You eat breakfast before going to the office. But a few minutes later, you feel sleepy. We call this a food coma. Of course, food comas are dangerous for people who drive their own cars. You need to know how to deal with it too. Before discussing more about this, it’s good for us to get to know more about its definition.
What Is Food Coma?
Another term for food coma is postprandial somnolence. The symptom of this is that a person is sleepy and feels tired after consuming food. Some people also experience symptoms of weakness and difficulty concentrating. All these symptoms are unfavorable for daily productivity in the office. The main cause of postprandial somnolence is a change in the volume of blood flow that normally leads to the brain and partially to the digestive system. A reduction in blood flow to the brain can be suppressed when a person is under stress or exercising. Even so, health experts still recommend that someone not skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast can have a negative impact on brain health. Based on many studies, people who skip breakfast tend to have less blood flow to the brain. The brain does not get enough nutrition to be able to think and concentrate. However, the levels of food that health experts recommend are sufficient and not excessive. Consuming too much food can also cause postprandial somnolence problems. People who consume large portions of food tend to have a longer food coma effect. It turns out that this does not only affect breakfast but also lunch. You should reduce your consumption of foods that are rich in protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Several sources of protein that have the potential to cause postprandial somnolence are tofu, cheese, fish, eggs, and chicken. This protein source contains tryptophan in a large amount, so it is easier to trigger sleepiness after eating.
How Do I Avoid Food Coma?
You don’t want to reduce productivity in the office. You will be better off avoiding the food coma during the weekdays. Here are some tips to prevent food coma:
Avoid High-Fat or carbohydrate foods and beverages
You should reduce your intake of sweet foods. You can eat sandwiches that contain lots of fresh vegetables. Just one portion is enough for a sandwich, so the carbohydrate content is not too high. Sandwich fillings also don’t need to contain too much cheese. Alternatively, you can consume vegetable protein sources, such as peanuts. You can order the peanut jam sandwich menu when you don’t have a nut allergy. Just one slice of cheese. Anyway, you can replace drinking sweet coffee with water. Also, avoid consuming tea and other drinks that contain high sugar levels.
Drink Lots of Water
Another way you can avoid postprandial somnolence is by consuming water. Water can help the digestive system more efficiently digest food. As a result, the absorption of food is also easier, easing the workload of the digestive system. Therefore, you can try to drink enough water with every meal.
Try to Take a Light Walk
You have implemented steps one and two. However, the results are less than optimal, so we recommend walking lightly. Remember not to jog or jump after eating. Just try to walk around a bit before heading to your desk in the office.