It’s about that time again Kids BRAIN families. Turkey day is just around the corner. When I think about Thanksgiving, the Texas version pops to mind, so wearing your stretchy pants, way too much butter and sugar, and turkey done a number of ways (roasted in the oven, fried in peanut oil, smoked, all of the above). Although turkey makes me think of Thanksgiving, what it really makes jump to mind first is tryptophan. This is the amino acid in turkey and in other foods (e.g., other poultry, crab, shrimp, eggs, elk, among others) that makes post-Thanksgiving football watching (ahem, sleeping through the game) happen like clockwork. Tryptophan, when it is taken in to your body, is converted to 5-HTP, which will then be turned in to serotonin (your happy and calm brain chemical) and melatonin (your sleepy brain chemical). Maybe this is why turkey comes back to the table year after year; it makes you feel calm, contented, and a little sleepy. I work with kids, so these things all together are a miraculous combination. Eat your turkey people (or leafy greens, sunflower seeds, watercress, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, mushrooms, broccoli, and peas if you are vegan)! Your brain wants you to!
