United News of Bangladesh

With Eid-ul-Fitr approaching, shoppers across the capital are feeling the pinch as prices of fish, meat and essential spices climb in markets, adding pressure to festive preparations. Traders said the prices of these key food items have gone up compared to normal times as demand rises ahead of the festival.

The launch of a canal re-excavation programme by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dinajpur on Monday stirred memories of a similar initiative taken nearly five decades ago by his father, former president Ziaur Rahman. Residents of Balrampur village in Kaharol upazila said Tarique Rahman appeared to be following the path of the BNP founder by personally joining the excavation work with a spade. About five decades ago, Ziaur Rahman took part in canal excavation work by cutting soil with a spade alongside hundreds of villagers of different ages. Accompanied by ministers and BNP leaders, Tarique Rahman personally began the re-excavation of the Sahapara canal by cutting soil with a spade at Balrampur Sahapara in Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur around 12:27pm. By cutting the first soil from the canal, he formally launched the nationwide programme, marking the start of similar activities across the country. Several thousand local people enthusiastically watched as the head of government dug the canal himself, following in the footsteps of his late father. Sixty-five-year-old resident Halima Khatun of Balrampur village said the programme reminded many people of the earlier initiative led by Ziaur Rahman. “Just like his father, he is taking part in canal digging. President Ziaur Rahman used to join canal excavation programmes with ordinary people through voluntary work,” she added. Sahapara canal in Balrampur now looks more like uneven piles of soil than a flowing canal, as much of the water has dried up over the years. During the monsoon, water flow through the canal remains limited, often leading to waterlogging in nearby areas. A local resident, Amjad Hossain, said the canal has long been a source of hardship for people in the area.  

“Food coma” can occur in both people and animals. After having a large meal, you may feel the urgency to rest and find a corner or bed to relax. This is referred to as a “food coma”. The experience feels lethargic, and people struggle to get the necessary energy. However, by being aware of a few steps, food coma can be prevented. What is a Food Coma? A food coma is when you feel sleepy and tired after having a heavy meal. It's not like being in a deep sleep or a medical coma. After a large meal, your body sends a lot of blood to your stomach to digest the food, which can make you feel tired because it takes blood away from other parts of your body, like your brain.  Foods high in carbohydrates and fats can also make your blood sugar spike and then crash, leaving you feeling super tired. Additionally, hormones released after eating fatty foods can slow down digestion and make you feel sluggish. When you eat carbs and fats together, it can lead to a release of insulin, which increases the production of a chemical called tryptophan in your brain. Tryptophan boosts serotonin levels, making you feel relaxed and sleepy, leading to what's known as a food coma. Read more: Reasons Why Ramadan Fasting is More Beneficial Than Dieting Causes of Food Coma The reasons for a food coma lie in the intake of certain kinds and amounts of ingredients and the workload the stomach feels while metabolizing foods. To understand more deeply, reading a little explanation will help. Foods Containing Tryptophan People often get sleepy after eating certain types of foods. Some experts say it's because foods like whole grain, beef, lamb, poultry, dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes, etc contain a lot of a substance called tryptophan. When someone eats such foods, along with foods high in carbs, like rice or mashed potatoes, it can make them feel even sleepier.  It happens because tryptophan helps the brain make serotonin which makes a person feel calm and relaxed. Serotonin also helps the body produce melatonin, which is a hormone that gets people ready for sleep. So, eating tryptophan-enriched foods and carb-heavy foods can make people feel exhausted after a big meal. Read more: Colon Cancer: Everything You Need to Know Anomaly in Blood Supply to Brain Away from the brain to the digestive organs, a slight shift in blood flow can cause postprandial somnolence. Again, eating pumps up the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is liable to regulate different body functions like blood pressure, heart rate, and digestion. When the stomach fills with enough food, the PNS gets triggered, causing more blood flow to the digestive organs and less to the brain. This lack of blood flow to the brain will cause a person to feel tired and sleepy. High-Calorie Meals Some experts propose that high-fat meals like dairy products, eggs, fatty fish, meat, nuts, seeds, etc which are low in carbohydrates can also create drowsiness.  Scientists also propose the idea of satiety signals, a rather complex combination sent to crucial sleep centers in the brain when such a meal with high fat or high calories is taken. The signal theoretically decreases hunger and arousal signals in the brain and increases sleepiness. Read more: How Does Physical Activity and Exercise Affect Testosterone Levels? Cytokines Increase Cytokines, a molecule from the Interlekin-1 family, is a signaling substance, involved in processes like inflammatory response, and is believed by experts to be responsible for augmented post-meal fatigue.  To draw an example of the use case, experts refer to any incident that involves a person taking medications to reduce inflammatory responses when the postprandial somnolence effect gets less intense and less common. Cytokines can affect the central nervous system and increase one’s perception of fatigue.