Dear Dr. Gourmet,
Q: I am in need of advice about diet because 20 years ago I had thyroid cancer, and my thyroid was removed. I have taken Levoxyl ever since. Recently I read a book that said I should not be eating fish or taking iodine in my vitamin supplements. Is this true? Eating fish is is one of the ways I feel full without overeating. My doctor is not knowledgeable about nutrition in my case.
A: I have reviewed the literature on this topic and while there are some concerns about the higher iodine content in fish being an issue there has not been clear evidence to support this. I looked at well over 20 studies and could not find one that would cause me to tell one of my patients to not eat fish after having cancer of the thyroid.
One recent article that I could review only the abstract appears to be very comprehensive and up to date….
Q: I don’t like to drink soft drinks frequently due to the carbonation. For the past 6 months, I’ve been drinking, in addition to water and certain juices, Lipton’s diet green or white flavored teas. What is your opinion on these type of beverages?
A: Congratulations on cutting the soft drinks from your diet. I have become a believer in soda being a major contributor to weight and health problems today.
Water is great for you and a fantastic choice. Juices can also be good replacements for soft drinks. Keep in mind that they have almost as many calories and do check the label carefully. Some “juices”….
Q: The recent recipe for Tamale Pie with Black Beans has me puzzled.
Why is there such a discrepancy in the calorie content of dried versus canned black beans? I would think it would be less.
A: There are two reasons for the difference. The main difference in dried beans and canned beans is quite simply water. Soaking and or cooking beans in water (or any liquid) will expand both their weight and volume. This is because the beans absorb water, expanding them as well as adding weight.
In the measures for dried black beans on the website there are two different measurements….
