Shazneen Mistry
People have many times complained that after eating rice they feel sleepy and are not able to keep their eyes open. This happens especially after have an afternoon meal at home or even at work.
You are relating with it yourself because after eating rice meals even you struggle to keep your eyes open and feel lazy and lethargic, but this is not a story of just one person as many of us face this same problem. Have you ever wondered why this happens to you too?
The relationship between sleep and rice:
Rice is often seen as a staple food in many people’s diets, globally, because it is healthy as it is high in carbohydrates. It is also a comfort food for many people which leads them to wonder if the variety or quality of rice is responsible for sleepiness.
This however is not true as “Any carb is going to have a similar effect because the carbs are converted to glucose, and glucose requires insulin. Once the insulin surge increases, it prompts the brain for the essential fatty acids of tryptophan to enter. That process causes melatonin and serotonin to increase which are the calming hormones that cause drowsiness,” says a nutritionist
It is seen that this generally happens because the body slows down whatever it is doing and focuses on digestion and this is a very normal nervous response. This doesn't mean that one should stop consuming rice for lunch, but rather there is a way to manage it and beat the drowsiness caused by rice.
Here are two solutions if one doesn't want to feel tired or lethargic mid-day:
1. Avoid large meals
The basic problem with eating rice is that one tends to eat more of it, compared to rotis, hence controlling the portion is the first solution. The quantity of the meal should not be very large. The larger the meal, the larger the effort to battle the fatigue. Less quantity of rice is the way you can prevent the sleepy hormones from being released in the bloodstream, causing tiredness.
2. Eat fewer carbs
Make sure you eat fewer carbs in your meal. One’s midday meal should have 50% of vegetables, 25% protein, and 25% carbs. Go less on proteins also because they will contribute to your tryptophan levels a very normal nervous response.
