Thursday afternoon, kitchens across America will be utilized to their maximum capacities. Mashed potatoes, gravy and veggies will cover the stove, while the stuffing, pies and turkey compete for space in the oven. After a whole day spent preparing a Thanksgiving meal, the food will be consumed under an hour and many Americans will then fall asleep on the couch watching football.
Why is it that we eat so much on Thanksgiving? The first reason is that the sight and smell of all the tasty foods in your kitchen will trigger endorphins, or pleasure chemicals, in your brain. This automatically increases your desire to sit down and dig into a plate full of food.
Midway through your first serving, several different cognitive factors will influence you to keep eating. Chances are, you are seated with several friends and family members, if not a room full of cousins, grandparents, and aunts and uncles. Being surrounded by others provides social stimulation that stimulates you to continue eating. When you see your older sister go for seconds of the mashed potatoes, you may feel like following suit, even if you are feeling a little bit full.
Another factor is the abundance of food. When you have so many options available, you are more likely to indulge in a serving of each side and dessert item. A regular meal may only have one or two sides, while Thanksgiving may have five or more. Many of these foods may be a favorite of yours or have a special meaning attached to them. This may be another influence that keeps you eating, because you know that this meal only comes around once a year. I personally love pumpkin pie, but I hardly ever eat it except during Thanksgiving, when there are several sitting in the kitchen.
And how about that post-meal nap? Myth has it that our sleepiness is due to high amounts of tryptophan in our Thanksgiving turkey. However, the amount of tryptophan in turkey is comparable to other proteins such as chicken and pork. The real culprit is the amount of food that we digest. Digesting a big meal takes a lot of energy, especially if it's high in carbohydrates and fat (think rolls, potatoes, gravy, butter, etc). Thus, whether or not you eat your turkey, the likelihood of you napping after dinner is still quite high.
Sweet dreams, everyone!
Posts in Gator Minds appear on Wednesdays.
