5 Fixes for Post-Meal Fatigue

A good meal should boost your energy, not leave you feeling sapped. Here's what you can do to avoid post-meal fatigue.

1. Eat light.  Heavy meals, especially those rich in carbohydrates, help boost your levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which is responsible for the "tired but content" feeling that often comes after a holiday dinner, but can occur after any big meal. Eating a large meal also taxes your digestive system by making it work harder, and this can also sap some of your energy.

2. Cut back on sleep-inducing foods. Muffins, pancakes, bagels, potatoes, and other carbohydrates are good for you if you choose whole-grain varieties, but they can be responsible for the cycle of changes that occur in your brain that can make you feel sleepy after eating. Counter the effects of these and other sleep-inducing foods, by sticking to the six to nine servings recommended each day (and spreading those servings throughout the day), and by eating them along with other healthy foods. For instance, have a cup of yogurt with your muffin, a slice or two of uncured turkey bacon with your pancake, and a couple of ounces of reduced-fat cheese on your bagel or your baked potato.

3. Go easy on sugar. Sweets may give you instant energy but it isn't long-lasting energy. Sugary foods raise your blood levels, causing your body to produce enough insulin to quickly get the sugar out of your blood and into your cells. At that point, your blood sugar drops and you feel a drop in energy that can result in fatigue.

4. Balance your meals. At every meal, and whenever you snack, combine at least three different foods from three different food groups. That means, instead of snacking on just a handful of peanuts, have some peanuts with a small piece of fruit and a glass of milk. Combining different foods at each meal helps keep your blood sugar levels even over a period of time because each type of food is absorbed into your bloodstream at a different rate. By maintaining more consistent blood levels, you maintain your energy levels.It can also help you avoid a diet that is too high in carbohydrate or too high in certain types of protein. Both of these diets have the potential to activate sleep-inducing brain chemicals, according to research performed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

5. Get a checkup. If you often feel tired after you eat, you may have a food sensitivity or allergy, or you may suffer from a chronic digestive disorder or other medical problem that is at the root of your fatigue.



Spring B, et al; "Psychobiological Effects of Carbohydrates." Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 1989 May; 50 Suppl:27-33 Web 19 Aug 2011 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2565898

Wurtman RJ, et al; "Effects of Normal Meals Rich in Carbohydrates or Proteins on Plasma Tryptophan and Tyrosine Ratios." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003 Jan;77(1):128-32 Web 19 Aug 2011 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12499331