Everything you need to know about preventing 'food comas'

Tired & Sluggish: 6 Ways to prevent a ‘food coma’

Winnie Tan

10 Feb 2017

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Eat smaller portions
The more you eat, the more drowsy you will end up feeling. If you want to fight this post-meal drowsiness, you will have to be extra mindful of consuming smaller meals. This is especially noteworthy during lunchtime, where food comas can feel particularly strong when compounded by the effects of your body's circadian rhythm. So if you want to avoid falling asleep at your desk after a meal, engage in smaller portions.
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Have an earlier lunch
Due to your body's natural circadian rhythm, you will definitely experience a dip in arousal around 1 - 1.30pm, which is totally normal. If you have lunch around that time, your body's natural response to be a little more sleepy, combined with a food coma, will definitely send you off to dreamland more quickly. But if you have an earlier lunch before 12, it'll be a lot easier to avoid this double whammy.
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Pick liquids over solids
When blood flows from the muscles and brain into the stomach and intestines, your parasympathetic nervous system will slow down your heart rate in order to increase intestinal activity for digestion. If you have more liquids or food with high water content, such as salads or soups, as opposed to eating a burger or steak, less energy is used for digestion, which leaves you with more energy to stay awake.
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Opt for low-GI carbs
Carbohydrates with low glycemic index levels are more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolised, and have more proven health benefits. So opt for low GI carbs such as beans, peas, fruits, whole wheat bread and oatmeal, which will leave you feeling full but without the added effect of drowsiness.
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Drink a cup of coffee
Caffeine can aid in countering the feelings of drowsiness after a meal for an easy perk-me-up. Even though coffee can serve as a very helpful stimulant, be careful not to overdo it - too much coffee can leave you feeling restless, and may even interfere with your sleep later on in the day.
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Avoid alcohol
If you know you're already going to be sleepy after a meal, don't even think about touching the alcohol. Alcohol is a sedative and will only exacerbate the effects of drowsiness after a meal. If you really want to have a drink, choose to have it during dinner time over lunch, and try to limit it to only one beverage. That way, you can indulge your food coma with sleep right after.

Find out what’s been causing those dreaded sluggish moments right after a heavy meal, and learn how to combat them!

Imagine dining on risotto, its flavourful rice just melting in your mouth with warm, creamy goodness. You swirl your aged red wine in its glass, savouring its exquisite fruity blend. Oh wait, there’s still truffle pizza! And you reach forward to grab a slice, maybe two. You’re recounting to your friend on the phone about the most fabulous lunch you’ve had in awhile when it hits you, you feel sleepy. As you try to type words and numbers on your computer for the rest of the afternoon, you try your hardest to keep your eyes open and not fall asleep.

Does this sound familiar? Then you’re probably well acquainted with postprandial somnolence, better known as a food coma. An occurrence that most commonly refers to feeling sleepy after a meal, there are a few possible reasons why we tend to feel this way.

Blood flow shifts

David Levitsky, professor of nutrition and psychology at Cornell University, believes that changes in circulation is the most plausible reason for this phenomenon. The gastrointestinal tract is activated when food goes into your body, causing “blood flow shifts from the muscles and brain into the stomach and intestines.” When there is less blood in the brain, it will eventually cause us to feel light-headed and tired.

Bigger meals, bigger effects

The larger the meal, the greater the effects of a food coma. Why? When we eat a meal, our stomach goes through stretching to accommodate the food, also known as gastric distention. So if you’ve had a big meal, the magnitude of gastric distention and stimulation of hormones will make you sleepier. Solid meals will also make you sleepier, as solids are primarily processed in the lower part of your stomach, where there are neural connections to the brain that are more likely to cause drowsiness.

Protein and fat

Protein will cause food and its surrounding supply of blood to remain in the stomach for a longer amount of time, which may cause you to feel tired for a longer period of time. Fat also takes a longer time to digest, which may result in the same effects as protein. However, when small amounts of proteins and fats are consumed with carbs, it will decelerate the rise in blood sugar after a meal, averting blood sugar crashes and spikes.

Circadian rhythm

Circadian rhythms are the internal biological clocks in our brains that regulate our rest cycles. Normally, there is a reduction in energy and arousal from early to mid-afternoon, and also during the evening when there is a natural decrease in body temperature. Hence, we may feel drowsy right after lunch or dinner due to this natural physiological process in our bodies.

Now you know the reasons, head up to our gallery above for some tips on how to avoid a food coma and you’ll thank us for keeping your head above the desk after lunch now!

Winnie Tan

Photo: Getty Images

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