Photo by Rhett Sutphin via Flickr

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and many Americans are looking forward to a feast.  There will be tables laden with turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, yams, mashed potatoes, bread, salads, vegetables, and various pies.  Sounds great, doesn’t it?  What most people are not looking forward to is the sleepiness that follows the meal, which they blame the tryptophan in the turkey for.  But is turkey really to blame?

What is tryptophan?
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, which means that we have to get it from plant or animal sources because our bodies don’t naturally produce it.  Tryptophan plays an important role in the production of serotonin, which leads to calmness and can make you sleepy.  Tryptophan is also an important factor in the production of niacin, a B vitamin.  And turkey contains tryptophan, which is why it has gotten a bad rap for making people tired.  But other foods, such as chicken, egg whites, cheese, sunflower seeds, some fish, soybeans and pork chops have as much or more tryptophan as turkey and you don’t see people blaming those foods when they feel tired.

Does eating turkey cause fatigue?
Even though tryptophan is present in turkey, it is not the cause of the sedative effect that we feel after eating Thanksgiving dinner.  In order for tryptophan to make you sleepy, you have to consume it on an empty stomach without consuming any other protein.  Besides, the amount of turkey eaten during Thanksgiving is generally too small to have any appreciable effect.  Scientists now believe that it is actually the eating of a heavy meal that is rich in carbohydrates that causes the tiredness, not the turkey.  Of course, any alcohol that is consumed with the meal only adds to that effect.

What can you do to be less tired?
If you decide that you would rather skip the after meal stupor this year, here are 3 things you can do to prevent that lethargic feeling:

1. Don’t overeat: When you overeat, you will feel more lethargic because blood is diverted to your digestive system from other organ systems, making you fatigued.  After all, it takes a lot of energy to digest a large meal.
2. Limit carbohydrates: Meals that are heavy in carbohydrates trigger an insulin effect, making you tired.
3. Limit fats: High fat foods take more energy to digest, requiring extra blood to be diverted to the digestive system, leaving less energy for other bodily functions, resulting in lower energy levels.
4. Limit or avoid alcohol: Alcohol makes you more lethargic because it is a central nervous system depressant.

The bottom line:
The tryptophan in turkey has been blamed for causing the after dinner fatigue on Thanksgiving day, but the blame needs to be redirected to the true cause: overeating and too many carbohydrates and fats.  So, if you don’t want to feel the overwhelming need to take a nap after the big meal this year, eat a more balanced meal that is not too high in carbohydrates or fats.  And do not overeat or drink too much alcohol.  If you follow this simple formula, you may make it through the Thanksgiving festivities without passing out on the couch after the meal.

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1. Study: High Fat Foods Make You Hungrier
2. Want Something to Eat?
3. Study: More Protein, More Muscle?

Fatigue is an issue for so many people, that I decided to tackle it today, so that at least a few people can get some relief. So, this episode’s goal is to help you find ways to boost your energy levels.

If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes.

Some of the references I used while researching this show were:  betterhealth.au and answers.com.

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3. Protect Your Breasts: What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer

Photo by Flickr EuroMagic via Flickr

This week’s show, like last week’s is being recorded in the Fresno area. So, if you noticed any differences in the sound due to the room acoustics, it’s the apartment we’re staying in that’s causing it.  I’ll be out here for a few months, so we’re adjusting our recording setup to minimize echoes.  Bear with us, it should get better.

Many people suspect they have a food allergy when, in reality, they often only have a food intolerance.  The confusion comes because a food intolerance can have some of the same symptoms as a food allergy, even though what causes them is quite different.

Since many people have had an unpleasant reaction to something they ate at one time or another and might have thought it was due to a food allergy, I decided to talk about the differences between food allergies and food intolerances.  In this show, I will cover how to tell them apart and give you some ways to manage them.

Here is a link to the lactose intolerance article that I promised you.

Some references I used while researching this show are Mayo Clinic and WebMD.

