“Food coma” is the word we use for what we feel after a sumptuous meal isn’t it? Feeling content, tired, lazy and sleepy is a part of the food coma experience. Why does this happen?

• Your body diverts blood flow to the digestive system when you eat a meal, thus reducing blood flow to the brain temporarily. This is one reason why you feel tired
• If you have had a big heavy meal, naturally your body needs to divert more energy resources and also for a longer duration to digest it. Thus, the feeling of tiredness
• If your meals are high in fat, your body requires more resources for digestion
• If your meal is rich in carbohydrate, the rapid sugar spike and drop adds to the tiredness
• If your meal has foods which are rich in tryptophan, it induces sleep (that is why it is advised to have tryptophan rich foods at night!)

So it is normal to feel tired and sleepy immediately after a meal but on a regular office day when you have a meeting scheduled immediately after lunch, it is such a pain to stay awake!

What can we do to manage this?

• Take a walk after your meal. Your body assimilates glucose better and in a more regulated manner so you can avoid fatigue from sugar crash
• Have a balanced meal! A meal is not just carbohydrate and protein, it is also fat and fibre! Have sufficient portions of all components
• Plan small meals through the day. Keeping your main meals small and adding a small snack in between meals immensely helps in fighting post meal fatigue
• Sleep well at night! Work on establishing a good circadian rhythm for your body so you do not feel sleepy at random times of day, not just after a meal

That said, if you feel extreme fatigue after a meal, please consult a doctor for medical advice.