Get your protein from chicken
Protein is a macronutrient, meaning that it is needed in large quantities in the body. Proteins are involved in the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues. Hair, nails, skin, bones, cartilage, blood, DNA, hormones and neurotransmitters are all made up of proteins.
It’s important to get just the right amount of protein from animal sources, which contain complete proteins unlike incomplete plant-based proteins. To understand this concept more, you can think of every protein as being made from a sequence of 20 different amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
9 amino acids are essential, meaning the body needs them, but cannot produce them on its own. The other 11 amino acids are non-essential, which means they are necessary for health and growth, but can be synthesized by the body. The 9 essential amino acids can only be obtained from animal sources, making them complete proteins, while plant-based foods are incomplete proteins because they do not contain all essential amino acids or are otherwise present in very low quantities.
Poultry contains all essential amino acids necessary for protein synthesis. White poultry meat has a high protein content of 21-22%, while red poultry meat is 19-20 % protein. The protein in poultry contributes to satiety and balanced blood sugar levels, which prevents insulin resistance and the onset of metabolic disorders that can cause weight gain and obesity.
Moreover, dopamine, a key neurotransmitter involved in reward circuitry and known as the ‘motivation molecule’, is made from L-tyrosine, which can be found in significant quantities in poultry. L-tryptophan, an essential amino acid also found in chicken, is the precursor to serotonin, which boosts mood and is critical to quality sleep. Yet another neurotransmitter known as GABA, which calms the brain and reduces anxiety, is created from L-glutamine, a non-essential amino acid that is high in poultry.
To calculate how much protein you need daily, multiply 1.1g per kilo of body weight or up to 1.8g if you’re looking to build muscle.