Why Do We Feel Sleepy After Eating
Sleeping or working, what to choose
Napping refreshes you but feeling sleepy when you’ve got to work is not the best alternative. Feeling sleepy after lunch and dinner is common and it can steal some of our productive time.
The scientific reason behind this very problem is plain.
According to researches, foods having a high content of protein and carbohydrates are the reason behind sleepiness.
In the book In fitness and health, an internationally renowned author Dr. Philip Maffetone states the reason for this clearly.
“The foods that
reduce brain function the most are the carbohydrates which cause a rise in a brain neurotransmitter, serotonin — this has a calming, relaxing, sedating effect on the brain, with the more carbohydrates you eat, the more sedating its action.”
He also explained why eating Turkey makes us feel drowsiness?
“Tryptophan, an amino acid that can
produce a sleepy feeling when consumed in high amounts, is relatively high in turkey.”
Tryptophan (an amino acid) is obtained through protein sources that can produce serotonin. Carbohydrates also have a share in delivering serotonin to our bodies. Serotonin brings sluggishness and drowsiness in our way.
The food items enriched in carbohydrates are bread, beans, milk, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, corn.
The high protein-containing foods are meats, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy products, nuts, and beans.
Whether it is dinner or lunch, proteins and carbohydrates enriched food is a must. That’s why we face it.
What to do?
To avoid this problem, all you can do is to look for the biggest source of carbohydrates. So,
- To reduce the quantity of food is good. Nutritionists all over the world advise eating small portions of food time and again. Consuming a large fraction will further stimulate drowsiness.
- Consuming those foods which have lesser carbohydrates and proteins is helpful. Carbohydrates cum protein is the worst food combination when it comes to drowsiness and obesity. So there is a need for an alternative.
- Sleep deprivation can further aggravate the problem. Getting enough sleep is important.
Small deliberate steps and loads of productive hours. The choice is of course yours.
“Eating the right foods provides energy for your workout and improves the quality of your sleep. In turn, a sound night of sleep makes you more likely to eat right the next day. This is why the real magic lies at the intersection between eating, moving, and sleeping. If you can do all three well, it will improve your daily energy and your odds of living a long, healthy life.”
-Tom Rath, Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes
