We get a lot of questions from our clients about postprandial fatigue. Never heard of it? Well you’ve certainly familiar with the term “food coma” - and perhaps with the experience of being in one. What causes this phenomenon and why does it affect some people more than others? Is it normal to need a nap after lunch?  On this podcast I’m joined by NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall to talk about postprandial fatigue - the sleepiness, difficulty focusing, and even dizziness or nausea that strikes after consuming a meal. Megan talks about some of the biological processes behind the need for a post-meal snooze, and when to suspect a deeper pathology. She also offers practical tips to help you resolve your own postprandial fatigue. Thank you everyone who so generously supports this podcast on Patreon - without your support, we wouldn’t be able to keep this podcast independent and free of ads. So thank you. And just a reminder - as a Patreon supporter - not only do you have our eternal gratitude, but also... You get some awesome gifts - including 20-35% discounts on all supplements we recommend when working with clients, which saves many of our supporters $50-$100 a month over what they were previously paying on Amazon. So by supporting the podcast, they’re actually spending LESS money each month. In addition to that, you can also get access to our Office Hours, where Megan answers questions twice a week. You can submit all your own questions, as well as listen to all the replays, covering everything from krill oil to mitochondrial support. We’ve worked really hard to make sure that the bonuses you get are actually way more valuable than what you pay whatever level you choose to support us at. So if you’d like to support the podcast and get access to the discounts and Office Hours, just head over to NBT.link and sign up there. Here’s the outline of this interview with Megan Hall: [00:04:25] Common symptoms of postprandial fatigue. [00:05:46] Reactive hypoglycemia; Study: Johnson, Debra D., Kay E. Dorr, and Wendell M. Swenson. "Reactive hypoglycemia." JAMA 243.11 (1980): 1151-1155.  [00:06:35] Diagnosing reactive hypoglycemia; Study: CHALEW, STUART, et al. "Diagnosis of reactive hypoglycemia: pitfalls in the use of the oral glucose tolerance test." Southern Medical Journal 79.3 (1986): 285-287. [00:09:00] Symptoms and causes of hypoglycemia. [00:09:37] Increased insulin sensitivity; Studies: 1. Brun, J. F., et al. "Increased insulin sensitivity and basal insulin effectiveness in postprandial reactive hypoglycaemia." Acta Diabetologica 33.1 (1996): 1-6; 2. Vexiau, P., B. Legoff, and G. Cathelineau. "Insulin and cortisol secretion during OGTT in patients with reactive hypoglycaemia with or without clinical symptoms." Hormone and metabolic research 15.09 (1983): 419-421. [00:09:47] Hypocortisolism; Studies: 1. Meyer, Gesine, et al. "Nocturnal hypoglycemia identified by a continuous glucose monitoring system in patients with primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease)." Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics 14.5 (2012): 386-388; 2. Christiansen, Jens Juel, et al. "Effects of cortisol on carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism: studies of acute cortisol withdrawal in adrenocortical failure." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 92.9 (2007): 3553-3559. [00:10:05] Hypothyroidism; Studies: 1. Kalra, Sanjay, Ambika Gopalakrishnan Unnikrishnan, and Rakesh Sahay. "The hypoglycemic side of hypothyroidism." Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism 18.1 (2014): 1; 2. Yadav, Tek Chand, et al. "Recurrent hypoglycemia: An unusual finding of hypothyroidism." Thyroid Research and Practice 14.3 (2017): 127. [00:10:53] What to do about hypoglycemia. [00:13:09] Accelerated gastric emptying. [00:16:20] Reactive hypoglycemia after exercise. [00:18:51] Postprandial hyperglycemia; Study: Gerich, John E. "Clinical significance, pathogenesis, and management of postprandial hyperglycemia." Archives of internal medicine 163.11 (2003):