What if you feel particularly sleepy and tired after eating? This problem is likely to be the cause. What's the solution?

If you experience extreme fatigue or drowsiness after eating, it may not be simple postprandial somnolence. While postprandial somnolence is a natural phenomenon that everyone experiences, if it's frequent and you feel hungry again shortly afterward, you should consider a blood sugar spike.

Blood sugar spikes occur when blood sugar levels rise sharply after a meal, then drop again. This can lead to drowsiness and lethargy, interfering with daily life. It can also contribute to obesity, arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and cancer. Rapid fluctuations in blood sugar levels produce reactive oxygen species, harmful substances that promote cell damage, increasing the risk of various diseases.

Frequent, large fluctuations in blood sugar levels can negatively impact the pancreas, which secretes insulin. Research has shown that this can promote beta-amyloid accumulation in the brain, increasing the risk of dementia. This is why maintaining a stable post-meal blood sugar level is crucial to prevent blood sugar spikes.

To avoid blood sugar spikes, it's best to eat foods low in refined carbohydrates. Eating plenty of vegetables before meals also helps prevent blood sugar spikes. However, refined carbohydrates are found in a variety of foods we eat every day, from rice to kalguksu (noodles), and bread. If you regularly enjoy these foods, changing your eating habits can be challenging.

As the saying goes, Koreans are "rice-obsessed," and it's not easy to cut out or replace the daily rice meal. If changing your diet is challenging, consider adding grains to your rice to create multigrain rice. Among various grains, the ancient grain "faro" boasts low carbohydrates, high protein, and high dietary fiber. It's also considered a prime example of a low-sugar grain. Compared to Kamut, already popular as a low-sugar grain, faro's sugar content is only one-ninth that of kamut.

 

It's also rich in arabinoxylan, which helps control appetite and lower fasting blood sugar levels, as well as carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, ferulic acid, and selenium, which can aid in anti-aging and antioxidant properties. Ferulic acid, in particular, helps prevent skin aging by inhibiting melanin production and protecting collagen and elastin. Its high dietary fiber content also helps remove waste and alleviate constipation.

 

 

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To avoid experiencing blood sugar spikes

It is best to eat foods that are low in refined carbohydrates.

If you find it difficult to change your diet, try rice.

There is a way to cook rice by adding ancient grains such as paro (pictured).

Paros are rich in substances that are beneficial for appetite control and lowering blood sugar levels.

 

The temptation of post-meal drowsiness is due to blood sugar spikes and

It's very related