November 27, 2025
Welcome to Ben Greenfield's Weekly Roundup!
In this weekly post, I share with you my most interesting discoveries of the week, including the latest news on the fronts of fitness, nutrition, health, wellness, biohacking, and anti-aging research. I also recap my upcoming events and special announcements so you can keep up with opportunities to learn, giveaways, discounts, and more!
New Discoveries
You’ve probably experienced it—after a big Thanksgiving meal, you lie back, the room blurs just a bit, and you feel yourself drift toward the couch.
For a long time, the culprit of choice has been turkey and tryptophan—an amino acid your body uses to make serotonin and melatonin, the chemicals involved in mood and sleep regulation.
On the surface, it sounds like a reasonable explanation for your post-dinner haze. However, as a recent article in The Scientist explains, the amount of tryptophan you obtain from food is far too small to significantly alter your sleep cycle, and turkey doesn’t contain unusually high levels of it anyway.
The *real* reason you feel so tired lies in the sheer metabolic load of your Thanksgiving meal—the combination of dense carbohydrates, rich fats, sweets, and alcohol that your body must work hard to digest.
When you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, your body isn’t just eating—it’s doing heavy-duty processing. Research referenced in the article mentioned above found that meals high in carbohydrates and fats induced more fatigue than those higher in fiber and vegetables. Layer alcohol on top of that, and your body’s drive toward drowsiness becomes even stronger.
Even more intriguingly, the article mentions that studies in flies show that certain neurons sense meal volume or nutrient density and signal the brain toward rest, suggesting post-meal tiredness may actually be an evolved response.
What this means for your holiday experience is that it’s not about skipping the turkey or the pie; it’s about how you structure the meal and how you treat your body beforehand and afterward.
Overeating triggers a cascade: your insulin levels spike, fat-burning slows, your blood vessels suffer from elevated triglycerides, and the result is that heavy-content feeling and the irresistible urge to doze off.
But here’s the good news: you can enjoy everything—family, food, and laughter—and still skip the daze. It’s about smart intention, not deprivation.
If you want to stay sharp and feel comfortable this Thanksgiving, you can follow the game plan outlined below:
-
Start your day with a clean slate: Aim for an overnight fast of about 10–12 hours so you arrive at the meal stable—not ravenously hungry.
-
Pre-meal lightly: About 1–2 hours before dinner, have something light but filling—think a salad with beans or leafy greens—to moderate your hunger and smooth your sugar response.
-
Balance the spreads: On your plate, leave space for vegetables, fibers, and lean protein—not only the heaviest sides.
-
Drink with awareness: If you’re drinking alcohol, pace it. Alternate each drink with water to stay hydrated and maintain clear judgment. (You can also try Zbiotics (save 15% off here), a pre-alcohol probiotic that helps you digest toxic byproducts of alcohol and keeps you feeling better the next day)
-
Bring a dish you genuinely enjoy: Choose one contribution to the meal that you control—something satisfying, balanced, and made by you so you know there’s at least one nutrient-friendly option on the table (you can find plenty of options in Boundless Cookbook and Boundless Kitchen).
By the end of the day, you’ll have enjoyed the celebration without overdoing it, staying clear, present, and engaged, rather than fighting the urge to sneak off for a nap.
If you want more tips for balanced and healthy eating during the holidays, you can check out these additional resources:
- Eat, Drink & Be Merry: Ben Greenfield’s Top 10 Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating, Part 1.
- Eat, Drink & Be Merry: Ben Greenfield’s Top 10 Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating, Part 2.
- 3 Simple Strategies To Maximize Fat Loss, Control Appetite, And Limit The Damage From Overeating.
- Holiday Health Hacks & The Overblown Weight Gain Stats? ft. Ben Greenfield
Black Friday Deal! Save Up to 30% On Boundless Bar—The World’s FIRST Ketone-Powered Protein Bar ⚡🧠🍫
What you reach for between meals should work with your biology—supporting stable blood sugar, clean digestion, and steady energy that carries you through the day.
That’s why I spent the past year building something I couldn’t find anywhere in the protein bar aisle: a bar powered by goBHB® ketones and clean, functional ingredients that support muscle, metabolism, and long-lasting fuel.
goBHB® is the gold-standard form of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a ketone that provides clean, steady energy for both your brain and body. It helps stabilize appetite, supports mitochondrial efficiency, and enhances recovery from training.
And instead of the “ketone taste” people dread, we dialed in a flavor profile that actually makes you look forward to eating it.
It’s called Boundless Bar—and for Black Friday, you can get 20% off single orders and 30% off subscriptions across the ENTIRE site.
You can choose between two indulgent, clean-fueled options:
- Cinnamon Roll (270 calories) blends real cinnamon spice with creamy cashew butter and a touch of honey and monk fruit for a warm, balanced flavor that pairs perfectly with steady ketone energy.
