I always get sleepy after lunch. I used to think it was a carb crash but now it happens even though I'm not eating carbs. Today I had some cauliflower cooked in olive oil, grilled chicken on top of salad greens, and 3 ounces of cheese. Is it just because I ate a big lunch, even though I barely had any carbs?
Bodies have to do a lot of work to digest meals. Early afternoon (post-lunch) siestas have some scientific basis / validity!
Coming from a low blood pressure issue, I've been told that one reason people with low BP can have trouble after large meals is because so much blood gets diverted to the stomach and intestines -- blood pressure drops during digestion, and the heart rate increases. (Harvard press release on it here: http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_...blood-pressure)
I assume that happens to everyone - not the intensity of physical symptoms, but the actual physiological processes. For one reason or another, people may just be more sensitive to the effects of a digesting body.
Oh ok good. I just wanted to make sure this was not a sign of something bad like pre-diabetes or something. My blood pressure is relatively low so what you said makes sense.
Everyone's mileage varies, but I'm curious if anyone else is also very permissive in their sodium intake and will deliberately try to retain water, at times, in order to feel better? I was actually 'prescribed' salt tablets as a pre-teen and acquired them again this past year when my BP regulation bottomed out again. It's nasty for the scale, but extra salt has always helped me when my numbers have crashed out so badly I'm having trouble functioning.
Last edited by Desiderata; 04-26-2012 at 06:55 PM.
This doesn't happen so much anymore but I used to get a massive head rush every time I stood up. I think it was due to low blood pressure. It's kind of a pain...actually pretty uncomfortable to go blind for several seconds every time you stand up!
This doesn't happen so much anymore but I used to get a massive head rush every time I stood up. I think it was due to low blood pressure. It's kind of a pain...actually pretty uncomfortable to go blind for several seconds every time you stand up!
This happens to me too. Regularly. My blood pressure never seems particularly low when it's checked though... just on the lower side of normal.
As I know, when you eat, your brain diverts energy towards digestion, sending a bunch of red blood cells over to help break down the food and carry the nutrients all over your body. Because so many blood cells are helping out the intestines, the rest of your body takes this time to slow down and relax. As a result, you might feel tired, since your brain doesn't have as many blood cells to help it out at the moment, more energy used for digesting food means less energy can be used for running around!
What does it mean if I get sleepy after a meal?
