Beware of the Hidden Turkey Saboteurs: Carbohydrates, Not Amino Acids, Will Knock You Out on Thanksgiving – This article reveals that carbs are the main cause of sleepiness after a big meal, especially on Thanksgiving. It explains how insulin releases glucose into muscles, commandeering amino acids like tryptophan to help with the job. Tryptophan is then converted into serotonin and melatonin in the brain, causing drowsiness. The article suggests eating less food overall or loading your plate with turkey and easing up on carbs to combat post-meal sleepiness.
The Science Behind Sleepies
The Role of Carbs in Inducing Sleepiness
Carbs are the real culprits behind the Thanksgiving sleepies. When you eat a big meal, your body releases insulin to regulate the amount of glucose that makes its way into your muscles. This process commandeers a bunch of amino acids, including tryptophan, to help with the job.
How Tryptophan Plays a Part in Inducing Sleepiness
Tryptophan is an amino acid that’s mostly used by the body to make mood-regulation hormones. Normally, tryptophan has limited access to your brain, as it’s blocked by other amino acids. However, when they get called away to help regulate glucose, tryptophan is in the clear. In the brain, it gets converted into serotonin, and then melatonin—known to cause drowsiness.
The Importance of a High Protein-to-Carb Ratio
Eating less food overall or loading your plate with turkey and easing up on the gravy, potatoes, and stuffing can help cut short the insulin response that makes tryptophan play Mr. Sandman. A higher protein-to-carb ratio will reduce the amount of glucose in your bloodstream, making it harder for tryptophan to induce sleepiness.
Other Ways to Combat Post-Meal Sleepiness
Getting up and doing something after eating can help power through a case of the napsies. This could be as simple as volunteering to do the dishes or scheduling a post-dinner touch-football game.
The Best Way to Combat Sleepies
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Eat less food overall.
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Load your plate with turkey and ease up on the gravy, potatoes, and stuffing.
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Get up and do something after eating.
