Sleep and Food

Question
Dear brother,

What are the food items that enhances sleepiness? What are the food items that refreshes the mind and helps us to be active?
Urs brotherly,
Sendhil

Answer
Hi Sendhil,

The relationship between "food and mood" is complex.

Some general information:

For enhancing sleep:
Foods such as bread, bagels, and crackers that are high in complex carbohydrates have a mild sleep-enhancing effect because they increase serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter that promotes sleep.

A glass of warm milk with honey is one of the oldest treatments for promoting sleep. Milk contains tryptophan which, when converted to seratonin in the body, induces sleep and prevents waking. Bananas, figs and dates are also high in tryptophan.

Foods to promote wakefulness and concentration:

- caffeinated foods (Coffee,tea, cola)
   
- High protein foods such as meat and dairy products promote alertness by blocking the synthesis of serotonin.

For a much more detailed look at the relationship between food and mood, I would recommend reading _Food and Mood_ by Elizabeth Somer. You might also find the following website interesting:

http://www.foodandmood.org/

Hope that helps!

Karen
www.getfitwithkaren.com  

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