Here are the causes and ways to prevent food coma
Food Coma is also known as postprandial somnolence and is described as the fatigued and drowsy feeling after eating a substantial meal. Here are the causes of this condition and ways to prevent this.
CAUSES
The food you ate: Raphael Kellman, M.D., a physician of integrative and functional medicine, author of The Microbiome Breakthrough and founder of the Kellman Wellness Center said, “foods that have a lot of sugar, and refined carbohydrates can cause glucose levels to go up and then quickly go down.” With this, you will feel “lethargic, lightheaded, foggy, and like you can’t think straight.”
Meal size: This cause is attributed to the hormones – ghrelin initiate the hunger that you feel while leptin tells you that you are already full. However, if you eat quickly, your body will not have enough time to tell you that you had enough. “So by the time leptin kicks in, you’ve already consumed too much and your gut is too full. That’s when you experience that bloating,” Richard Firshein, D.O., a physician who specializes in integrative and precision-based medicine and founder of the Firshein Center said.
A problem in thyroid: “If you have a healthy adrenal gland and thyroid, your body can adjust and adapt to bring glucose back up to maintain your energy levels, allowing you to withstand those occasional glucose swings,” Dr. Kellman stated. However, when the thyroid is low, you will be sensitive to the ups and downs of glucose. This is due to the fact that you’re already not producing enough energy.
Weak microbiome: Microbiome is the environment where our microorganisms live. If this is unhealthy, then, it can interfere with the absorption of foods. According to Dr. Kellman, a stronger microbiome can lessen the surge of sugar or a hormonal swing.
Allergies: Many people are aware of what food they are allergic to, however, there are also a lot who do not know what food triggers their allergy. This could increase fatigue. Dr. Firshein stressed out that rash is not the only reaction associated with allergy.
Lack of nutrients: Deficiency in nutrients, vitamins (like B12), iron or fiber can lead to cravings of more food, according to Dr. Firshein.
PREVENTION
Have a balanced diet: You must balance high-carb meals with fat and protein. This will help stabilize your blood sugar and food coma will be avoided.
Mind your food intake: Don’t hurry when you are eating. You should give your body enough time to shift from the hormone ghrelin to leptin. This will prompt you not to take another bite.
Get moving: You can consider walking after a big meal because when you eat, you breathe less. With this, levels of CO2 in your system increases and can result in an energy drop. According to the article from Good Housekeeping, a long walk after a big meal can boost the amount of oxygen in your system.
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