Thanksgiving\u00a0is a special time of year to get together with family and friends and think about what you\u2019re most grateful for. But let\u2019s be honest \u2014 it\u2019s really all about the food, from the roast turkey, which typically takes center stage, and cranberry sauce to stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy. And let\u2019s not forget pumpkin pie.<\/p>\n
With so many delicious dishes within reach, it\u2019s hard not to get carried away by filling your plate \u2014 and your belly \u2014 to capacity. In fact, a typical holiday dinner like Thanksgiving can have around 3,000 calories, according to the\u00a0Calorie Control Council, which is well above the\u00a0total calorie recommendations\u00a0for women and men in an entire day. So what happens when you overdo it at the Thanksgiving table?<\/p>\n
Adv<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Your stomach is \u201cabout the size of a standard American football,\u201d\u00a0Alaina Castro, clinical dietician with the Stanford Bariatric and Metabolic Clinic, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. When your stomach is empty, it typically only has room for about 2 ounces. The good news is that \u201cthe stomach can definitely stretch,\u201d Diane Vizthum, registered dietitian and research nutritionist for\u00a0Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Lifestyle.<\/p>\n When you eat, the stomach can typically stretch to hold 1-1.5 liters (about the size of a quart and a half of milk), or even more depending on the individual. \u201cThere are folds in your stomach called rugae,\u201d explains Vizthum. \u201cThey\u2019re crumpled up and can expand when you eat.\u201d When the rugae have expanded enough, that sends a signal from the digestive system to the brain saying that you\u2019re getting full. \u201cEveryone\u2019s capacity of where you start to feel that is a little bit different,\u201d says Vizthum. \u201cIf you habitually eat large volumes, you can stretch it out a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the first telltale signs that you\u2019ve overdone it at Thanksgiving dinner is feeling physically uncomfortable. \u201cIf you eat a really large meal and your stomach is really full, you can have discomfort from having your stomach stretched beyond its normal size,\u201d says Vizthum.<\/p>\n Along with gas, you can also experience some heartburn and acid reflux as the contents in your stomach push against the lower esophageal sphincter, which is like a portal that \u201copens and shuts the top of your stomach,\u201d says Vizthum.<\/p>\n Of course, your body has to do the work of digesting, absorbing and storing all the nutrients you just ate. So your heart rate will go up a little bit to increase blood flow in your digestive system, explains Vizthum. \u201cYour body will have a lot of work to do, and that can make you feel tired,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Talk turkey and it\u2019s only a matter of time before someone brings up tryptophan \u2014 an essential amino acid, which is a building block of protein, that\u2019s often blamed for Thanksgiving\u00a0sleepiness. \u201cThe tryptophan molecule itself is converted to [the feel-good hormone] serotonin and melatonin \u2014 the hormone that regulates sleep,\u201d explains Vizthum. \u201cThat\u2019s how it gets the reputation for making you sleepy.\u201d<\/p>\n \n But here\u2019s the thing: Turkey isn\u2019t the only form of protein that contains tryptophan. Chicken, fish and shellfish, beef, pork and lamb all have similar tryptophan levels, points out Vizthum. So unless you start yawning after eating those other sources of protein, your Thanksgiving drowsiness may have more to do with the overall effect of eating a large\u00a0holiday\u00a0meal \u2014 and not the turkey per se, says Vizthum.<\/p>\n Samantha Cochrane, registered dietitian at\u00a0The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, agrees, telling Yahoo Lifestyle: \u201cIt\u2019s a common myth that the tryptophan found in turkey is the reason we are all so tired after a Thanksgiving dinner.\u201d She adds: \u201cVery little of the tryptophan that we eat makes it to our brain and really shouldn\u2019t have an effect on our energy level. What\u2019s really making us feel tired, however, is not tryptophan, but the quantity of food we eat. With a lot of food, comes a lot of digestion, making us want to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n Also, getting in some turkey \u2014 or any form of lean protein \u2014 is your ally on Thanksgiving. That\u2019s because including protein in a meal can stabilize how quickly you digest carbohydrates for a slower release of energy, notes Vizthum.<\/p>\n Dinner rolls, other white breads and stuffing are often simple carbohydrates made from refined grains that are more easily and quickly digested than complex carbohydrates. \u201cHigh amounts of simple carbohydrates can cause blood sugar to rise more quickly than complex carbohydrates,\u201d explains Cochrane, \u201cwhich will require more insulin produced by your pancreas to allow the cells in your body to use that sugar for energy.\u201d<\/p>\n That quick rise and fall in blood sugar levels can leave people feeling tired \u2014 or looking for more food for another pick-me-up, notes Vizthum. But, again, eating those carbs along with some protein, fat and fiber, such as from vegetables, helps slow down digestion and lets the body absorb sugar more slowly, she says. \u201cSo if you eat turkey for your protein, plus one white roll for your carbohydrates \u2014 whole wheat would be better \u2014 and a side of green beans cooked in olive oil for your fat, you will have less of a blood glucose spike and stay fuller longer,\u201d explains Castro.<\/p>\n That influx of sugar can give you a quick energy boost, but that\u2019s usually followed by a rapid drop in energy. The influx of sugar causes the pancreas to produce insulin quickly to move the sugar from the bloodstream into the cell, explains Cochrane. \u201cAnything that isn\u2019t used fairly quickly for energy can be stored as fat,\u201d says Vizthum, who adds that we\u2019re less likely to burn off that sugar since we\u2019re typically relaxing, rather than being physically active, on Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n \u201cWe tend to overdo it,\u201d says Vizthum. But there are some painless ways you can prevent yourself from overeating on the holiday. A good guideline, in general, for a healthy plate is to fill half of it with vegetables and some fruit, and the other half with protein and whole grains. \u201cFor Thanksgiving, it\u2019s a little tricky because it\u2019s one meal and often a time when there\u2019s very special food around,\u201d says Vizthum.<\/p>\n \n She recommends being selective about what you\u2019re putting on your plate. Skip foods that aren\u2019t that special to you, get some protein and non-starchy vegetables on your plate, and stick with small portions of the foods you really love. \u201cI am a big fan of people having a little bit of everything,\u201d says Castro. \u201cMake sure the main part of the plate is a protein \u2014 turkey is great \u2014 and some non-starchy vegetables like Brussels sprouts, green beans, salad, carrots, etc. Add some of the holiday favorites like stuffing or mashed potatoes, but try to limit their portions.\u201d Castro also says that \u201cadding some cranberry sauce and gravy is completely appropriate on Thanksgiving, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Also, pay attention to your body\u2019s cues that you\u2019re getting full and know when to step away from the Thanksgiving feast. \u201cThe big thing is not eating to the point of discomfort,\u201d says Vizthum, who recommends eating slowly since it takes about 20 minutes for signals to reach the brain that you\u2019re getting full, as well as munching mindfully, paying attention to flavors and textures.<\/p>\n And if you do get carried away? Don\u2019t beat yourself up. \u201cThis is one meal out of the entire year,\u201d says Vizthum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n Thanksgiving\u00a0is a special time of year to get together with family and friends and think about what you\u2019re most grateful for. But let\u2019s be honest \u2014 it\u2019s really all about the food, from the roast turkey, which typically takes center stage, and cranberry sauce to stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy. And let\u2019s not forget …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62771,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[3999],"yoast_head":"\n\r\n \t
What happens when you overeat in general<\/h2>\n
What happens when you eat that turkey<\/h2>\n
What happens when you load up on carbs<\/h2>\n
What happens when you dive into dessert<\/h2>\n
So what should your plate look like if you\u2019re trying to\u00a0not\u00a0get carried away on Thanksgiving?<\/h2>\n