Asian cuisine ranks near the top of my favorite dishes, however I made a conscious decision years ago to eliminate soy and soy products out of my diet. Soy is a common food allergen and there are copious amounts in our processed foods today. Soy sauce usually contains gluten, is very high in sodium, may contain colors, additives and MSG. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to find soy that is non-GMO. Due to the large quantities of soy in our Standard American Diet, there is evidence based research that indicates it is an endocrine disruptor, thus causing negative effects on our hormones and endocrine system. After considerable researching and being aware of to how my body responds to this food, I’ve chosen to eliminate it from my diet. If you want to learn more, check out these two reputable sites: Dr. Axe and Wellness Mama.
That doesn’t change the fact that I love Asian cuisine. I have yet to find a local restaurant who doesn’t use soy sauce. Hopefully one day that will change. Until then I have found a perfect alternative for the recipes I make in my own kitchen – Coconut Aminos. It’s soy-free, gluten-free, low sodium and has the closest flavor to soy sauce could find.
What you eat matters… so let me tell you about Coconut Aminos. It is made from the sap of the coconut tree, mixed with salt and aged to the perfect flavor. Coconut sap is naturally sweet but low on the GI index at 35. It contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals and when consumed as an unrefined nutrient (a whole food!) your body uses all the micronutrients of the food to support healthy insulin levels and glucose metabolism. It also contains the 9 essential amino acids our body requires to make proteins and the building blocks of our cells – these are amino acids our body cannot produce therefore we must get it from the food we eat. So again, it contains all 9 of the essential and 5 of the 7 conditionally essential amino acids. Coconut Aminos offers a great nutritional profile for any Asian dish!
Coconut Aminos isn’t difficult to find. I’ve purchased it from my local health food grocer, Amazon, and Thrive Market.
Here is my rendition of Broccoli Cashew Stir Fry which highlights this tasty ingredient. It can easily be prepared as a vegetarian dish by simply eliminating the bacon.
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