Last night could not have been any better! Ahhhhh. I feel like myself again...no small feat these days. Should I just go straight to the food? Four types of artisinal ham, oysters on the half shell and vodka tonics with homemade tonic water all at Garage Bar. We then walked a block down to Decca and kept on going...steak tartare, pork cheek, foie gras with cherry compote (Sensational! It was the actual liver, not processed at all), chocolate cake and coffee ice cream. It was a really special night of dining. We ran into friends, imbibed on wines and liquors and beer, and rounded-out the night by taking in some live music. Damn it felt good. Then we finished the night off by killing that pack of turky hot dogs I've been eyeing in my fridge.
Maybe it is the diet or maybe the food last night was really that good (John said it was) but every single bite was savored...sometimes with my eyes closed. Not only was the evening great, but once I started cheating yesterday (beginning with that Chicken Tikka Naan Sandwich) my day just kept getting better and better. About an hour after I had downed that cheesy, spicy, magical sandwich, I was tired so I laid down and took a nap. I woke-up 90 minutes later with drool on my pillow and a sore throat (a sure sign I was snoring). I slept better during that nap than I had ever since starting the Forks Over Knives way of eating. It was incredible how different my sleep quality was. It set me up great for last night's fun.
Maybe it is the diet or maybe the food last night was really that good (John said it was) but every single bite was savored...sometimes with my eyes closed. Not only was the evening great, but once I started cheating yesterday (beginning with that Chicken Tikka Naan Sandwich) my day just kept getting better and better. About an hour after I had downed that cheesy, spicy, magical sandwich, I was tired so I laid down and took a nap. I woke-up 90 minutes later with drool on my pillow and a sore throat (a sure sign I was snoring). I slept better during that nap than I had ever since starting the Forks Over Knives way of eating. It was incredible how different my sleep quality was. It set me up great for last night's fun.
Me & my sis, Christine
But before I went out last night, I had to make peace with two recent
conversations I'd had about my diet. One was on the phone with my sister, Christine, on Thursday. Chrissy, who has always been mindful of what she eats and sticks to a very healthy diet, suggested I increase my protein. She said adding a hard-boiled egg to her morning meal made a huge difference in how full she felt until lunch. Could a lack protein be why I felt so sluggish and always hungry? Then yesterday afternoon, I spoke with my dear friend Cara about my crazy-awesome nap and she made a casual comment about tryptophan. You know the drug...the one that puts us all to sleep after Thanksgiving? But her comment got me thinking... Is it possible that I am not getting enough tryptophan in my
diet which could be causing my restless sleep?
conversations I'd had about my diet. One was on the phone with my sister, Christine, on Thursday. Chrissy, who has always been mindful of what she eats and sticks to a very healthy diet, suggested I increase my protein. She said adding a hard-boiled egg to her morning meal made a huge difference in how full she felt until lunch. Could a lack protein be why I felt so sluggish and always hungry? Then yesterday afternoon, I spoke with my dear friend Cara about my crazy-awesome nap and she made a casual comment about tryptophan. You know the drug...the one that puts us all to sleep after Thanksgiving? But her comment got me thinking... Is it possible that I am not getting enough tryptophan in my
diet which could be causing my restless sleep?
Cara & Me
I googled tryptophan and guess what I learned? Turns out tryptophan is not something our bodies produce. It's something we have to get through our diet. And tryptophan is found in...anyone want to take a guess? Protein! But here's the fascinating part: for all the light jokes we make about tryptophan "kicking in" after we eat our turkey dinner, it's actually an extremely important chemical in our system. Once we've consumed tryptophan, our body uses it to make serotonin and melatonin (among other things). Well how about that?!?! I've been complaining all week about being depressed and sleeping like crap and now I have a biochemical explanation!
To better explain seratonin, I took this excerpt directly from WebMD: "Of the approximately 40 million brain cells, most are influenced either directly or indirectly by serotonin. This includes brain cells related to mood, sexual desire and function, appetite, sleep, memory and learning,temperature regulation, and some social behavior." Some of us might also be familiar with serotonin because of it's interaction with the plethera of anti-depressants on the market. Who knew? And, of course, melatonin is directly linked to good sleep. You can buy it over the counter to contribute to
a good nights sleep. How crazy is this?
a good nights sleep. How crazy is this?
I'm sure that I have probably heard many news stories that have covered the information that I just relayed to you, but because this topic directly affects me right now, it is finally sinking into my brain. With this diet being as limited as it is, my sources for protein are greatly reduced and the foods I can eat that contain a lot of protein I don't like too much: leafy greens and beans, so I have pretty much been avoiding them. Ugh. I could always do the protein powder, but --according to doctors supportive of the Forks Over Knives nutritional program-- I shouldn't need to supplement my diet if I'm eating
right. I'm going to have to give this some thought. In the meantime, I'd like to thank my lady friends for showing interest and looking out for me. Love, t.
right. I'm going to have to give this some thought. In the meantime, I'd like to thank my lady friends for showing interest and looking out for me. Love, t.
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