Why does my heart rate increase after eating food?

Q: Is there a relationship between heartbeat and food? My heartbeat normally is about 72 to 80 beats per minute. But after lunch, it gradually increases to 90 to 100 per minute. Is it normal? My blood pressure is around 130/80 normally and reaches 150/90 after 1 and half hours of lunch. Though it comes back to normal after 2 and half hours. I had undergone CABG surgery 1 and half years. I also underwent total hip joint replacement in 1987 and revision of hip joint in 1999.

A:Food intake may cause autonomic changes producing changes in heart rate & blood pressure. Some people sweat with food intake and others may feel very sleepy after a carbohydrate meal. These are not abnormal but you might consider a 24 hour ambulatory BP monitoring and a postprandial blood sugar to exclude high BP during some parts of the day and reactive hypoglycaemia respectively.