Science Says This One Food Can Bring You Back To Life When You're Stuck In A Food Coma

Food coma season is upon us, people, so dig out your flowiest shirts and prepare yourself. I'm technically talking about Thanksgiving — but same difference, right? Real talk, though: As wonderful as sharing a delicious feast with your friends and loved ones is, there will probably be some point in the day when you'll desperately wonder how to recover from a food coma. Well, if you ask me, where there's a will, there's a way, and luckily, science seems to be on the same page.

Whether you slip into a food coma every Turkey Day without fail, or you simply find yourself feeling far too full for your own good on any other day of the year, new research has revealed how to recover from that post-meal slump so that it doesn't leave you all sleepy and bloated for ages after the fact.

The new research comes from the natural products brand Drpraegers.com, which surveyed 2,000 Americans on their overall eating habits, and how they think food makes them feel. According to an online press release that details the survey's results, the average American spends nine full days in that dreaded food coma every single year. I mean, I don't know about you, but I feel like that's kind of a lot, right?

The apparent culprit behind all of this post-meal sluggishness, according to the survey, is meat, and any meal that's packed with it.

So, you probably see where this is going, right? No? Well, while meat was found to be a common trigger for food comas, the survey revealed that eating more vegetables might be the secret to overriding that post-meal slump — and TBH, it makes sense.

When it comes to food, it's all about how the stuff makes you feel, guys, and a whopping 84 percent of the survey's respondents admitted that what they eat does, indeed, impact their moods. And yes, 49 percent of people in the survey said that adding more veggies to their meals seems to elevate their energy levels. What's more, 71 percent of the survey respondents said they're less likely to experience a food coma when they center their meals around vegetables, as opposed to carbs or meats.

It's time to admit it, friends: Your mom was onto something when she told you to eat your vegetables. Moms just know things, OK?

Look, none of this is to say that you shouldn't ever eat carbs or meat, nor does it mean you have to stick to only veggies in your meals — that'd probably be a pretty boring way to live, right? All I'm saying here is that, if you know you're susceptible to the occasional food coma, it's never a bad idea to know why you feel that way, and how you can pull yourself out of the slump if you need to, say, give an important presentation, or go to a job interview, right after a heavy meal.

According to this new data, about 30 percent of people in the survey feel that they don't have access to "healthier" foods, but they also said that they would eat healthier if these options were easier to access. In a statement for the survey's press release, Larry Praeger, CEO of Drpraeger’s.com, said he's well aware that many people don’t have access to fresh produce, or, alternatively, the time to prepare it.

In those cases, Praeger said, "your freezer can be your secret weapon when it comes to fueling a vibrant life through food.” I mean, raise your hand if microwavable bags of frozen veggies are literally your lifeline (BRB, I think I just dislocated my shoulder from raising my hand so fast).

So pop that beautiful bag of frozen broccoli in the microwave, slap a hefty portion on your plate to complement your meal, and you can officially say "peace out" to food comas.