Remember the holidays are about family and fun. I’m inviting my extended family and we’re all going to have a good time. There’s no work, and we play games.
But in the modern world we get so busy and everything becomes a stressor and you have to organize for the holidays. But you don’t have let it get out of control and forget what it’s supposed to be about.
Many of my patients come to me stressed, and I tell them to take this test. Answer yes or no to each one and keep count of your “Yes” answers:
| Yes | No | I don’t seem to “wake up” until midmorning, whether I wake up early or sleep late | |
| Yes | No | I get a little tired and “foggy” in the early afternoon | |
| Yes | No | In between meals I crave salty foods | |
| Yes | No | I have a burst of energy around and after dinner | |
| Yes | No | I have some back or neck pain for seemingly no reason | |
| Yes | No | I get sleepy around 9, but resist going to bed | |
| Yes | No | I experience a kind of second wind at night, but can’t get to sleep until after midnight | |
| Yes | No | I’m lightheaded sometimes when I stand up, get up from my desk, or out of my car | |
| Yes | No | My muscles feel weaker than they used to | |
| Yes | No | I sigh a lot | |
| Yes | No | My muscles hurt all the time | |
| Yes | No | I’ve lost a lot of my sex drive | |
| Yes | No | I have low body temperature | |
| Yes | No | I have heart palpitations | |
| Yes | No | My skin is dry and thin | |
| Yes | No | I’m nervous a lot | |
| Yes | No | I overwork myself and don’t relax or play for long periods | |
| Yes | No | I gain weight easily, especially around the middle | |
| Yes | No | I can’t think straight under pressure. I get confused if I’m hurried | |
| Yes | No | I have to lie down after something stressful or emotional happens | |
| Yes | No | I get cold often | |
| Yes | No | I have very low tolerance for other people | |
| Yes | No | Caffeinated drinks drive me | |
| Yes | No | I don’t ever feel good after exercising |
If you answered “Yes” to fewer than 5 of these, congratulations, you’re living a remarkably stress-free life.
Chances are, however, that just living in today’s world pushed your “Yes” count above 5. Sometimes far above 5. If that’s the case, you’re not alone. You’re one of millions of people suffering from what I call adrenal burnout.
The good news is, in my clinical experience, the adrenals are very regenerative. They recover once you fix the problem. Even if you can give them a short break and just a bit of help, they recover. And that’s what I want to help you with today.
Constant stress overloads your adrenal glands, which have to constantly pump out hormones. This can wear you down fast. It’s hard to feel thankful this Thanksgiving when you’re overstressed.
But not to worry … you can get back to normal in a very short time. In fact, you can start giving your adrenals some help by eating some Thanksgiving turkey.
Don’t let all those politically correct “health” experts ruin it for you. The Thanksgiving meal we eat in America is one of the healthiest you can have. And turkey is a treasure trove of stress-relieving benefits, especially the amino acids like:
- Glutamine, a high-powered amino acid that regulates blood pressure, powers up your heart, strengthens your immune system by making glutathione, and boosts your HGH … which lengthens telomeres. All of these benefits help reduce the effects of stress.
People with exhaustion and brain disorders often show a deficiency of glutamine. Anxiety, sleeplessness and lack of concentration are also related to this. Just one small serving (3 ounces) of turkey has around 9 grams of amino acids your body can convert into the glutamine you need.
- Leucine, which helps you build muscle and increase your energy. But I found a few little-known studies that show leucine counteracts the effects of stress hormones produced by your adrenal glands.1 And that healthy adrenal glands depend on leucine. 3 ounces of turkey has almost 1,500 mg of leucine.
- Glycine, that powers your immune system by helping to build glutathione, one the strongest antioxidants we know of. But your brain also has receptors for glycine that help your neurotransmitters keep you calm and balanced, instead of stressed.2 3 ounces of turkey gives you a gram of lysine
- Have you heard of serine? Your body needs it to “open” the channels for other brain-healthy nutrients and proteins to work. It also keeps cortisol (the stress hormone) levels low. A serving of turkey has 750 mg of serine.
There are also 15 other amino acids in turkey, all of which help increase your energy, stop stress and give your adrenals a break to give you back the enthusiasm for the holiday season.
So enjoy your turkey today, and my Thanksgiving blessings go out to you and your family and loved ones.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
1. Straumann E, Keller U, Kraenzlin M, Girard J, Thélin A, Arnaud M, Perruchoud A, Stauffacher W. “Interaction of cortisol and epinephrine in the regulation of leucine kinetics in man.” Experientia. 1988 Feb 15;44(2):176-8.
2. Nikandrov V, Balashevich T. “Glycine receptors in nervous tissue and their functional role.” Biomed Khim. 2014 Jul-Aug;60(4):403-15.