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.
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.
