Your food is your medicine. And the right nutrition makes you feel energized. But, if you frequently feel the need to nap, postpone all your tasks and struggle to keep your eyes open after lunchtime meals, understand the reasons. Feeling sleepy after eating calls for some attention.

An Ayurvedic View

Fatigue after eating is the primary sign of a Kapha imbalance. It leads to mucus buildup that restricts your respiratory functions, elevates the cholesterol levels and increases your weight. Attentiveness goes down and so does your metabolism.

Reasons You Feel Sleepy After Eating

That post-meal slump is a common scenario. Mostly, it happens due to an insulin spike which ultimately drops your blood sugar levels. Therefore more the insulin, more will be the production of your sleep hormones. These neurotransmitters make you feel comfortably satisfied and sleepy thereafter – all thanks to the carbs and sugars you consume.

Another possible factor that may induce drowsiness as well as fatigue after eating are food allergies or inflammation.

What else? Overindulgence – particularly in fatty and processed food – makes you tired after eating as the body has to put in extra energy to break down what you’ve consumed. Plus, what you have eaten is another cause of concern – white bread, for instance, contains refined sugar as well as starch to cause a sudden spike or plummet in the blood sugar levels, thus slowing you down.

Sleepy After Eating? Bring About A Change!

According to Ayurveda, simple lifestyle tweaks and a little self-care can lighten and brighten you up. So, here’s what you can do if you feel sleepy or tired after eating:

• Overeating strains your metabolic activity. Therefore, keep a control over your portions. The more you eat, the more energy is invested in breaking down the food, the more sleepy you feel. Simple!
• Eat only when you are genuinely hungry.
• Eat not more than what would fit in your fist, twice.
• Smaller portions throughout the day are better than one meal full of carbs, sugars, and salt.
• Detox with a soothing cup of ginger tea or green tea.
• Twice or thrice weekly, simplify your meal – eat khichdi.
• Fasting once every week or just going on a fruit diet is also beneficial.
• Want to stop feeling sleepy after eating? Avoid having cold or stale food.
• Add more greens to boost gut health.
• Rather than having a sandwich or pizza, go for a vegetable soup or salad.
• In case you have sluggish digestion, flavor your food with herbs and spices that’ll stimulate better bowel movement.
• Get enough vitamin D, it helps with wakefulness.
• Go outside, oxygenate your brain, and you’ll stop feeling tired after eating.
• Take a tablespoon of ACV (apple cider vinegar) with your meals to get rid of inflammation that may lead to a post-meal slump.
• Fatigue after eating can result from deficiencies. So, check with your doctor!

Note: Articles on Ayurvedum are solely for the purpose of sharing the goodness of Ayurveda and bringing awareness on natural and healthy living. Please do not substitute it for professional medical advice. Ingredients discussed can interfere with certain medications. So, before using anything to treat yourself, always consult an Ayurveda doctor or practitioner.