meal. 

Basically, during digestion, your body directs more blood to your abdomen to help aid the process.  Those muscles need the extra blood in order to sustain thier activity.  You body’s re-direction of the blood supply leaves less blood for the muscles located in the rest or your body, such as your arms and legs.  If you were to have an intense work out right after eating a meal, your body is going to struggle to decide where to send the blood. 

A meal containing a lot of fiber and fat will take longer to digest.  Meals that are high in carbohydrates digest quicker.  Therefore, a good rule of thumb, wait an hour or more to exercise after a heavy meal (400+ calories).

Reading or watching T.V. after a meal will not cause indigestion.  However, it’s probably a good idea to help with the dishes!