I am Thankful for Turkey and
Tryptophan
The Practical Nutritionist, LLC
Audrey J Pellegrino, Med, MHN
One of my sisters is always
amazed when I say I prefer Thanksgiving over some of the other
celebrations. It is a day to eat great
food, play games, spend time with your family and I do not have to borrow on
the national debt to enjoy it! The
pictures of Thanksgiving conjure up warm and friendly thoughts, the mother
pulling a warm pie out of the oven, the father carving the bird, the children
all dressed up and waiting patiently to be served… Okay maybe the pictures are a little unrealistic.
My pictures would look more like the mother(me) trying to get everything
together while my children were either trying to pick and eat it all or they
would be in the living room with their dad watching football. After dinner you would be hard pressed to
find a space in the living room that wasn’t already taken with a snoozing
body. That is another thing that makes
Thanksgiving so wonderful, the very restful mandatory nap between turkey and
pie. What is that magical stuff in the
turkey that makes Thanksgiving naps feel so good?
The Pilgrims and
Native Americans knew that all whole foods have something our body needs to run
optimally and now we know that turkey has Tryptophan. Tryptophan is a wonderful amino acid that is
the basis for the neurotransmitter Serotonin.
Serotonin plays a role in promoting sleep, controlling carbohydrate
intake, managing impulsive and obsessive behaviors and stabilizing moods. When you eat that turkey dinner you are
building up your serotonin. I am pretty
sure that I would still think thanksgiving is wonderful and be glad to be with
my family; however I do think it is amazing that the biological reaction to my
dinner makes that warm and happy feeling even stronger.
I don’t know about
you but turkey is not the only thing I eat for my Thanksgiving dinner and
Tryptophan is not the only thing that my food is giving me. Sweet potatoes give me Vitamins C and B as
well as potassium and iron. Peas and
onions give me Vitamins C and A, as well as small amounts of many other
nutrients. Cranberries help clean my urinary
system; and pumpkin pie not only makes me smile but also gives me Vitamin A,
Potassium and a variety of other minerals.
So this year I will be thankful for my family and friends, and I will
also be thankful for all the good things I get from my food.