JAKARTA - After a busy morning, lunch often feels like the encouragement you need. However, sometimes it is just food that is thought to provide energy that makes you want to sleep for a moment on the desk.
"As a licensed nutritionist, I've heard complaints like this all my career. So I think this is quite common for many people," said Julie Stefanski, spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietics, quoted from the CNN page.
Tidiness after eating, or known medically as postprandial somnolence. This is also often called food coma in everyday language.
"This phenomenon is mostly caused by basic physiological processes. When we eat, most of the blood flow is transferred to the digestive organs to process food," explains Sandra Arevalo, director of community health and well-being at Montefiore Nyack Hospital, New York, as well as national spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietics.
After eating, the body can also produce more serotonins, namely neurotransmitters that regulate sleep and mood, especially if the food contains essential amino acid triptopan which is found in proteins such as chicken, cheese, and fish, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The habit of feeling tired after eating is not a sign of serious problems. But in certain cultures, especially in the United States, this condition is often considered a problem, because norms demand continuous productivity, without giving the body time to rest.
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"I often remember about Spain, where people still go through the tradition of napping," Stefanski said.
However, there are several other factors that can exacerbate this natural drowsiness, so that going through the rest of the working day or activity feels very tiring. Here are things you need to pay attention to and how to adjust to your eating habits.
1. Heavy Food Or Sugar Height
The common cause of excessive drowsiness after eating is because the food is too heavy, both in number and in type.
Arevalo said some people tend to overeat because they don't stop when they feel full, especially if they're busy or multitasking. Not having breakfast can also make a person eat too much at lunch because of their very hunger.
"A person who feels very tired after eating should try to eat slower and reduce the portion a little, so as not to overdo it," Stefanski explained.
"Because whatever the type of food, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, if you eat much more than your body needs, the body will spend a lot of time digesting the food," he said.
If it is difficult to really focus while eating because you are busy, try to set aside at least five minutes to really enjoy your food.
Food composition also plays a role. Fat is the most difficult nutrient to digest because the molecule is bigger than protein or carbohydrates. So, high-fat foods such as fried foods or pizza can make you feel tired faster.
Excessive sugar foods or processed carbohydrates also have the same effect, because the body's way of metabolizing this type of food is different from sugar or carbohydrates from natural foods that are minimal processing.
"The balance in whole food slows the absorption of sugar into the blood, so as not to cause a drastic spike in blood sugar or insulin, and provides more stable and durable energy," said Kristin Kirkpatrick, a nutritionist from Cleveland Clinic.
If lunch is dominated by carbohydrates and sweet foods added as a cover, blood sugar and insulin levels can rise rapidly.
"Often blood sugar drops even below the initial level before eating. This is what makes energy run out quickly," added Kirkpatrick.
Sweet drinks can also cause drowsiness after the sugar effect drops, added Stefanski. In addition, alcohol is a sedative. So if you often drink alcohol at lunch, starting by reducing or stopping it can be a good first step.
Choosing balanced foods and snacks can help reduce fatigue after eating. For example, soup made from nuts and salads with olive oil. In addition, unfated protein such as salmon, white chicken, or nuts, as well as sugary toppings.
Another option is whole whole wheat wrappers with white turkey, cheese, and vegetables filled. If you're in a hurry, try eating apples with peanut butter instead of chocolate bars. Bringing supplies from home can also help you avoid conversational machines, fast food, or free donuts at work.
"Walking for five minutes can also help facilitate blood circulation and increase vigilance," Arevalo added.
2. Lack of sleep
Enough sleep is essential for regulating hormones, including hormones that play a role in digestion. Lack of sleep can make the body put pressure on the leptin hormone that signals 'I'm full' and increases the hormone ghrelin that triggers hunger, making it difficult for you to control your appetite.
Lack of sleep also has a bad impact on decision-making, emotional regulation, and brain function that regulates eating patterns, making unhealthy food temptation more difficult to avoid.
To improve sleep quality, make sure to sleep 7-9 hours per night in a cool, dark, and calm environment. Avoid consuming caffeine for at least six hours before bed and don't drink alcohol before bed. Routines relax before bed and use bedrooms just for sleep and intimate activities can also help.
3. Blood Sugar Problem
For some people, drowsiness after eating can be a sign of a more serious condition.
"The current statistic shows that many people in the US have diabetes or prediabetics without realizing it," Stefanski said.
If the body has difficulty metabolizing carbohydrates and high blood insulin levels, this can reduce energy.
If you often feel sleepy after eating even though you have arranged a diet, consult a doctor for the A1c hemoglobin test. This test measures the average blood sugar content and shows how much glucose sticks to hemoglobin in red blood cells.
"If the results are high, it means the body has difficulty metabolizing food and carbohydrates," he said.
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