Many people today experience afternoon grogginess. The average worker is very unproductive after lunch. The worst time to try and get someone, such as a customer service representative, to be productive is an hour or so after lunch. The reason for this is due to the spike in insulin from the high carbohydrate foods consumed throughout the day, especially the cereal, juice, and donut or bagel breakfast. This can also be from not eating breakfast at all, but leaving the body starving and on it's own to derive fuel from it's stored glucose and fat. The other common reason, though not as common as the carbohydrate intolerance issue, is food sensitivities/allergies. The release of histamine from allergenic responses causes the fatigued, groggy symptoms. So, if you want to be more productive and feel better throughout the entire day, take it easy on the carbs, especially the refined "white" carbohydrates such as flours and sugars - even potatoes. If you crave a certain food or eat one food a lot (dairy, wheat, eggs, soy, corn, to name the most common), don't eat them for a week or so and see if you feel any better. If you manage a group of people, and you see their productivity going down in the afternoon, then it's time to get them to change their diets.

 copyright © 2000-2008 by Dr. Stephen Gangemi