Eat Food - Feel Tired

[Insight]

Anybody know what could be causing this? Basically, whenever I have anything to eat, I usually feel sleepy for up to 2 hours afterwards. It's making concentrating on my job really difficult.

I've been going the gym twice a week for the past three months, and although feeling healthier, it's not helping with this one.

Any suggestions please?

Thanks...

[solo siam]

Cut out some carbohydrates or anything with a high glycemic factor (sugar, potatoes, bread, sweetcorn etc..).

For instance, try to have soem barbequed chicken for lunch (no rice) and see if you still feel sleepy after that!

[The Gentleman Scamp]

If you are eating well, and by that I mean being full after each wholesome meal (nigh on impossible with Thai food) than it is quite natural you will feel tired after.

The gym could also be making a difference as you are using more energy, requiring more fuel and subsequently require a good doze after eating which obviously doesn't help with work, so...

Try drinking more water in the morning and at bedtime and if you must, have a Red Bull before you have lunch.

It goes without saying that you need at least 8 hrs sleep.

[BambinA]

WHY YOU FEEL SLEEPY AFTER EATING

Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

If you feel sleepy after eating, particularly after sweet or bakery products, you are normal. Eating sugary foods causes your brain to make large amounts of the neurotransmitter, serotonin, that makes people fall asleep naturally at night.

Eating sugary foods or those made from flour, such as bakery products or pastas, causes blood sugar to rise higher than normal. This causes your pancreas to release large amounts of insulin, which drives one of the protein building blocks called tryptophan from your bloodstream into your brain, where it is converted to serotonin that makes you feel sleepy.

Many people can avoid feeling sleepy after eating by restricting foods high in sugar and flour. When it is important for you to be alert, eat foods that do not cause a high rise in blood sugar, such as vegetable salads, nuts, seeds, meat, fish and chicken.

from http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/9797.html

[soi lurker]

WHY YOU FEEL SLEEPY AFTER EATING

Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

If you feel sleepy after eating, particularly after sweet or bakery products, you are normal. Eating sugary foods causes your brain to make large amounts of the neurotransmitter, serotonin, that makes people fall asleep naturally at night.

Eating sugary foods or those made from flour, such as bakery products or pastas, causes blood sugar to rise higher than normal. This causes your pancreas to release large amounts of insulin, which drives one of the protein building blocks called tryptophan from your bloodstream into your brain, where it is converted to serotonin that makes you feel sleepy.

Many people can avoid feeling sleepy after eating by restricting foods high in sugar and flour. When it is important for you to be alert, eat foods that do not cause a high rise in blood sugar, such as vegetable salads, nuts, seeds, meat, fish and chicken.

from http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/9797.html

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

spot on BB

[chuchok]

Cut out some carbohydrates or anything with a high glycemic factor (sugar, potatoes, bread,  sweetcorn etc..).

For instance, try to have soem barbequed chicken for lunch (no rice) and see if you still feel sleepy after that!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This might explain it in a little more depth in laymans terms etc...just wish I could follow it myself.

What is the Glycemic Index?

The Glycemic Index is a numerical Index that ranks carbohydrates based on their rate of glycemic response (i.e. their conversion to glucose within the human body). Glycemic Index uses a scale of 0 to 100, with higher values given to foods that cause the most rapid rise in blood sugar. Pure glucose serves as a reference point, and is given a Glycemic Index (GI) of 100.

Glycemic Index values are determined experimentally by feeding human test subjects a fixed portion of the food (after an overnight fast), and subsequently extracting and measuring samples of their blood at specific intervals of time. The earliest know work on the Glycemic Index was done by Dr. David Jenkins and associates at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Canada. More recently, an effort to expand the Glycemic Index has been made by Jennie Brand-Miller and her associates at the Human Nutrition Unit of the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia.

The Glycemic Index Yields Some Surprises

Nutritionists used to believe that all simple sugars digested quickly and caused a rapid rise in blood sugar, and that the opposite was true for "complex carbohydrates". But that's not always the case. While many sweet and sugary foods do have high GI's, some starchy foods like potatoes or white bread score even higher than honey or table sugar (sucrose)!

Why is the Glycemic Index Important?

Your body performs best when your blood sugar is kept relatively constant. If your blood sugar drops too low, you become lethargic and/or experience increased hunger. And if it goes too high, your brain signals your pancreas to secrete more insulin. Insulin brings your blood sugar back down, but primarily by converting the excess sugar to stored fat. Also, the greater the rate of increase in your blood sugar, the more chance that your body will release an excess amount of insulin, and drive your blood sugar back down too low.

Therefore, when you eat foods that cause a large and rapid glycemic response, you may feel an initial elevation in energy and mood as your blood sugar rises, but this is followed by a cycle of increased fat storage, lethargy, and more hunger!

Edited November 25, 2005 by chuchok

[Insight]

Thanks people - lots of good info there.

Maybe I couldn't see the wood for the trees while posting, but I usually get only around 5-6hrs sleep every night. The additional energy required to process the food (as mentioned in a few places above) could well be what's slowing my body right down.

[h90]

I have the strong feeling that Sodium Glutamat makes me feel sleepy.

When I cook food myself I don't feel sleepy....

Anybody know what could be causing this? Basically, whenever I have anything to eat, I usually feel sleepy for up to 2 hours afterwards. It's making concentrating on my job really difficult.

I've been going the gym twice a week for the past three months, and although feeling healthier, it's not helping with this one.

Any suggestions please?

Thanks...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[raro]

I've been told that mixing some amphetamines with your noodle soup has an averse effect towars sleepiness...

[Sir Burr]

To digest food takes energy. The body increases the blood supply to the stomach area in preparation to take away the nutrients after digestion and cuts the supply of blood to other parts of the body to compensate. A side effect of this is drowsyness.

[Patsycat]

In some parts of Europe (Spain, Italy, etc) they take the Siesta Time very seriously and everybody does go and have a good couple of hours kip and then returns to work when the weather is cooler.

[chownah]

It is not uncommon for people to require more sleep as they age. Sometimes it is not more actual sleep that is needed but it takes more time in bed to get the same number of hours sleep...as people age it is not unusual for them to spend more time in bed trying to sleep and less time actually sleeping....

[meadish_sweetball]

Thanks people - lots of good info there.

Maybe I couldn't see the wood for the trees while posting, but I usually get only around 5-6hrs sleep every night. The additional energy required to process the food (as mentioned in a few places above) could well be what's slowing my body right down.

Although gym training improves your endurance, physical workout makes it even more essential that you get enough sleep. If you can manage to sleep for 7-8 hours instead of 5-6 (and also follow the advice of cutting down on carb in your diet, you should become less sleepy). Not having coffee after food also helps - because once the coffee buzz wears off, you will have even less energy than you had prior to drinking the coffee - and the only thing that can get you up again is another cup.

[350torana]

I reckon a cup of coffee(black) will see u through

[britmaveric]

Amino energy tablets perhaps might give you a boost.

[BambinA]

seem many people have a sleepy head prob after eat khao neiw (sticky rice)

[Nickerelastic]

have a look hereGI energiser diet.