Don't Blame the Bird for Your Post-Thanksgiving Feast Snooze

Have you ever heard the turkey is responsible for that sleepy feeling some of us have after our Thanksgiving meal? Some say tryptophan, a substance that naturally occurs in turkey, is the culprit.

It's true turkey contains tryptophan. It is also accurate to say tryptophan can lead to sleepiness. That's due to its involvement in producing brain chemicals, like serotonin, that affect sleep.

However, the idea that tryptophan in the holiday bird makes us sleepy is pure myth.

With some savvy science we can debunk the Great Turkey-Tryptophan Myth and learn why many of us crash for a post-feast snooze.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid.

Essential amino acids are necessary for supporting life due to their involvement in various biochemical reactions in the body. Essential amino acids are not produced by the body, thus, we must get those from food.

Turkey is primarily made up of protein and is rich in tryptophan which explains the turkey-tryptophan connection.

Now, how about the turkey-sleep connection?

Tryptophan is involved in producing a brain chemical (serotonin) that can, in fact, make us sleepy. This is what leads to the conclusion that eating a lot of tryptophan-rich turkey on Thanksgiving makes our eyelids heavy. It seems simple.

However, before we blame the bird, let's dig deeper for the facts. The only way tryptophan in turkey would make us sleepy is if we ate only turkey, and lots of it! At Thanksgiving, that certainly isn't the case. For a better understanding of what does cause the need for a post-meal siesta, we need to understand the Tryptophan Paradox.

The Tryptophan Paradox

According to research, increased levels of tryptophan in the blood do not lead to increased levels of tryptophan in the brain. (Remember, more tryptophan in the brain would lead to increased serotonin, the neurochemical that modulates sleep.)

That's because amino acids like tryptophan compete for space in the brain and as neurochemicals go, tryptophan isn't very aggressive. Other amino acids win the brain space most of the time.

The extra tryptophan we take in never makes it to the brain to produce excess serotonin that would cause us to feel sleepy. So, if not tryptophan, why are some of us yawning before we even leave the dinner table on Turkey Day?

What Causes the After Dinner Nap Attack?

Most holiday tables are full of carbohydrate-rich dishes. Think of the mashed potatoes, stuffing, cakes and pies. Carbohydrates increase levels of amino acids (other than tryptophan) in the brain that lead to the production of serotonin, which make us drowsy. Pair that with the fact that many of those carbohydrate-laden dishes are high in fat and we're nearing our answer.

Fat breakdown requires significant energy from our digestive tract, so more blood is directed there to do the job. That means less blood in other areas, which leads to that heavy, tired feeling we get after over-indulging. Overeating in general leads to a redirection of blood flow to the digestive tract, further increasing feelings of lethargy after a large meal.

Combine all these factors -- carbohydrate-rich dishes, high fat foods and overindulgence -- with a cocktail or two, and it becomes obvious why we might be looking for the nearest place to sleep off that turkey dinner!

(I'm not implying you shouldn't enjoy a pre-dinner toast or glass of wine with your meal, but do keep in mind alcohol depresses the central nervous system, so it can have a sedative effect.)

To help us stay alert after our Thanksgiving meal so we're able to fully enjoy our time with family and friends, we can use these helpful tips to beat post-feast fatigue.

3 Tips to Fight Post-Feast Fatigue

1. Control portion sizes.

Remember, the leftovers aren't going anywhere. If there are too many dishes to choose from at Thanksgiving dinner, select your favorites and eat a moderate portion. Save the rest for the next day's lunch . That way, you still get to try everything you want without overeating.

2. Keep fat intake to a minimum.

There's nothing wrong with having a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped topping for dessert, but after a high-fat meal, it may be a bit much. Try bargaining with yourself. Go for the green salad as a side dish with your turkey and stuffing instead of the scalloped potatoes (save those for the next day's leftovers). That way you keep fat intake down and still get to enjoy the pie!

3. Go easy on cocktails.

Sure, it's festive and fun to toast the holiday, but try these tricks to offset the sedative effects of alcohol, especially when combined with a heavy meal:

If you're having more than one cocktail, drink a glass of water in between to keep well-hydrated. This aids digestion.
Try a wine spritzer (half wine, half tonic) for a festive quaff without as much alcohol. This will also help with hydration.
Go for a post-meal walk. This increases blood flow throughout the body and aids in digestion, making you feel energized. You'll also burn off a few calories as a bonus!

Now we know the turkey's not to blame for how we feel after our Turkey Day dinner and are armed with ways to combat that sleepy feeling.

What does that mean for you -- some Black Friday shopping or more energy to tidy up around the house and get those Christmas decorations up?

Why Do Narcissists Lose Popularity Over Time?

