Since it is the season, you know, holidays, food, stuffing, etc….
Pulled this bit of good information from a financial letter I get (of all places)… The Retirement Millionaire. Not all their letters are expensive – some you can get for like $49 a year if you play it right, many are $99 a year and you pay that much for crappy magazines that tell you nothing, but have nice pictures.
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*** November is one of the best times to buy frozen turkeys… But wait until after Thanksgiving. It’s no surprise demand for frozen turkeys drops sharply after Thanksgiving. So you can find great deals from grocery stores trying to clear out their surplus.
And you can use the turkey for Thanksgiving next year… According to the USDA, you can keep a frozen turkey for up to a year. But don’t just stick the turkey in the freezer in its original packaging. (Most packaging tends to be permeable to moisture.) You can use special “freezer” bags or aluminum foil to ward off freezer burn.
*** Turkey gets blamed for a lot this time of year… especially the tired feeling people get after eating a big Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey contains an amino acid called tryptophan. Many people blame tryptophan for the drowsiness… But that’s not true. Tryptophan is found in all meats and many other foods. Turkey doesn‘t even have the highest concentration… You can find more tryptophan in pork, sunflower seeds, and Parmesan cheese.
What’s really making you tired is overeating. All of that rich and sweet food raises your blood sugar levels, which leads to high levels of insulin. The insulin (and a few other simultaneously released chemicals) causes sleepiness. And when blood leaves your brain for your stomach to help digest your food… you get even sleepier. You can learn more about the tryptophan myth in my December 2010 issue.
To combat the sleepiness… don’t stuff yourself. You don’t have to sacrifice eating your favorite foods. Just eat less of them. But if you’re like most people, you won’t be able to help yourself. Instead of heading for the couch right after dinner, go outside for a walk, help clean up, or throw a football around.
*** On a related note, a recent study shows fasting once a month improves long-term heart health. Researchers found fasting just one day a month can cut your risk of heart disease 58%. The belief is fasting shrinks fat cells and prevents insulin resistance. This helps lower your risk of heart disease and even diabetes.
I’ve been trying to fast once a month, and I like it. I’ll sip water and hot herbal teas and do less vigorous activity that day. I’ll read, walk, and meditate quietly. I plan to fast two to three times per month within the next year.
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I am too slow to be fasting but maybe I will take a day off from eating? – WD0AJG