Don't Worry, Be Happy - With Fish Oil!

One of the reasons the nutrition program I recently completed (Institute for Integrative Nutrition at www.IntegrativeNutrition.com) was so great is because it exposed us to such a wide range of historical and current dietary theories, often presented by the founders themselves.  This enabled us to develop a healthy skepticism about claims or practices that seemed a bit too extreme, such as Breatharianism (no food or water needed -- just subsist on air and universal energy!).  It also enabled us to begin recognizing the threads of consistency that exist across so many dietary theories, even though the details may differ.

One of those commonalities is a recommendation to increase consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, by eating more fatty fish, walnuts, and hemp & flaxseeds, as well as by supplementing with high-quality fish oil.  The standard American diet (appropriately referred to as SAD) is rife with omega-6 fatty acids but greatly lacking in the omega-3 type with estimates as high as 99% of Americans being deficient in omega-3's.  Today's typical diet contains a ratio of 10-to-1 omega-6 vs. omega-3 fatty acids, compared to our ancestors' ratio of 2- or even 1-to-1.  Reasons for this shift include Americans' high consumption of processed & fast food, refined vegetable oils, and animal protein that has been degraded nutritionally by grain feeding and factory farming. 

Omega-3 deficiencies are linked to cardiovascular disease development, cancer, arthritis, and mental and emotional problems.  You may be aware that many scientists now believe that inflammation at the cellular level is the root cause of virtually all of our major health problems, and many diets now focus on reducing inflammation -- see Dr. Andrew Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid at http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02995/Dr-Weil-Anti-Inflammatory-Food-Pyramid.html for a great example to live by.  Dr. Oz of mainstream "Oprah" fame, Dr. Mark Hyman who advocates functional medicine, and many others are also on this bandwagon, fueled by Dr. Barry Sears, who originated the Zone Diet in the mid-90's.   

In fact, it was a recent blog by Dr. Barry Sears linking omega-3 deficiency to anxiety and depression (https://mail.google.com/mail/#label/Blog/135100e4d6de1863) that made me want to write about this topic today.  He cites studies that credit high-dose fish oil rich in EPA with remarkable results for depressive patients, as well as anxiety reduction among substance abusers.  As he writes, "It may be that depression and anxiety are simply two sides of the same coin of increased cellular inflammation in the brain.  Even for "normal" individuals, high dose EPA seems to make them happier and better able to handle stress." 

So what should you do?  Do an experiment!  Try eating more fatty fish, walnuts, and perhaps hemp and flaxseed.  Purchase a high quality fish oil supplement from Whole Foods or the organic section of your local grocery store.  Look for products that are molecularly distilled to be free of mercury, PCB, and other contaminants.  Two brands that qualify are Nordic Naturals and Spectrum Essentials (one variety of which also contains Vitamin D).  Take 1 to 4 grams (1000-4000 mg) per day and see how you feel.  The consensus is that there is no risk to taking high doses of fish oil, unless you are on anti-coagulation drugs or have a blood coagulation disorder.  In additional to yourself, give fish oil to your spouse, your children, your friends.  And let me know how it goes!   

Adventures in Parmesan

My husband and I recently took a trip to Saint Barthelemy in the French West Indies and one of the highlights of the trip was the food, which ranged from Very Good in even the most casual cafés and beach bars, to Exquisite in the fancier restaurants we visited for dinners.  St. Barts is a tiny gem of an island, about 16 square miles in area, located near St. Maarten and Anguilla a little further down than the U.S. and British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. 

I could go on and on about the stunning beaches, but I want to talk about the food, and the marvelous fact that despite eating very well and drinking wine at every dinner and most lunches (!), neither of us gained any weight during our 6-day trip.  How can that be?  We exercised a bit with a handful of 20-30 minute hikes to various beaches, but mainly we relaxed, read, sunned, strolled, and ate!  Upon reflection, our meals were invariably composed of fresh and mainly lighter foods, prepared expertly and served creatively in small portions.  For example, one day at a beach bar owned by the tennis player Yannick Noah and others, I had Gazpacho served in a Grolsch-like bottle and a Mahi “burger.”  Lunch at another beachside hotel was quinoa salad with crab and bell peppers served in an oversize martini glass, accompanied by smoked salmon and small slices of perfect French bread.   Reasonable portions and over-the-top flavors – a perfect combination!