Narcissism has been something of a mystery to psychologists. With narcissists, things tend to be extreme: the good is really good, and the bad is really bad. Narcissism expert W. Keith Campbell compares interacting with narcissists to eating chococate cake: "When I eat chococlate cake, 20 minutes later I'm under my desk wanting to die. When I eat broccoli, in 20 minutes I feel good. But given the choice I always eat the cake."

On the one hand, the narcissist's charisma and self-confidence can be highly alluring. Psychologists Mitja Back and colleagues found that narcissists are indeed more popular at first acquaintance, and its due to four particular cues that make up their “charismatic air”*:

• Attractiveness (flashy, neat attire)
• Competence (self-assured behavior)
• Interpersonal Warmth (charming glances at strangers)
• Humor (witty verbal expressions)

On the other hand, research shows that the initial popularity of narcissists at the early stages of interpersonal interactions depends on the behavioral pathway that is triggered: expressive and dominant behaviors are associated with a positive evaluation, whereas arrogant and combative behaviors are associated with a negative evaluation. According to this research, narcissists may be more popular at first acquaintance because they are more likely to display behaviors that trigger a positive pathway, perhaps because they are trying to make a good first impression.

In line with this idea, W. Keith Campbell and Stacy Campbell proposed a new model of narcissism in which they argue that two particular time points are important. The “emerging zone” includes situations involving unacquainted individuals, early-stage relationships, and short-term contexts. In contrast, the "enduring zone" involves situations involving acquainted individuals, continuing relationships, and long-term consequences.

The costs of narcissism are seen primarily in the “enduring zone." As the relationship develops, narcissists start displaying behaviors that are evaluated negatively, such as arrogance and aggression. Narcissists cyclically return to the emerging zone because they are addicted to the positive social feedback and emotional rush they get from this zone. They live in this zone. As a result, they are good at being popular, making new friends, and acquiring social status, but are really quite terrible at sustaining anything meaningful and intimate.

Here is their handy chart showing the benefits and costs (for self and others) in both the emerging zone and the enduring zone:

What You Need To Know About The Paris Climate Summit

On Nov. 30, more than 100 world leaders will gather in Paris in what many consider one of the last remaining attempts to squelch the growing scourge of climate change. They'll be joined by many of the planet's leading scientists, who for decades have urged countries to scale back the emission of greenhouse gases to stave off a slew of unprecedented consequences.

The meeting -- the 21st Conference of the Parties, or COP21 -- will feature talks from the leaders of the world's worst polluting countries, namely United States President Barack Obama, Russia's Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping and India's Narendra Modi. Environmentalists hope officials will come away from the summit with a sweeping plan to curb emissions and increase investment in renewable energy without any negative economic impacts, because (good news!) climate action is a sound investment.

The conference comes at a dire moment. The world has shattered record after climate record, with 2014 ranking as the hottest year in recorded history. The planet's glaciers are melting at the fastest rates ever seen. Underwater, coral reefs are suffering from an assault of bleaching, spurred by ever-warmer oceans.

All of these effects have prompted harsh warnings about the potential impact on humanity. Rising seas from melting glaciers could inundate some of the world's largest metropolises. Warmer summers could force the evacuation of certain cities that may see days with a heat index upwards of 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

And yet, there is still time to act.

Those attending the meeting hope to hash out an actionable strategy to limit emissions below a warming threshold that, scientists agree, would ward off the worst of the predicted threats. That level -- 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial temperatures -- is acontentious number, but the conference reflects growing awareness that climate change is a very real problem. 

Obama said he was "optimistic" the world will reach an outcome this time, as past meetingshave failed to turn up a policy that pleases everyone.

Several big polluters have demanded nations tackle the burden equally despite some countries, like China and India, contributing far more emissions than others. Those suffering from the brunt of negative effects -- like the low-lying island nation of Kiribati, which is quickly sinking under rising seas -- have in turn blamed the big emitters.

But Obama's optimism seems to reflect a shift in international attention toward the problem. Organizations from the United Nations to the Vatican have come out in favor of an accord, and those nations traditionally antagonistic towards climate action -- such as Russia andAustralia -- will be in attendance in Paris.

While Americans remain largely unconcerned about climate change, much of the world is ready to adapt. As the European Union's climate chief said earlier this year, there is "no plan B" if the conference ends in failure.

"I think that this whole climate thing is a very interesting learning ground for humanity,"Christiana Figueres, the leader of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, told the New Yorker earlier this year. "Where we are now is that we see that nations are interlinked, inextricably, and that what one does has an impact on the others."

Take a look at the graphic below to get a sense of what's at stake. COP21 will take place from Nov. 30 through Dec. 11.