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Feeling Tired After Eating? This Should Help

Ujwal Deshmukh
Know the possible causes of tiredness after eating.
There is no need to worry if eating makes you feel tired once in a while. May be you did not get sufficient rest for the past few days. But if this is happening everyday, you then need to take care of it, as this could be a potential sign of a health disorder, or allergies towards certain food items, or, may be you are under immense mental stress.

Causes

It Could be the Food

Feeling tired after eating is normal when you consume food stuffs that have large volumes of sugar and carbohydrates in them, such as bakery or sweet food items. Presence of excess sugar in your body results into increase in the blood sugar level. This further leads the pancreas to produce more insulin and release it into the blood stream of your body.
Excess secretion of insulin, results into a substance called tryptophan, which moves into the brain. It is a protein building block and which on reaching the brain gets transformed into serotonin. It is finally due to serotonin, that you feel tired after eating. So avoid eating them, especially when you know you have to keep yourself active and alert!

Are You Less Active?

It is commonly observed that people who live a very sedentary lifestyle, feel extremely tired and sleepy after consuming their meals. On the other hand, people who maintain a very active lifestyle, and exercise on a regular basis, feel less sleepy and tired after their meals, on the contrary, they are more active and energetic even on a mental level.
You would obviously know which category you fall into. Therefore, if you think that you need to change your lifestyle from sedentary to an active one, then do so immediately and notice the difference.

Underlying Medical Condition

Apart from living a sedentary lifestyle and eating heavy meals, feeling extremely tired after eating can also be an onset certain health conditions. These include: insulin resistance, nutritional deficiency, hypoglycemia, sleep apnea, food allergies, etc.
If you think that you are eating right and are also physically active, then you must consult your health care specialist and get yourself examined.

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

An active mind needs adequate amount of rest so that it can function properly all throughout the day. Ask yourself, have you been having a sound sleep lately? If not, then your mind will make you feel sleepy after eating. So make sure your body gets enough dosage of sleep in the night so that you don't have to suffer later in the day.

Preventive Measures that May Help

The main concern over here is alterations in the diet. The most important reason behind feeling tired after eating is consumption of heavy foods containing high amounts of flour, carbohydrates, and sugar in them. Try out these food options instead.
Opt for some healthier and lighter foods such as green salads, fish, chicken, nuts, and vegetables. These foods are easy to digest and also you would not get tired after eating these foods, as your body will be able to generate a lot of energy, no matter how much you work!
Avoid sitting at your workplace immediately after eating, this will result in sleepiness as your body will not be able to digest the food that you have eaten. Instead, go on for a short walk in the surroundings which will help to digest food properly and also will refresh you. With this you can get back to your work with loads of energy and enthusiasm.
Prefer having some lemon juice to avoid fatigue and indigestion of food.
However busy you are in the afternoon, keep fast foods away from your afternoon diet. These are not at all healthy options to maintain your energy. Instead fat consumption will worsen the situation and you will feel more tired and drowsy.
Have adequate amount of sleep, which should be at least 7-8 hours in a day.

✔ It is necessary to maintain an active lifestyle. So make sure that you at least go out for a walk for 30 minutes in a day.
Follow the aforementioned preventive measures and I am sure that you will be able to overcome the problem. However, if the problem persists for a longer time, consult your doctor and get it treated without any further delay.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.