I won't necessarily give a full book review here because I'm still exploring this tome. There's a good-length history section in the front and my mother told me she figured I would get a kick out of it. I do like history in general (blame the geeky teacher I am), but there's a point to be proven with the history chapter in this book (which I might add even made my eyes glaze over). Low-carb diets are not fads. They've been suggested by reputable doctors ever since the early years of the United States. As early as 1797, books have been published by doctors, authors, playwrights, scientists, and even an undertaker! Each book had its own paragraph with a summary and, honestly, it's too long to even retell. In fact, there are 16 published low-carb authors listed before I was born. Some of those authors had several publishings. In this book are listed over 70 authors/bloggers of various professions (most are medical doctors) after my birth.
To sum that history lesson up - low-carb dieting is not a fad. It's been proven throughout history as a means to treat diabetes since 1797! I can only imagine given my thyroid symptoms that partly mimic diabetes blood sugar issues, that I would have been prescribed in 1797 the same diet I'm presently o in 2015! As a history buff, I personally liked reading about back in 1946, Dr. Richard K Bernstein (before becoming a physician; his wife was a doctor first!), started to test his own blood sugars in relation to his diabetes...a practice diabetics still utilize today to measure daily health. A glucose tolerance test was given to me so we could figure out if I was, in fact, dealing with blood sugar fluctuations. I am hypoglycemic, but I am not diabetic. It can happen.
With that, let me get onto the meal I prepared this afternoon. When I mentioned something about Coconut Soup to my Bianca (aka sugar tooth monster), she was immediately excited. I regret this moments later because I'm often nagged until I made it, but at least I knew I'd have at least one taste-tester in the house. The response was that it tasted "great!"
Tom Kah, pg 136
The authors (there are 8 authors) take time to add some great facts about coconut milk on this page. They mention how coconut milk relieves symptoms for gallbladder disease, Chron's disease, ulcerative colitis, stomach ulcers, and hemorrhoids. It heals the gut (which are part of my doctor's goals for me), reduces malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis problems...not to mention improves digestion and provides nutrients, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals.
Tom Kah Ingredients
2, 14oz cans coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth
14oz can of hearts of palm (cut into 1-inch
pieces)
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup lime juice
2 tbsp minced, fresh ginger root
¼ tsp cayenne
½ tsp turmeric
14 oz can lump crab meat
2 tbsp thinly sliced green onion
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
 |
| Step 1: Set the coconut milk and 2 cups chicken broth to boiling. Meanwhile, start cutting! |
 |
| Step 2: Start cutting the hearts of palm, green onion, and ginger. |
 |
| Step 3: Mince that green onion! |
 |
| The recipe suggested 1-inch pieces, I made mine probably 1/3 inches. |
 |
| Step 4: Skin the fresh ginger (I myself might try ground ginger next time) and start mincing it. Look! He's holding on for dear life! |
 |
| Mincing masterpiece! Time to add the hearts of palm, ginger, and green onions to the soup! |
 |
| Tumeric has a host of health properties. |
 |
| Step 5: Add cayenne, tumeric, fish sauce, and lime juice.This small amount of cayenne did not make this soup spicy. |
 |
| Step 7: Sprinkle with green onions and fresh cilantro and serve steaming hot! |
 |
| Step 6: Add crab meat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. I did not drain the cans. |
Nutritional Information:
Low-Carbing Among Friend’s recipe: 8 servings, 1
serving = 259 calories, 5.3g protein, 24.3g fat, 3.5g fiber, 6g net carbs
Original Tom Kah recipe: 298 calories,
4.3g protein, 24.1g fat, 2.8g fiber, 14g net carbs (for those who are curious).
This recipe reminds me of coconut curry chicken
that I posted on this site. That recipe is one of the rare meals I don’t fight Bianca to eat a
protein source. I’ll find her sneaking it from the fridge. Because it has similar flavors, I figured she'd be game to taste-test Tom Kah. I feel I need to
tuck this recipe away into a routine soup. I keep reading about Tumeric as a
power spice that does considerable things for health and the first question
that enters my mind is, “What dish can I fit that into? Will I like it?” I already know I like coconut anything, so this sounded like an easy way to test tumeric out.
There’s a long list of recipes I’m going to try
from this book. The low-carb, sugar-free crockpot cheesecake certainly has my
attention, as does the microwaved tortilla, thin crust pizza, artisan hamburger
bun, and the flax meal sandwich buns (with zero net carbs). I think the kitchen
is about to get way more interesting. So far, the ingredients are items I mostly
already have in my kitchen on a routine basis. For the Tom Kah, the only thing
that has never entered my house was Fish Sauce.
One last note before I let you go. My husband has finally heeded his wife's pleas and went to a doctor. He was told to start eating a diet similar to mine. In lieu of the "I told you so" speech, I was proud of him when he explained he lost 10 pounds in the last 8 months. It was his way of admitting that, though he would drink a minimum of two 16.9 oz Big Reds a day along with convenience store cookies and whatnot, his meals with me still yielded a modest weight loss. I'll add the frequency in which my husband dines the way I do isn't all that much. It depends on his schedule. At most, I'd see him for one meal a day (mainly during the summer), and at the very least, 4 meals a week (two dinners and two lunches). If nothing else, it proves that even small changes to your diet will give you results over the long haul and small changes are easier to accomplish that huge changes overnight.
Check out Low-Carbing Among Friends with me! Go to www.AmongFriends.us!
No comments:
Post a Comment