Do You Feel Sleepy Post-Lunch? Well, Take a Look at the Possible Reasons!

New Delhi, August 22, 2017: Have you ever wondered that from the total office hours, why is it only post-lunch that you feel like slugging away? What could possibly be the reason behind these post-lunch slumps?

Most of the people tend to grab a bite from outside eateries. They eat anything that they feel like such as pasta, bread, burger etc., without even giving a thought to what kind of food they are in-taking. Is it high in protein, carbohydrate or fat? This thought never comes to their mind.

The main reason behind this drowsiness is not the lunch but what we consume in the lunch. It is basically due to the chemical changes in the body during the digestion process that you feel sleepiness.

After the meal, our body generates insulin to regulate blood-sugar levels. The amount of insulin released primarily depends on two main factors. First, the type of meal i.e, whether it is rich in protein, carbs or fat. The other factor is the size of the meal.

If we have a large meal, then the amount of insulin released will be more and vice-versa. With the secretion of insulin, our body also produces Serotonin and Melatonin. Similar is the case with the protein-rich diet. The protein contains Tryptophan amino acids, which is used by the body to produce Serotonin.

Serotonin and Melatonin are basically neurotransmitters that have a calming effect and help regulate sleep. When they get metabolized in the brain, they induce drowsiness.

Moreover, the body streams more blood to the digestive system to digest food. If you opt for a heavy lunch, then post-lunch, your body would stream more blood to the digestive system. And for that period of time, most of your body's energy would be used by your digestive system and not by your brain. This makes you feel lazy and forces you to go for a siesta.

So, do not opt for heavy lunch. Instead, have a heavy breakfast so as to set good energy level for the day and then eat small meals throughout the day. This is the way to adios to the post-lunch sleepiness.

–prepared by a Shivani Chowdhary of NewsGram. Twitter @cshivani31