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| Garbanzo tofu is low in calories, high in protein and fiber. Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest. |
Sluggish Thyroid?
My naturopath told me to give up soy products and raw cruciferous vegetables. But why when they both seem so healthy? Well, it turns out they are very healthy but not for people who have hypothyrodism.
Raw cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc., and soy are high in substances called goitrogens, which can wreak havoc on your thyroid gland. These cruciferous vegetables are fine, however, if they are steamed. And soy is ok if it's fermented. Soy also produces estrogenic isoflavones, which can also negatively effect the thyroid, especially if you are iodine deficient.
Hypothyroidism is where your thyroid doesn't produce enough thyroid hormone and it's pretty common for women over 60, like me. I only had a few symptoms, but my TSH was an itsy, bitsy above 4.0 - not nearly enough to need medication, but high enough to do everything I can not to let it get worse. So, no more soy (except fermented) or raw cruciferous veggies. Gluten sensitivity also can contribute to hypothyroidism so she tested me for that too. Bingo - I had to give up gluten!
If you have any of these symptoms, you might want to check your levels of TSH. (Normal levels are from 0.4 to 4.0 milli-international units per liter.)
* Fatigue
* Increased sensitivity to cold
* Dry skin
* Constipation
* Weight gain
* Puffy face
* Hoarseness
* Muscle weakness
* Elevated cholesterol levels
* Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
* Joint pain
* Thinning hair
* Depression
* Impaired memory
* Slowed heart rate
* Changes in menstrual cycle
But I Love Tofu!
I used to eat a lot of tofu so giving it up was really hard. But last week my daughter turned me on to making tofu out of garbanzo flour. I couldn't wait to try it. It literally took 15 minutes to make and it came out great, so today I want to share this miracle with you!
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| 1/4 cup garbanzo flour provides: 110 calories 2 g saturated and 0 g unsaturated fat 18 g carbohydrates, 3 g sugars 6 g protein 5 g dietary fiber 5 mg sodium |
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Garbanzo Tofu
Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free
[makes 4 servings]
Requirements
A small square pan (6x6) or small rectangle pan
Best with a blender
Ingredients
Oil for greasing the pan
1 cup stone ground garbanzo bean flour
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Directions
Grease the pan with oil.
Blend the flour, water, and salt in a blender until smooth.
Cook in a saute pan on low-medium heat, stirring continually, until smooth. It will first get lumpy and then will smooth out in about 4 minutes.
This is the hard part. As soon as it smooths out, quickly scoop it into the greased pan and smooth it out before it hardens. It may look uneven and ugly, but it will still be great since you will be slicing it.
Let it cool completely. If it's not hard enough, after cooling you can refrigerate it but mine was good to go after a short while. Turn upside down and release it from the pan onto a cutting board. Slice and use the way you would use tofu.
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| Saute in a pan |
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| Once browned, use in a stir fry, on top of a salad, in a burrito, etc. |
I cooked up a stir fry with it and it was absolutely delish! Thanks to my daughter, Linda, for introducing me to this new soy-free form of tofu!
Nutrition
Per serving of tofu only: 110 calories, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 5 g dietary fiber, and 295 mg sodium.
