Do you feel exhausted or mentally fuzzy after eating a meal? Your diet may be the problem

If instead of feeling energized and satiated, you feel exhausted and brain-fogged after eating a meal, this could be your brain telling you there’s something wrong. The best way to remedy the problem is to find its cause and start from there. Unfortunately, there are a lot of possible reasons behind after-meal brain fog. Here are some of them:

You could be allergic to the food

If you experience fatigue and feel mentally fuzzy after eating a certain food, it’s a sign that you may be allergic to it. The most common culprits include dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. These foods are known as “The Big 8,” as they account for over 90 percent of food allergies. However, it is possible to develop allergies to virtually any food. Avoiding your triggers is a given, but it may be hard to do as most of these allergens tend to be hidden ingredients.

You could be sensitive or intolerant to certain foods

You don’t need to be allergic to get brain fog. At times, merely being sensitive or having an intolerance to particular ingredients may produce the effect. Allergies are different from sensitivities in that the former is caused by an over-reaction of the immune system while the latter occurs when you lack the enzymes needed to digest the food you ate. A good example is lactose intolerance. Other substances that cause intolerance are chocolate, egg white, additives, fermented food, vinegar, aged cheese, and certain fruits.

You could be sensitive to gluten

Wheat, which is the basic ingredient in bread and other pastries, contains compounds that can trigger negative reactions. One of these is gluten, which has been linked by numerous studies to a variety of health problems. These include celiac disease which, over the last few decades, has seen a huge increase in sufferers worldwide. Researchers believe that gluten triggers an autoimmune response that causes your immune system to target your healthy cells instead. Gluten sensitivity has been linked to various psychological and brain-related problems, including depression, dementia, cognitive decline, memory loss, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and ADHD. Following a gluten-free diet composed of real, unprocessed foods is the best way to remedy the issue.

Your blood sugar levels could be unstable

Its normal for your blood sugar levels to rise after meals as your body digests the food you just ate. However, if your diet is full of refined carbohydrates, such as sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and flour products, your blood sugar levels may shoot up and down at very rapid intervals. This isn’t good for your body. As your blood sugar levels begin to drop, you may experience a host of symptoms, including irritability, mood swings, fatigue, confusion, and the inability to make sound decisions.

If you get brain fog a few hours after you ate, you may be experiencing what is called reactive hypoglycemia. This is a condition wherein you show signs of lowered blood sugar levels even though your actual blood glucose levels remain normal. If you allow your blood sugar levels to go on a roller-coaster ride regularly, you may develop insulin resistance and eventually, diabetes.

You ate too many carbs and too little fat

The brain is about 60 percent fat, so it’s not surprising that it would benefit from a diet that contains fat. Reducing your consumption of simple carbohydrates and taking an adequate amount of good fats will help you prevent brain fog after meals. Good sources of fat include fatty fish like salmon and herring, and fruits like avocado, nuts, and olive oil. You may also replace simple carbohydrates with complex carbs that are commonly found in naturally occurring sugars, like the starch found in vegetables.

Learn more about the food you eat and its effects on your body at Food.news.

Sources include:

BeBrainFit.com

MedlinePlus.com