There's an epidemic that hits the nation every Thanksgiving day, it affects thousands of people, and it has stumped medical professionals for years. It's something I like to call a food coma. Okay, so maybe it's not really an epidemic, but since Thanksgiving just passed and Christmas is fast approaching, and you may have experienced this, it's interesting to talk about. The food is delicious as you're eating it, and then suddenly after the meal you feel your eyes getting heavy and all the energy seeping out of your body and you just want to sleep. It's like a bear hibernating for the winter. It's been rumored that there is a chemical in the turkey that makes us tired after partaking of the yummy bird, but I did a little research and it's time we tell the truth about turkey.

So here it is: turkey contains an essential amino acid called L-tryptophan, which is used in our bodies to product the B-vitamin niacin. It can also be metabolized into serotonin and melatonin, which means that it is calming and regulates sleep. Serotonin is a brain chemical that plays a large role in mood and can create feelings of well-being and relaxation, and since tryptophan (the amino acid found in turkey) is metabolized into serotonin, eating turkey relaxes us. When we are more relaxed we are more likely to just let the sleep take us over. But that's only one small factor. Turkey has the same amount of tryptophan as a lot of other poultry, so unless you eat a very large amount on an empty stomach it probably won't knock you out.

Now you may be wondering what actually causes us to want to take a nap, the answer to that is one you may not want to hear, but it's the truth. One of the biggest factors in why we nap after we eat big meals, especially ones like Thanksgiving dinner, is because we over-eat. It's not hard to see why this is a problem, all the food is so delicious. And, let's face it; Thanksgiving is the one day or, maybe weekend, where we don't judge one another for stuffing ourselves so full we can't even move. We eat dinner, then take a break and decide it's time for seconds. We might go shopping or to a movie or play the annual family football game, and then it's time to eat again. Finally, around midnight, we decide we need a turkey sandwich before bed. All-in-all we eat a lot of food. When we eat so much it takes a lot more energy for our bodies to digest all of the food, and so we get tired. So the real culprit of the Thanksgiving food coma is our appetites!

With the holiday season in full swing, there are some ways that you can beat the dreaded food coma, if you want. First, don't let your eyes get in the way of your stomach. Take smaller portions of the foods you'd like to eat so that you don't waste it and you don't feel like you have to eat until you explode. Plus if you eat less at dinner time, you will have a legitimate excuse to eat again later! Secondly after eating go for a walk or do something active to help the digestive process. If you do find yourself eating lots of holiday goodies and you feel yourself slipping into a food coma, don't worry, a little nap never hurt anyone!