Fatigue After Eating

A feeling of fatigue is referred by various terms such as lethargy, tiredness, and exhaustion. Fatigue is actually a symptom and not a disease. Fatigue after eating a heavy meal that is observed only occasionally, is perfectly all right.

However, some people tend to feel lethargic after each and every meal, which certainly makes it a cause of concern, because that signals a disorder in the body.

Tiredness after eating is accompanied by many other symptoms like stomach pain, diarrhea, bloating, nausea, stomach cramps, loss of energy, lack of concentration, nervousness, vomiting, confusion, and irritability. Several other symptoms of fatigue are also seen such as muscle weakness, feeling sleepy, decreased level of consciousness and many more.

It is a symptom of a disease or a dysfunction in itself. Food is our only source of energy and if a person is feeling tired after eating, then one cannot deny the possibility that yes, there is something that needs to be checked out here.

Besides a list of reasons that contribute to feeling exhausted after a meal, the most important reason is sugar.

The following will list out the primary causes behind tiredness after eating.

When you ingest sugar into your body, it releases a small amount of energy, however, this is not long-lasting, in fact, your body was better off with a low level of glucose which was at a constant than after the sugar intake.

Because now what happens is that after the small burst of energy there is again a slump which takes the body by surprise, resulting in you actually be shocked into fatigue and sleepiness.

A normal healthy meal is going to account for that slight lethargy that you're experiencing because your brain has diverted most of the blood that's in your body toward your digestive system.

Now to add to that if you consume a high fat meal, then your digestive system's going to have to work extra trying to digest that food, which means more blood diverted there, resulting in unbearable fatigue.

People do suffer from depression sometimes and that has a major role to play in feeling fatigue after eating as well. Here's how it works, depression makes you overeat one day and the next day you hardly nibble on a bite, or you're supposed to be feeling sleepy, but you're wide awake.

This is your pituitary gland gone haywire because it's now unable to control the processes of your body, hence, when it's time for you to sleep you're going to be eating which is going to cause a strain in your body that will no doubt contribute to the tiredness after eating.

It was suggested by doctors that a very probable culprit for excessive tiredness after a meal is a food allergy.

According to their analysis, if a mildly allergic food was consumed, the cytokines in the body tend to treat the food as an invading foreign substance, prompting them to attack the food. The results wouldn't be apparent enough to produce signs such as hives, but they would be enough to warrant a major energy crisis in the form of fatigue in the body.

Having heavy meals loaded with excessive sugar can cause fatigue along with stomach pain after eating. Over-stimulation, working, stress, anxiety, job stress, under-stimulation, overeating, lack of sleep, jet lag, boredom and lack of body movements can cause fatigue after intake of food.

Mostly, tiredness is temporary that fades away just like the common cold, but sometimes symptoms that can indicate chronic fatigue syndrome can arise and make a person susceptible to various medical conditions.

On the other hand, extreme tiredness can be one of the most alarming symptoms of different medical conditions such as depression or an autoimmune disease, to even something really serious such as a heart disease.

If a person is feeling tired after eating only once or twice, it can be cured after getting a good rest for some time. But fatigue after every meal and that too on a regular basis, does need a serious change in daily habits. The first thing is to change your daily diet into a healthy diet plan.

Heavy meals with large portions of sugary and floury items need to be avoided by those who are suffering with excessive tiredness after meals. Our body is not built to process huge amounts of food at one time, it's just us giving into our greed.

It is said that carbohydrates need to be taken in small quantities only after every 3 hours, as that provides the right amount of fuel that we need to carry us through the day. Following tips can help overcome the feeling of exhaustion or fatigue right after meals.

» Exercising should become an important part of out daily routine because it keeps the metabolism running, so that nothing is stored in excess.
» Avoiding indigestion by drinking plenty of water or lemon juice can prove to be beneficial.

» Consuming a high fiber diet with loads of fresh vegetables and fruits can also prevent abnormal fatigue after meals.
» Avoid fast food and have a proper and heavy breakfast.
» Follow a balanced diet and eat small portions, 5 to 6 times a day.
» Exercising for 30 minutes everyday can alleviate the problem of feeling tired after eating.

Try to follow the aforementioned guidelines and I am sure the results will be more than what you desired for alleviating your fatigue.

Disclaimer: This post is intended for information purpose only. Do not use the information presented herein as a substitute for medical practitioner's advice.