Well, youve done it.
Youve gone and eaten yourself into a food coma.
Your belly feels stretched beyond capacity and you could barely move your limbs.
The ideal solution is no doubt to surrender to a tryptophan-induced slumber until it all blows over.
You probably already suspect the answer to this question involves moving your body.
And youre hoping this is not the only answer.
But first, it may help to learn whats actually happening down there.
Its interesting, he begins.
Food coma is very much an American term.
Its not used elsewhere in the world.
Oh the chagrin, my fellow Americans.
Dr. Rao says there are three factors contributing to this singular physiological experience.
Literally, the reverse happens when you have overfilled your stomach, Dr. Rao says.
But its not just the gathering of the blood that makes you feel lethargic.
Only instead of that runners high, they relax you.
Essentially this is the body trying to buy more time to digest the food.
The gut also produces a more local hormone called ghrelin, which stimulates hunger.
When you eat a lot ghrelin goes down, leaving you less inclined to eat more.
And finally, when we eat too much, its most often high-fat and/or high-sugar food.
Not too many of us feast overzealously on salad, after all.
The fat, Dr. Rao says, tends to interfere with the stomachs ability to empty.
The greater the fat content, the slower the stomach empties, he says.
That means youre going to stay full longer, which will discourage you from eating more.
A temporary imbalance between insulin and blood glucose may also contribute to this effect.
All of this takes time, Dr. Rao says.
Well, you could, but you dont have to.
And exercise will counter the hormones that make you sleepy.
Dr. Rao agrees with the walking strategy for the same reasons.
In addition there are a couple other things you might do.
Papaya contains enzymes that can help break down food and move things along a little faster.
You could take papaya enzymes in capsules, or even eat a little of the fruit itself.
Hot coffee will also stimulate the stomach emptying, as will tea, though to a lesser degree.
And chili pepper has that same stimulating effect.
Take it one step at a time.
Get your footing, pick up your coat, yell at the nearest human to go outside with you.
Probably not, but once youve made it that far you might as well keep going.
Youre vowing never to eat this much again, arent you?
Sure, keep moving while you tell yourself that.
