I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving yesterday, and have (at least mostly) recovered from your food comas! 😋
Whether you celebrate it or not, I hope you find these 10 facts about common Thanksgiving foods helpful and interesting!
- Turkey is an excellent low-fat source of protein; on average a 6oz serving will contain a whopping 48 grams of protein!!
- Turkey contains a large amount of tryptophan, an amino acid precursor to both serotonin and melatonin – so it helps both to improve your mood and your sleep! (Which is part of the reason why many people feel drowsy after a large Thanksgiving day feast.)
- Sweet potatoes are considered a “superfood” that help to boost muscle growth via their high fiber content (along with other compounds)!
- Sweet potatoes are also high in a compound called anthocyanins, which help to prevent cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, liver disease and – most interestingly – have recently also been proven to help prevent neurogenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia! (Which is particularly important to me, since my grandpas on both sides of my family died from dementia… so I’m toast without some serious intervention.)
- Pumpkins are also a superfood! They’re rich in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and prevent heart attacks and strokes. They’re packed with multiple antioxidants and Vitamin A, lowering your risk for multiple types of cancer, and beta-carotine which improves your vision. That sounds like enough reason for me to have another piece (or two) of pumpkin pie…
- Pumpkins also help to keep you from overeating, because they’re extremely high in fiber but low in calories… so they’ll make you feel more full without increasing your actual food intake, and that feeling of satiety will also last longer!
- Cranberries contain a compound called proanthocyanidins, which have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, and also protect your teeth by preventing bacteria from binding to them!
- The apples in your apple pie contain a chemical called quercetin, which prevents cells from releasing histamine… which means they’ll prevent (or at least dampen) inflammatory responses such as asthma, allergies, hay fever and hives! And that’s on top of all the other benefits of apples you already know!
- Green beans are one of the absolute best foods you can eat for your bone health! They’re an excellent source of calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin K – probably the 3 most important things for building and strengthening bone. They also boost your metabolism!
- The average American gains between 1.1 – 1.7 pounds over Thanksgiving… but if you do it right (like loading up on the above-mentioned foods), most of that can be muscle!!
Happy Thanksgiving Weekend My Friends!!!
Relevant Research Article(s):
1) Effects of tryptophan loading on human cognition, mood, and sleep
Related Dr. Gains YouTube Video(s):
1) You’re Doing Protein WRONG! (12 HUGE Protein & Amino Acid Mistakes Limiting Your Gains) ~100 Studies
Dr. Gains 
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