Defurkeying the turkey myth
Although turkey, dressing and sweet potato pie are among my favorite Thanksgiving traditions, nothing tops my tradition of passing out on my aunt Denise’s sofa while trying to watch “A Christmas Story” with one eye open and the other dozing.
I’d love to watch the movie with both eyes, but I can’t. It’s the turkey’s fault; all that darn tryptophan makes me sleepy. I fault the Tom.
But I’m wrong. We’re all wrong. It’s not Tom’s fault. We should actually be blaming the side dishes: mashed potatoes, stuffing, pie, etc. Yep, it’s actually Tom’s sidekicks that are making us tired.
While it is true that
Turkey has a lot of tryptophan — an essential amino acid for our diet — the amount is comparable to that found in most other meats such as chicken and beef.
Why don’t we pass out after a large steak or after downing some KFC, you ask? Hmmm, maybe it’s because our sides aren’t usually 2 cups of stuffing, a bowl of gravy, a heap of mashed potatoes and four slices of pie.
Turkey does contribute to our tryptophan trip, but it’s not the only culprit.
My proof? My vegetarian husband. He eats no turkey, but can be found right beside me — one eye open, watching Ralphie Parker beg for a Red Ryder BB Gun.
Ja’Rena Lunsford
Business Writer
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment