Do you also sometimes suffer from that bad afternoon dip after lunch? Difficult to get back on track after lunch at work or, for example, going out for a nice walk? Don’t worry, because you’re not alone! The lunch dip is a common phenomenon (which is also sometimes called afternoon dip) that many people experience, but fortunately there are simple ways to be able to overcome it and get and keep your energy back up!
Why do you get that after lunch or afternoon dip?
There are many myths going around as to why we now experience that dip so often. But what the lunch dip really has to do with is the switching of your nerve state. There are two nerve states, one that makes you relax and sleepy and the other that makes you active. In fact, natural fluctuations in your body temperature and hormone levels change throughout the day. Around noon, your body temperature and alertness drop, while your melatonin and serotonin levels rise. This can lead to feelings of fatigue and sleepiness causing you to experience that well-known dip.
Yet not everyone experiences that dip equally. For example, there is evidence that morning people suffer from an after lunch dip a lot more often than evening people do. Why this is needs further investigation.
So what about eating?
So the after lunch dip or also called afternoon dip is primarily not caused by processing your food, but it can have an effect. For example, eating carbohydrate-rich lunches activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and this system calms your body. Thus, in effect, a kind of interaction occurs between your biological clock and the other processes in your body.
Of course, sleep can also play a role in this. If you slept poorly one night, this will increase the likelihood that you will slump in the middle of the day.
What to do about the after lunch or afternoon dip?
You can’t always prevent an after lunch dip, but you can try to reduce and overcome it with these tips:
– Choose a balanced lunch:
Avoid very heavy meals that mainly contain only a lot of quick carbohydrates (sugars), such as white bread or very sugary snacks. Instead, choose lunches that also contain mostly slow carbs, protein and healthy fats. The slow carbs are digested slower than the fast ones so your body gets more gradual energy from them, so you experience less of a crash. Also, products with slow carbs contain more fiber.
Jake products are great for this as well, as they are high in slow carbohydrates and high in protein, both of which also provide long-lasting satiety and help keep your energy levels stable. Also, both the Jake Shakes and the convenient take-out Jake Vitamin Bars contain the vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy diet!
– Stay hydrated:
Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Dehydration can cause fatigue, so make sure to drink water regularly to keep your energy levels up.
– Take a short break:
Take advantage of your lunch break at work or take a break yourself in your busy day to take a short walk outside, for example. Fresh air and exercise can boost your energy levels and help you fight the afternoon dip.