- Vanilla Cheesecake (260 calories) delivers a smooth, rich texture with natural vanilla and clean ingredients that leave you satisfied—without the crash you get from conventional bars.
Both flavors make it easy to stay on track while enjoying every bite, providing you with clean fuel and a smarter, all-day ally.
Ready to experience the power of ketones and step into a Boundless you?
*Here’s* How to Receive Coaching, Workouts & Biohacking Support—with TRIUMPH Coaching
I get it—navigating your health and fitness in today’s world can feel like chasing a moving target. One week, it’s about your macros, the next, it’s wearables and peptide stacks.
When was the last time you had an actual team helping you sort through the noise, guiding you step by step based on your unique biomarkers, goals, and lifestyle?
With TRIUMPH Coaching, you gain access to elite-level support without the guesswork.
We have different coaching plans to meet you wherever you are. Work 1-on-1 with one of my expert coaches, or as part of a group. Whatever you choose, you’ll be rooted in real-time adjustments and results. If your goals involve optimizing VO2 max, chasing longevity, or just trying to build muscle and mobility right from your living room, we’ve got you covered.
Want to explore your TRIUMPH coaching options?
Fill out our coaching form, and one of our expert coaches will reach out to discuss how to help you achieve extraordinary fitness and peak performance.
This Week in Health & Performance: What the Latest Research Says
💤 Melatonin & Heart Health—Why Context Matters: A recent AHA abstract linked long-term prescription melatonin use with higher heart failure and mortality, but this was associational, lacked key details (dose, health status, medications), and included populations using high-dose prescription melatonin. Former podcast guest Dr. Deanna Minich breaks down what the study doesn’t tell us, and why low, physiological doses (0.3–0.5 mg) remain well-supported (read her analysis here).
😠 Fish Oil Can Reduce Aggression: A new review found daily omega-3 supplementation can reduce aggression by up to 28%, reinforcing fish oil’s powerful mood-stabilizing effects (yet another reason I use this super potent and pure form of Kion Omega Fish Oil) (more on the review here).
🍗 High-Protein Fasting Mimicking Diets: In a 7-day fasting-mimicking diet, versions with higher protein improved heart-health markers and gut microbiome diversity more than lower-protein versions—which is big news for anyone restricting calories (full study here).
🥩 Protein Quality Matters, Especially With Age: A comprehensive new review recommends prioritizing protein sources high in essential amino acids and with strong DIAAS scores (like Kion Aminos), especially when following low-calorie diets, plant-based patterns, or in older age (study here). By the way, you can determine the TRUE digestibility of proteins easily with an internet search for protein + phrase “DIAAS.”
Key Takeaways: From melatonin dosing nuances to the power of omega-3s and high-quality protein, this week’s research shows that dialing in the details—dose, quality, and context—can meaningfully improve mood, metabolic health, and overall resilience.
🔗 Want to dive deeper? Click the links above to explore the research, and click here to follow me on X for all the latest health and performance news hot off the press! 🚀
Product Of The Week
::: Switch to Toxin-Free Cookware & Save Up to 35% Today! :::
If you care about what goes into your food, you also have to care about what it’s being cooked on.
The reality is that most traditional nonstick cookware still contains PFAS—“forever chemicals” found in Teflon that can leach into your food, your home, and ultimately your body.
And recent research shows that one scratch on a typical nonstick pan can release around 9,100 microplastic particles. That’s a daily toxic exposure most people never think about.
That’s why I made the switch to Our Place. Their cookware is completely toxin-free—no PFAS, no PTFEs, no hidden chemical cocktails—just high-performance, safe materials you can trust.
If you’re ready to upgrade your kitchen intelligently, the Our Place 4-Piece Cookware Set is the smartest, most streamlined path.
It includes:
🍳 2 Always Pans (Full + Mini)
🍲 2 Perfect Pots (Full + Mini)
With just four multifunctional pieces, you can:
✓ sear
✓ sauté
✓ fry
✓ bake
✓ boil
✓ roast
✓ steam
…and replace an entire cluttered cabinet of mismatched pots and pans.
If you’re ready to make the switch to safer, cleaner, high-performance cookware, Our Place is having its biggest sale of the year right now!
You can save up to 35% sitewide now through December 2nd and see why more than a million people have upgraded their kitchens with Our Place.
And with a 100-day risk-free trial, free shipping, and free returns, you can shop with total confidence.
Shop the Our Place Black Friday Sale now—no code needed.
Podcasts I Recorded This Week:
The Latest Content I Was Featured On This Week:
My Article Feed:
My full article feed and all archives of my articles are here.
Upcoming Events:
Stay tuned for future updates—and you can always keep up with my LIVE appearances by checking out bengreenfieldlife.com/calendar!
This Week's Most Popular Instagram Post:
This Week's Most Popular Tweet:
This Week's Most Popular Facebook Post:
Cheers,
Ben
any gratitude programs that you know of? thanks