By this point, you should already know that you need more Omega 3 fatty acids into your diet.
The question is: how much?
A teaspoon of fish oils?
A tablespoon?
3 pills?
or a great big slab of smoked salmon?
Well, according to this study, researchers believe that “a 200 mg dose of DHA per day is enough to affect biochemical markers that reliably predict cardiovascular problems, such as those related to aging, atherosclerosis, and diabetes”.
This study is the first to identify how much DHA is necessary to promote optimal heart health.
The Study
To determine the optimal dose of DHA, the researchers examined the effects of increasing doses of DHA on 12 healthy male volunteers between ages of 53 and 65. These men consumed doses of DHA at 200, 400, 800, and 1600 mg per day for two weeks for each dose amount, with DHA being the only omega-3 fatty acid in their diet. (No EPA)
Blood and urine samples were collected before and after each dose and at eight weeks after DHA supplementation stopped. The researchers then examined these samples for biochemical markers indicating the effects of each dose on the volunteers.
They found that supplementation with only 200 mg/d DHA for 2 wk induced an antioxidanteffect.
They concluded that “low consumption of DHA could bean effective and nonpharmacological way to protect healthy menfrom platelet-related cardiovascular events”.
Conclusion
If this study is correct, you need only 200 mg of DHA per day to reap the cardiovascular benefits of the Omega 3 fatty acid DHA.
A little while ago I had asked if anyone had any requests for recipes. Our buddy, Robb, wanted to know how to cook fish on the grill the healthy way (i.e. sans the fish & butter foil packet idea, the one he knew well). Our favorite little person, Grace, had a request for a healthy summer-inspired lunch idea, other than the obvious choice of leftovers. Robyn wanted to know why she has paprika in her spice rack. All excellent requests so thanks guys! I hope I killed two three birds with one stone with this idea!
Now, let’s get down to brass tacks:
Believe it or not, there are several types of paprika ranging from mild and sweet to hot and spicy. OK, I hear you, Robyn–What exactly IS paprika? Paprika is made from ground peppers (think bell peppers or tomato peppers). “Paprika” is actually the name of the spice and any kind of fresh pepper in Hungarian and along with Eastern European foods, paprika is a staple in both their cuisines.
In American cooking it’s usually considered a garnish (think the infamous deviled egg).
When I was a kid, one of my favorite treats was chocolate milk.
A great big glass of milk (whole milk, not skim) with a heaping tablespoon of Nestle Quik.
mmmmmmmmmmmmm good. I can almost taste it now.
True, it wasn’t the healthiest choice of beverage for a growing boy, but like I said, it was an occasional treat, and all of the good stuff in the milk helped to make up for the overdose of sugar in the chocolate milk powder.
Well, things certainly are different today.
Today, good old fashioned chocolate milk has been re-placed, re-packaged, re-formulated and re-branded as PediaSure. And PediaSure is being marketed to parents as the pediatrician recommended choice for your child’s nutritive needs.
Ahhhh, wasn’t that adorable. The poor little kid doesn’t like broccoli or chicken or waffles. But she sure likes her PediaSure.
And that’s okay, because PediaSure is “a source of complete balanced nutrition…for healthy growth”.
Note – I included a whole milk and a reduced fat chocolate milk in the comparison because I realize that no one drinks whole milk anymore because of the fear of cholesterol. And I am glad I did. It provided an interesting observation.
PediaSure v.s Chocolate Milk
Here are some of my observations:
PediaSure is higher in calories than both of the chocolate milk samples.
The higher calories is due primarily to a higher fat content
The higher fat content is a design feature of PediaSure. PediaSure is fortified with life’sDHA by Martek Biosciences Corporation. DHA is an Omega3 fatty acid that has been shown to support brain development.
In fact, PediaSure ran another commercial highlighting the supplemental DHA in their product.
Here is some more info on life’sDHA. Feel free to scroll down if the details are too geeky for you.
life’sDHA™ from algae is a vegetarian source of DHA. It’s produced, from start to finish, in an FDA-inspected facility with controls in place to ensure the highest quality.
Martek’s microalgae are grown in fermentors that range in size from 80,000 to 260,000 liters. The algae are then harvested and processed to extract the DHA-rich oil. The finished product is a clear, amber-colored oil rich in DHA.
As well, it should also be noted that organic milk (or pre-factory farm milk) has been shown to have 71% more Omega3 fatty acids than conventional milk. Just some food for thought.
In my opinion, PediaSure is inferior to whole milk chocolate milk when it comes to feeding your kids.
Kids don’t like broccoli. Never have, never will. But instead of giving up on feeding real, healthy food to your kids, go to your library and take out this book.
Monkey see, monkey do. If you are eating junk for dinner, how are you ever going to convince your kids to eat healthy?
