Is Eating White Rice Makes You Sleepy And Drowsy Post-Lunch? Here’s Why

A high consumption of rice has calming hormones like melatonin and serotonin that increase and cause drowsiness.

Your food choices can determine not only your mood but also your energy levels throughout the day. While a nutritious breakfast could give you a brisk day to start, eating your lunch wisely is crucial if you want to keep your productivity intact in the second half. Although, it is a common notion that eating rice makes a person feel sluggish and sleepy.

According to nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee, “It is a common practice in India to eat rice at lunchtime, however it is not necessarily the best thing to do if you want to avoid a post-lunch nap. This is because by lunchtime our mental energy levels are already running low and therefore it is important to eat a protein-rich lunch so that our brain can synthesize more active chemicals such as dopamine and epinephrine. , which give the body a boost of energy and improve our productivity”,

The nutritionist also shares the reason why people feel sleepy after eating dal-chawal.

“(White rice) also releases calming hormones like melatonin and serotonin that cause relaxation and drowsiness. This is also true of most carbohydrates,” she says.

This is what you can do to deal with tiredness after lunch

• If you can’t do without rice, eat small amounts of long-grain basmati rice, because it has a lower glycemic index (around 55). Along with this practice portion control.
• Switch to whole barley (boiled and cooked rice) instead of regular rice
• Alternatively, you can have jowar or bajra or wheat flatbreads with paneer or soybeans or even grilled chicken with vegetables and salads.