My Iodine Diet part 1

Last week, I had my regular check up with my doctor.  All is well except that my (TSH) Thyroid-stimulating hormone was tested way out of range.  In adults, the standard reference range according to the guidelines issued here is between 0.40-4.50 mIU/L (depending on your lab and location).  My test reported out of range at 9.69 H (high), which indicates hypothyoidism, an underactive thyroid.  I'm actually a little surprised because I do seem to eat a lot of fish.  My mom would steam fresh tilapia fish and salmons at least once a week.


My doctor didn't want to put me on medication right away but told me that I needed to eat more seafood, seaweed and iodized salt.  I am deficient in iodine and the primary foods that are sufficient in providing that supplement is seafood and seaweed.  I have two months to boost back to normal for my blood test in August.  I have decided that I would document my "iodine diet" and share with you all my seafood eating frenzy of the upcoming months! Right after I found out the news, I went to eat sushi with my mom.  Hah, I guess one good thing is that now I have an excuse to eat more sushi!

Yesterday, we went out to our local Han Ah Reum Supermarket to stock up on some roasted seasoned seaweed.  I've always enjoyed eating seaweed since I was little.  However, I do admit, I have been eating them less and less these recent years mainly because my mom would say that I finished the pack so quickly.  Now my mom is telling me that I need to start eating them regularly again.  That's fine with me because they are pretty good.  I also picked up a small dish of prepared calamari in korean hot sauce.

For supper the last three evenings, I had steamed butter fish with sauteed ginger, scallion and soy sauce the first night, and baked salmon with fish sauce and garlic the second and third night.  

My mom would also occasionally make a cold dish of laver with vinegar and garlic, more often in the warmer months.  I'll also be enjoying more of this dish! 

For dinner tonight, we had a change, mussels, the one type of seafood we almost have never made at home, and very rarely even have when eating out. My mom decided she would prepare them the same way clams are prepared at the chinese restaurants in the US: stir-fried with chinese fermented black beans (douchi).  I personally really like douchi in certain foods especially with the pork ribs dim sum!


So what you will need for the chinese fermented black bean mussels:

Ingredients:

• mussels
• chinese fermented black beans (douchi)
• chopped garlic
• chopped ginger
• two teaspoons butter
• soy sauce
• salt and pepper
• chopped scallion (not shown here, but optional)
• wine (I didn't have it at home, but I have to say it would taste even better with wine)

First melt your two teaspoons of butter, add in the chinese fermented black beans,

chopped garlic and chopped ginger.

Throw in your mussles and begin to stir-fry.  

Add some soy sauce and a little water if it is getting too dry.

Add in your desired amount of salt and pepper and put the lid over.

And this is the result of our stir-fried chinese fermented black bean mussels for my iodine diet tonight.  I have to say it was pretty good, though my mom said she over cooked it a bit.  I couldn't tell.  Although it was good, I can definitely tell that it would have tasted even more fantastic if there was some wine in it. That's on our shopping list.