It’s the season to talk about the much publicized turkey nap - caused by the evil Tryptophan!

Most interesting to me is that during the other 11 months of the year you don’t hear anyone talk about needing a nap after eating a turkey sandwich…..hmmmm wonder why?

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A small bit of science- tryptophan is an amino acid that can have effects on relaxation. Tryptophan helps the body produce the b- vitamin niacin, which, in turn, helps the body produce serotonin, a chemical that acts as a calming agent in the brain and plays a key role in sleep. – ok enough science.

FYI - Other foods that are considered sources of tryptophan are dairy products, beef, poultry, barley, brown rice, fish, soybeans, and peanuts. - Do you need a nap after these?

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Here are 5 reasons you may feel sleepy after a big holiday meal;

Heavy Carbohydrates – A heavy carbohydrate meal will increase insulin levels, which lowers competing amino acid levels in blood, creating an increase in the relative level of tryptophan in the blood. Serotonin may then produce a sleepy feeling.

Fatty food – A meal rich in fats slows down the digestive system and requires lots of energy to digest. Blood flow is redirected to your stomach rather than the rest of your body, leaving you with less energy overall.

Alcohol - Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. A few drinks as part of the holiday celebration can add to the nap-factor. (Too many can add to the lampshade on your head factor)

Overeating -Your body requires a great deal of energy to digest a large meal (particularly high fat and high carbohydrates). When your stomach is full, blood is directed away from other organ systems, including your nervous system. And of course you know by now…you will feel the need to snooze.

R&R - Often the most relaxing part of the festivities is likely to be the meal. No matter what you may have been doing throughout the day, Thanksgiving dinner provides an opportunity to sit back and relax – followed by a big meal…. guess what? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A couple of quick tips to keep your energy levels up at Thanksgiving:

1) Snack on the fruits and vegetables (minimal dip) to keep calorie count down.
2) Eat a balanced turkey dinner - balance turkey or protein, a good helping of veggies and smaller servings of potatoes, breads etc.
3) Reasonable serving sizes - Eat one plate of food and be finished. Try everything but keep the servings sizes of heavy carb and fat foods small.
4) Beverages – be aware of high calorie celebratory drinks – especially alcohol. Have a couple for the entire day.
5) Exercise – get a workout in before your festivities to increase your metabolism and burn calories – a great healthy start.

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Most of all – enjoy your time with friends and family. We all have so much to be thankful for – stop and take a minute with your family to be thankful.

I am thankful for all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving.

The Price of luxury… Another lesson from the Biggest Loser

So there they were, the black team who wins a night of luxury AND TEMPTATION –

And, they have the opportunity to choose fancy food, wonderful liquor, massage, pedicure, no workout for a day, etc… they were so excited that they had it all right in front of them.

Let’s back up a bit – The losers have been giving it everything they have to lose life changing amounts of FAT every week. They vowed to never be that fat again. They are dedicated, watching their diet, pushing past limits they never thought they could conquer.

And now faced with temptation away from the watchful eye of their trainer, they get a chance to step up or step in it.

They chose the luxury and seemed to forget all about their hard work and dedication.

And in one night, at one meal, they show what can happen when you give into temptation and peer pressure. The group of 5 consumed 15,000+ calories at the table before they went to the bar and kept drinking.

WOW! 3,000+ calories per person before the bar at one meal!

That equates to a pound of FAT each!

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Lets sum this up.

I know all of you work hard for your fitness, health and weight loss, and we have talked about this many times, but watching someone else do it and realizing you might do this too, really hits home.

I am the first to say you have to live and enjoy life. Taste great foods and enjoy your friends and family.

However, Moderation and portion sizes are the key to keeping your hard work and success in tact.

Here are a few tips how to stay in control:

1) Plan your meal – Even at a restaurant, plan on choosing either just an entrée and healthy sides, or a little taste of appetizer or a few bites of desert and share and entrée. Either way, have a general idea of your entrée choice and stick to your plan. Don’t be swayed by others choices or peer pressure, “oh one meal won’t hurt you”. Yes it will.

2) Portion size – This is the key to keeping things in control. Keep your portion sizes of high calorie items small. No bigger than the palm of your hand. Even better, share with someone else to ensure you keep it small. Load up on fresh veggies to help fill you up.


3) Trade offs – If you have the choice of appetizer, bread or chips before a meal, or desert, etc. Choose one! - Make the choice of a small appetizer or a couple bites of desert, not both.

4) Awareness – Be aware of the calorie content of your choices. Even small amounts of all high calorie items will add up to too many calories. Keep your veggies steamed without sauces. Choose marinades over cream sauces. Choose steamed or grilled over fried to keep your calories down.

5) Intensity – And just in case you over do it – Get to a high intensity workout first thing the next morning to fire up your metabolic furnace and stay on course. Check out a couple of quick workouts at my blog, www.lefeverwellness.blogspot.com



Be well and enjoy life

The Salad Bomb

Is your salad making you fat?

Was your immediate response to this question- no, it’s a salad.

Let's be sure.

Most people who are on a plan to lose weight immediately add salads to their meal plan. Good thinking, add more greens and fiber.

However, they also want it to taste really good so they add cheese, bacon bits, creamy dressing by the bucket full- and now you have a calorie bomb.

This is can likely be more fat and calories than eating a burger

Here are tips to making a high nutrient, lower calorie, great tasting salad.


1- Add chopped nuts or seeds- keep them raw or roasted, not candied. These add nutrients, fiber and the crunchiness enhances the satisfaction of your meal.



2- Add bright veggies or fruit. The bright color is appealing and adds nutrients and great flavors. Use your imagination and experiment.

3- Add protein. Grilled fish, chicken, even lean beef. Mixing the protein slows digestion, repairs muscles and adds to your fullness.

4 – Put the dressing in the bowl first – Measure and pour your dressing in the tossing bowl first and then add the ingredients to toss. This controls the fat content of the dressing and makes for a lighter salad. Remember that even olive oil is 15 grams of fat per tablespoon and adds up quickly.Now you have a tasty, healthy salad. Enjoy. Be well

Coach Greg

www.coachgregsbootcamps.com

www.lefeverwellness.com


P.S. Are you enrolled for our holiday fat blast session? Thanksgiving to christmas week?

More holiday Tips to keep you on track:

Be aware of how much you are eating.

Avoid continuous snacking or grazing while you are socializing. Get a small plate and eat only what’s on it. Don’t keep going back for more. You can rack up calories fast with some drinking and eating even before you have the meal.

Be done after one plate –

a sure way to sabotage your diet is to go back for seconds. One plate is plenty. Let your meal settle while you socialize. It takes a bit of time for your brain to register that your belly is full, so give it a chance and don’t overeat. A second plate could launch you into a 2,000+ calorie meal. Yikes.

Check the previous tips to help stay focused.

butt and leg workout

Tight buns and toned legs for the holidays. get on this workout and you will see results.

Hoop Squats

Cone lateral

Jump lunges

Serious leg and butt toning work.

These are some of the moves from our irvine boot camps and newport boot camps.

Go for 20 seconds each exercise and move quickly to the next.

Repeat the circuit 3 times to get the burn. enjoy.