The video podcast for this week is:

1. Strength Training: It’s for You. Yes You!

The blog posts for this week are:

1. Açaí Berry: A Good Fruit, But Ignore the Hype
2. Sign Me Up for Yoga!

If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review. It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners. Thanks for listening, everyone!

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1. BH4BP #57 – Listener Q&A Special #2
2. BH4BP #11 – Chocolate and Eating On a Budget
3. BH4BP #17 – To Supplement or Not to Supplement, That is the Question!

If you haven’t heard about the swine flu by now, then you have probably been living in a cave completely cut off from the outside world.  The swine flu outbreak is the biggest news right now.  At this point it seems to have even overshadowed the economy.

Everywhere you turn, someone is talking about the swine flu and how it is spreading at an increasing rate.  If you are afraid of what some people say might become a flu pandemic, don’t get carried away. There are things that you can do to protect yourself and stay healthy.

What is swine flu?
What is currently called swine flu, is an influenza virus that got it’s name from the fact that when it was first discovered, it was noted that many of the genes it contained were similar to ones found in swine influenza in North American pigs.  Further testing later showed that it was actually a combination of two strains of swine influenza, one strain of avian influenza and one strain of human influenza.  Since it isn’t completely a swine flu, it is more accurate to call it Influenza A (H1N1), which is the scientific name for this type of strain.

The symptoms of Influenza A (H1N1) are similar to the regular seasonal flu.  They include fever, coughing, lack of appetite, runny nose, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting and lethargy.  Currently, there is no vaccine to protect humans from this strain of Influenza A (H1N1), but there are ways to minimize your chances of getting it.

What is the best way to avoid the swine flu?
The virus can be transmitted in the same way as the seasonal flu.  This is by direct contact with someone who is infected, usually through the coughing and sneezing of the infected person.  Knowing that can help keep you from becoming infected because you can take the following simple precautions:

1. Avoid touching objects used by sick people: Don’t share objects with flu sufferers, such as drinking cups, pens, towels or even bars of soap.
2. Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing: Use a tissue and dispose of it properly in the waste basket.  You can also wear a surgical mask when sick.  This is more important if you come in contact with young children, the elderly or people with compromised immune systems, such as those undergoing chemotherapy treatments.
3. Wash your hands frequently: Washing your hands is the most effective way to keep it from spreading.  Make sure to use soap and warm water.  If you cough, sneeze or are around people who are sick, wash your hands right away and frequently.
4. Don’t touch your eyes, mouth and nose: If you come in contact with the virus, you don’t want to give the virus access to your body.
5. Cook your pork products: You can continue to enjoy your pork products as long as they are cooked at the right temperature (which you should be doing anyway).  Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160F/72C will kill the swine flu virus or other viruses and bacteria, making it safe for consumption.

The bottom line:
At this time, there does not seem to be anything to be afraid of when it comes to swine flu.  There are things that you can do to protect yourself from it.  So, be proactive and stay healthy during this epidemic.  And if you believe that you or one of your family members have Influenza A (H1N1), please see your doctor.  For more updates and information on the swine flu outbreak, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization.

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Today’s episode is the first in a two part series about stress.  Now is an appropriate time for this topic because these are tough and stressful times for many people.  Unemployment is up, home foreclosures are high and the stock market is way down.  Some people have lost their jobs and others are worried that they might lose theirs. There are a lot of people worrying about whether they can continue to pay their bills and mortgages.

In this show, I discuss what stress is, describe some unhealthy coping behaviors, talk about why it is important to manage stress in a healthy manner and explain how exercise plays an important role in relieving stress.

Some references I used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encyclopedia, Mayo Clinic and ahealthyme.com.

If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review.  It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners.  Thanks for listening, everyone!

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1. BH4BP #3 – Job Stress and Debt Stress
2. BH4BP #14 – Exercise Motivation and Injury Prevention
3. BH4BP #7 – Exercise Psychology, Salt and Coffee French Press