NEW YOU Beauty Tip: If you’re lacking in beauty sleep, eat foods high in tryptophan followed by a bedtime small-carb snack.
We all know the beauty benefits of a good snooze, but what happens when you’re having trouble asleep? Before you turn to hypnotism or heavy sleep meds, try increasing your intake of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that your body does not produce naturally. Tryptophan is important because the body uses it to produce serotonin, which in turn makes melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycles. This evidence may appear to verify the Thanksgiving Day myth, that turkey puts us to sleep, but it seems that we must debunk it. According to Dr. Elizabeth Somer, author of “Eat Your Way to Happiness,” the real way to eat your way to sleepiness is by munching on an all-carb snack (30 grams or less) right before bed, following a earlier dinner high in tryptophan. It’s a winning combination!
| Snack Ideas 1. 1 Banana 2. 1 Fruit & Grain Bar 3. 2 Fig Newtons 4. 2 oz. Wheat Bagel 5. 1 cup Sugar Free Pudding |
Foods High in Tryptophan 1. Chicken 2. Turkey 3. Beans 4. Eggs 5. Green Leafy Veggies |
