Energy crashes after eating: why you feel sleepy after lunch

Pasta, rice, bread, potato soup — blood sugar reaches 8-9 an hour later. The pancreas releases extra insulin. After 90-120 minutes, blood sugar falls below its pre-meal level — and the brain, which runs on glucose, slows down: sleepiness, brain fog, and a desire for sweets or coffee. For some people, this is reactive hypoglycemia — blood sugar below 3,9 with trembling and sweating. Insulin also lets more tryptophan into the brain — serotonin, melatonin, sleep. Plus, blood is diverted to the intestines because of the large volume of food. Three causes, with carbohydrates as the main one.

Protein 30-40 g — chicken, fish, meat, eggs. Fats — avocado, olive oil, cheese. Vegetables — salad, cooked vegetables, any kind. Carbohydrates — none or berries. The portion should be moderate, enough to feel full, not heavy. If you do eat carbohydrates, have vegetables and protein first and carbohydrates last: the peak is one-third lower. Afterward, walk for 10-15 minutes: muscles take up sugar without insulin. Coffee — before eating, not afterward "to perk yourself up." The theory behind the roller coaster is blood sugar swings; the circadian dip is covered in circadian rhythms and meal timing.

A crash with trembling, sweating, palpitations, and an urgent need to eat is reactive hypoglycemia, often linked to insulin resistance: too much insulin is released too late. Fasting insulin and glucose, HbA1c, and, if possible, glucose 2 hours after eating. Read more about insulin resistance in women. And sleep matters: with 5 hours of sleep, an afternoon crash can happen even after an omelet — the cause is not what's on the plate.