However, the living habits of Americans and Vietnamese are not the same, they often do not take a nap, which makes many people feel very curious. Americans often do not rest at noon, why do they not feel tired in the afternoon? Is it because Americans have good genes or because they do not have the habit of taking a nap? Why do Americans eat so little at noon, but still have enough energy to work all day?

The correct answer is: naps and meal ingredients are closely related. Do you agree with this point of view?

1. The key to the problem is carbohydrates

Chinese author Thai Minh Hang, who has lived in the US for many years, wrote an article on this issue, in which he mentioned the following:

When he first started working, the author often went out for lunch with friends, and there were a few white colleagues who always refused to eat Chinese food or Asian cuisine. At first, he thought that they did not like to enjoy new dishes. Later, when they became close, they told him the reason they didn't eat Chinese food was because every time they ate it, they felt extremely tired, affecting their work (they often used the word "heavy" to describe Asian food).

So why is Chinese food or Asian cuisine "heavy"?

That's because the carbohydrate content in Chinese and Asian food is very high.

Carbohydrates are made up of three elements: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, the amount of hydrogen is twice that of oxygen, similar to the structure of water. Carbohydrates are divided into 4 types: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, providing energy for humans.

If they have a role in providing energy, the more you eat, the healthier and more energetic you will feel, so why do you feel tired? This is the problem of the "glycemic index of food" (Glycemic index).

2. Foods with high sugar content can easily cause fatigue and drowsiness

“Glycemic index of food” is an index that reflects the rate of increase in blood sugar after eating foods rich in carbohydrates. The amount of glucose after eating foods containing carbohydrates often increases 100 times compared to normal.

Simply put: the glycemic index of food reflects the speed and ability to increase blood sugar after eating a food, and is an index to determine the sudden increase in blood sugar after eating foods containing carbohydrates.

Foods with high carbohydrates and high glycemic index will quickly increase blood sugar, leading to the secretion of a large amount of insulin. Insulin will create a special amino acid called tryptophan, which enters the brain, and tryptophan in the brain will be converted into serotonin, which will make us sleepy.

That is to say, the high glycemic index of food will cause the brain to produce a “sleepy” substance, which makes us always feel sleepy after eating.

Foreigners’ lunch is usually low in carbohydrates. Many people who go to the gym only eat protein, vegetables and fruits at noon. Although they also eat the same type of food as hamburgers and sandwiches, they rarely eat white bread.

Compared to Chinese lunch, they often eat rice at noon, which has a high flour content. Too much rice and flour will slow down the metabolism of sugar, and high blood sugar levels can easily make us sleepy. Chinese food, Japanese ramen, and Indian rice are all foods with a high glycemic index, which can easily lead to sleepiness.