Digesting is hard work, whether it’s information your brain has to process or actual digestion of food.
When your body is busy squeezing the nutrients out of a particularly big meal, a lot of blood flows into your gut — blood that is no longer flowing to the brain.
This can lead to what is colloquially known as a food coma: The phenomenon when you feel lethargic or straight out pass out after a meal. This mainly happens when you’ve eaten too much, too fast or if the food was too fatty.
To avoid the dreaded food coma, dietary experts recommend following one simple rule: enjoy your meal more. Essentially, that means eating more slowly and mindfully, even if you’re in a rush.
But it also means stop checking your phone, answering messages or watching TV or working at your desk while you eat. “The food should be your main focus,” says nutritionist Susanne Leitzen.
The reason for this is that when you’re eating but aren’t concentrating on the food, you’re automatically not chewing properly, and you are also more likely to miss signals from your body saying: I am full. All this leads to more work for your digestive system.
It’s not true that only unhealthy food makes you lethargic. “Vegetables can just as easily induce a food coma if they aren’t chewed properly,” says Leitzen. But fatty food is heavier than vegetables or whole grain products, so it is still better to avoid fried foods. – dpa
