sugar regulation and blood flow, control stress and influ-
ences overall brain function.Brain Pain
When we consider mental energy, it’s clear thinking and creativity we
want, rather than that foggy feeling or depression. When you have a
thought or feel a sensation from the outside world, it’s the result of
major chemical reactions in your brain. Billions of messages are sent
throughout the brain and the nerves on a regular basis by brain chem-
icals called neurotransmitters. Different neurotransmitters make you
feel different ways: high, low, sleepy, awake, happy and sad.
Sometimes the brain may have too many of one type of neurotrans-
mitter or not enough of another. As a result, you may feel too high or
low, or too sleepy. A common end-result symptom may be depression
or anxiety. When these problems develop, antidepressant drugs are
sometimes prescribed to manipulate brain chemistry in hopes of bal-
ancing neurotransmitters and relieving symptoms.
For most people, diet can have a profound effect on brain chem-
istry, often as much effect as drugs but easier to regulate and without
side effects. What you eat, or don’t eat, for dinner can influence your
sleep, your dreams, and how you feel upon waking. And what you
eat, or don’t eat, for breakfast can determine your human perform-
ance for the day.
Most of the 40 or more types of neurotransmitters are made from
amino acids derived from the protein in your diet. Certain vitamins
and minerals are also required for their production, including vitamin
B6, folic acid, niacin, iron and vitamin C. There are many important
neurotransmitters related to mental function. They include serotonin
and norepinephrine — the two most commonly discussed substances.
Let’s look at how a traditional meal affects most brains, and why the
confusion surrounding this issue continues.
Most people think getting sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner is
due to the turkey — more specifically, the tryptophan content of the
turkey that can sedate the brain. Tryptophan, an amino acid that can
produce a sleepy feeling when consumed in high amounts, is relative-
ly high in turkey. But while this notion is promoted year after year in
the media, it’s completely false.
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