Food for your thyroid - shiitake-sesame salmon
Image: Martha Stewart
One of the supplements I recommended in my last post about restoring your thyroid was Selenium (in the form of selenomethionine). This chemical element plays a key role in converting T4 (the thyroid hormone produced by the gland itself) into T3 (the thyroid hormone that actually regulates the metabolism).
People with a deficiency in selenium have been shown to have higher incidences of thyroid disorders, but even if you don’t have a full-blown disorder it’s beneficial to start consuming some of the foods rich in selenium on a more regular basis.
Which is good news for you!
Salmon, shiitake mushrooms and garlic are all high in selenium… and go deliciously together in this recipe adapted from Martha Stewart. In general, eating a cold-water fatty fish rich in Omega 3s (aka salmon) once a week is advisable for overall health - not just to give your thyroid a boost!
Sesame Salmon with Shiitake Mushrooms and Pea Shoots
Ingredients
2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari or organic soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
4 boneless, skinless salmon fillets, preferably wild sockeye (about 5 ounces each; 1 inch thick)
Coarse salt (iodized salt would be great here, as iodine also plays a crucial role in thyroid heath)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1 1/3 cups fresh pea shoots
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut out four 12-by-17-inch pieces of parchment; fold each in half crosswise to form a crease, then open.
Combine soy sauce or tamari, ginger, and lemon juice, and toss with mushrooms. Divide evenly among 4 parchment pieces, arranging mixture on 1 side of each crease. Lay 1 salmon fillet on top of each pile. Season each with 1/8 teaspoon salt and the sesame oil. Fold parchment over ingredients; make overlapping pleats to seal.
Bake on 2 baking sheets (2 packets per sheet) for 10 to 11 minutes for medium-rare or 12 minutes for medium. Unwrap; sprinkle with sesame seeds & top with pea shoots.