Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Tryptophan and Thanksgiving

From Snopes.com:

"Does turkey contain a natural sedative that makes you feel sleepy after eating a lot of it?

In this instance, lore almost intersects with science. Turkey does contain tryptophan, an amino acid which is a natural sedative. But tryptophan doesn't act on the brain unless it is taken on an empty stomach with no protein present, and the amount gobbled even during a holiday feast is generally too small to have an appreciable effect.

That lazy, lethargic feeling so many are overcome by at the conclusion of a festive season meal is most likely due to the combination drinking alcohol,...overeating a [solid-food] carbohydrate-rich repast, [and] increased blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract."

I have been to many Thanksgiving family feasts over the years. With or without the aid of Tryptophan, they invoke a warm, lazy, comfortable memory.

In the early years they rotated among my parents', an uncle's and an aunt's house. In the pecking order of cousins and brothers I was mid-level. Four older, two younger, plus my two younger brothers. In my childhood and teen years I never graduated to the big people table. There were just too many people with seniority.

Just before family started arriving, or just before we got to the relatives' house, my father would lecture us on proper behavior. In my young world there was no functional difference between a father or mother and an aunt or uncle. Any adult trumped any child. Woe to the child that didn't understand that. We were not to run, there was no yelling. You could not ask for anything. If offered, you could say yes. As a sullen teen I fantasized during the lecture, still given for the benefit of my younger brothers, about the permissability of asking for emergency life-saving treatment if I had a run-in with the carving knife.

While sitting on the front porch, a cousin taught me to tie my shoes on Thanksgiving Day. I went to my first non-drive-in movie, The Old Man and the Sea, on Thanksgiving day. I was introduced to the wonders of Kool Whip (the look on my mother's face told me all I needed to know about asking my Aunt for another dollop). White meat turkey slices with salt and mayo on white bread (a starch source I have out-grown) and cold stuffing, mid-evening is actually better than the feast during the day. Choking down a teaspoon of yellow or green Jello with stuff in it is an acceptable price for the rest of the day, though no one should have to eat canned cranberry sauce.

My generation is somewhat scattered over the Country. Me in Atlanta. A brother in Phoenix. A cousin in Florida. My youngest brother and some of my cousins are still close enough to each other to carry on the tradition.

My last family feast was in 1999 when I traveled not for the holiday but to attend my mother's funeral a couple of days before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was held that year at one of my cousin's son's house. Tradition was turning full circle. My brothers had daughters. They had cousins. I was disappointed to see that the kids were not at card tables. Long tables had been borrowed from the church and everyone sat together. At least I got to sit at the big people table.

I'm going back this year to my youngest brother's house. There are a few more kids and no more of the original generation. I plan on eating dark meat, lots of mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie. I'm going to dollop on all the Kool Whip I want, which won't be much. I am not going to eat any Jello or cranberries, sauce or whole. I plan on smiling more than I did when I was sullen teen.

2 comments:

fermicat said...

Good writing that took my mind away from my computer and desk for a minute or two.

PDM and his brothers still get together every Thanksgiving. They are mostly scattered around the southeast, with the exeption of the oldest brother in Palo Alto. Even with the parents both gone, or maybe especially because of that, this is the one holiday they have reserved to get together.

Thanksgiving is a bittersweet time for me. My Dad died two days before Thanksgiving in 1993 and that holiday will always remind me of sad times. It is the same for you? But being with PDM's family is a different enough thing for me that it actually helps me not to dwell on it.

Anonymous said...

Very nice, I really enjoyed reading that, thank you for sharing.

My experience is so different. I didn't have the pleasure of ANY extended family within 500 miles while I was growing up. So Thanksgiving Day celebrations were limited to my nuclear family of four. My experiences sitting at the "children's table" occurred when visiting other families, not with my own.

With the exception of the 9 years my parents lived in Virgina, I've always had Thanksgiving with my folks. Tomorrow will be no exception, although the number of folks at the table has increased. I'm blessed in that both of my parents are still living and my brother is nearby.

My Mom cooks for most of the week prior to Thanksgiving. In addition to the turkey, there will be squash casserole, onion casserole, baked beans, sweet potatoe casserole, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, broccoli/rice casserole, rolls,pound cake, usually a pie, and some sort of jello concoction. When she's really on a roll, she'll already have a sample of Christmas cookies available (they're legendary!). Over the years, I've occasionally had my friends join us and even decades later, they still speak with awe about their experience at my Mom's table.

The table will be set with her prettiest linens and finest china and glass, including a candelabra with fresh candles. She doesn't miss a detail. Because of all the work involved, Mom gets to rest once dinner is served and we wait on her for the next few days :-). Everyone chips in for the clean-up.

We'll spend most of the day just hanging out with enjoying each other's company, watching movies, and playing games. My husband looks forward to this at least as much as I do as his family rarely congregates.

Yup, can't wait!

Barbara Allen