Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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In the last few years before I revamped my diet, I was starting to feel very fatigued after I ate a big meal. Never happens anymore.

I've never been overweight, but in those same last years before I changed my diet, my weight started to creep up and I had to diet to stay thin. Connect between post-meal fatigue and metabolism problems?

Today my overweight friend tells me she feels tired for 20-30 minutes after every meal (she's just started Paleo).

Do lots of people experience this? Is it mostly overweight people who have this? Did you have post-meal fatigue that disappeared when you went Paleo?

And my main question is, what is the physiology behind it?

Thanks, hackers!

flag	asked Jul 11 2011 at 6:24 Glither 3,607●5●26

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Here come the "fat adapted" comments sigh. Would be helpful to see a meal plan including how much she's eating. – Grok Jul 11 2011 at 7:33

ben61820 · Answer 1 · 2011-07-11 12:15:08Z UTC

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Tiredness (to some extent) after a “big” meal, I would say, is to be expected no matter what type of foods. The people you’re eating it with, the vibe at the meal, the presence of children, indoors/outdoors, etc all count, too.

I don’t think there is necessarily any connection between this fatigue and metabolism.

While I occasionally have this too, I believe with most paleo food choices it is lessened compared to SAD.

You may be interested in reading Ori Hofmekler’s work as he writes a lot about the sympathetic NS and the para-sympathetic NS; specifically about how what one eats and when one eats it can and will stimulate one or the other. This, I think, is what you’re trying to get at.

answered Jul 11 2011 at 12:15

ben61820
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	For her, it isn't after a big meal. Even after she has a salad with no protein, she is out for 10 minutes. Even more after a hot meal. And if it is a big meal, it can hit her for half and hour. She's even too tired to think. Right now she is eating Paleo, under 50 gm. carb, and it hasn't changed, but it's just been a short time. – Glither Jul 11 2011 at 14:38
	@ben, most meals are complex and hard to digest. The body focuses energy to the stomach to help, so I would agree for the most part. One exception being a mono meal of many types of fruit. – Grok Jul 11 2011 at 23:05
	@Glither, Maybe she's secreting insulin in anticipation of food? Her overweight refined-carb loving body is dropping in a big load in anticipation of those meals she used to eat. This would bog her out. Check her blood sugar. You can get meters for free online and buy test strips. When I was low-carb I actually tested this insulin without eating food response on a meter. – Grok Jul 11 2011 at 23:07

none · Answer 2 · 2011-07-11 16:01:00Z UTC

Diana Schwarzbein wrote about this in her book. I think she said post meal fatigue - including lower pulse rate - can be related to a lowered level of adrenaline in response to eating. If you have been dieting (restricting) your adrenaline levels may be higher because your body is trying to free up energy from your fat stores, etc. Eating would lower your adrenaline. Some people don't feel tired though because their thyroid function is intact. If your thyroid is sluggish, then the lowered adrenaline results in fatigue (post meal). So when you lower your adrenaline by eating it sort of "reveals" your true metabolism.

cliff · Answer 3 · 2011-07-11 12:03:26Z UTC

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It depends what your eating. Generally I don't think feeling fatigued after a meal is good but you should definitely feel more relaxed and therefore more tired.

answered Jul 11 2011 at 12:03

cliff
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	I seem to recall you saying those starches didn't bog you down cliff ;) So which is it? – Grok Jul 11 2011 at 22:52
	They don't I never said anything about being bogged down. I didn't mean to say more tired, its more of a calming feeling due to being in a fed state versus a fasted state. I get the same feeling from your magical fruits too... – cliff Jul 11 2011 at 22:56
	The level of activity I have now is 10 fold what I had on the diet you follow. Eating huge fruit meals would bog me down and usually left me incapacitated for at least 30 minutes. I can blast out after a huge meal of potatoes no problem and often do. – cliff Jul 11 2011 at 22:58

waywardsister · Answer 4 · 2011-07-11 21:47:27Z UTC

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Hmm. I'm wondering if there could be issues with stomach acid and/or digestive enzymes? Possible? Also thyroid/adrenals would be worth checking.

answered Jul 11 2011 at 21:47

waywardsister
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Hack post-meal fatigue.

4 Answers