Tired after rice? How to check what is really going on
Sleepy after a meal? Feeling drowsy after a big meal is something many people notice. How much it happens, and after which meals, varies a lot between people.
Free 60-second food-mood check. Six quick questions, no sign-up.
Take the free checkIs it the rice?
Maybe, maybe not. Rice (fried rice, biryani, jollof) often comes with other things, like fried sides, and on days you eat it other things may be different too. That's why a single bad afternoon can't tell you much, but a few weeks of notes can.
Reactions to the same food differ a lot from person to person. Some people notice feeling tired after eating after rice; many don't. The only way to know for you is to compare your own days.
Things besides food that can play a part
- Meal size
- Time of day
- Sleep the night before
- Alcohol with the meal
How to find your own pattern
- Log what you eat in a few words, including drinks and snacks, and note when you have rice.
- Check in once or twice a day. Check in about an hour after the meal, while you can still feel the difference.
- Give it about two weeks. You need days with and without rice to compare.
- Compare, then test. If a pattern shows up, change one thing for 7 days and compare.
What a Nourity comparison looks like
Example: "On days with rice, your energy was 17% lower (9 days vs 22). Moderate confidence."
An example, not real data. Nourity only shows a pattern after 14 days and at least 5 days with and without a food, with a confidence level.
If symptoms are frequent, severe, new or worrying, please talk to a doctor. A food and mood record is a useful thing to bring along.
Curious how your meals and your days line up?
Take the free 60-second food-mood check: six quick questions, no sign-up, and you'll know what to note first.
Take the free check