Will eating turkey make you sleepy?

The old wise tale is that eating turkey makes you sleepy because of the high content of Tryptophan, an amino acid that encourages serotonin production in the brain (the happy hormone) and it is a precursor to melatonin (the sleep hormone). But other meats also contain this same amino acid and we are not sleepy after eating steak?  The amount of tryptophan in the turkey or any other meat is not enough to make you sleepy.  So, if it’s not the turkey why do you want to nap after Thanksgiving dinner?  The culprit is the amount and types of foods consumed at the holiday meal. Gobbling of bread, potatoes, stuffing, gravy, desserts and all the pre-and post-treats cause spikes in your insulin levels. So, you may feel a short burst of energy followed by a big decrease that makes you feel lethargic and sleepy.  Your digestive system is also working harder to find the right enzymes to break down the heavy meal which moves energy away from other parts of the body to the focused attention your gut needs.

Consider taking a full spectrum enzyme after your meal to help process your holiday meal if you are bothered by the sleeping, full stomach feeling