Are you Sleepy, Bloated or Energized After a Meal?

The only thing you should be feeling after a meal is ‘less’ hungry.  If you are feeling energized, sleepy, bloated or gassy…your body is giving you a signal that something isn’t functioning properly.  

sleepy bloated or energized after a meal

A quick clue to tell if you are struggling with hypoglycemia or insulin resistance (IR) is the way you feel after a meal.

  • If you feel sleepy and sluggish after a meal – you could be struggling with Insulin Resistance (IR). 
  • If you feel energized after a meal – that is a telling sign that you could be fighting Hypoglycemia.

Both problems have everything to do with your diet and your inability to regulate your blood sugar. 

Insulin Resistance means – your body (your cells) has become somewhat resistant to insulin, which is needed to move sugar out of your blood stream and into the cell where it can be used for energy.  When you can’t move sugar (glucose), which comes from carbohydrates, out of your blood stream – your blood sugar levels stay elevated, which is not good and a classic sign of diabetes. 

Another thing you need to look at with regards to IR and diabetes is stress and your continual production of cortisol due to all the stress in one’s life. 

Cortisol causes your cells to become resistant to insulin.  Could your IR be compounded because of too much stress in your life?  Have you had your adrenal glands tested to see if you are making too much cortisol?  Start with the STRESS Test.

Hypoglycemia on the other hand occurs because your blood sugar is falling too low and too rapidly.  There are several factors that cause your blood sugar to drop :

  • Skipping meals, missing breakfast
  • Not enough protein or fats in your meal
  • Eating too much refined, processed or fast foods (bad carbohydrates)
  • Not eating soon enough after a workout
  • Stress or Adrenal Fatigue

The hypoglycemic person will feel energized after a meal, because they got a jolt of sugar (glucose) to fuel their body again.  The IR person will feel lethargic and sleepy after a meal because they can’t get the sugar (fuel for their body) into their cells and converted into energy, so they feel tired and sleepy.

Whether you’re energized or sleepy after a meal, you have to realize you have a blood sugar problem, caused by the wrong dietary choices.  The reason I emphasis blood sugar, is because it signals your metabolism, which is directly associated with weight loss and your ability to stay in your ‘fat burning’ zone.  Test to see if your Metabolism has Shifted

If you suspect you could be dealing with hypoglycemia, IR or diabetes the best test is the hemoglobin A1C, it’s the gold standard.  It tells you how your blood sugar has been the past 2-3 months.  It is much better than the glucose tolerance test. 

Please keep in mind, if your diet is good and you are having these issues I would definitely do an Adrenal Stress Profile to see if stress and cortisol are compounding your blood sugar issues. Stress and blood sugar imbalances work on a vicious cycle.

Lastly, let’s not forget that being bloated and gassy after a meal is another signal, telling us our digestive system is not functioning properly. 

The Takeaway is that if you are trying to get fit and healthy, you need to look at your whole body and the signals it gives you as to how well it is functioning.  I encourage you to use the Online Health Quizzes to get a glimpse at where some of your health issues may be rooted.

If you first address the root or cause of your problem, you may be amazed at how easy it is to clear up so many issues.

 

Publications by Dr Len Lopez

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