Have you ever noticed that after eating too much sugar, you feel tired? Or maybe you’ve heard that people who eat lots of sugar gain weight.

But what happens when you eat too much sugar? Does it cause health problems? Is there any evidence that eating too much sugar causes weight gain?

Many people think they need to avoid sugar because it's bad for their health. However, not all sugars are equal. Some are healthier than others.

Blood Sugar Spikes: What You Need To Know

If you’ve ever had a blood sugar spike, you know it can be scary. It’s not just because you might feel you’re going crazy, but because high blood sugar can cause serious health problems. The most common symptoms include feeling dizzy, headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating, weakness, confusion, and blurred vision.

Besides causing these symptoms, high blood sugar levels can damage nerves, which can lead to nerve pain, tingling, numbness, or burning. This is called diabetic peripheral neuropathy. High blood sugar can also increase the risk of heart disease by damaging arteries and increasing inflammation.

Sugar consumption has been linked to many other health issues as well.

What Causes Blood Sugar Spikes?

High blood sugar occurs when your body doesn't produce enough insulin or when your cells don't respond properly to insulin. Insulin is produced naturally by the pancreas. It allows glucose (sugar) from carbs eaten into your bloodstream. Glucose then travels through your blood vessels until it reaches every cell in your body. Your liver produces glycogen (stored carbohydrates), which your muscles use for energy.

When you eat carbs, your body breaks them down into glucose. In response to this, your pancreas releases insulin. Insulin transports glucose from the bloodstream into your cells. Once inside your cells, glucose is used for energy. This process is known as glycolysis.

When Eating, Is It Normal For People To Get Tired After They Eat?

Yes, it's normal to feel tired after having an enormous meal. The body needs energy to digest the food you just ate, and it takes some time for the digestive system to process all those calories. If you're not used to eating a lot at one sitting, then you may have felt sluggish and fatigued afterwards.

It's important to note that if you eat too many carbohydrates, your body will still produce glucose (a type of sugar) from protein and fat stores. This means that even though you didn't consume any carbs, your blood sugar levels could still rise because your body is trying to break down stored sources of fuel into usable energy.

How to Beat Sugar Fatigue

The most common symptom of sugar addiction is extreme fatigue. It's not uncommon for people who suffer from this condition to experience insomnia, headaches, depression, anxiety, mood swings, irritability, and poor concentration. If you're feeling fatigued after eating sugar, it may be because your body has become addicted to the quick energy boost provided by the glucose in sugary foods.

Another key sign of sugar addiction is cravings. Sugar addicts crave sweets all day long, which makes it hard to resist the temptation to eat something sweet. They often reach for food items high in carbohydrates, like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and starchy vegetables.

Blood sugar control is another major factor behind sugar cravings. When your blood sugar rises, your brain sends out signals telling you to eat. Various factors, including hunger, stress, boredom, and emotions such as anger, sadness, and happiness triggered these signals.

If you want to beat sugar cravings, try avoiding highly processed foods that contain added sugars. Instead, choose whole grains, fruits, and low-fat dairy products.

 

Feeling Tired After Breakfast

The best way to break this cycle is to avoid sugary treats altogether. If you must indulge, try having a small portion of fruit instead.

The amounts of sugar in processed foods in the frozen food aisle are particularly deceptive. Many frozen meals and snacks include hidden sugar loads. Look for labels with "no artificial colors" and "natural flavors." These ingredients indicate that there's no extra sugar added during manufacturing.

Frozen desserts are also loaded with sugar. Avoid ice cream, sherbet, sorbet, popsicles, and other frozen treats unless they're made with natural ingredients. Frozen yogurt is usually healthier than ice cream, but check the label before buying. Some brands add sugar or syrup to make their product taste sweeter.

You can also use frozen berries as a healthy alternative to ice cream. Simply place them in the freezer overnight, then transfer them to a blender along with a little skim milk powder. Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Eating Healthy Can Be Fun!

If you're looking for ways to spice up your diet without adding tons of sugar, consider incorporating fun new recipes into your weekly meal plan. The following list includes some delicious ideas:

• Make pancakes using apple juice instead of traditional pancake mix.
• Add fresh blueberries to oatmeal for a burst of flavor.
• Use coconut oil instead of butter when baking cookies.
• Mix cottage cheese with raw honey for a tasty treat.

According to the National Academy of Sciences , the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of tryptophan per day for an adult is 5 milligrams (mg) per 1 kilogram (kg) of body weight. (healthline.com)

Why Am I So Tired After Eating Lunch?

The most common cause of fatigue after meals is simple overeating. If you’ve had a heavy lunch, it may take several hours before your body has fully digested all those calories. Your body will then burn fat stores to provide energy.

Fatigue is one of the most common complaints I hear from my clients who follow a ketogenic diet. It’s important to distinguish between “keto flu”—a temporary feeling of weakness caused by low blood sugar—and true fatigue. True fatigue is not just a lack of energy, but a physical sensation of being tired.

You're Not Helping Yourself By Drinking Too Much Coffee.

