Posts Tagged ‘omega 6’

Southwestern Salmon Salad

July 11th, 2009

Southwestern Salmon Salad

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).

Continue reading the full recipe and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the NEW Healthy Irishman Newsletter!

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Copyright © 2009 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved.

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Omega 3s, Allergies and your Immune System

June 2nd, 2009

sneeze - calvin and hobbes

Winter’s over, Spring is in full bloom and Summer is on the way.

That can mean only one thing.

It’s allergy season.

Sneezing, sniffling, red eyes, anaphylaxis…

ahhhhhh-chooooooooo

ahhhhhh-chooooooooo

Misery – pure unadulterated misery.

All brought on by an overcompensation of your immune system.

And why has your immune system gone haywire?

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One theory is that as our Western Diet evolved, the ratio of Omega 6 : Omega 3 fatty acids has shifted from a healthy 2:1 ratio to an unhealthy 10:1 ratio.

And because of that imbalance, our bodies have been flooded with inflammatory molecules, leading to “systemic inflammation and a higher incidence of problems including asthma, allergies, diabetes, and arthritis”.

However, according to this study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, there is hope.

The Science

In this study, researchers took 27 healthy human test subjects, and for 5 weeks, fed them a special diet designed to reproduce the Omega 6 : Omega 3 fatty acid ratio our caveman ancestors would have enjoyed.

They then looked at the gene levels of immune signals and cytokines (protein immune messengers), that impact autoimmunity and allergy in blood cells and found that many key signaling genes that promote inflammation were markedly reduced compared to a normal diet, including a signaling gene for a protein called PI3K, a critical early step in autoimmune and allergic inflammation responses.

Translation: Caveman diet lower inflammation…lower inflammation levels mean reduced allergies, asthma, diabetes & arthritis.

Conclusion: Increase your Omega 3s and reduce your Omega 6s.

It’s as simple as eating more fish, walnuts, flax seeds and eating less processed foods, less snack foods, less junk foods, less fast foods and less soy and other polyunsaturated oils.

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Omega 3s – Why you need them and How to get them

March 31st, 2009

fish1

Why do you need Omega 3s?

  1. When Omega 3 consumption increases, your risk of cardiovascular disease decreases
  2. High levels of the Omega 3 fatty acid – DHA are required for optimal mental performance and vision
  3. Low levels of Omega 3s have been associated with depression, Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, as well as developmental coordination disorder.
  4. 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
  5. Omega 3s may help men reduce their risk of prostate cancer.
  6. 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.

And, apparently our bodies do a pretty poor job of making DHA out of ALA.

So, if you want the benefits of DHA:

You should probably go with a combined EPA/DHA Omega 3 supplement.

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But, then again, just about every day, there is some new Omega 3 research being published….so stay tuned.

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Zucchini Wrapped Wild Halibut

February 6th, 2009

Zucchini wrapped Halibut

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.

Serves 4

RECIPE:
4 x 6oz portions wild halibut
2-3 large zucchini – thinly sliced lengthwise 1/8″ thick
1/2 lemon – zested
S&P
olive oil

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.

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Omega 6 Bad!…Omega 3 Good!!!

August 7th, 2008
I'll take one of the pink ones...they're haddock flavored

mmmmm, fish

Anthropological research suggests that our ancestors thrived on a diet with an Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio of approximately 1:1.

Today, our Western diet, has skewed that ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) to between 15:1 and 16.7:1.

So what does that mean?

The Science

Current research tells us that Omega-6 fatty acids are the cause of many of our Western diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The researchers believe this for a few reasons.

1.    Because of how Omega-6 fatty acids are broken down by your body, they are more likely than the Omega-3s to produce pro-inflammatory ‘eicosanoids‘. In fact, many of the drugs used to treat and manage these conditions work by blocking the effects of the potent Omega−6 fat, Arachidonic Acid,

That’s Bad.

2.    The eicosanoids made from Omega-3 fatty acids are mainly anti-inflammatory.

That’s Good

3.    Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids have to compete with each other in order for them to be transformed from fatty acids into eicosanoids. So, when the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 was 1:1, it was a fair fight. Now that it is 15 or 16:1, the Omega-6s win the fight and the result is increased inflammation and disease.

That’s Very Bad.

So What Do I Do?

Increase your consumption of Omega-3 foods and supplements and reduce your consumption of Omega-6 foods and supplements.

It would also not be a bad idea to discuss this plan with your doctor. Especially if you are taking drugs for any condition that may be affected by Omega-3s and Omega-6s.

Omega-3 Foods & Supplements

Additional foods high in Omega-6 from NutritionData.com

Omega-6 Foods & Supplements

It’s not hard to find foods high in Omega-6 in our Western diet. Here are some of the worst offenders.

  • Cooking Oils – sunflower, safflower, corn, cottonseed, and soybean
  • Egg yolks
  • Grain fed meats, particularly organ meats
  • Farm raised fish
  • All manner of processed foods

Additional foods high in Omega-6 from NutritionData.com

Keep in mind, Omega-6 is not all bad. The problem is that due to the type of foods we eat, we have thrown the balance between Omega-6 and Omega-3 completely out of whack.

What Happens If I Take My Fish Oils?

  • You may reduce your risk of the eye disease – age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
  • You may reduce your risk of asthma and allergies.
  • You may reduce your risk of clogged arteries, even if you have other risk factors for heart disease.
  • You may prevent diabetic complications such as: myocardial infarction and stroke due to atherosclerosis, retinopathy, end-stage renal disease, debilitating neuropathies, poor wound healing, enhanced risk of infection, and periodontal disease.
  • You may reduce your risk of memory loss and stroke in your old age.
  • You may improve your cognition and memory while helping to fight against such mental disorders as depression and mood disorders, schizophrenia, and dementia.

What Happens If I Don’t

The opposite of above.

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