by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H

Sorry, eating that turkey on Thanksgiving does not cause after-meal drowsiness, at least according to the new view that has emerged in the past few years.  At emedicinehealth.com and other places, the consensus is there is not enough triptophan in turkey and it must be taken on an empty stomach (fat chance, huh) to put you to sleep.

Pork, chicken and cheese also contain the unjustly maligned somnolent triptophan, but they never get blamed.

Probably it is that heavy meal, in general, that is the real culprit.  I’ll dig into it a little deeper after my nap.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

(and to all a good night)

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James Hubbard’s My Family Doctor is the magazine written by health-care providers for you.

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Most everyone who reads this blog knows we need to stay healthy and fit more than ever in these tight economic times.  It helps us cope with stress, and who needs more medical bills by getting down and sick?

Stacy Berman, a fitness trainer who has written for JHMFD, sent me some “frugal fitness tips.”  We like Stacy and thought we would share.  See her bio at the end of the tips.

In the past, we’ve featured ways to eat healthy while saving money (here and here), but she offers some new tips on fitness.  I wondered what you’d think.  Here are the tips.

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

The coming holidays turn our hearts and thoughts to family, friends, charity, good will, peace and kids with runny noses.  Check out the column I wrote for Homemaker Barbi on nine ways to keep your kids healthy during the winter. Anything to help, right?

Also, I collaborated with Carole Carson on a post at Basil & Spice titled “Is Holiday Weight Gain Inevitable?” A new study concludes, maybe it is.  Best prevention? Exercise.

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Your mother-in-law is coming to visit and she’s ALLERGIC TO YOUR CAT?  Potential disaster on the horizon.  Alleviate situation like this by following some simple tips from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

If you are not stressed in these economic times, you should be, or so it seems if you listen to the media long enough these days.  The holidays are coming up also, and here’s the thing: There is good stress and bad stress but your body treats it the same.  It adds up quickly.  Ever heard of the Holmes-Rahe Live Inventory Scale (PDF download)?

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