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.
efficient cleaning crew Northbrook ..You've seen diet pill advertisements? You have read the testimonials... Read More
Weight loss specialists will tell you that attitude has a... Read More
Living a powerful, healthy, fit and trim life is a... Read More
All weight loss diets make you FatThat's right, because on... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
The chemistry sounds very straightforward. Human body fat is a... Read More
When losing weight, most of us don't have the time... Read More
If I Want to Lose Weight, What Can I Do... Read More
Some of you will not like what I have to... Read More
A fill is nothing to be worried about. The actual... Read More
Are you a 'look-and-lose' dieter? Have you studied every diet... Read More
Whenever I hear someone say they just can't lose weight,... Read More
ATTITUDESIT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!Exercising has so many physical benefits that... Read More
Atkins diet was unknown 35 years ago. Though it seems... Read More
To achieve your goals you need a diet that takes... Read More
There has been a recent surge in the experts weighing... Read More
My first article provided steps for fast healthy weight loss.... Read More
You may not like what I'm about to say, but... Read More
Looking to lose weight quickly? The good news is that... Read More
Your blood cholesterol level is affected not only by what... Read More
Cellulite is not a medical condition or an aesthetic mutiny... Read More
Yes and no. Moderate calorie restriction helps in controlling and... Read More
The goal of many athletes and exercisers is to "get... Read More
Lose The Weight For Good With The Seven Phases of... Read More
Sharing our bariatric stories is as personal decision as electing... Read More
cleaning lady near Wilmette ..My name is Greg Ryan and I am a high... Read More
Its crowded..really crowded..every other site offers Weight Loss Programs and... Read More
The Psychology of Weight Loss ? Your Approach!We have missed... Read More
I am sure that when I mention setting objectives for... Read More
Contrary to common belief, your weight is not really the... Read More
Are you wondering why you're not losing weight? If you're... Read More
Which diet pill are you currently taking for your weight... Read More
Fat Burners refer to the hundreds of products on the... Read More
Not losing weight but gaining it is why we are... Read More
Not so resolved on that "New Year's Resolution" to be... Read More
AND SAVE MONEY IN THE PROCESS. The secret is simple... Read More
Ever notice how your best friend can lose weight on... Read More
A metabolism drug like ephedrine, has shown many people how... Read More
From the book Spider's Big CatchLike many people, I've decided... Read More
For the past 20 years, the American public has been... Read More
What is negative calorie effect? Whatever food we eat,... Read More
More than any other time in history, people are all... Read More
Here's a letter from my email:Dear Carol,I took your teleclass... Read More
"Your Eyes are Bigger Than Your Stomach""Your eyes are bigger... Read More
Who really wants to lose weight? None of us, right?... Read More
If you knew when you were going to die, would... Read More
After patients have had gastric bypass surgery comes a very... Read More
Most people think of the Atkins diet when they hear... Read More
Do you know the name of that one disease which... Read More
Used a diet pill recently and got depressed because you... Read More
Weight Loss |