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Avoiding Afternoon Slump
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Workers frequently complain of low energy and loss of concentration late in the afternoon. Are these simply signs of fatigue? Researchers now suspect that your midday meal can contribute to an after slump. A study at the University of Sussex in England revealed that students that ate a larger – than – average lunch (more than 1,000 calories) experienced decreased alertness and slowed reflexes, which mimicked the effect of missing a night’s sleep. Why this occurred is unclear, but the process of digestion has been implicated. Apparently, the larger the meal, the more blood is diverted to the stomach for digestion, so the less there is for the rest of the body. The solution to this problem is to avoid large lunches. If you are hungry by midmorning, a light snack will take the edge of your appetite. In addition, several studies have indicated a cause – and – effect the relationship between the balance of nutrients in your meal and post mealtime slowdown. In one study researchers found that eating carbohydrate – rich, protein – poor foods triggers the release of serotonin, a chemical neurotransmitter located in the brain that is associated with the onset of sleep. So if you eat pasta for lunch, have a small amount of chicken, meat, beans or other proteins as well. Keeping your food intake fairly constant from day to day may also help. People who shift back and forth from heavy to light lunches, or who skip breakfast and eat heartily at midday, are most likely to feel sluggish in midafternoon than those who eat moderately at regular intervals.
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