Saturday, December 22, 2012

Tip for Preppies


Photo By SmartBoyDesigns

Salt. Many folks have stockpiled some salt in their prepper food lockers, hopefully iodized because iodine is SO important to health, and we get it from so few foods. However, just yesterday I discovered the iodine added to salt is fragile and dissipates rapidly, which means if the salt is more than a few months old, the iodine has virtually vanished.

This is equally important for those with thyroid problems who need the iodine, aqnd those at risk of goiter problems in the absence of iodine. Worldwide, iodine deficiency affects about two billion people and is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation. The USDA recommends a minimum of 150 mcg of iodine per day for both men and women. 

Iodine was added to salt around 1924, at the request of government initiatives, due to the growing need for regulation of iodine deficiency disorders. In the 1920′s era in the United States, the Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest region of the country experienced high incidences of goiter (a common thyroid-malfunction-based condition). This was because their soil levels were extremely low in iodine, and people weren’t eating iodine rich foods .

To be on the safe and healthy side, I suggest adding some dried kelp to your storage locker. Dried seaweeds are a good source of iodine as well as many trace minerals, and is often salty enough to use in place of salt, or with a lesser amount of salt.

I have several quart jars of seaweeds in my pantry, notably kombu (kelp), hiziki, dulse, nori (in sheets) and Wakame. Probably that's not enough to have in storage, and I live far from the coast where seaweed is easily harvested.

1 tablespoon of Kelp contains about 2000/mcg of iodine, 1 tablespoon of Arame contains about 730/mcg of iodine, 1 tablespoon of Hiziki contains about 780/mcg of iodine, 1 one inch piece of Kombu contains about 1450/mcg of iodine, 1 tablespoon of Wakame contains about 80/mcg of iodine. I recommend sprinkling them in soups or on salads.

If you have eaten a California Roll, you have eaten the seaweed called Nori. 

Nori Sheet by psd


Oarweed by La.Catholiquehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/lacatholique/6118562625/

 
Here is a whole big thicket of oarweed kombu. In OR, no license is required for personal seaweed harvesting, although there is a limit of 10 lbs per person. For WA, you must obtain a license through the WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. It's also important to check for closures or other health risks prior to harvesting. See this site for contacts for WA state. http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/shellfish_seaweed_rules.html

Kelp Drying in the sun, by garycycles3




I happen to like Dulse a lot; it makes a slightly sweet rather than salty snack just by itself. I am out of it, and I couldn't find a decent free photo on the internet to use here. Dulse is one of the red algaes, whereas kelp is considered a brown algae.

There are many edible seaweeds. Check out Edible Seaweed here.

How to prepare and cook seaweed.

4 comments:

  1. Nori is actually an algae, but is strongly connected with the ocean. As such, it does have a good bit of iodine, but less than actual seaweeds.
    It's also delicious roasted so it's crispy. Yum. :)

    I wonder if iodine supplements have recovered from the amount bought up after Fukushima's nuclear disaster.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just eat more shrimp and king crab & sea weed salad, is dam good if fix right but most people will not eat it because it is different than the salad they normally eat

    sea weed salad with a lite vinegarette with chili peppers is a good thing full of vitamins and minerals and iodine if you go to any asian buffets it is there at the salad bars

    But darius are you still using table salt stop that girl it not good for you use sea salt it is better it still has minerals in it table salt is made of salt water pumped out of the ground and dried and it is also filtered to take all the good stuff out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stan, I really don't eat table salt, although I DO have a couple of boxes in the pantry storage for convenience if necessary.

      I LOVE the mineral-rich sea salt from off the coast of Brittany, but about every 3-4 years or so I have to replace my salt grinder. NOT from corrosion because the guts are plastic, but just because it gets worn.

      Delete
    2. the table salt melts snow very good or kills slugs really well those are the best uses for it i can think of have a merry christmas everyone
      Stan

      Delete

I'd love to hear what you think about my posts! We all learn together.