The 3pm crash is almost always set up by lunch—a meal heavy in refined carbohydrates triggers a blood sugar spike, then an insulin-driven crash. Research found about half of overweight individuals experience subclinical reactive hypoglycemia, snacking six times more frequently as a result.
This companion explores the crash mechanism hour by hour, what sets it up (high glycemic load, insufficient protein, low-fat trap), the circadian layer, and how to redesign lunch. (4 min read)