Why do you feel tired after you have eaten?
This particular type of exhaustion is more common due to foods rich in carbohydrates, because such foods have a high glycemic index, as a result of which the blood is enriched with glucose.
Foods high in white starchy carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta and cakes, tend to have this effect. This is due to a sharp jump in blood glucose levels, which first gives you a boost of strength before it drops sharply and causes a drop in energy.
In addition, many protein food sources contain large amounts of tryptophan, a precursor of serotonin, which is known to increase the level of drowsiness.
Along with specific sources of carbohydrates and proteins: processed or heavy, dense foods make our body work harder to break them down and digest.
Since food requires internal energy, our body must break down food substances, which means that overeating can overload our system and cause exhaustion.
In addition, drinking alcohol together with a heavy meal can cause drowsiness. This is due to the fact that alcohol has a sedative effect, and also slows down the speed of digestion, since our system is not designed to absorb large volumes of alcohol.
Other reasons for feeling tired after a heavy meal
The quality of your food
What we feed the body with can greatly affect how we feel and function. It is true that each person processes and processes food in their own way, but we know that certain foods can cause us to feel more or less energy.
Diets that include a variety of foods to ensure a balance of the quality of dietary fibers, fats, carbohydrates and proteins have also been recognized as optimal for more effective nutrition of our body.
The pace of food
Our brain needs time to send a signal to the stomach that we are full, so the pace plays a role in determining our satiety.
Those who eat at a slower pace reduce hunger, and then appetite. This is partly due to ghrelin, the "hunger hormone" that plays a role in regulating appetite. It may take some time for this hormone to decrease and our satiety hormone to work, so you can finish a large meal before you feel too full. And so often we consume too much food, because the body does not have time to understand in time that it is full.
Mindfulness is a successful tool for reducing bouts of emotional overeating, but it can be used in any situation.
Being aware of what you put in your mouth will help you better control the speed of eating and reduce the consumption of unnecessary calories.
Medical conditions
There are a number of conditions that can affect your energy level after eating, including:
Diabetes
People with diabetes are more prone to overwork in general, and this is especially aggravated by diet.
If a person with type 1 or type 2 diabetes feels tired after eating, this may be a sign of hyperglycemia(high blood sugar). This condition only gets worse if there is not enough insulin to transport sugars, leaving your cells without enough energy, which explains why a lack of insulin can cause you to feel tired. If you have diabetes, you can discuss your fatigue level with your doctor to make sure that you are getting the right treatment.
Food intolerance or food allergy
Food intolerance (for example, gluten intolerance), allergies, and reactions to supplements can affect digestion or other body functions. When you eat something that your body perceives as foreign, your immune system struggles to fight it. This can cause a feeling of fatigue.
Insufficient activity of the thyroid gland
Fatigue is a common symptom of thyroid disease, and although thyroid problems occur because the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, diet can play a role in managing symptoms.
Certain foods, such as soy, raw cruciferous vegetables and dried fruits, can interfere with the treatment or functioning of the thyroid gland, causing you to feel energy depleted. Thus, a large meal with fewer healthy foods can negatively affect the function of the thyroid gland and cause you to feel exhausted.
How not to feel tired
Eat less, but more often
Try to eat small portions of food with breaks throughout the day to balance your calorie intake. Thus, instead of overloading our digestive system with abundant food, we can process what we eat in small portions to stabilize blood glucose levels and maintain a sense of satisfaction between meals.
Eat more macro-oriented and whole foods
Unhealthy food depletes the body, forcing it to work at maximum load to get rid of what we do not need. If possible, stick to unprocessed whole foods that are balanced in protein, fat and carbohydrates to maintain energy levels throughout the day.
Ensure yourself a quality sleep
Sleep serves a variety of purposes for our health and well-being, and ignoring this basic need can harm our health. Lack or complete sleep deprivation causes a tendency to overeating and unhealthy food.
By balancing a good night's sleep with healthy food choices and a reasonable amount, you can help prevent fatigue after eating.
Result
Despite the fact that after eating more than usual, you feel tired, you should talk to your doctor. A balanced diet and adequate physical activity during the day can help you get energy regularly. Adopting more conscious eating methods, such as intuitive eating, can help improve the state of satiety after eating and avoid excessive fatigue.
