Thanks for your response!
It's not uncommon to get tired in the afternoon. There are lots of reasons for this and everything from unusual blood sugar response to hormone changes can cause it. It's most common in people who have erratic eating patterns or tend to overeat at lunch OR in people with brittle blood sugar. Regardless of reason, the treatment is usually to behave as if you have hypoglycemia. (Given your family history, it would probably be wise to discuss your symptoms with a doctor to see if he or she wants to have you tested for true hypoglycemia.)
Most people report a lot of tiredness after eating fast food, high fat food, or high sugar foods. The common "fast food" meal of soda, hamburger, and fries will invariably lead to sleepiness - fat and carbohydrate stimulate the stomach to slow for digestion, thus causing the release of a hormone that relaxes all the muscles.
In today's busy world, what I see in clients is the "rush and eat" phenomenon - small or high-sugar breakfast followed by running like mad, then a grab-and-go lunch, caffeine to keep the person going and then a healthy dinner. The body peaks and valleys in glucose too often and the person's energy tends to follow. Headaches are common signs of fluctuating blood sugar.
Okay - now to your answer. Here's what I would suggest:
1) Add protein to every meal, including breakfast - milk is a protein, by the way, as is cheese. No more than 1 cup of coffee per day and only sugar-free - high sugar breakfasts will start your blood glucose a-rocking all day.
2) Eat snacks with protein. Take nuts, seeds, fruits, granola along on the go - you should eat something about every 2-3 hours to keep blood sugar steady.
3) Lighten up lunch - focus on vegetables and meats with only a small serving of bread or rice and absolutely no sugary or fried foods - a small amount of sugar-free caffeine may be beneficial. Try to avoid turkey - that tryptophan will get you every time.
4) Watch the MSG intake - many people are sensitive and it can cause tiredness and headaches. MSG is a common preservative in packaged food and a common flavoring in Asian cuisines.
5) Get enough sleep. Consider adding some exercise if you aren't already or changing the time (i.e. if you exercise in the afternoon, change to mornings) so that your diurnal rhythms change.
6) If none of that helps, consider adding that 10-15 minutes of rest your body wants. You can call it rest or meditation or whatever works - but if you healthy up your diet, eat frequent snacks, exercise, and STILL feel exhausted, you may just be expending lots of energy in the morning and need some rest. Alas, we are all only human.
I hope that helps you - I can give any concrete suggestions you want if some of that rings true.
Thank you and good luck!
Rebecca
