Avoiding the post lunch lull

[Marf]

For as long as I can remember my energy levels have always taken a dive around 1.30-2pm.

I've been to the docs about it and had a blood test to see if my sugars are normal, everything came back normal.

so... I'm guessing it's likely to be diet related, but I'm not sure what I should be aiming to eat to avoid this.

Breakfast is always either a large bowl of granola(monday-thursday) or a bacon sandwich(fri-sun).

10.30am will be a snack, borne of feeling hungry rather than feeling lethargic. Usually mixed nuts or if I'm being bad a pack of McCoys or a chocolate bar.

Lunch(12pm) will usually be a sandwich(chicken+cucumber/cheese+ham), or a hot meal if the canteen is offering something good, i.e. roast dinner, chicken goujon salad, curry, sometimes a dessert if there's something I fancy.

The lull will kick in 30-60 minutes after eating. I used to put it down to having a post lunch ciggie, but I stopped smoking 7 weeks ago and it still continues.

I know I dont drink enough water during the day, could it be as simple as that?

[Don Veloci]

I know nothing of nutritional tips but for a while now I've been forcing myself to go for a walk of around a couple of miles after my sandwich and generally (but not always) feel less sluggish when I get back. But getting out is not practical for many.
Apart from one coffee at 10am I'm also drinking only water during the day and taking in more fluids than I used to.

[Marf]

Worth a go I suppose. I get 50 minutes for lunch and unless I'm getting a hot meal I get my sandwich and go back to my desk and surf t'internet. Not really anywhere nice to walk about though, I'm right in the middle of an industrial estate surrounded by busy roads.

[RemainAllHoof]

It is simply the insulin/sugar dumping. Learn about the GI diet.

http://www.glycemicindex.com/

I bet your sandwiches are with white bread. If you want the full on post-lunch crash, try a large bread roll. Let's see if you can stay awake and avoid keyboard face.

[Marf]

Nope, never white bread. Gives me heartburn. Always granary or brown, ditto my bacon sandwiches.

Will have a read of the website, ta.

[RemainAllHoof]

In that case, it's the contents of the sandwiches. For me, it was simply white bread.

[Don Veloci]

Sandwich + desk + internet is a routine I know well hence forcing my lazy ass up for a walk.

I guess I've got it easy because I don't feel strictly on the clock regarding lunch time as long as work is getting done and I've plently space to walk.

[Ordinary_Chap]

RemainAllHoof said:

It is simply the insulin/sugar dumping. Learn about the GI diet.

http://www.glycemicindex.com/

I bet your sandwiches are with white bread. If you want the full on post-lunch crash, try a large bread roll. Let's see if you can stay awake and avoid keyboard face.

Here's the answer!

[davepoth]

A +1 for a walk. I'm lucky that I have some fields and a little stream nearby to walk to and throw rocks into () but it certainly does avoid the afternoon crash. Plus I've lost a stone in the last few months.

[RemainAllHoof]

davepoth said:

Plus I've lost a stone in the last few months.

Try looking in the stream where you've thrown them.

[Brigand]

I always thought this happened to most people, certainly most I know get a lull a while after lunch.

If I have a carb-heavy lunch then I will feel sleepy for a while afterwards, but if it's a lighter lunch then it isn't as bad.

It's compounded by the fact that I have a desk job, so once I've eaten and I'm sat at my desk again, all I want to do is have a kip.

[ClintonB]

As others have said, drop the carbs/crap. Bacon butty should be once a week (or even month) treat, chocolate & crisp = and lunch should be a salad and fruit/yoghurt, not butties or canteen stodge, plus stuff. Any hunger pangs can be covered by water and some fruit or other sensible equivalent


I used to have similar problems, I don't now (plus I'm considerably slimmer, at little real cost)

[griffgrog]

RemainAllHoof said:

Try looking in the stream where you've thrown them.

[BladeMonster]

Getting sleepy after carbs can be indicative of very early mild Diabetes (tests won't show it usually at this early stage) but a glucose tolerance test could be interesting.

Reactive hypoglycemia is another possibility.

Dump the carbs at lunch and the slump will stop.

Eating well for blood sugar stability is now crucial to maintain long term health as once carbs are tiring you, steps must be taken to reduce risk of Diabetes developing in the future.

Google is your friend.