By Dayne Hudson
Let me ask you something...
Are you keen on fat loss, optimal health, a solid immune system and a great looking physique?
If the answer is "yes" then you best keep reading!
There are few foods that tick all the boxes when it comes to the promotion of all these three and the good news is that turkey is one of them.
One of the leanest meats you can get your hands on and packed full of health benefits, here's why this superfood should be finding it's way into your diet regulary!
TURKEY FOR MUSCLE GAINS
I mentioned protein and it's interesting to note that turkey contains more protein per ounce (28 grams) than other meats (1).
Just what the doctor ordered when it comes to looking as good as you can!
Turkey is also extremly high in iron, which is the world's largest nutrient deficiency (2).
In developing nations, 50% of pregnant woman and around 40% of preschool children are estimated to be anaemic.
ANEMIA SNAPSHOT: A decrease in the amount of red blood cells, it lowers the ability of the blood to carry oxygen (3). One of the causes of decreased red cell production is iron deficiency.
I'd recommend women particulary consume turkey because of the iron content as iron is lost during the menstrual cycle (4).
TURKEY AND ZINC
Turkey is also a great source of zinc, which is a very important micronutrient for your immune system (5).
Zinc is also important for men deficient in testosterone, providing a much needed boost for those who don't have enough (6).
TURKEY TO FIGHT DEPRESSION?
There's a big link between zinc and depression that is seriously worth taking note of.
Depressed patients have reduced circulation zinc in their blood (7) with the level of zinc deficiency correlating with the harshness of depression (8).
Increasing zinc is thought to have a positive effect with those battling depression, making turkey a great choice for those battling the condition.
TURKEY FOR STRONG ORGANS AND BONES
Turkey is also a great source of potassium (a vital mineral required for the kidneys and heart and other organs to work properly) and phosphorus.
Phosphorus is great for your bones, with the mineral "as important as calcium in supporting bone augmentation and maintenance" (9).
Furthermore, phosphorus is also important for cellular reproduction and also assists the breakdown of nutrients by pumping out the potential energy stored within the food we eat.
Very important for optimal functioning.
TURKEY FOR BETTER HEALTH!
You're sure to have less sick days with plenty of turkey in your diet, due to the positive effects tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey, has on immune health.
"Tryptophan breakdown is necessary for maintaining aspects of immune tolerance", so to be sure to keep gobbling up the turkey (pun intended) to stay as healthy as possible! (10).
TURKEY FOR FAT LOSS
Turkey is extremely high in protein and low in carbohydrates and fat.
Not that there's anything wrong with carbohydrates and fat, but where I'm going with this is that lean protein on it's own can be very beneficial for fat loss.
A recent study examined the effect of an 800 calorie surplus via protein powder on people who had been weight lifting for almost 9 years (11).
I'm comparing turkey to protein powder obviously because both are lean sources of protein.
I've spoken about this study before in the context of the article "Is a calorie a calorie? Interesting fat loss facts" which is worth the read, but essentially, even though subjects were fed 800 calories MORE than they burn off everyday - they still gained next to no body fat.
So how on earth did this happen?
In short, one of the reasons is due to the thermogenic effect of protein, which is a whopping 30% (12).
Although this number varies between subjects and studies, it relates to the amount of calories LOST in the digestion process.
So you can lose up to 30% of calories from the turkey you eat just in the digestion process!
This is why a diet high in LEAN protein supports fat loss.
It obviously also supports muscle growth as well, which believe me, male or female, will help you look your best and keep the weight off.
So, if fancy a snack that won't damage your waistline, opt for some protein via turkey, as fat and carbohydrates don't have such a high thermogenic rate (12).
That's not to say you shouldn't be coupling your turkey with carbohydrates and fat at other times, it just simply means that if you've hit your overall calorie numbers for the day and fancy something a little bit extra, then turkey would be a great choice!
CONCLUSION
Get into some turkey for some great health benefits, to help you grow muscle and lose body fat.
I used some Steggles turkey shortcuts in season 2 of FIT'N'FLEXED, and have been using them day to day in my diet for great results.
And I'm sure if you're not already eating turkey, at least now you might be willing to give it a shot!
"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"
REFERENCES
(1) Royston, Angela (2009). Proteins for a healthy body. Capstone Classroom. p. 43.
(2) World Health Organisation (2014) Micronutrient deficiencies. Who.int/. Hematology: clinical principles and applications.
(3) Rodak BF (2012). Hematology: clinical principles and applications. Philadelphia: Saunders. 2007. p. 220. ISBN 9781416030065.
(4) Napolitano M, Dolce A, Celenza G, Grandone E, Perilli MG, Siragusa S, Carta G, Orecchioni A, Mariani G. Iron-dependent erythropoiesis in women with excessive menstrual blood losses and women with normal menses. Ann Hematol. 2014 Apr;93(4):557-63. doi: 10.1007/s00277-013-1901-3. Epub 2013 Sep 19.
(5) Bonaventura P, Benedetti G, Albarede F, Miossex P. Autoimmun Rev. Zinc and its role in immunity and inflammation. 2014 Nov 24. pii: S1568-9972(14)00280-8. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2014.11.008.
(6) Frank K. Zinc. 2014. Examine.com
(7) Siwek M, et al. Serum zinc level in depressed patients during zinc supplementation of imipramine treatment. J Affect Disord. (2010).
(8) Maes M, et al. Lower serum zinc in major depression is a sensitive marker of treatment resistance and of the immune/inflammatory response in that illness. Biol Psychiatry. (1997).
(9) Heaney RP. Phosphorus nutrition and the treatment of osteoporosis. Mayo Clin Proc. 2004 Jan;79(1):91-7.
(10) Moffett JR, Namboodiri MA. Trytophan and the immune response. Immunol Cell Biol. 2003 Aug;81(4):247-65.
(11) Antonio J, Peacock CA, Ellerbroek A, Fromhoff B, Silver T. The effects of consuming a high protein diet (4.4g/kg/d) on body composition in resistance-trained individuals. J Int Sports Nutr. 2014 May 12;11:19. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-11-19. eCollection 2014.
(12) Acheson KJ: Influence of autonomic nervous system on nutrient-induced thermogenesis in humans. Nutrition 1993, 9(4):373-80.
