GORDON RAMSAY RECIPES

Because he comes here sleep after lunch? It is the most common question we ask ourselves, especially after having had a sumptuous Sunday lunch or on special holiday occasions such as Easter. Having finished a delicious Easter menu in style with a beautiful artisanal Colomba, coffee is not enough to keep your eyes open. All you want is to spend at least half an hour on the sofa – and if you are not at home this desire is likely to be truly in vain. So let’s understand together why after a big meal you feel exhausted and sleepy by investigating the postprandial drowsiness (o food coma). Let’s proceed in order.

Why do we get sleepy after lunch?

1. The digestive effort

The larger the meal, the more blood goes to the intestine to aid digestion. The digestive organs require large amounts of oxygen, which they achieve by reducing the blood flow in other districts in favor of the digestive one. With less blood supply to the brain, you feel sleepier.

2. Tryptophan

The large quantities of carbohydrates introduced during lunch favor the increase in the concentration of tryptophan, an essential amino acid present in many foods we commonly eat, including bananas, milk, tuna, cheese and chicken. This substance helps produce melatoninor the sleep hormone.

3. The parasympathetic system

During digestion, the parasympathetic system prevails, which promotes relaxation and restand at the same time the activity of the sympathetic system is reduced, which is instead involved in situations of fear and/or alert.

4. Carbohydrates

Foods with a higher glycemic index tend to cause spikes and subsequent crashes in blood sugar levels. In fact, to regulate the increase in blood sugar induced by the meal, the body produces large quantities of insulin, and this causes a sudden decrease in glucose levels, which can generate the typical effects of hypoglycemia, including drowsiness. It may be due to a drop in blood sugar when you are unable to concentrate on work or feel irritable and tired. Simple carbohydrates also make it easier for tryptophan to cross the blood-brain barrier, so their combination can cause drowsiness. Adding a little fiber (a salad, some Brussels sprouts) and filling your plate with protein can help counteract some of the lethargic effects of carbohydrates.

5. Alcohol

Wine can also help you feel relaxed and induce a feeling of drowsiness, although it can have a negative effect on the quality of sleep: it is always better to drink at least a few hours before going to sleep. If you fall asleep immediately after a meal, the quality of your post-prandial sleep may be compromised both by alcohol consumption and by the effort to digest all the food that has been eaten.

Useful tips when you get sleepy after lunch

Without giving up the pleasure of a particularly rich lunch, some precautions can be useful. Experts suggest have a good breakfast, perhaps based on wholemeal bread and eggs, which will help avoid overeating. Also drink a large one glass of water before the meal, in addition to helping maintain correct hydration, it induces the brain to think of reaching a sense of satiety sooner. Another strategy for feeling fuller is to chew five to ten times before swallowing. Then, if after lunch we still feel sleepy, no big deal: it’s a holiday, and we have plenty of time to rest.

Some people can drink more cups a day without feeling the stimulating effect of caffeine. Here because

We drink it because it is good, but also because we need a boost of energy. Coffee is also famous for this: the caffeine which contains it stimulant most consumed in the world, it helps us keep attention alive and increase efficiency. But it doesn't work for everyone: some people, for example, can drink more cups during the day and feel virtually no effect. Others may even feel more tired after their espresso.

Coffee effect

Here because. adenosine it is a chemical substance of the brain that influences the sleep-wake cycle: its levels increase during waking hours and decrease while sleeping. Normally, adenosine molecules bind to special receptors in the brain, which slow down brain activity in preparation for sleep. But caffeine, by binding to adenosine receptors, prevents this from happening.

When the coffee does not give (more) the charge

The body absorbs caffeine rather quickly (99% within 45 minutes of consumption): people can feel the effects even in a few minutes. But once that the body metabolizes it completely, its effects vanish. The permanence of caffeine in the body varies from person to person: the speed with which it is metabolized varies according to genetic factors and lifestyle.

But people who regularly consume coffee (and other drinks that contain caffeine) can develop one tolerance to the stimulant effects of caffeine, which means they have to drink more if they want to experience similar results. And, although caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, it does not affect the production of new molecules of this substance: when it fades, the adenosine molecules can return to bind to their receptors, and the consequence is a sensation of drowsiness.

I study

In one study, researchers examined the effects of continuous caffeine consumption on the cycling performance of 11 adults. At the beginning of the experiment, the participants had higher heart rates and had more momentum after drinking caffeine. But 15 days were enough because the effects of caffeine began to decrease.

At this point, to go back to feeling the energizing effects of coffee, all that remains is to drink a little more, but without exaggerating: the Ministry of Health, based on data EFSA, suggests a consumption to the adult up to 200 mg of caffeine per day (although up to 400 mg per day there should be no health problems in healthy adults). Normally an espresso coffee does not exceed 80 mg of caffeine, while an American coffee, long and in large cup, can reach 90: at the fifth cup, it is good to stop. And if even then you still feel underwhelmed, maybe it's a sign that you need a vacation.

Gordon Ramsay Recipes

Tag: sleepy

Why do you get sleepy after lunch? The “food coma” explained easily – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay