Mid-day sleepiness on carnivore

#1

I’ve been trying out carnivore for about two and a half weeks. It’s been pretty easy and uneventful.

I was surprised, though, to experience that after-lunch sleepiness that I associate more with eating carbs at lunch. I’ve had no significant carbs at all since starting my carnivore experiment, just meat, eggs, cheese, and black coffee. It’s not all the time, just once about a week in, then again after two weeks.

I wondered if was related to cheese, as the first time it was at a conference during the first session after lunch. I had skipped out on the sandwiches/chips/cookies and took a 20 minute walk outside and then ate some hard cheese I had brought for lunch. Despite hardly any carbs, I soon found my eyelids drooping even during an interesting presentation.

The second time was yesterday, when I had ground beef and coffee for lunch (no cheese) and then an hour later I could barely keep my eyes open while monitoring a study hall, and couldn’t bring myself to do any work like I usually do then.

Any ideas on what might cause this?

(Omar) #2

It is the coffee

in my case it interferes with some function in the liver and cause problems in the digestion

It will not hurt to stop it just for two days.

I went cold turkey on coffee and I am very glad I did.

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #3

I get sleepy on days where I just eat one meal at dinner. I’m 65yo so maybe it is part of my need for a nap. Maybe coffee. Will have to give up coffee for a few weeks and see.

#4

Well, if it’s the coffee, it’s an intermittent effect. I drink several cups every day no matter how I’m eating and the sleepiness only occurs once in a while. Mainly I’m surprised it would still happen at all with carnivore.

I have given up coffee for at least a month a few times, but (beyond the first few days withdrawal symptoms) I’ve not noticed any differences, so I’ve always gone back.

I wish I lived in a work culture that valued the mid-day nap!

(Elizabeth ) #5

It’s plain and simple adaptation. Switching from burning glucose even if you were on a low-carb diet to burning fat completely is an energy expensive process. Take a look at other carnivores in the wild, they feast and then they sleep under a tree somewhere haha. I found that drinking some hot salty broth usually perked me right up much better than coffee. It also went away for me about the 5th or 6th week.

(Omar) #6

It could be gut bacteria.

I mean they are not getting fiber with carnivore.

If this feeling very sleepy getting to undesired point you may want to eat 20 grams almond in the vicinity of meals for three days.

just something I came across while last trial for carnivore.

(Chris) #7

Or you can just let that sub-par bacteria die off and continue to fully adapt.

(Omar) #8

some of them they do not die

they will eat in the intestine wall.

I will try to find the reference

(Chris) #9

Please, if you would.

(Omar) #10

minute 23

they will eat the mucousa

#12

old thread but it popped up in the zc area so I will throw in a comment.
Agree 100% with Elizedge. Adaption, pure and simple. Almost everyone gets hit with this at some point when transitioning. What I did was try to just nap and chill thru it all. Of course sometimes we can’t do that, we just have to power thru, it will leave and new vibrant energy levels will kick in and your sleepiness will go by the wayside. At least 30/60/90 days is what most people do need in a solid transition into zc for alot of adaption issues to wane. I know older thread, but I hope you are still carnivore and doing well :sunny:

(Not a cow) #13

For me dairy products cause this effect. Same with sugary things, like sweet sauces, ketchup, and even fast food items. Are you drinking anything that might contain a sugar or substitute? I found even those stupid Mio electrolytes drops in my water, will give me the sleepy feeling.

Milk is worse, cheese not too bad, or other offshoots of dairy products like yogurt etc, when I was keto, seem not so bad. Over eating meat will cause this tiredness for me as well, but I don’t mind taking a nap, as long as I’m at home. Since I am trying to lose weight, I am very careful to not stuff myself anymore at meal time. Works pretty good as I am keeping my energy up throughout the day now.

Coffee pretty much wakes me up, so the opposite effect, but too much gives me heartburn.

Thanks Fangs, I didn’t notice it was an old thread.

#14

ahh Moo, you mean ya ain’t napping in the car in a store parking lot or taking a power nap on your feet while in line at the grocery? Heehee…

think big predators. Lion stuff on meat and relax for days on that feeding. You a big old lion and I am a lioness…we were meant to do just this, eat and just relax away the days…but in this civilized life we must function, be productive and work right? Yea, guess we do!