It's not the turkey's fault!
Have you heard the news? Turkey is not to blame for the post-meal Thanksgiving naps. It’s been well-known for years that turkey contains tryptophan. Tryptophan is a precursor of serotonin, the neurotransmitter than regulates sleep.
However, tryptophan makes up 1% of the protein in turkey. One percent is the typical content of meat and actually half the tryptophan content of milk (2.34%).
Instead of turkey being at the root of Thanksgiving Dad sleepiness, it’s the carbohydrates in all those side dishes – stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc. The extra carbohydrates boost insulin production. It’s speculated that this extra insulin may result in amino acids (excluding tryptophan) to be pulled into muscles for use, leaving a high level of tryptophan in the bloodstream, hence the need for a nap.
Have a great turkey day!
Lisa Nelson, RD
eNutritionServices
Self-Improvement Gift Giveaway!
I’m participating in a joint venture with hundreds of other businesses. We’ve teamed up to put all our free gifts in one location – Self Improvement Gifts. I wanted to share this site with you, because the gifts cover a wide variety of topics – inspirational, motivational, health, self-esteem, financial, success, law of attraction. . .the list goes on.
You have to “sign-up” to enter the website for the free gifts, but it’s a free to be a member.
If this interests you, check it out!
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
eNutritionServices
Make Your Halloween Healthier
Halloween is just around the corner, which means trick-or-treating, and I stress the “treating”. Eliminating candy completely at Halloween is not a feasible option and why spoil a fun holiday the whole family should enjoy? However, by taking a few simple steps you can limit the amount of candy in your home and maintain a balance between holiday treats and your health goals.
- Are you throwing or attending a Halloween party? Limit the cookies/candy and aim for some traditional fall goodies, such as caramel covered apples, pumpkin dip and pumpkin bars, which are tasty treats that offer some good nutrition too. If you are the party host, plan some party activities that get guests up and moving – Monster Mash dance contest or a scarecrow building contest – to work off some of the holiday goodies while having a ghoulish good time.
- Limit the number of homes you take your children to for trick-or-treating. The fewer homes you visit, the less candy you take home.
- “Donate” excess candy to the office or your child’s teacher. You and/or your spouse can place a candy dish at your office to share with co-workers and your children can load up a bag to give to teachers for school treats throughout the year.
- Purchase only what you think you’ll need to hand out to trick-or-treaters. Estimate how many little devils and goblins came knocking on your door previous years and purchase just enough candy to cover your expected trick-or-treaters. This will limit the leftover candy you will be tempted to consume after the big night.
- Portion control is key. Watch how much you eat at a time. If you have a sweet tooth, keep the candy out of sight and limit yourself to one or two pieces each day.
Halloween comes around once a year and for those dealing with health issues, such as heart disease or excess weight; this may be a stressful time trying to balance a healthy diet with the influx of candy. By following the above tips and making good decisions you can enjoy this time of year and some sweets, too.
Happy Halloween!
Lisa Nelson RD
Lower Blood Pressure – Chicken Soup for The Heart
I read some interesting research lately that I want to share related to chicken and blood pressure.
We know that blood pressure is a significant risk fact for heart disease and stroke. It’s estimated that around 1 billion people worldwide live with high blood pressure. Being able to control high blood pressure through food selection is very important.
The collagen in chicken is being researched for use as a blood pressure medication, with actions similar to ACE inhibitors (i.e. lisinopril). Japanese studies have found 4 proteins in the chicken that contain collagen with actions similar to the blood pressure medication when tested in rats.
Chicken legs and feet contain more collagen that chicken breast meat. FYI – The legs and feet are the yellow part of a chicken with a nail on the end. A “chicken collagen hydrolysate” was prepared in the study and fed to rats and the effects on blood pressure where examined. The rates showed a drop in blood pressure 4 hours after receive the mixture orally, with the lowest blood pressure reading after 8 hours. Long term studies showed improved blood pressure after one week of treatment, with a significant reduction after 2 weeks.
The study states that the “chicken collagen hydrolysate” mixture used in the study is composed of foods that can be easily added to a typical daily diet. For individuals with high blood pressure, increasing intake of these foods will promote a normal blood pressure. What I want to know – who is going to eat a chicken leg/foot? How do the researchers think that will become a normal part of the diet? My question wasn’t answered in the study results! I’m thinking it’ll be made into a food additive that will allow certain foods to be marketed as “functional” for blood pressure reduction, but we’ll have to wait and see.
The title of this post was just to catch your attention, I’m not recommending you eat more chicken soup to lower your blood pressure. Way too much sodium added to soup for it to be beneficial!
I’d love to have you as a reader for The Heart of Health ezine where I share regular heart health and weight loss tips.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson
Lower Blood Pressure Naturally
Lower High Blood Pressure – Sea salt versus Table Salt
I frequently speak to people that have the misconception sea salt is better for your heart health than regular table salt. From a chemical and nutritional standpoint, both are sodium chloride and you want to limit your sodium intake to 2300 mg (~1 tsp of table salt) or less to promote blood pressure control.
If you use kosher salt, which has larger crystals, you benefit because less salt “fits” in one teaspoon due to the larger crystal size. A teaspoon of kosher salt provides about 1900 mg sodium. Sea salt is available in this larger crystal form, also.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
The Heart of Health
Heart Healthy Lettuce – Reach for the dark, leafy greens
Are you a die hard fan of ice berg lettuce? Iceberg lettuce is a source of vitamins A, C, K, and B6; along with some fiber, potassium, and folate. This probably sounds great, but compared to romaine lettuce, iceberg falls short nutritionally.
Romaine lettuce has 7 times more vitamin A than iceberg lettuce and about twice the amount of calcium and potassium. Also, dark leafy greens contain the antioxidant beta carotene. Antioxidants help protect against inflammatory disorders, such as heart disease.
So, next time you make a salad, by-pass the iceberg and reach for the leafy romaine.
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