Are you suffering from intense cravings? It could be a zinc deficiency. Zinc is essential to blood sugar regulation by influencing carbohydrate metabolism, increasing insulin response, and improving glucose tolerance. Zinc influences basal metabolic rate, thyroid hormone activity, and improves taste sensitivity.
The average American diet is already deficient in many mineral but in someone who frequently diets...even more so! The best sources of zinc include oysters and red meat, neither of which is eaten frequently by many people. The average American consumes less than 10 mg of zinc per day, far less than what is required for normal sugar metabolism or the other functions of zinc in the body.
Correcting a zinc deficiencies (along with other minerals) can go a long way toward helping the frustrated dieter control impulses to eat something sweet, something fatty, or something devoid of nutrition in an attempt to satisfy an inner compulsion.
Zinc is also essential for keeping a healthy immune system, building proteins, triggering enzymes, and creating DNA. Zinc also helps the cells in your body communicate by functioning as a neurotransmitter. A deficiency in zinc can lead to stunted growth, diarrhea, impotence, hair loss, eye and skin lesions, impaired appetite, and depressed immunity.
Certain prescriptions, including birth control, deplete zinc in our body. A zinc deficiency could cause birth defects. So if you are planning on getting pregnant, a good rule of thumb is to discontinue birth control for 6 months before getting pregnant. Increasing your zinc through food is always the best choice, so we can maintain a proper copper-zinc balance. Grass-fed red meat, and seafood are awesome sources. Oysters are FILLED with zinc, but I like crab better, which also has loads of zinc.
I know my recipe sounds a little crazy, but it tastes awesome. The cream cheese makes it so thick. This added an amazing flavor without extra calories, 1 TBS of heavy cream is 100 calories, 1 TBS of cream cheese is 50 calories. Since cream cheese is so much thicker, you can add a flavorful broth to thin the alfredo and you save a lot of calories.
"HEALTHIFIED" ALFREDO
1 large zucchini (made into 6 cups of "pasta")
Shrimp, crab, scallops...whatever protein you enjoy
Fresh tomatoes, cut into slices
Sauce:
1 stick butter
2 cloves garlic
4 TBS cream cheese
1/3 cup beef broth
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Place butter in a sauce pan with garlic and cook until light golden brown, stir constantly, or the butter will burn. Turn to a low heat. Smash up garlic cloves in the butter. Stir in cream cheese, broth and Parmesan. Simmer for at least 15 minutes...the flavors open up if you simmer longer:) Serve over zucchini noodles and your choice of seafood. Makes 4 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Alfredo Pasta = 665 calories, 33g fat, 17g protein, 71 carbs, trace fiber
"Healthified" Alfredo = 315 calories, 31g fat, 7.7g protein, 5.2 carbs, 1.3g fiber
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON:
White Pasta 43 carbs, 0 fiber, 246 calories
Zucchini "noodles" 4 carbs, 2 fiber, 20 calories
My suggestion is to only serve the sauce on the noodles you will eat that night. The leftover noodles and sauce get a little soggy, so reserve both separate. To find the awesome noodle maker click HERE.
I recently found a NEW Zucchini cutter that is easier to use! Click HERE to find it:)
The average American diet is already deficient in many mineral but in someone who frequently diets...even more so! The best sources of zinc include oysters and red meat, neither of which is eaten frequently by many people. The average American consumes less than 10 mg of zinc per day, far less than what is required for normal sugar metabolism or the other functions of zinc in the body.
Correcting a zinc deficiencies (along with other minerals) can go a long way toward helping the frustrated dieter control impulses to eat something sweet, something fatty, or something devoid of nutrition in an attempt to satisfy an inner compulsion.
Zinc is also essential for keeping a healthy immune system, building proteins, triggering enzymes, and creating DNA. Zinc also helps the cells in your body communicate by functioning as a neurotransmitter. A deficiency in zinc can lead to stunted growth, diarrhea, impotence, hair loss, eye and skin lesions, impaired appetite, and depressed immunity.
Certain prescriptions, including birth control, deplete zinc in our body. A zinc deficiency could cause birth defects. So if you are planning on getting pregnant, a good rule of thumb is to discontinue birth control for 6 months before getting pregnant. Increasing your zinc through food is always the best choice, so we can maintain a proper copper-zinc balance. Grass-fed red meat, and seafood are awesome sources. Oysters are FILLED with zinc, but I like crab better, which also has loads of zinc.
I know my recipe sounds a little crazy, but it tastes awesome. The cream cheese makes it so thick. This added an amazing flavor without extra calories, 1 TBS of heavy cream is 100 calories, 1 TBS of cream cheese is 50 calories. Since cream cheese is so much thicker, you can add a flavorful broth to thin the alfredo and you save a lot of calories.
