Have you noticed since your WLS and return to regular eating a meal often causes you to become sleepy? Seriously sleepy. Drop your head in your plate sleepy.
This happens to me all the time. And there's a good reason for it. When we eat the body produces a rise in blood sugar and a surge in insulin production. This chemical activity sends tryptophan to the brain where it becomes serotonin that signals the body "Take a nap!" Here come the nods, the yawns and the blinking eyes. WLS patients are highly susceptible to post meal sleepiness because of the shortened route to the small intestine. From there the tryptophan has a fast ride to the brain shouting almost like Paul Revere "The Sleepies are coming! The Sleepies are coming!"
Now, I don't want any of you emailing my husband, but quite frequently I dramatically play the "I'm so sleepy" card and go to bed after dinner leaving him with the dishes and evening chores. (Feel free to try this at home!) In fact, he's in the kitchen now doing tonight's dishes!
This is fine for the evening meal, but what about a noonday meal? For example the business lunch. How can we socialize at our mid-day meal and not become a victim of the "Tryptophan Express" to Sleepytown?
A wise nutritional strategy for maintaining a sharp mental edge after lunch is to eat foods that give a gradual, steady release of food energy throughout the afternoon while placing only a light burden on the digestive system. Consider these strategies:
1. Emphasize healthy protein choices, like cold-water fish, beans and legumes, or a non-cream-based main dish soup or stew. Consume 60% of your volume from this group.
2. Choose a minimal serving of low-glycemic-index carbohydrates, like green salad, root vegetables in their skins, mushrooms, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, asparagus, or artichoke. Consume only 20% of your food volume from this group.
3. Be sure your food choices contain healthy fats, such as cold-water fish, flaxseed oil, olive oil vinaigrette (the vinegar helps slow the release of food energy), nuts, seeds, or avocado
4. Absolutely avoid sugary, starchy, or fatty foods like soft drinks, non-whole-grain pasta, fried foods, and rich or creamy sauces and dressings
5. Skip dessert.
Rest assured, (pun intended) by making wise food choices we can be alert, responsive and LivingAfterWLS! Just say no to the Sleepies by making wholesome healthy food choices.
Kaye Bailey ? 2005 - All Rights Reserved
Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.com
LivingAfterWLS is a no-nonsense resource for people Living After Weight Loss Surgery. Our community is growing in numbers even as we are shrinking in pounds. Together we support one another in this lifestyle, that it turns out, is NOT the easy way out.
Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often. To subscribe to the LivingAfterWLS monthly newsletter "You Have Arrived" click on http://www.livingafterwls.com and enter your details in the subscription box.
whole house cleaning Deerfield ..Not so resolved on that "New Year's Resolution" to be... Read More
The Constant Quest for Restriction; Not enough vs. too muchRestriction.... Read More
In health clubs, they run classes that call themselves "aerobics".... Read More
The South Beach Diet works, for most people. Its low... Read More
Hannah was distressed that, with all the inner work she... Read More
Let's face facts; obesity is ripe today in America and... Read More
"THE SECRET REMEDY OF THE ANCIENT WARRIORS"Since what would seem... Read More
You've decided it's time to lose some weight. A lot... Read More
You know you have will-power. You can change a diaper... Read More
Compulsive eating is characterized mainly by periods of impulsive bingeing... Read More
Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. Blood pressure... Read More
If your health and fitness are important to you, you... Read More
It can be intimidating to follow a weight loss plan,... Read More
Low carb beer and lite beer are two different animals.... Read More
If you are looking for a way to lose fifteen... Read More
You step on the scale and groan at the number... Read More
Hundreds of products on the market today claim to be... Read More
A little information if often a dangerous thing... and many... Read More
To see the "low carb" diets on the way out... Read More
Are you trying to lose weight?If you are, STOP!Funny thing... Read More
Here are some everyday, helpful hints to get you started,... Read More
These days, Jennifer Secrist has little interest in idle activities.... Read More
Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot of... Read More
Obesity and fast foods - there's little doubt about the... Read More
Ever wonder if you have a serious problem with binge... Read More
home cleaning services Des Plaines ..The difference between weight loss, and steady or weight gain,... Read More
As if you needed another reason to hit the snooze... Read More
I'm sure you have heard it before, but one of... Read More
One of the biggest misconceptions about exercise is that there... Read More
If you are among the millions of people searching for... Read More
Now that the temptations of the Holiday season have passed... Read More
The rediscovery of the wealth of the wonder drug Hoodia... Read More
Once in a while a good title comes along and... Read More
Everybody knows that 98% of dieters fail. But do you... Read More
Do you want to lose weight fast? While there is... Read More
Are you just exploding with the presence of light all... Read More
One of the greatest tricks that I use to stick... Read More
- Are your ideas of obesity and fat control based... Read More
How's the practicing going? Are you spending time each day... Read More
Lets face it, most of us live pretty busy lives... Read More
? Can you give me an exercise that will get... Read More
Diet is a dreadful word for most of us because... Read More
Generally, weight loss surgery such as the gastric bypass will... Read More
This past Christmas Season, as most of us stuffed our... Read More
Obesity in America is at an epidemic level. It is... Read More
Are you frustrated with your weight problem and don't know... Read More
Are you ready to lose some weight? Perhaps you're surfing... Read More
Students today are faced with the serious reality of unwanted... Read More
IntroductionObesity is the most common health problem facing children today.... Read More
All weight loss diets make you FatThat's right, because on... Read More
Weight Loss |