Food Coma: What It Is And How To Beat It

Elvir Muhic

Written by

Ajla Vejzović

Morning started pretty well, you completed all the tasks, and during break time you ate your favorite meal, so everything is perfect. However, as you return to your table, you notice something has changed as tiredness washes over you.

Welcome to food coma, or the stage of: why do I feel sleepy after eating at work?

In this article, we will answer what food coma is, why it happens, and how you can defeat it.

What Is Postprandial Somnolence or Simply Food Coma?

Food coma refers to a feeling of tiredness and sleepiness after eating a meal, and it can happen to anybody. Several factors can contribute to it, but it is driven by a hormonal shift, specifically an increase in serotonin and melatonin. The body is focused on digesting food, so it is in a sort of rest mode.

Signs of postprandial somnolence are:

low energy
fatigue
sleepiness
low productivity
physical exhaustion.

Why Does Food Coma Happen?

Some of the reasons why food coma might happen are:

Blood Flow and the “rest & digest” mode – after eating, your body redirects blood to the digestive tract to process the meal. At the same time, it shifts from the “fight or flight” mode into the “rest and digest” parasympathetic state. The result? Your brain slows down, your alertness drops, and suddenly that afternoon meeting feels like a real challenge.

Reactive hypoglycemia – you grab a sandwich with white bread, maybe something sweet on the side, sounds like a solid lunch, right? Sure, but there is a catch. Refined carbohydrates cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, followed by an equally rapid crash. Your body releases too much insulin, and suddenly your blood sugar drops below where it started. That crash is what hits you as fatigue, brain fog, and the urge to close your eyes.

Oxidative stress – here’s one most people don’t know about. When your meal is high in both fat and carbohydrates at the same time, think pizza, burgers, or pasta, your body starts an inflammatory response. This oxidative stress drains your cellular energy and leaves you feeling sluggish. Next thing you know, you are at the coffee machine.

The fat-sleep connection – high-fat meals trigger the release of a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK), which signals your digestive system to get to work. The side effect is that CCK has also been linked to increased feelings of sleepiness.

Woman eats a healthy lunch at work - importance of eating the right food to prevent food coma.

Source: Pexels

Which Food Is More Likely to Cause a Food coma?

Since some theories for sleepiness after a meal include processes after eating high-carb and fat food, it is probably best if you avoid food like pizza, pasta, white bread, burgers, fries, fried rice, creamy sauces, pastries, and heavy desserts like cakes or ice cream.

Now you are probably wondering what is left then? Well, a lot of other things, but we will get to that some other time.

☝️You should also take into consideration the size of the portion you are eating. In a study on men who ate pizza, those who overate reported lower energy levels and greater physical tiredness, sleepiness, and lethargy in the 4 hours following the meal, while those who ate only until comfortably full experienced no adverse effects.

How to Avoid Feeling Sleepy After Lunch at Work?

Even though sleeping after a meal sounds comfortable, when you are at work, that is the last thing you need. So, here are some things you can do to avoid this feeling at work:
Smaller meals
Large portions are connected with food coma, so you can try minimizing the amount of food you take in. You can divide your breakfast/lunch into smaller meals so that you will give more time for your digestive system to do its thing.

Short walk
Walking after a meal, whether at home or work, is highly recommended; even a short walk will do. Some research shows that walking even for 2-5 minutes can help regulate blood glucose, which might help with feeling less tired.

**Balanced meal
**
Try choosing or preparing your meal so it contains more fiber, healthy fats, and protein. Work with what you’ve got; you don’t have to all of a sudden become Jamie Oliver, but simple changes in your menu can mean a lot.

Idea for Lunch at Work to Prevent Food Coma

Here is one of the options you can consider: Chicken rice bowl.

Cook the rice and chicken at home, throw it in a container, and heat it in the microwave at work. If you like veggies, add whatever you have in the fridge. Voila.

If you like to order or eat at a restaurant, as many people do, you can easily find a chicken rice bowl on most menus or something very similar. Grain bowls, grilled chicken with rice and veggies, or even a simple chicken and salad combo are all solid, filling options that won’t leave you in a food coma by 2 pm.

Good luck!