"HEALTHIFIED" ALFREDO
1 large zucchini (made into 6 cups of "pasta")
Shrimp, crab, scallops...whatever protein you enjoy
Fresh tomatoes, cut into slices
Sauce:
1 stick butter
2 cloves garlic
4 TBS cream cheese
1/3 cup beef broth
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Place butter in a sauce pan with garlic and cook until light golden brown, stir constantly, or the butter will burn. Turn to a low heat. Smash up garlic cloves in the butter. Stir in cream cheese, broth and Parmesan. Simmer for at least 15 minutes...the flavors open up if you simmer longer:) Serve over zucchini noodles and your choice of seafood. Makes 4 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Alfredo Pasta = 665 calories, 33g fat, 17g protein, 71 carbs, trace fiber
"Healthified" Alfredo = 315 calories, 31g fat, 7.7g protein, 5.2 carbs, 1.3g fiber
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON:
White Pasta 43 carbs, 0 fiber, 246 calories
Zucchini "noodles" 4 carbs, 2 fiber, 20 calories
My suggestion is to only serve the sauce on the noodles you will eat that night. The leftover noodles and sauce get a little soggy, so reserve both separate. To find the awesome noodle maker click HERE.
I recently found a NEW Zucchini cutter that is easier to use! Click HERE to find it:)
This post nearly made me have an apopalyptic fit. I've been on birth control and I've noticed a LOT of what you were mentioning. Thanks so much for this!
ReplyDeleteAre there any good vegetarian sources of zinc?
Some veggie forms of zinc are sesame and tahini flour, peanuts, pumpkin seeds... If you are a vegetarian, I would recommend a zinc supplement of 30mg/day. Please chech with your doctor before starting any supplement regime;)
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
I bought the nifty gadget that you recommended and made the zucchini alfredo tonight for dinner - w/ shrimp. The gadget is great and the recipe was awesome! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteDiane
Thanks Diane! I'm glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteGreat article, but I can't find where you noted the gadget pictured above!
ReplyDeleteHere is the tool that I used:
ReplyDeletehttp://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20/detail/B0000DDVYE
Thank you very much!!!
ReplyDeleteI love your Blog and website!!
I'm making this tonight, as we have some zucchini ready in our garden. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWell, one note ... even if you see the sauce a little separated, do not put in blender. lol That made the sauce coagulate and become hard. It was rescued by putting it back in the pan with more broth. Nonetheless, this was incredibly delicious over zucchini noodles.Thank you.
DeleteMaria I made this zucchini alfredo for dinner, with a few changes ... don't we all do that? It was awesomely delicious! I did add an extra clove of garlic, didn't have beef broth so just used water. I cut back on the butter and it still seemed like too much ... it puddled. added leftover roast chicken to the sauce. and did a light saute of the zucchini noodles about 4 cups instead of 6 cuz that is what I had. After it was plated, I also sprinkled a bit of toasted sunflower kernels and toasted pepitas on top for a bit of crunch.
ReplyDeleteYIKES, I did NOT see the servings in the book and hubby and I each had about half but his was the larger half! I followed the recipe from your Nutritious and Delicious cookbook.
I'm going to rave to everyone I know about this recipe! I was trying to find it on your facebook page so that I could share, but so can't find it ... maybe hidden in posts of months ago?
Thank you! You could just share this page link on your wall. :)
DeleteThis was a huge hit last night!! I love Alfredo sauce and this sauce is amazing! My children were delighted! Thank you so much for your recipes and valuable information.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! :)
DeleteMaria, this might be a dumb question, but I am so excited to use my new gadget, I want to make this tonight! About the zucchini noodles - do those get cooked at all, or are the noodles served raw with whatever sauce is on top? Same with the seafood, if it's cooked shrimp, do you just thaw it? Do you warm it up at all?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I heat everything up as normal but I leave the "noodles" and the sauce warms them up enough. :)
DeleteThank you!
DeleteI've never made the zucchini noodles before - can they be cooked to make them more 'spaghetti like"?
I think they are a good al dente noodle just warmed up with the sauce. You can try warming them or steaming them a bit if you like, but I would then try to drain or even wring the water out so they aren't too wet when you add the sauce. :)
DeleteMaria, my alferdo sauce looked great, but at the end TOTALLY separated? Has that ever happened to you?
ReplyDeleteDiana
Hmm, I have never had it separate when making it. It will separate in the fridge and here is some tips on reheating it. :)
Deletehttp://www.ehow.com/how_7466794_reheat-alfredo.html