The foodie pinnacle of the trip, though, was dinner at Le Gaiac, on the southeastern Toiny coast of St. Barths.  Housed in the swanky Le Toiny hotel, this restaurant features views of the voluminous black sky, moon & stars (we saw Venus that night, too), a beautiful infinity pool adjacent to the restaurant terrace, and the ocean and beach below.  One of Le Gaiac’s specialties is black truffle Parmesan spaghetti, and Randy ordered this as an appetizer.  We were startled when the waiter wheeled a cart to our tableside, featuring a tire-sized wheel of Parmesan.  He shaved some cheese from the inside of the wheel, tossed it with hot spaghetti and truffles, and then flamed it with vodka – very dramatic!  The Parmesan itself was unusually flavorful, almost white in color, and more crumbly in texture than what we’re used to getting in our grocery stores here.  We use quite a bit of parmesan for Caesar salads and other recipes and Randy was so intrigued by Le Gaiac’s cheese that he emailed the restaurant the Sunday after we returned to Cincinnati and received an immediate reply from the General Manager, Guy Lombard.  Mr. Lombard offered the following advice, which we are attempting to follow:

·         Be sure you’re buying Parmigiano Reggiano, not Grana Padana which is sometimes sold as Parmesan

·         Look for cheese that is creamy white and soft/crumbly, not yellow and hard

·         If it is packaged in plastic (as is typical), rewrap the cheese in parchment paper and secure with string or a rubber band to hold in the moisture; you may also film the cheese with oil to help keep it moist

·         Buy the largest piece that you can use in a reasonable amount of time, because it will hold moisture better than a smaller piece

As for serving, Guy wrote:  “I personally love Parmigiano served with a parmesan knife, salt flower crystals on and a pitch of White truffle oil, this served with a Pinot Noir.”  I looked up salt flower and he’s referring to Fleur de Sel, an artisanal finishing salt, to be served with the cheese along with a bit of truffle oil.  How elegant is that?  And how impressive that Mr. Lombard took the time to reply to us with so much information, advice, and the following invitation:  “If you are back in St. Barts, and if you want some of our wheel, just give me a ring; I will cut you a nice piece.  Happy Sunday!”  I hope to have the opportunity to return to St. Barts someday and take him up on his offer!

For more information on Fleur de Sel, see http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/si_gourmet_reference.asp and for more Parmesan info, see http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/departments/parmigiano-reggiano.php.  You will read about Whole Foods’ plan to set a new world record for breaking open the most wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano at one time – how WEIRD is that!?

Blog #1 - Healthy New Year!

This is my first blog.  I retired from a 20-year career in quantitative marketing research at the end of 2010 and have spent 2011 transitioning officially into the wellness industry, completing the Certified Health Coach program from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and working with a handful of initial clients to help them reach their health and wellness goals. 
I'm happy, my clients are happy, and I decided to start a blog to connect with other wellness-minded individuals and share what I hope will be useful information from the crowded and confusing world of nutrition.  I plan to post every week or so, conveying what I think is the most interesting and helpful information/insight/advice from the myriad food & cooking & nutrition & dieting sources that I see on a regular basis. 

Today's blog pulls from Eating Well.com -- a website and associated magazine that I highly recommend you check out.  One of their recent newsletters offered lists of foods to help you feel younger, sleep better, and be happier -- what could be better than that, especially at the beginning of a new year when we're all about making resolutions, setting goals, listing wishes, or whatever wording you prefer!  I thought I'd share the foods in each list and give a bit of background on them, and you can refer to EatingWell.com for more information and specific recipes. 

Recommending that you add certain foods into your diet illustrates one of the principles of my IIN program, which is called "Crowding Out."  The principle is that eating better doesn't have to be about deprivation, denial, or guilt related to the "bad" foods you're eating -- it is better if it's about adding good foods to your diet, seeing how you feel, and likely being happily surprised that you don't need those old foods so much anymore -- they are "crowded out" of your healthfully evolving diet. 

So here are the lists, and the good news is that you'll see some overlap across them.  Eating well doesn't have to be complicated; mainly it's some version of "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants," as Michael Pollan proposes in his book, In Defense of Food.  Again, if you want more information or recipes for the specific foods recommended, go to EatingWell.com.

7 Foods that help you feel younger:  Olive oil, Yogurt (plain, but you can adorn it with nuts & fruits!), Fish, Chocolate (look for 70%+ cocoa DARK chocolate), Nuts, Wine (especially red, in moderation), and Blueberries.  These foods contain one or more of the following:  Omega-3 fatty acids, Calcium, Good bacteria, Flavanols, and Antioxidants.

5 Foods that make you happier by boosting mood and fighting depression:  Coffee (keep it simple, we're not talking sweetened coffee drinks here), Salmon, Saffron, Carbs (whole grains, especially sprouted grains and non-wheat whole grains), and Chocolate.  These foods relate to mood-critical neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine and have in some cases been proven as effective as popular antidepressants. 

9 Foods that help you sleep better:  Fish (salmon, halibut, tuna), Jasmine rice, Tart cherry juice, Yogurt, Whole grains, Kale, Bananas, Chickpeas, and Fortified cereals.  These foods offer one or more of the following to help your body produce and regulate melatonin:  Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, or Magnesium. 

Note that Fish/Salmon and Whole Grains are on all three lists; Chocolate and Yogurt are each on two.  Just remember to keep your versions of these healthy foods clean, whole, and simply prepared to reap the greatest benefits from them.  Enjoy!

For more information about my Health Coaching program and background, please go to FirstDayWellness.com.  There you'll also have an opportunity to see testimonials from clients that have worked with me over the past several months, and to contact me.  I hope to hear from you soon!