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Nutrition Is it possible to avoid sleepiness after eating?

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joemac

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Hi.
I have noticed that each day, that if I eat a meal at noon or at 3 PM or at 6 PM, then I become incredibly sleepy for 1-2 hours afterward, which makes it difficult to be productive. My understanding is that this is a natural human process. But I've also heard that this is due to some poor quality sleep, exercise, food, etc., and that a proper healthy lifestyle can be implemented to avoid sleepiness after eating. Does anyone know how to avoid this issue?
Ilya
 
Yes, it's possible. I recommend the book, The Warrior Diet, as a good place to start your reading on the subject of diet. This isn't necessarily a short discussion, e.g., it can actually be nice to need a nap, and to take a nap, after a big meal - you can plan the timing of that meal to fit into your day. Reducing carbohydrates is another idea that works, and also following the WD book recommendation of saving carbs for the end of your meal can also help - the order in which you eat foods during a big meal can make a big difference in how your body reacts to them.

-S-
 
Hi.
I have noticed that each day, that if I eat a meal at noon or at 3 PM or at 6 PM, then I become incredibly sleepy for 1-2 hours afterward, which makes it difficult to be productive. My understanding is that this is a natural human process. But I've also heard that this is due to some poor quality sleep, exercise, food, etc., and that a proper healthy lifestyle can be implemented to avoid sleepiness after eating. Does anyone know how to avoid this issue?
Ilya
Scott Adams (yes, the Dilber cartoonist), recommends keeping a food log and tracking your energy levels . He argues that your energy levels are the most important metric because it is related to performance and wellbeing.

Personally I feel best after potatoes (peeled after cooking) + salad + "light" proteins (eggs and fish for me), but others might feel differently.

Also, Hara Hachi Bu might help -- it is the Okinawan rule of eating until 80% full.

You can possibly train it a bit or find something that helps: Espresso, a 10 minute walk, a short nap after or even before eating, eating more slowly, eating less carbs or fat, or eating more fibers.
 
Hi.
I have noticed that each day, that if I eat a meal at noon or at 3 PM or at 6 PM, then I become incredibly sleepy for 1-2 hours afterward, which makes it difficult to be productive. My understanding is that this is a natural human process. But I've also heard that this is due to some poor quality sleep, exercise, food, etc., and that a proper healthy lifestyle can be implemented to avoid sleepiness after eating. Does anyone know how to avoid this issue?
Ilya
Hi Ilya! There's a lot that can effect this, including beyond what your lunch is. Focusing on what you're eating, the size of the meal and the amount and type of carbs can definitely cause sleepiness. A large meal and/or lots of "simple" or "processed" carbs both tend to make one sleepy. You can work on 5 things, incorporating one at a time (I like the order I put it in, but they aren't rules!):

1. Eat when hungry, until 80% full. (You don't need to count calories, but you are trying to avoid being "stuffed.")
2. Focus on having 3-6 oz of lean protein. (You don't need to measure; eat about 1-2 palm sized portions of meat. 2 Palm sized portions are about the size of a fist.)
3. Focus on having 1-2 fist-sized portions of veggies. My go-tos are usually broccoli, green beans, or a salad.
4. Start decreasing the amount of processed carbohydrates you eat at lunch. Instead of having a heaping portion of carbs, try having 1-2 cupped handfuls (1/2 - 1 cup - again, no need to measure!). This could look like instead of having a big bowl of spaghetti with marinara sauce, having a smaller portion of spaghetti with marinara.
5. Start switching out "more processed" carbs for "less processed" carbs. Instead of spaghetti, what about a sweet potato, or an apple?

None of these are rules, and none of these are about making lists of foods you can't have.

Someone else mentioned keeping a food journal, and that is an excellent idea, especially as you start incorporating these changes! Tracking like this can help you look back and see what you ate and how it made you feel, and whether the changes made improved things.

An example:

March 3
Today I ate two large bowls of spaghetti and a slice of garlic bread. I was stuffed. I felt really sleepy afterwards, and needed to get a coffee by 3. I wasn't really hungry when I started eating, but it was hard to stop eating that pasta!

April 3
Today I ate a portion of chicken breast, some broccoli, and an apple. I stopped eating when I wasn't hungry. I got a little sleepy around 2, but I felt good! I wasn't a little hungry when I started eating, and I only finished half the apple before I was full.

Hope it helps. Love your name, my best friend shares the name with you, as does my son (although he has the Anglicized version).
 
It depends upon your lifestyle and the activities you do throughout your day. Suppose that you've been working since early morning, then you'll definitely feel sleepy after taking lunch. And if you've taken your 8-10 hours of sleep, and started your working just before lunch, then I think taking lunch will not make you sleepy anymore. The takeaway is to plan your meal schedule according to your lifestyle.
 
Try a peppermint tea after eating mate.

Aggression can also help overcome it, so where possible pace around your workplace delivering unsolicited Al Pacino style rants to get psyched up.
 
Second the warrior diet. Under eating during the day helps a lot. Carbs depends on personal tolerance.

Overweight? No carbs for you comrade.
 
Carbs depends on personal tolerance.
If you have a glucose meter you can measure your tolerance to carbs. Personally at my most obese (260lbs) I still had a surprisingly high tolerance to carbs.

I used Dr Chris Hardy's tolerance test from Strong Medicine. The goal is to make sure your blood glucose is less than 140 an hour after your meal and less than 120 two hours after your meal. His numbers are more strict than the traditional tests.
 
Sleep professional here. It’s natural to have a circadian nadir after lunch. (The circadian signal is actually a wakefulness signal which counterbalances the homeostatic sleep drive). I would take a hard look at your night time sleep quality and quantity. If you snore, definitely get screened for sleep apnea.
 
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