A sumptuous lunch followed by an afternoon siesta is but a day dream on a busy working day! This feeling of sleepiness induced after lunch is a common occurrence that medical practitioners and health experts refer to as postprandial somnolence. This condition where one craves a siesta following lunch can occur due to multiple reasons from a heavy lunch to a sweet overload to bad digestion. Whatever the reason, a prolonged afternoon nap can disrupt sleep routines and make it difficult to enjoy a sound sleep at night.
There are some foods and lifestyle habits that can help to stave off this feeling of sleepiness over time. Incorporating small changes into dietary practices can gradually yield a spectacular difference in such a way that a post-lunch drowsiness no longer deters you from following your daily routine. Read on below for some remedies that can be introduced to ward off sleepiness and lethargy post-lunch:
Eat Healthy Fats
Start your day with a spoonful of ghee washed down with some water to give the body its required dose of healthy fats. This will boost digestion and induce quick satiety in the body which eliminates the tendency to overeat. With this, lunch can become a light affair, devoid of too many heavy and dense foods that can slow the body down and induce sleepiness.
Add Protein To The Plate
Have a boiled egg or a bowl full of dal or lentils to your lunch in order to induce a feeling of satiety and reduce excess food intake. Protein can also be absorbed by the body without causing too much of an insulin uptick and as it is being absorbed, you can go about your daily routine without the digestion process slowing you down or making you feel lethargic.
Drink Plenty Of Water
Nutritionists generally advice that water should be had only after a good half an hour following lunch so that it interferes very little with the digestion process. Have a glass of water after the stipulated period in order to feel hydrated and energetic. Sometimes, lethargy can be simply due to dehydration, especially as the day wears on. Drink the prescribed 2-3 litres to ward off sleepiness.
Have Complex Carbohydrates
Eat bhakri or millet roti instead of whole wheat puris or white flour rotis for lunch. Complex carbs ensure that the body gets its adequate dose of energy and nourishment without causing an insulin uptick. A rapid spike in insulin can result in a feeling of drowsiness after lunch leading to prolonged afternoon naps.
Drink Warm Soothers
Have a cup of green tea or any other chai like mint, chamomile or spiced black tea to boost digestion. A cup of a warm soother after lunch will make for a healthy gut while the antioxidants present in beverages like green tea will rid the body of harmful toxins. As the digestion process becomes healthier, so too the tendency to sleep in the afternoon will wear off.
Chew On Spices
Chew on some saunf or cloves or cardamom pods after lunch so that the digestive enzymes produced in the saliva will travel to the gut to aid in a speedy processing of the ingested food. The refreshing taste of cloves and saunf will leave you feeling energetic while the digestive juices boosting gut health will ensure rapid nutrient absorption warding off sleep and lethargy.
Avoid Desserts
One of the surest ways to stave off afternoon naps is to lay off desserts at meal times. If you are craving for a treat after lunch, go for a piece of dark chocolate with lowered proportions of milk and sugar. With this, try to reduce the body's craving for sweet foods that are sure to slow you down and induce a feeling of sleepiness.
Take A Walk
If you are feeling too drowsy and lethargic after a heavy lunch, wait for a few minutes until the food settles down and go for a short walk. Staying active can help the body to reenergise itself and increase levels of alertness. Essentially, it will lead to enhanced blood circulation and pumped-up oxygen levels that will rejuvenate the body and reduce fatigue.