Autumn Fatigue and Diet
Improper Diet Leading to Autumn Fatigue
"Spring sleepiness, autumn fatigue, and summer naps" – drowsiness can happen all year round, but few people realize that a state of fatigue can be caused by an improper diet. So, which unhealthy eating habits can lead to tiredness and drowsiness?
1. Eating Too Little
Nowadays, some young people often diet for weight loss. People who eat little, especially those who skip breakfast, are prone to fatigue and drowsiness. Students who need to go to school in the morning or office workers constrained by work hours often skip breakfast. Skipping it once or twice can become a habit over time. However, nutritional research has proven that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast is the "switch" that starts the brain. After a night of sound sleep, hormone secretion reaches its lowest point, and stored glucose is depleted within 8 hours. The human brain's cells can only get energy from this one nutrient, glucose. Breakfast, like a timely rain, can quickly bring hormone secretion to a peak and provide energy for brain cells. If breakfast is insufficient, it can lead to listlessness and reduced work efficiency. Over time, it can also make a person feel tired and weak, dizzy, emotionally unstable, and even cause nausea, vomiting, or fainting, making it impossible to study and work with full energy.
2. Eating Too Much
After a large meal, the digestive system has to increase blood supply to complete the task of digestion and absorption. This means a large amount of blood flows to the digestive tract, and the blood supply to peripheral tissues and the brain is correspondingly reduced. The brain, in particular, cannot store energy, so once it lacks blood and oxygen, its energy metabolism will be impaired, directly affecting normal brain function and making a person feel drowsy. Recent research also shows that long-term overeating can accelerate cerebral arteriosclerosis and easily lead to senile dementia. Therefore, relevant experts remind everyone that regardless of age or gender, one's diet should not be too full. For the elderly, it is advisable to eat until about 70% full.
3. Overeating Greasy Foods
Occasionally consuming too much fat is not a big problem for the body. However, for people with high blood lipids, consuming too much fat will make their already high levels even higher. Due to the high lipid content in the blood, blood flow slows down, oxygen supply is reduced, and the heart has to compensate by increasing its contractile force. At this time, a person is not only prone to drowsiness, but also any strenuous activity will increase the heart's load and worsen the feeling of fatigue.
4. Overeating Seafood
Seafood contains a substance called monosodium glutamate, which is the main chemical component of MSG. During digestion, it can break down into glutamic acid. After entering the human body, monosodium glutamate can be converted to synthesize gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Too little of it can easily cause over-excitement of the central nervous system, such as mania or convulsions. However, too much of it will have an inhibitory effect on the central nervous system, making people drowsy.
5. Excessive Intake of Foods Containing Tryptophan
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid for the human body that can promote the secretion of serotonin by brain nerve cells. Serotonin has the effect of inhibiting brain activity. Therefore, consuming a diet rich in tryptophan can easily make people feel tired and sleepy. Foods rich in tryptophan include millet, milk, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, black sesame, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, flossy pork, fried tofu, eggs, etc.
6. Drinking Acidic Beverages in Large Quantities After Exercise
After intense or strenuous exercise, the body accumulates a lot of lactic acid. At this time, drinking a large amount of acidic beverages will cause acidic metabolic products to accumulate in the body, worsening the feeling of fatigue. The correct method at this point is to eat more light and easily digestible foods, with alkaline foods like vegetables and fruits being the best choice.
Foods to Relieve Autumn Fatigue
"Autumn fatigue" is related to an acidic body fluid. Eating more alkaline foods can neutralize the acidic substances produced by muscles during fatigue and help eliminate tiredness. Nutrition experts especially remind that after the End of Heat (Chushu) in the solar terms, dietary adjustments should include more alkaline foods rich in vitamins, such as tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, grapes, and pears. These foods can help the body overcome fatigue.