MoniDew
02-02-2009, 12:47 AM
Do you eat a sensible breakfast and lunch, but when it comes to dinner - it seems to be the meal that never ends?
Wanna know why?
The stress of the day produces hormones like cortisol and "adrenaline" (epinephren) that "wind us up." Now we have to undo that hormonal trigger to produce the opposite effect. In order to sleep at night, the body must raise its seretonin hormone level to the point that it can trigger sleep. More precisely, trigger the hormone melatonin, which triggers sleep.
When we eat carbohydrate-rich foods, we raise our insulin levels, which triggers our seratonin. Subconsciously, we are attempting to "medicate" ourselves to the level where we'll be able to sleep. The expression, "eating one's self into a coma," comes to mind here.
What we really need is the seretonin to be triggered. Every neurotransmitter in your brain has a corresponding amino acid. Seretonin's amino acid is triptophan, found abundantly in turkey - which is why you feel so sleepy after a thanksgiving meal of turkey and carbohydrates.
If you don't want to eat turkey every night (can't say I blame you,) try this instead:
As the evening wears down, don't keep going back and forth to the fridge for leftovers. Go to the cabinet at take a few amino acids.
Trip 1) Take GABA, the chill pill. The amino acid that tells your brain and body that you are safe, secure, and everything's gonna be alright.
Trip 2) Take 5-HTP, the triptophan complex. It supplies your brain with the basic components it needs to make seretonin.
Now - brush your teeth, put your jammies on, get that last drink of water, go potty, find your favorite reading material, etc. In other words, do everything you need to do to be ready for bed.
Trip 3) LAST TRIP. Take a sublingual (under the tongue) meletonin that is time-released, about 3mg. And go to bed!
No more playing around or you'll trigger all the "adrenaline" again to keep you wired and moving. Seriously, go to bed, get all comfy and hunkered down. Read for just a few minutes, turn off the light, and you'll be out like one yourself!
Pleasant dreams everyone!
Wanna know why?
The stress of the day produces hormones like cortisol and "adrenaline" (epinephren) that "wind us up." Now we have to undo that hormonal trigger to produce the opposite effect. In order to sleep at night, the body must raise its seretonin hormone level to the point that it can trigger sleep. More precisely, trigger the hormone melatonin, which triggers sleep.
When we eat carbohydrate-rich foods, we raise our insulin levels, which triggers our seratonin. Subconsciously, we are attempting to "medicate" ourselves to the level where we'll be able to sleep. The expression, "eating one's self into a coma," comes to mind here.
What we really need is the seretonin to be triggered. Every neurotransmitter in your brain has a corresponding amino acid. Seretonin's amino acid is triptophan, found abundantly in turkey - which is why you feel so sleepy after a thanksgiving meal of turkey and carbohydrates.
If you don't want to eat turkey every night (can't say I blame you,) try this instead:
As the evening wears down, don't keep going back and forth to the fridge for leftovers. Go to the cabinet at take a few amino acids.
Trip 1) Take GABA, the chill pill. The amino acid that tells your brain and body that you are safe, secure, and everything's gonna be alright.
Trip 2) Take 5-HTP, the triptophan complex. It supplies your brain with the basic components it needs to make seretonin.
Now - brush your teeth, put your jammies on, get that last drink of water, go potty, find your favorite reading material, etc. In other words, do everything you need to do to be ready for bed.
Trip 3) LAST TRIP. Take a sublingual (under the tongue) meletonin that is time-released, about 3mg. And go to bed!
No more playing around or you'll trigger all the "adrenaline" again to keep you wired and moving. Seriously, go to bed, get all comfy and hunkered down. Read for just a few minutes, turn off the light, and you'll be out like one yourself!
Pleasant dreams everyone!