These foods may make you tired, both physically and mentally

Processed meat

Processed meat can be really convenient when you're too busy to cook a meal for your family but consume it in moderation.

The high salt and preservative content in such foods can really alter blood sugar levels and cause slight inflammation in your body. All of this can make you feel slightly irritable.

Dairy

According to research, 75 per cent of people cannot actually process dairy well. Dairy can sometimes cause inflammatory reactions in the body and most commonly, stomachaches.

Nightshades

Nightshades are foods like potatoes, tomatoes and peppers.

While they don't always cause an inflammatory reaction in people, nightshades contain a natural occurring chemical known as alkaloids and not everyone is naturally able to digest and break them down.

Alcohol

We're all aware of the ill affects that alcohol has on the brain.

To put it simply, alcohol impairs the brain's basic functions (which is why most people who are drunk end up doing things they regret).

White rice

Foods with high glycemic-index tend to increase the risk of depression and causes your body to increase its blood sugar levels rapidly.

In turn, once your body is done processing the sugar, it ends up hitting a slump and you'll end up feeling even more tired than usual.

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.