Well, Thanksgiving is almost upon us and there is a myth out there that I encounter. People say that Thanksgiving is the day of the year when people have the least sex.

I have never seen any real data on that but it wouldn’t particularly surprise me. And here’s why: When we have eaten a lot we do not feel particularly sexual!

On the one hand, I’m sure you think this makes sense, and on the other hand, this sometimes takes people aback. After all, “romantic meals” have entered popular culture as the most ubiquitous introduction to sexual encounters. “Go out for a lovely dinner date and then have sex.”  But the truth is that food, especially heavy food, uses a lot of our energy just to digest it.

 

You might have heard that the reason people get tired after eating is because their bodies are shifting the blood flow from their brains to their digestive tracts—but scientific evidence doesn’t really seem to support that.

However, there are hormonal changes that happen when you eat. (And you know me and hormones!)  Eating shifts your hormones including melatonin and serotonin and production of more serotonin can promote sleepiness,  — especially if the food was high in the essential amino acid tryptophan, which is found in proteins, chicken, cheese, fish, and TURKEY.

Also, pay attention to cytokines, proteins that are important for the body’s immune and inflammatory responses. They can make you feel tired when they fluctuate and certain cytokines in your body rise after you eat, especially if you’ve consumed a high-calorie meal.

So that's why we often feel tired and sluggish after a large meal. And – pay attention – sex, is exercise! so the way that you would not feel like going out for a run after Thanksgiving dinner, you probably won't feel like having sex either. 

Two important takeaways:

• If you want to have sex on Thanksgiving, consider a morning rendezvous if you can sleep in. Or arrange a quick encounter right before you run out the door.
• And, in general, when you are setting up dates and hoping to have sex as part of the date, consider swapping the schedule. Plan the sex first and the meal second. And then let me know how you do.

But no matter what you do, make sure you give thanks for the special people in your life, and for your own sexuality. Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

I have so much more information about this in my book Satisfaction Guaranteed. You may want to check it out!