Does Turkey Make You Sleepy?

Does turkey make you sleepy? Thanksgiving chopping, cooking, baking, eating, and cleaning are often followed by sleeping. Is it in the turkey or are we just tired? For many years, tryptophan, a building block of the protein found in turkey, was being blamed for the naps that often followed the big meal. Recently, science has discredited this idea by stating that tryptophan does not induce sleep as formerly believed.

Why, then, does everyone make the move from dinner table to couch for post-feast snoozes? Most likely it is because your body feels too full and requires extra energy to digest the food. In addition, many people are just plain ole tired after all the cooking and eating.

One way to prevent the onset of yawns and exhaustion is to simply eat less. Thanksgiving is a time when we feast on many foods but we don’t have to stuff our bodies like they’re turkeys to be satisfied. In fact, if you take a deep breath before going for seconds you’ll realize you’re probably very full. Fill your plate once with a little of everything and make sure to eat the turkey to get your serving of protein with all those carbs.

There’s no need to make huge changes to your Thanksgiving meals. It’s one holiday feast that occurs one time a year. You won’t ruin your whole diet by enjoying this special day. But avoiding the temptation to reach for seconds may give you the moment you need to realize you’re already full.

If you’re still tired after the meal, so be it. You’ve simply been overworked preparing for the big day. Take a nap while everyone else does the dishes and you will surely feel much better when you wake.

1. Prev:Weight Loss Doctor Says, Let Them Eat Cake! (Or at Least Halloween Candy)
2. Next:Thanksgiving Dinner