FAQ: What Causes a Food Coma, Bloating, and other Health Questions

I try to spread out my food intake throughout the day; but at dinner when I am finished with a moderately sized meal, if I sit or rest after, I get that sleepy feeling. Are large meals what causes a food coma?

It may relate to what you eat. Certain foods may be what causes food comas more than others. Typically in the evenings, the body starts slowing down, so you may not want to read.

I have Adrenal Fatigue and I have been craving kale a lot lately. Does that mean I am deficient in something?

Kale is rich in many nutrients; it’s hard to tell what you are deficient in. It is good to build up the adrenal glands first and see if the craving goes away.

In our day to day lives, we are constantly exposed to toxins. What is the best way to try and eliminate overexposure to environmental toxins?

Eliminate as many processed foods as possible. Eating natural, organic, hormone free and antibiotic free foods, using natural products, reducing electronics usage, taking supplements to help the body eliminate the toxins and proper detoxification all help to reduce exposure to environmental toxins.

My family and I have a very busy, sometimes hectic but satisfying lifestyle. Occasionally I will feel slightly fatigued or have frequent headaches. I detect fairly early on if I need to rest or need to focus more on my diet. This especially clear after a large meal, as I can barely keep my eyes open. Do you have any tips for someone like me? I have relatives struggling with Adrenal Fatigue and would like to prevent myself or anyone else in my family from going through it by eating a good adrenal health diet.

Diet is a very important part of general healthy living principles. If you have frequent headaches, you may want to keep a food journal and see if there is any connection between the food and the headaches. The food you eat may be what causes a food coma as well. a food journal will help you track the food you eat and how you felt afterwards.

At night when I lay down, I get very gassy. Is that normal?

It is not normal. It may be related to what you have eaten in the earlier meals. Make sure you don’t drink liquid with the meals.

Once my adrenals are healed will I be able to lose weight?

When the adrenals are weak, losing weight is very difficult because the body tends to hang onto all the weight it can to conserve energy. When the adrenals are strong, the body’s metabolism will undergo changes that allow weight loss without triggering adrenal crashes.

I have heard some beverages such as red wine and black coffee can be beneficial to health. There is so much debate about it. Do they really offer benefits, and if so, what are they? And what causes a food coma, could it be the beverages?

There are some benefits if coffee is consumed in small quantities due to the caffeine effect being slightly stimulatory. But if you indulge in coffee in large quantities, such as more than a few cups a day, then the amount of caffeine can be too much for the body and the adrenals to handle. Similarly, red wine may have helpful effects in a healthy body, but alcohol is an adrenal stressor that can easily push the body into a crash. The types of beverages you choose at and in between meals could be what causes a food coma.

When juicing, are there any particular vegetables that are really effective for detoxing?

Daikon / Radishes, Parsley, Beets, Carrots, Cruciferous vegetables, celery are good for detoxing. Try to stay away from wheat grass if you have adrenal fatigue because it can be stimulating and trigger adrenal crashes. Also avoid excessive amounts of carrots, which are very sweet. Moderate amounts are okay.

Why can’t I have peanut butter when I have Adrenal Fatigue?

Peanuts are more susceptible to mold and fungal attacks. Almost all peanut butter in the United States contains a minute amount of aflatoxin. So we recommend avoiding peanuts and peanut butter to reduce the inflammation load on the body when you have Adrenal Fatigue.

I’ve heard of the NEM Stress Response. What is it and does it relate at all to adrenal fatigue?

The NEM, neuroendocrine metabolic, stress response is how the whole body and all of its systems work together. It includes hormones, neurotransmitters, nutrients, and metabolic components. There are six stress responses that all work in unison to try and protect our body when excessive stress takes over, as in the case of adrenal fatigue. The stress responses are inflammation, neuro-affective, cardionomic, hormonal, metabolic, detoxification, and inflammatory. When the systems function in unison, we feel healthy and in balance. When the response are out of balance, as in adrenal fatigue, we have widespread issues with our body, which is why adrenal fatigue requires such a holistic approach to recovery.