Caffeine is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system by increasing heart rate and breathing, dilating pupils, and stimulating the adrenal glands. It's found naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa, cola nuts, and guarana berries. The most common sources of caffeine consumption are soda, energy drinks, and chocolate.

Although it may seem like a great idea to consume caffeine every day, they have shown too much caffeine to increase blood pressure and worsen headaches. In addition, some people who consume caffeine regularly report feeling jittery and irritable.

Sugar And Your Orexin System

The orexin system regulates sleep cycles, appetite, energy levels, mood, and reward pathways in the brain. It's also one of the main reasons people binge eat. If you're constantly feeling hungry, it's likely because your body is producing less orexin than normal.

Quality sleep is essential for maintaining optimal health. Unfortunately, many adults don't get enough shut-eye each night. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 40 percent of Americans suffer from insomnia at least once during the past year.

Sleep disruption can lead to increased stress hormones, making it harder to make good decisions and stay focused. Sleep deprivation also lowers resistance to illness and increases risk for diabetes, obesity, depression, and anxiety.

Many people find their symptoms improve significantly after cutting out processed foods and sugary treats. However, the effects of these changes on your sleep patterns can be tricky to predict.

Avoid the Roller Coaster Effect

The blood sugar roller coaster effect is one of the most common side effects of going off carbohydrates. Your body will still produce glucose from protein, but it won't be as easy to access. As a result, you'll experience cravings for carbs, leading to binges and crashes.

The post-meal slump is another issue related to carbohydrate withdrawal. Many people find themselves with a sudden crash in energy levels after consuming a meal. This is usually because your body is processing the excess sugar into stored fat.

To avoid both issues, try limiting yourself to a small amount of carbs throughout the day. Keep them complex carbohydrates (fruits, veggies, whole grains), and limit your intake of starchy carbs (potatoes, rice).

If you experience any of the above symptoms, consult your healthcare provider before trying to cut back on carbs or stop taking medication. Some medications need to be taken with food, while they must break others down in the digestive tract before they can work properly.

Intermittent fasting has been gaining popularity lately to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Most experts agree that intermittent fasting is a safe and effective method for losing weight.

Food and Sugar Sensitivities

If you're struggling with this issue, try cutting back on sugar and processed carbs (like white bread) and see if it helps. Also, consider trying intermittent fasting. It's a great way to reset your metabolism and lose weight without feeling deprived.

The keto diet has become increasingly popular recently, but many people don't understand what it entails. In short, it's a high fat, moderate protein, and very low carb diet.

Consume Protein With the Sugar

The best way to avoid the post-meal crash is to include protein in your meal plan. A study published in the journal Obesity found that people who ate a high-protein breakfast had less hunger than those who skipped it. In addition, they were less likely to overeat at lunchtime.

Protein helps stabilize blood sugar levels after meals, which may help prevent the dips in energy that often follow a carb-heavy meal. It also keeps your metabolism revved up longer between meals. If you eat a high-protein breakfast, you may eat fewer calories throughout the day.

Consume Fats with Sugar

The best way to break this cycle is by consuming fats with every meal. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, and herring are excellent sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3s are essential for brain development and function, and they help keep your heart healthy and strong. They also help prevent inflammation, which is linked to many chronic diseases.

Lignans are found naturally in flaxseed, but you can also find them in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beans.

Alcohol Is Simply Another Form Of Sugar.

The body metabolizes alcohol differently than it does carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It converts some into fatty acids, but most go straight through the liver. In addition, alcohol has a diuretic effect, meaning it increases urine production. This means that drinking alcohol will cause dehydration, making you thirstier.

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it makes people feel less energetic and less alert. It may also affect memory and concentration. If you drink too much alcohol, you could become disoriented and confused. Your judgment may be impaired, and you might not remember what happened during the night.

According to a 2016 study Trusted Source of 90,686 participants, people with diabetes may be around two to three times more likely to experience depression than people who do not have the condition. (medicalnewstoday.com)

Diabetes

Complications of diabetes can lead to other health problems, including vision loss, nerve damage, kidney disease, and poor circulation. These complications can make it difficult to control blood glucose levels.

There are different diabetes:

• Type 1 Diabetes (also called juvenile onset or insulin-dependent diabetes): occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin, resulting in high blood sugar levels. The only treatment available is daily injections of insulin.
• Type 2 Diabetes (also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes): develops over time because of resistance to insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels.

Drinking Water

Having plenty of water on hand during a meal is important for keeping your digestive system functioning properly. Drinking enough water before, during, and after meals can also help reduce bloating and cramping.

Water should always be consumed first thing in the morning. This helps flush out toxins from the previous day's diet. Consuming a glass of water with each meal aids digestion and prevents constipation.

Conclusion

Getting tired after eating sugar? Low blood sugar levels cause post-meal sleepiness. To avoid feeling sleepy, eat small, frequent snacks throughout the day.

Speaking with a healthcare professional about how to manage low blood sugar levels is recommended.