Even if chocolate milk is healthier for your kids than PediaSure, please remember that it is not a wonder-food. It’s a treat…like dessert.
.
And please, please, please – pass this article on to anyone you know who has kids and is feeding their kids PediaSure.
Childhood obesity is higher than ever before….and if we’re at the point where laboratory designed chocolate milk is actually being sold as a healthy option for our kids, we have really lost our way.
When Omega 3 consumption increases, your risk of cardiovascular disease decreases
High levels of the Omega 3 fatty acid – DHA are required for optimal mental performance and vision
Low levels of Omega 3s have been associated with depression, Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, as well as developmental coordination disorder.
Omega 3 supplements have been shown to improve the condition of chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, various skin disorders, and gastrointestinal disorders such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Crohn’s disease
Omega 3s may help men reduce their risk of prostate cancer.
And if that isn’t enough, various population studies have also shown that diets high in Omega 3s have been effective in preventing:
chronic eye conditions (cataracts, dry eye),
epilepsy,
allergic sensitivity in very young children,
pneumonia,
lung/breathing capacity and chronic pulmonary disorders,
bone health, and
fibromyalagia
Now you know why you need Omega 3s.
So, what’s the best way to get them?
And here we go.
Currently, there is a bit of disagreement between Omega 3 experts.
On one hand, we have experts like Dr. David Jenkins who prefer we get our Omega 3s from the plant based Omega 3 – ALA.
Dietary sources of the Omega 3 – ALA include:
Flaxseed
canola oil
English walnuts
specialty eggs
Dr. Jenkins believes that ALA is an effective source of Omega 3s and because it can be found in vegetarian sources such as canola, walnuts and soy, it is superior to the fish-sourced Omega 3s -EPA & DHA.
Dr. Jenkins cites the crisis of global fisheries as an important reason to choose vegetarian sources of Omega 3s.
However, critics of Dr. Jenkins position claim that the majority of Omega 3 fish oil supplements rely on smaller, less commercially attractive fish such as herring and anchovies. These fish are available in large numbers due to their lack of market popularity and higher reproduction rate.
In addition, supplement manufacturers are trying to improve the harvesting of algae and krill as potential mainstream sources of Omega 3s.
Dietary sources of the Omega 3 – EPA include:
Fish,
fish oils
marine sources like krill & algae
Dietary sources of the Omega 3 – DHA include:
Fish,
fish oils
specialty egg/dairy products
And if that wasn’t complicated enough
There is significant research that shows that ALA is an inferior source of Omega 3s.
And why is that?
It’s because our bodies require that ALA be converted into EPA and/or DHA for use in our bodies.
This is one for all you healthy romantics who want to make a big impression. Though this recipe isn’t difficult you may need to put on your patience cap. Believe me, it looks harder than it really is, but the ‘wow’ factor will definitely earn you brownie points.
DIRECTIONS:
Begin by washing and drying the zucchini. Top and tail them and very carefully slice them lengthwise either with a sharp knife or, as I have, a Chinese mandoline. You can pick one up in an Asian market or a kitchen/home supply store. It’ll make this task a lot easier. Once all the zucchini are sliced, set aside.
Lay the fish on a cutting board and season with S&P and sprinkle of lemon zest. Rub the seasonings into the fish very gently.
To assemble halibut:
On a clean surface lay 4-5 zucchini slices, slightly over lapping and parallel with each other. Place seasoned halibut on one end perpendicular, across the zucchini. The idea here is to wrap the fish in the zucchini. Fold one end of the zucchini under the fish and roll the halibut over thus keeping the halibut neatly wrapped so that the ends of the zucchini overlap each other making that side the bottom.
Preheat large non-stick pan on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Holding the halibut securely, lay the bottom of the fish in the pan first. The objective here is to seal the bottom thus fastening the zucchini around the halibut. Sear for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Gently flip fish over on all sides until nicely browned. Remove to foiled oven tray.
Preheat oven to 420F.
To finish, pop fish in oven for 4-5 minutes to cook through.
This can be done slightly ahead of time and refrigerated until your significant other arrives, just be sure to remove the fish from the fridge 1 hour head of cooking so it comes up to room temperature.
Serving suggestion:
Saute French Beans and for a little added spice, try some wasabi mash potatoes. Make mash as usual and add enough wasabi paste to your own personal taste. Don’t go nuts with it as you’re having a romantic evening, use with caution.
Now that you’ve made the big splash, why stop there? Go for the gold with some Chocolate dipped strawberries.
Let me know how you get on with this recipe. And if you have any requests or questions, please leave a comment! To see more of my recipes and learn about me and my healthy food philosophies head over to thehealthyirishman.com.
The Healthy Irishman Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.
life’sDHA™ from algae is a vegetarian source of DHA. It’s produced, from start to finish, in an FDA-inspected facility with controls in place to ensure the highest quality.
