When we feel exhausted all day, the first suspects are usually poor sleep or stress. But sometimes, the real culprit is hiding in our everyday eating habits. A few seemingly harmless food habits can quietly drain your energy without you ever connecting the two. Lakshmi Kale, head nutritionist at Nutrition In Sync, highlights that people don’t realise that it’s often their everyday eating habits quietly working against them.
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The sugar rush is a myth
According to Lakshmi, that biscuit or sugary snack may feel like an instant energy boost, but the effect rarely lasts. Carbohydrates did not improve mood or alertness. Instead, people often reported feeling more tired within 30 minutes. Pairing carbohydrates with protein, healthy fats or fibre helps slow the rise in blood sugar and prevents the energy crash that often follows.
It’s not just lunch making you sleepy
“Lunch often gets blamed for the afternoon slump, but your body’s biological clock plays a much bigger role,” said Lakshmi. Most people naturally experience a dip in alertness during the afternoon, and a large, high-fat meal can make it even worse by increasing hormones linked to sleepiness. Instead of skipping lunch, choose a balanced meal with protein, vegetables and healthy fats to support steadier energy throughout the day.
That late coffee could be backfiring
Coffee can certainly make you feel more alert, but timing matters. Consuming around 400 mg of caffeine even six hours before bedtime can reduce sleep by more than an hour. That late afternoon coffee may help you get through today’s workload, but it could quietly reduce tonight’s sleep and leave you feeling even more tired tomorrow.
Alcohol knocks you out; it doesn’t help you rest
Many people believe a drink at night helps them sleep. In reality, alcohol doesn’t improve sleep; it simply sedates you. It knocks you out instead of allowing your body to move naturally through the restorative stages of sleep. Because it suppresses REM sleep and fragments the second half of the night, you may wake up feeling tired despite spending enough time in bed.
When it’s time to get tested
Lakshmi highlighted that don’t overlook nutrient deficiencies. Low iron and vitamin B12 can cause persistent fatigue long before anaemia develops, and both are common in India, especially among women and vegetarians.
“If you’ve improved your meal quality, caffeine timing and sleep routine but still feel exhausted after a few weeks, it’s worth speaking to your practitioner. Conditions such as thyroid disorders, diabetes and sleep apnoea can also present as ongoing fatigue,” explained Lakshmi. If you’re constantly running on empty, don’t just reach for another cup of coffee or an energy drink. Sometimes, the biggest boost comes from fixing the everyday habits that have been quietly draining your energy all along.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
