Tag: eggs

Hot Smoked Salmon and Leek Crustless Quiche

Todays post is a recipe for a hot smoked salmon and leek crustless quiche.

After the last post about the Keto Diet, we thought we would share one of our favourite recipes, which fits in quite well with the keto diet. It is a delicious meal, rich in good fats and protein that is so easy to prepare.

Hot Smoked Salmon and Leek Crustless Quiche

Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 6 large eggs
  • 150g hot smoked salmon with cracked pepper
  • 1 medium leek
  • 40g Cheddar cheese – grated
  • 100g Mushrooms – sliced
  • 2 Garlic cloves – crushed
  • 60 ml full fat cream
  • 1 tsp coconut oil

Time required to prepare and cook approximately 1 hour.

Method
  • Preheat oven to 180° C and grease a large baking dish (approx. 20 cm diam).
  • Place the leek and mushrooms in a pan with the coconut oil and garlic then cook until golden, transferring to a clean plate when done.
  • Whisk the eggs and cream in a large mixing bowl until combined.
  • Break up the salmon into small pieces and place into the baking dish
  • Add the garlic, leek and mushroom mix and half of the cheese.
  • Pour the egg mix to the large roasting dish and place in the oven for 25 minutes or until the egg mix is firm.
  • Remove the roasting dish and put the last of the cheese on top and return to the oven until golden brown.
  • Remove and cut into 4, serve with steamed broccoli.
We hope you enjoy this recipe.
 

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper

Tryptophan

Today’s post is about Tryptophan.

In our last post about Depression, Scott mentioned that the nutrients we need for good mental health include vitamin B6, tryptophan, zinc, iron and folate. So, today we are going to focus on tryptophan.

So, what is it?

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning that it cannot be produced in the body and so must come from food.

It plays a fundamental role in human nutrition and health and is required for normal growth. The body uses it to create several bioactive compounds including vitamin B6, serotonin and melatonin. It is required for the production and maintenance of the body’s proteins, muscles, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. The liver can also use tryptophan to produce niacin (vitamin B3), which is needed for energy metabolism and DNA production.

Its role in animal and human health can therefore impact on many diseases and conditions.

What is the connection to mental health?

Being one of the main building blocks for serotonin it is quite important to have a plentiful supply. It is a natural sedative and is one reason that you feel sleepy after a big meal of protein like turkey at Christmas. Research has also shown that if you have a low-tryptophan diet, brain serotonin levels drop.

Tryptophan can potentially be used by the body for a lot of different things but most of them lead back to serotonin, so lets have a look.

Because tryptophan helps make serotonin, which is responsible for things like arousal, perception, pain and mood, anything in those areas can be altered by tryptophan. For example, if you are trying to give up smoking, taking tryptophan supplements may help to reduce the cravings by changing your perception. In addition, low amounts of tryptophan in the body may contribute to depression and sleep disorders.

Serotonin also mixes with something called Sam-e to make melatonin that is a big player in the sleep wake cycle. Theoretically it can even be used to help with ADHD as low serotonin can show as poor impulse control.

Can diet make a difference ?

Tryptophan is commonly found in foods that contain protein. Although meat is often a key source of protein for many people, there are also many vegetarian and vegan sources as well as a supplement in powder form.

Interestingly if you suffer from fructose mal-absorption then this can reduce the levels of tryptophan that is available for use.

The following foods are good sources of tryptophan:

Salmon, Poultry, Eggs, Spinach, Seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame & sunflower), Milk, Nuts and Soy products.

So ensuring that your diet contains a variety of these foods can assist in maintaining your body’s levels of this essential amino acid.

 

It is easy to see that within the human body one little thing leads to another and then another. The body is a tangled web of neurotransmitters, enzymes, proteins and things that all interact with each other.

Tryptophan can react with a large number of other substances including herbal remedies so as always consult a professional before taking. Side effects can include tiredness, heartburn, GIT upset and headaches.

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n Prosper

All about Iodine

Todays post is all about Iodine as requested by a friend.

This subject is also of particular interest to me as I do have a thyroid disorder. So getting my daily source of Iodine is quite important.

 First of all, what is Iodine?

According to Wikipedia, Iodine is a chemical element first discovered by the French chemist Bernard Courtois in 1811.

It is a naturally occurring chemical element, like oxygen and iron. It is the heaviest of the essential mineral nutrients and it is also the least abundant.

It is present in fairly constant amounts in seawater, but its distribution over land and fresh water is uneven. In continents such as Australia and New Zealand, natural iodine levels are very low in the soils where we grow our vegetables, grains and graze livestock.

 Why is it essential?

Iodine is an essential element for life. It is required for the synthesis of the growth-regulating thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine (T4 and T3 respectively). Thyroid hormones are required for normal growth and development of tissues and maturation of our bodies.

Globally, it is estimated that 2 billion individuals have an insufficient iodine intake. In industrialised countries, including the United States, Australia and New Zealand much of the food supply is now low in iodine. This has led to widespread deficiency.

Iodine deficiency has multiple adverse effects in humans. It is  the commonest worldwide cause of thyroid disorders.  A low iodine diet can cause hypothyroidism, an enlarged thyroid gland (goitre) and can affect fertility, pregnancy and neuro-developmental disorders in newborns. It is the leading preventable cause of intellectual disabilities.

How to get your daily intake

Some of the best sources of iodine include seafood, iodised salt and bread. The iodine content of plants and vegetables is dependent on the environment and soil in which they are grown.

Marine sources –

Seaweed, fish and shellfish are the best sources.

Seaweed is an excellent source of iodine. However, the amount can vary significantly based on seaweed type, the region in which it grew and its preparation.

Three popular seaweed varieties include kombu kelp, wakame and nori. Kombu kelp offers the highest amount of iodine.

Higher amounts of iodine are found in fish low in fat compared to fatty fish. For instance, a lean fish like cod can provide up to 66% of the daily value. Tuna offers less iodine than lean fish but is still a relatively good source.

Shrimp and other shellfish are good sources  because they absorb some of the iodine that is naturally present in seawater.

Two to three servings of seafood a week should provide sufficient iodine to meet the requirements of most people.

Salt –

In Australia, any salt used at home should be iodised salt (that is, salt to which iodine has been added).

Bread –

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) implemented a mandatory iodine fortification regulation in October 2009. Since then, Australian bakers are required to replace regular salt with iodised salt in the baking of bread. This regulation does not include organic bread and breads made from non-wheat flour.

Eggs –

Egg yolks are a good source of because it is added to chicken feed. On average, one large egg contains 24 mcg of iodine, or 16% of the daily value.

and lastly prunes –

Interestingly, prunes are a good source of iodine. Five dried prunes provide 13 mcg, or about 9% of the daily value.

I hope that you have also found this information interesting and that it will help you to improve your Iodine intake.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper.

Sources – https://academic.oup.com, www.sciencedirect.com, http://www.foodstandards.gov.au, http://www.nutritionaustralia.org, www.thyroidfoundation.org.au