Eating Turkey the Right Way Is Healthier than You Think!

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When most people think of eating a huge turkey dinner on the holidays, the one thing they usually remember is just how tired they get after eating all that turkey. However, that’s usually the combination of the amino acid tryptophan in the turkey along with simply eating too much of a good thing. Don’t deny yourself a healthy portion of turkey on Christmas or Thanksgiving because you will be denying yourself some pretty healthy benefits.

What Is the Right Way to Eat Turkey?

Actually, oven roasted turkey or oven roasted turkey breast is a good way to eat turkey if you don’t eat the fat that drips down into the pan. If you can avoid the gravy made with those juices, you’ll be doing well. You can find really great recipes for roasting turkey breasts on the Pocket Change Gourmet website which might be a good place to start when looking for healthy recipes to live by. Do avoid the skin as well because that is where the fat resides!

Nutrients in Turkey You Never Knew Were There

While it is common knowledge that meats like liver are high in iron and red meats help you raise the red blood cell count in your body, did you know that turkey is a high source of protein? Also, don’t think that only red meats and liver are high in iron because turkey is also a great source of:

• Iron
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Zinc

And, that is just to name some of the healthy nutrients in turkey! Turkey is also very high in niacin and B6 which are vital nutrients the body uses in the production of energy. This debunks the myth that turkey will put you to sleep because of the tryptophan. Again, it all depends on how much you eat, in this case, not the what, which would be turkey.

Other Benefits of Turkey You Won’t Believe!

Eating turkey on a regular basis can help to reduce cholesterol in your bloodstream. Not only is turkey considered to be a low-GI (low on the Glycemic Index) meat, but this will help to stabilize insulin in your body as well. Can turkey help ward off type 2 diabetes? Perhaps it can but further studies need to be implemented before you can have a definitive answer on that.

Now Then – What You May Not Know about Tryptophan

So far, all the press you’ve heard about turkey and tryptophan has been pretty negative, hasn’t it? You’ve heard that eating too much turkey makes you sleepy which results in sluggishness, weight gain and poor digestion. This isn’t really the case. Again, it isn’t the tryptophan that is putting you to sleep; it’s the enormity of the meal you just consumed. You may not realize it but tryptophan is an amino acid necessary for the production of serotonin in the body which not only helps to stabilize your mood and aid in digestion, but it also boosts the immune system. How’s that for starters?

So you see, it isn’t the turkey which puts you to sleep or adds those inches to the belly. It’s how much you eat and how you enjoy it. Steer clear of the fats, eat moderate sized portions and you will find that you are actually doing your body a whole lot of good. Eating turkey the right way really is healthier than you think.