Smoked turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey, stuffing, turkey, yams, turkey, and pumpkin pie. Oh, ya, in case I forgot to mention it, turkey. Then a great tryptophan induce nap. A great way to spend Thanksgiving!
Wait a minute. “Tryptophan induced nap”?
Yes, the amino acid L-tryptophan is part of the serotonin cycle and does support a feeling of relaxation and sleep. The problem is a serving of turkey has less than 400 mg of tryptophan. Turkey really is only about 1.1% tryptophan. In comparison, a serving of milk or sesame seeds is twice as potent. Most supplemental tryptophan starts at 500 mg per cap. It plays a supporting role - I forgot the rolls! - in your traditional Thanksgiving Day nap, but it is not the star.
Most of us will consume at least 1 to 2 days worth of calories in that one meal. Happily in my case! Since up to 80% of the calories we consume goes into the digestive process, it makes sense that we have to shut down other systems to deal with the load of food we just consumed. To blame the drowsiness on tryptophan is like saying the electric space heater tripped the circuit breaker in our home, and the rest of the things running are innocent.
So, what do we do?
Well, you could eat less. (Ya, I laughed at that when I wrote it) You could run out and by a digestive enzyme supplement to support the process in the stomach. I like Digest Gold by Enzymedica. You could even try a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar to improve the acid level in you stomach. This usually helps break down the food better.
Me, I plan watching football till I fall asleep. After all, it is a tradition.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Fact: This Thanksgiving I consumed nearly as many calories as Michael Phelps does when he's training for the Olympics! I can thank mom (and a wonderful hormone named ghrelin) for that! Here's my question...I hear that every once in a while--key phrase--EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE--it's good to have a higher calorie meal to jumpstart metabolism. Is there any legitimacy to this claim?
ReplyDeleteI have heard the same idea before myself. It does have some validity. The problem is, most of us would not use this technique correctly or safely. This is more that a loaded gun idea, it is a “You fool! Put the pin back in the grenade!” kind of idea. Without the proper diet and exercise lifestyle to complement the gorging, you have done nothing more than eat too much again.
ReplyDeleteWith talking about “jump starting” your metabolism, when was the last time you did that to a car? You turn on the ignition and the car starts. No special steps needed. I challenge you to find any car that works as well as your own body. If you want to help your metabolism work for you, try eating several small meals a day. No more calories than before, just spread them out. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruit. Increase protein and lose the processed carbs. Drink more water, and LOSE THE SODA POP COMPLETELY!
There is no super secret, hidden, designed by Himalayan monks from the Andes formula for body shaping. It just takes the effort of will to keep at it.
What are Himalayan monks doing in the Andes? Vacation? Mystic monk conference?
ReplyDeleteAnd my body already has a shape... sort of like a potato.