Foods, healthy foods that is, were created by God to nourish, replenish and to energize you, not make you feel tired and sleepy after eating. It’s true that eating certain kinds of unhealthy foods that are full of carbohydrates and sugars can zap you of your strength and energy (I’ll explain how later). Unless you’re an athlete they make you fatigue after eating them.
If you feel tired after eating lunch or dinner something’s wrong, either with the foods you are eating or your body. It may be because you consume unhealthy foods that stress out a major part of your body, the pancreas…
The Pancreas’ Function
The pancreas, which is located in the abdomen, tucked behind the stomach, plays two vital roles; it is an organ of the digestive system and of the endocrine (hormonal) system. Once food has been mulched and partially digested by the stomach, it is pushed into the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). The pancreas adds its own digestive juices and enzymes to the food, via a small duct attached to the duodenum. This process is said to belong to the exocrine pancreas. The pancreas also produces the hormone insulin, which helps to control the amount of sugar in the blood. This is the role of the endocrine pancreas.
In short, the pancreas are very important for your health and well-being. The pancreatic enzymes they produce help your body digest, absorb and assimilate different healthy foods you eat. Pancreatic enzymes are quite mighty as they are capable of breaking down all types of foods containing fat, protein and carbohydrates.
These enzymes are also essential for your body to reduce inflammation caused by trauma, injury, allergens, toxins and infections.
A bad thing is that as we age the production of digestive enzymes diminishes. Not only does that affect the body’s digestive functions but also its ability to suppress inflammation and control disease and infections. This makes keeping your pancreas healthy very important.
Feeling Tired After Eating Unhealthy Foods
So what makes you feel tired after eating? As stated above, feeling tired after eating usually occurs when you consume foods that contain large amounts of sugar and carbohydrates. Excess sugar in your body will spike your blood sugar level and will force the pancreas to work harder to produce more insulin, releasing it into the blood stream. Because of this excess secretion of insulin, levels of tryptophan increase into the brain. When this occurs, some amino acids that compete with tryptophan leave the blood stream and enter muscle cells. This causes an increase in the relative concentration of tryptophan in the bloodstream. Tryptophan is metabolized into serotonin and melatonin, the neurotransmitters that make you feel tired, drowsy and sleepy.
To beat that “feeling tired” feeling and stay refreshed and energized throughout your day you should be eating healthy foods. But first, what you should not eat.
7 Not-So healthy Foods That Stress Your Pancreas’ Function
It makes sense to take good care of this vital organ if you want to lead a healthy life at any age. Let’s list seven bad foods that could leave you tired and burden your pancreas. You should eat less of these foods or eliminate from your diet altogether. These not-so-healthy foods include:
- Dairy products
- Red meat
- Wheat
- Fried foods
- Pizza
- Pastries
- Ice cream
- Any other foods high in bad saturated fats, sugar and animal protein.
You feel tired when you eat these foods because they are hard to break down and require large amounts of enzymes to be digested and assimilated by your body. So eat LESS of those hard-to-digest foods, not only because they are difficult to digest but also because they are acid-forming and allergenic.
Serious Pancreas Disease Symptoms
The symptoms of a diseased pancreas depend on the underlying cause, but may include:
- Pain in the upper abdomen
- Loss of appetite
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Back pain
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Digestive upsets
- Passing foul-smelling and fatty faeces.
Please visit your doctor, as these symptoms can be serious.
What Healthy Foods to Eat?
In the alkaline diet we recommend focusing on the 80/20 rule in favor of fresh, water-rich, alkalizing foods and vegetables that are easy for the pancreas to digest. That’s 80 percent alkaline foods and 20 percent acidic foods to maintain the body’s delicate pH balance for optimum health.
Choose enzyme-rich healthy foods that alkaline your body! Eating alkaline foods will let your pancreas relax… and will leave you feeling fresh, energized and rejuvenated.
We offer the following enzyme rich healthy foods options to help you restore good health and nourish your pancreas and body. Get Started with our Alkaline Cookbook and Super Green Foods: Order Now
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