Welcome to a special Thanksgiving edition of Weird Q&A here on Wits and Weights, where I answer three offbeat questions about health and fitness, covering anything from nutrition to training, to mindset and more. And if you have a weird question you'd like answered, just send me a message on Instagram at Wits and Weights or use the send a text message link in the show notes and I will definitely tackle it on the show. Question one today does eating turkey on Thanksgiving really make you sleepy because of the tryptophan? Now, this is something that I thought for years and I would use it as a reason that I felt like dozing off after that large Thanksgiving meal and the belief that turkey makes you sleepy. It's very common. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, so it's one of the essential nine amino acids and it serves as a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, and those are neurotransmitters involved in regulating mood and sleep. Now, turkey does contain tryptophan, but unfortunately it doesn't have significantly more than other common foods like chicken, eggs, cheese and so on. And I say unfortunate in terms of if you thought the myth was true and in reality, the drowsiness that you get after a big meal is more likely because of the huge quantity of food that you just consumed, especially carbohydrates and fats. Nothing wrong with that. Thanksgiving meal is incredible. It's delicious and I want you to enjoy it.

Eating a large meal can even activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Right, and that's the part of your nervous system that promotes rest and digestion, and then that leads to a feeling of fatigue. And then there's the high carb foods like mashed potatoes and stuffing and desserts and, by the way, the stuffing we eat in my family it's a sausage stuffing, so it's high fat and carbs and these all cause a spike in blood sugar, which then is followed by this rapid drop in blood sugar, and that makes you feel lethargic Again. There's nothing abnormal about these blood sugar spikes. It's totally normal, it's expected, it's not a health concern or anything like that. What else do we consume during the festivities? Alcohol. And if you consume alcohol, like that spiked eggnog or hard apple cider, it's going to make you sleepy as well because of the sedative effects on your CNS, your central nervous system. So while tryptophan does play a role in sleep regulation, in a small amount, the quantity in turkey isn't enough to cause the significant drowsiness on its own. It's the combination of overeating, carbohydrate-rich foods and possibly yes alcohol that makes you want to take a nap after you have your Thanksgiving dinner.

All right, question number two Can you gain weight just by smelling delicious Thanksgiving food all day? Now, hear me out. This is a serious question and you'll understand why in a moment. Because the idea that you can gain weight just by smelling food it's intriguing on its own. It also is kind of ridiculous, right? Oh, you're just smelling and you're not ingesting calories, but smelling food can trigger your hunger signals. They can stimulate your appetite by activating your olfactory system if you remember the phrase from school about your smell olfactory, and that's closely linked to areas of the brain involved in emotion and memory. It's why a smell can trigger a memory and this might lead you to eat more than you otherwise would.

However, here's the cool thing the act of smelling food, which we know. It doesn't provide calories. So let's just get that myth out of the way. In case you even thought that I'm not sure who thinks that, but you can't. It doesn't provide calories, just smelling. So you're not going to gain weight from aromas, but you can gain and consume excess calories, which is the way we gain weight because of your eating behaviors and the smells, the enticing smells that come from the kitchen, whether it's on Thanksgiving or for any other meal being prepared, could influence how you eat, potentially leading to increased calorie intake. However, however, here's what's cool. Some research suggests that prolonged exposure to the same smells the same food smells might reduce your desire to eat that food. You get desensitized to it. Right? It's a phenomenon known as sensory-specific satiety, and this varies among individuals. It's not a reliable method for controlling appetite. I'm not saying you should take the thing that you like to binge on and just smell it all the time, but it's an interesting hypothesis, isn't it? And so, while smelling food doesn't cause weight gain, it can affect your hunger levels. It can affect your food choices and then being mindful of what you're eating and your own body's hunger and fullness cues, and where they might be coming from, will help you enjoy whatever you're trying to enjoy, including the holiday feast, without necessarily overindulging. But again, no judgment. If you overindulge one day out of the year because it's fun and it's a holiday, all right.

Question three Is pumpkin pie a good pre-workout food because of its carbohydrate and nutrients, carbohydrate content and spices? Now, this is an interesting one because pumpkin pie, of course, like any kind of baked good in its category, contains carbs, it contains sugars and we know that carbohydrates are essential for providing energy during workouts, especially high intensity workouts lifting weights both before and after. And the pumpkin filling that's used in a pumpkin pie, you know it has some vitamins and minerals vitamin A, potassium, fiber. And it's also, though, part of pie which is higher in added sugars and fats from ingredients like, of course, sugar and condensed milk. And the pie crust itself is made with usually butter or shortening.

And consuming higher fat and higher sugar foods before a workout isn't really ideal. Not so much the sugar part, but really the fat part, because the fat content slows digestion and then that could lead to some discomfort or sluggishness. You know your stomach is just fuller during exercise and that's not great. And then the sugar you know having too much sugar content could cause a spike in blood glucose followed by a crash. So depending on the timing of that, it could affect your energy, like in the middle of your workout. So timing is a factor here. If it's right before your workout, it could actually be helpful.

And then some people love the spices in fall foods like pumpkin pie. You've got cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and each one of these have some nominal health benefits anti-inflammatory properties and whatnot but they're present in just very small amounts. They're not going to impact your workout performance specifically. So for a pre-workout I would rather choose something easily digestible, an easily digestible carb paired with a moderate amount of protein, and then keep the fats and the fiber low to avoid slowing down your digestion too much or having gut or stomach issues during your workout. You get the sustained energy, but you don't get the GI discomfort.

Now, if you're a fan of the taste of pumpkin and it's like all the rage this time of year well, you could make your own smoothie with pumpkin puree, banana, protein powder, almond milk, some cinnamon thrown in there. It would tastes great. They're obviously packaged and processed versions of pumpkin spice and pumpkin flavored things. I mean the list is endless. There's a pumpkin spice protein bar by First Form that I really like, and all of these offer you the carbs and the protein you're looking for and minimize some of that added sugar and minimizing the fat. So these are all great pre-workout choices really. Just an easily digestible carb with some protein. And pumpkin pie is delicious. So I just want to end right there. Pumpkin pie is a delicious treat, especially with some whipped cream on it.

When I enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and desserts I quote-unquote save room, right I try to have a balance of pretty much everything available in just very small amounts. You know, start very small and you can always add more food if you want it after that, just to really enjoy the different flavors and tastes and variety. And then you have some leftovers as well. So pumpkin pie may not be an optimal pre-workout, but who cares? That's not really the relevant question. We want balanced, nutrient-dense foods in general to support our training and we want to enjoy ourselves on the holidays.

All right, thank you for joining me on this special Thanksgiving edition of Weird Q&A. I hope these answers help you navigate the holiday with a bit more knowledge. Maybe give you some table topics, some conversation starters at the dinner table. And remember if you have a weird question that you want me to answer, send a text message in the show notes or shoot me a message on Instagram at witsandweights and I'll definitely feature it in a future episode. I'm wishing you all a happy, healthy Thanksgiving and rest of your week filled with gratitude and mindfulness. I'll talk to you next time here on the Wits and Weights podcast.