MYTH: Turkey makes you sleepy

We have known the truth of this for years, but turkey is still often blamed for the notorious "after dinner snooze." This supposedly came from the knowledge of experts that state that the high amounts of tryptophan (an essential amino acid) increases the amounts of serotonin produced in the brain. (I did my research and I can't find who the "experts" were). By the way, serotonin is a hormone that helps you feel relaxed. 

Well, whoever the experts were, they didn't do a good job on their hypothesis. It has been known that the amounts of tryptophan in turkey is not high enough to have any impact. This is unless, of course, you can eat 20 pounds of turkey on an empty stomach.  

So, if it's not the turkey that makes you sleepy, what is it?

Insulin Crash- If you're like most people I know, you will probably go through the entire morning without much to eat (if anything), ready to dive into mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, dressing, et cetera, et cetera.  Once you're done stuffing yourself to the rafters, your body is having to handle a great deal of food converting into blood sugar (blood sugar spike-insulin crash). You go from a state of hyperglycemia to hypoglycemia within the hour.  Your pancreas will freak out and produce a high amount of insulin to handle the overload.  Only problem is, you are most likely to produce too much insulin which will then cause your blood sugar to crash. Along with some other hormonal conditions, this will cause you to feel sleepy.  Unfortunately, because of bad eating habits, the insulin crash happens to some people daily.  This is what leads to Type II diabetes.

Alcohol-  As you know alcohol is a depressant.  If you drink with your meal, just know that it is going to contribute to the sleepiness that is about to ensue after eating a whole lot.  Enough said.

Circadian Rhythm-  Like all mammals, you have a circadian rhythm (an internal clock) of biochemical processes that dictate in particular your sleep habits.  Without getting too detailed, the hormone melatonin is a hormone that causes you to get sleepy.  At this time of year and in particular Thanksgiving day, a multitude of factors come together to release higher amounts of melatonin. First is the time change and shorter amount of daylight hours.  The less daylight you have, the sooner and more melatonin kicks in.  If it's cloudy and rainy outside, this is compounded.  Second is a disruption of sleep.  A lot of times, you force yourself to be awake later the day before Thanksgiving and then sleep late the morning of Thanksgiving.  This undoubtedly screws up your sleep rhythm.  This happens to me just about every Sunday.

So, now you know.  You can stop blaming the turkey for the fatigue you feel.  Unless you're eating deep fried turkey, chances are the turkey could be the healthiest food you could eat on Thanksgiving Day.

written by

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

Nutrient Brief: Powerful Pecans

No matter how you pronounce it, pecans are another “nut”ritional powerhouse.  Pecans are the only tree nut native to America, cultivated mostly in the south and central parts of the country.  Thus, they have become a staple in many southern recipes.  Steer clear of the pecan pie though—one traditional slice can contain 500 calories or more! 

Stick with fresh or roasted pecans, with as little added sodium or sugar  as possible.  As with other nuts, while nutritionally dense, pecans are also calorically dense due to the high percentage of fat per serving (about 195 calories per one ounce serving) so enjoy in moderation and always be aware of portion size. 

Some of the benefits include:

*High antioxidant content has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, and quite possibly some neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

*Great source of mono and polyunsaturated fat which contributes to a lowering of LDL “bad cholesterol” and raising of HDL “good cholesterol”.

*A one ounce serving contains more than half the daily recommended serving of the mineral manganese, as well as calcium, zinc and phosphorus on the mineral side and vitamins A, E, and several types of B vitamins.

*Nuts make a great on the go snack  either alone or paired with fresh or dried fruit—just portion out small containers so you have some handy to take with you wherever your winter travels lead!

written by:

Katie Jensen, CSCS
Psychology, B.S.
NPTI Graduate

The Insulin Effect of Fitness! (National Diabetes Month)

Besides Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, November is also known as National Diabetes Month. Though there are two types of diabetes, this article focuses on Type II diabetes. If you have it you're feeling the effects of decreased quality of life.  This is quite unfortunate, as it is probably the most preventable of diseases along with heart disease.  Interestingly, Type II diabetes correlates closely with heart disease.

In a world of traditional Western medicine, the medical and pharmaceutical companies are constantly on a search to find drugs to treat Type II diabetes. Interestingly, there are ways to reverse the effects of diabetes without using pills.

Before I go any further, I feel compelled to tell you that if you think you have diabetes (or have been diagnosed), you need to see a medical professional regularly.    Preferably, you would see an endocrinologist. Any way you look at it, you will most likely need medication (like Avandia, glucophage, metformin etc.). Also, I need to remind you of the role of insulin in the body, which is to allow blood sugar to be extracted into the muscle.

To truly beat diabetes, you must eat right and get physical.  As always you need to incorporate the synergistic effect of resistance training (weight lifting), cardiovascular exercise, and supportive nutrition if you want to beat diabetes (related article). Every endocrinologist I have known concurs. Here is the first reason why:

The Insulin Effect of Exercise- When you exercise (with weights and with cardiovascular training), your muscles do a very unique thing. It starts to extract blood sugar without the use of insulin. More interestingly, the body will begin to release glucose (blood sugar) from the liver to balance things out. (That's a really good thing .) Even better, when you lift weights and increase your muscle tone, your muscle will extract more blood sugar even at rest.

Studies show, that many Type II diabetics are able to decrease the amount of diabetic medication as a result of exercise (at some point you usually have to). This is because you become less insulin resistant.  You may even begin to experience fatigue because the medication is greater than the resistance of insulin, thereby bringing your blood sugar too low.  Most doctors recognize this right away and are often thrilled that their patients are making better choices and become healthier.  Think about the money you'll save medications.

There are even some reports that when caught early, diabetes can solely be treated with exercise and eating right. This can prevent you from taking med's and can possibly create physical changes (hormonal shifts) in the body that makes your insulin regulation normal again.  Don't forget that when you do the right things you will also lose the "extra" body fat which contributes to developing Type II diabetes.  However, it should be noted that being overweight is not the sole cause of Type II diabetes.  Conversely, it highly correlates to Type II diabetes because the same lifestyle choices lead to the same symptoms and illnesses.  It is for this reason that weight loss alone is not enough. 

If you or someone you know has diabetes, this is the time to take back control of your body and improve your quality of life.  Make every effort you can to fight the disease instead of letting it defeat you.  A long-term, comprehensive fitness and nutrition program is what you need.  If you don't know where to start, seeking the help of a professional fitness coach (at Fitness Together of course) is a good idea!  Your fitness and nutrition program has to evolve and be more progressive.  Quick weight loss gimmicks do not work long term.

written by:

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

NPTI Instructor

Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach

October Nutrition Tip of Week 3: Have a Plan to Divvy up the candy

If your kids are the age where they bring home pillowcases full of Halloween candy, you need to have a plan of action! Have your child pick out 10 of their favorite pieces of candy loot. Divvy the candy up allotting just one or two pieces per day—and give all the rest away! 

This is just one idea on how to deal with candy.  However, there are other alternatives as well- Healthy Alternatives to Trick or Treating

www.FitnessTogether.com/NorthBuckhead