Eat food that doesn't make you sleepy?
this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2023
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This is the best measure (preventative). Carb heavy lunches will wreck you. Save the carbs for after work, fall asleep on the couch watching TV, then wake up with a sore back.
You have truly lived.
I really wish napping on the floor model couch wasn't frowned upon. A couch is only as good as its napability, how am I supposed to know a good nap couch unless I test it first? Same goes for recliners and mattresses.
Also a light lunch.
Eat too much and you're ready for a nap.
Jep, low carb, no added sugars.
Select food that keeps the blood sugar from going nuts.
Good advice. Still remember the food coma I had when I had a heavy casserole for lunch, with lots and lots of cheese. Almost fell asleep at my desk, even though I had coffee afterwards. Thereβs a right time and place for lots of cheese, but it isnβt the office.
Gosh there's an interesting divide here between the camp that tries to hack their body (skip lunch, protein only, heavy caffeine use, methylphenidate) and those that adjust to their body (napping, walking/other exercise, adjusting scheduling to allow for a slump).
This is just my opinion but the first group is full of terrible ideas that will leave you exhausted/starving at the end of your day while prioritizing work over life - while the second group is giving their body a rest and will likely have more energy at the end of the day. It's not worth working yourself into an early grave.
And then there's the very obvious middle ground - just. don't. eat. so. much.
Most of my adult life (18-40) was working in some sort of labor intense industry. There's an age range where your body needs that energy because it's continuing to grow and get used to your work life. But then you get older, your body ages, chemicals change, muscles change, your job description changes. And a lot of people, well into their twenties and thirties, continue to eat like they're still in their teens. That's how you get fat.
And being tired after you eat is your body telling you that something is no longer the same. Why are you tired? Because you fekkin ate too much and your body can't metabolize that food as quickly as it used to - ya big dummy.
I'm now in my mid-40s, I work from home and sit at a desk. I eat smaller portions throughout the day. I have one cup of coffee in the AM. I usually get about three hours of walking in a week and a solid eight hours of sleep with no alarm. I'm nearly full of energy as soon as I get out of bed and I'm rarely tired during the day (unless it's a stressful day).
So, if you find yourself getting sleepy after lunch, try eating half of it a half hour earlier than you would normally eat. Then wait an hour. If you're still hungry, eat half of the remaining half. Wait a half hour and eat the rest if you're still hungry. And drink a lot of water. It's helps move things around, fills you up. and keeps you hydrated. Dehydration can make you sleepy too.
While thus advice comes across as judgemental and obnoxious, it is infact accurate and good advice for everyone. Listen to your body, take your time to eat, eat reasonably well, drink water, go to bed at the same time every day and get 7-8hrs sleep. You'll live longer.
Heavy workload is less of a predictor of heart attacks than the level of autonomy and flexibility one has at work.
Working hard isnβt that bad for you. Being demeaned is the silent killer.
I'm pretty sure there are a lot of us in neither camp where we just don't have an after lunch slump. I only get sleepy after eating if I have an absolute buttload of food, which I tend not to do on my lunch break at work.
Primal scream therapy. Great for keeping you awake. Plus it keeps terrified coworkers from bothering you at all ever.
Half hour nap. Plus caffeine afterwards.
Caffeine just before imo (and after if you must). It takes like 15-45 mins to kick in
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It depends on your age or health I guess. I'm now 34 and I am learning some types of food will tend to make me sleepy while others will help me stay away and focused for longer (or maybe they just don't make me sleepy?)
Basically avoiding any type of heavy carbohydrates does the trick to me. Bread, spaghetti, potatoes, milk (in your coffee).
If I do get sleepy, also not sitting straight after lunch helps, I recently got a standup desk and I stand the first 30 min after lunch for work, really helps.
Also avoid any kind of sugar at all costs. Candies, dessert, ice cream, chocolate, sweetened coffee, and counterintuitively even some fruits such as bananas may give you a sugar crush.
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Take a 5-10 minute walk. Research has shown it'll reduce yor blood sugar after a meal by up to 50%.
Sounds interesting. Do you have a source for the mentioned research?
I may have misremembered the exact amount... It was shared on Lemmy not long ago, but I'm not finding it with search. π«€
This is the closest I could find: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-022-01649-4
That's a good one to hang up in my office.
I tend to pace when my brain is working on a problem. When I do some heavy analysis, I often look at data for 20-30 minutes and then pace for 15-20 minutes as I process.
Good thing my office is empty most of the time, so I don't bother others.
Of course after 4-5 hours my brain is done so I often find and excuse to leave the office after lunch. Gotta go walk a field/visit a customer etc...
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I lay down on couch for 20 minutes.
When I work from home. In the office I can not manage to rest even on the couch.
When I worked in an office Iβd head out to my car and lay the seat back for 15 minutes of shuteye.
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Dont eat that much?
I always took a late lunch so I only had two hours left of work when I was done lunch. I can deal with being sleepy for two hours.
Since being diagnosed with ADHD and taking meds, I no longer have this problem.
Not well
I realised it was from eating sugar and carbs (especially a 600ml coke and white rice) and so stopped eating as much carbs.
2 cups of coffee (1 with breakfast, one mid morning).
Small lunch.
10-20 minutes eyes closed/nap.
Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
I try to take cat naps, but you would be amazed at how big a difference just closing your eyes for 10 min makes. Mid day brain haze completely gone!
I drive for UPS and the pick me up I get from taking a quick cat nap in the back of the truck cannot be overstated.
By not having lunch.. just a snack really
Avoid carbs and drink more water.
Have a job where you don't get to sit down, that did the trick for me
I don't have enough time in which to eat at work. That said food doesn't make me sleepy.
Standing desk. I donβt get tired.
Yeah this really helps. I sit down when I get tired of standing and that's fine. But when I leave the desk, I raise it to a standing position so I remember to continue standing when I come back.
I try to eat less the next time. I find that there is an optimal amount of food that prevents me from being hungry that doesn't causes tiredness.
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Caffeine
Can't speak for others but I notice I only feel sleepy if I have a huge meal. A normal sized meal followed by a fruit usually keeps me going till home time.
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A little exercise can help. Go for a brisk walk or up a few flights of stairs to help mitigate the post-prandial blood sugar/insulin spike
I take my afternoon dose of ADHD medication right after lunch to try to get rid of the sleepiness.
I don't eat lunch
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