Taking shower after food hinders digestion

There is a reason for everything that our ancestors have asked us to follow and every reason has its roots in health. An age old practice of eating food after bath is being followed in India. This has been going on from generations. As any other kid I was too given food only after bath during my childhood days. It is strictly followed as a rule by our elders; not in my case although. When I tried to ask the reason I was given an answer that it hinders the digestive system. They too do not know how exactly it effects the digestive system. They informed me the same thing they have learned from their parents. Therefore, I never gave a serious thought on that until I learned about the reason from Dr. Mantena Satayanarayana Raju.

Dr. M.S. Raju is a master in his profession. Being a Research Scientist and doctor in Naturopathy, he has an in-depth knowledge of human anatomy and its functioning. Another important character of Dr. Raju is his calmness. He was never seen losing his temper. In a profession like his; large number of people come across him and asks vast variety of questions relating to health and healthy living. He never disappoints them and answers to their queries with a composed and calm mind and a pleasant smile is seen over his face all the time. Sometimes, people do come to me as well seeking suggestions. Sometimes they ask quite simple and irritating questions that I don’t feel like answering them. Sometimes they come up with certain issues where I can help them resolve by showing them the way suggested by Dr. Raju but fail to explain them in a scientific way as Medical Science is not my subject of study. Whatever I ask people to do is purely based on my practical experience on the path of Dr. Raju’s Natural Way of Living. I am like a mechanic who can repair the vehicle but can’t really define the theory of automation. On the other hand, Dr. Raju is like a perfect mechanic-and-mechanical engineer.

Before Dr. Raju, the medical science in India was like a Pandora’s box meant only for medicos. Dr. Raju has made open the Pandora’s box of medical science to the common people. He proved that medical science is not only for the medicos but it is for all. Dr. Raju took the secrets of medical science to the common people in a simple and understandable language through his speeches and books. He made people realize that their body is capable of fighting all sorts of diseases if an opportunity is provided. He showed them the way to live healthy and happy for ever leading with an example upfront. I recon him a true Karma Yogi creating space for himself in this overcrowded planet of Earth.

Coming back to the topic of having shower before food, I find a few lines from Dr. Raju’s book sometime back which goes this way:

As a reaction to the action of cold water, a sort of chemical substance is released. With this chemical substance the contracted nerves expand and transport more blood to the nerves and micro nerves. If the outflow of blood from the skin when we put cold water is action, more flow of blood to the skin after a little while is reaction. Here the reaction is more than action. So the body is sending more blood to the skin. The excess blood that has come to fight the coolness remains in the skin for a long time. We can feel our body warming up when we take cold bath. We feel more warmth after the bath because of more blood in the skin. Therefore, when you take food before shower the blood in the stomach that helps digestion reaches the skin and remains there for a long time. As a result, it takes longer time to digest the food by hindering the natural procedure.

I guess many of you might have this question in your mind for long and got answered with this article. I further hope that you don’t try to take shower after food here on after learning the facts. Also keep the tradition alive by passing on this healthy practice of eating food after shower to coming generations. Keep watching the space for more such updates…!