The Essentials of Wild Salmon

Salmon has really come to popularity with more available sushi and the push for more omega-3’s in our diet.  Omega 3’s help our heart and brain function as well as inflammation, circulation, memory, thought, and blood sugar control.  Great, you say, but what about wild salmon versus farm raised?  Should it matter?

Yes, it does matter.  One big difference between wild and farm raised as one author puts (Jonny Bowden) is what farm raised salmon eat.  They are what they eat.  Farm raised salmon usually eat lots and lots of grain whereas wild salmon eat real things in the ocean.  Unfortunately (or fortunately), there are no corn rows in the sea.  There is reason.  Grain diet salmon produce very little omega-3’s.  Farm raised is just not what we bargain for. 

Not to mention the disease and contaminations prone to tightly packed salmon farms.  And the color that they use to pretty up the “colorless” farm raised salmon.    Farmers pick from a color wheel (called the SalmoFan, link below) to figure out what color they want their “product” to be.  Now, that should be concerning...

I like wild red sockeye salmon.  There are all sorts of ways to prepare it.  However, for those who run out of time – here is a quickie I like to do.  The salmon sandwich.

Ingredients:

• I buy wild salmon patties from Costco.  Great to keep on hand.  And, not that expensive.  I like to cook it in a toaster oven since I try to avoid the microwave.  Pour the juices on your sandwich, don’t throw it away.
• One or two slices of toasted bread (I like open face sandwiches, personally.  I think I may be secretly French when it comes to certain foods). 
• One fried egg (fry on a skillet)
• Avocado and/or tomato
• A little mayo

Assemble the sandwich.  Consume and enjoy. 

Link to information on SalmoFan: http://www.smithandlowney.com/salmon/

Nuts – The Supreme Snack

Whatever your goal is – whether to lose weight, curb hunger, enhance your brain, like the nutty taste, nuts are the supreme snack.  I discovered this the last few years when I went to Trader Joe’s and stocked up on at least two different bags of nuts at my desk.  Around 3pm, I would get into the pistachios, sunflower seeds, pecans, or whatever I had.  My coworker was inspired so he brought in two HUGE (probably 3 pounds each) bags of peanuts and cashews.  And instead of congregating around the water hole, we congregated around the nuts. 

Today, I will focus on pistachios and walnuts.

Pistachios: Eating pistachio nuts is said to decrease coronary risk, improve total cholesterol and boost your immune system.  Unsalted ones are high in potassium to sodium.  They also have vitamin E (antioxidant), magnesium and phosphorus.  And, if you buy them shelled, you will not eat as many.  More labor intensive eating reduces the amount you eat.

Walnuts: Have you ever looked closely at the walnut?  It looks like a brain.  An age old belief is since the walnut looks like a human brain, it’s probably good for the brain.  Walnuts are loaded with omega-3’s and have more than any other nut. They have protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium and other minerals – and help with growth, reproduction, wound healing, peak brain function, and other functions.  I prefer walnuts with shells intact – it is much fresher than shells removed.  But, if you can only get your hands on ones with shells removed, buy those; it is better than not eating them.

Source for above: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden

Is that really cheese?

This is America.  People love cheese.  It is amazing to me just how many varieties of cheese exist and how many people love them.  Not long ago, some friends (who have super cute dogs named Izzy and Mathman :) ) introduced me to Robusto cheese and truffle cheese.  Out of this world delicious, and amazing on a French baguette.

Although cheese in and of itself has been eaten for centuries, not all cheeses are made equal.  The premium cheeses imported from farms that actually pasture-feed their cows (meaning grass, natural habitat) versus the majority of commercial farms in America that feed their cows corn, soy, or some concoction thereof produce cheeses that are vastly different.  The grain-fed cows produce milk heavy with Omega-6’s and little Omega-3 fatty acids, whereas pasture-fed are more balanced with more Omega-3 fatty acids.  OK, so why does this matter? 

Diets heavy in Omega-6 without the balance of Omega-3 tend to cause people to become fat, and it increases the risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, and inflammation.  This is major.  And, this is happening. 

In a previous post, I wrote that olive oil is for beautiful women (and for men, we hope you are beautiful too).  One reason is because olive oil is low in Omega-6 fatty acids.  Vegetable oils such as corn and cottonseed are high in Omega-6’s.  

Moderate consumption of cheese (which was done for centuries) should not significantly contribute to burgeoning waistlines; however, it does in this country, in our modern age.  I see a few choices.  Research and get to the source of your cheese if you want to consume regularly.  Or, balance it out with foods that have A LOT of Omega 3’s (somehow…seems difficult).   Or, eat on occasion…which is what I do.

For more information: http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm