Bad digestions...Help!

This is a typical day for many of you: You have had lunch and you go straight to carry on working.

Suddenly, oh dear, you start to feel bloated like a balloon, heavy and thirsty, and also terribly sleepy...

Where did it all go wrong?

A few things could make you feel this way:

- Overeating
- Too many carbohydrates, too little protein
- Eating too fast
- Talking too much
- Eating foods with sulfur
- Eating foods that are difficult to digest

We have 3 issues> Heaviness, drowsiness and bloating
Heaviness and bloating from overeating and eating too fast, and drowsiness from too many carbs.

We know that overeating is typically the main reason of feeling too heavy. Not listening to your stomach needs and eating in less than 20 minutes won't allow your brain to process the fullness feeling. You end up stuffed like a turkey. Use the hunger scale and eat consciously:

The hunger scale helps you to put more attention on your actual physical needs. Always aim to stay between 5-7

Digestion starts up there in your mouth, not in your stomach. Which means that consciously chewing your food will ease the digestion process and you will also enjoy much more the different flavors of the food. That's why eating too fast won't allow the saliva to mix well with the food and the enzymes won't work properly. Your stomach will need to work much harder and of course a lot of blood circulation will go there.

Feeling sleepy is the cause of all the above, the natural process of our body to slow down a bit after a stressful morning, plus the addition of a meal  full of heavy carbohydrates. Why?

Well, there is a difference in the way neurotransmitters are released when we eat carbs or proteins.

Carbohydrate effect:
Bread, pasta, potatoes....---> Absorption of Tryptophan aminoacid---> Serotonin is released: Relaxing and calming effect

Protein effect:
Meat, eggs, fish, legumes, cheese--->Absorption of Tyrosine aminoacid---> Dopamine is released: Alert and awake

There you have the key to your endless Sunday siestas.

For this reason, remember that if you still want to feel in a good mood, productive and awake after lunch, and don't want to fall sleep on your desk, balance your meal. Eat the right portions of carbohydrates and  protein, remember the Ideal Plate:

1/2 vegetables and fruit

1/4 carbs

1/4 proteins

+water

Difficult digestions could be caused by certain foods as well, like:

- The Brassicas genus> Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts... contain Sulfur and are great for your health but very gassy...
- The Allium genus > Garlics, onions and leeks all of them contain sulfur too.
- Too much insoluble fiber and legumes





So, don't let your lunch give you bad digestion, you have enough with your daily stress!