Omega-3s and More

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This week I’ve been doing some reading about omega-3‘s, and I thought I’d pass along some of the things I’ve learned.

Omega-3 fatty acids have lots of double bonds, which act as pivot joints.  That’s why they are so important for movement and flexibility.  They are also essential in photosynthesis, wherein green leaves convert sunlight to food.  So you find lots of omega-3s in greens, especially leafy ones.  Omega-3s owe their flexibility to all those double bonds, the last of which is located just 3 carbons from the tail (omega) end of the molecule.  That’s why it’s called an omega-3 fatty acid.  “Omega” means end.


Omega-3 fatty acids are found in all green plants, so eat your vegetables!  Interestingly, the largest mass of greens on Earth is phytoplankton, tiny sea plants that are eaten by little fish, which are then eaten by bigger fish, and so on.  Sea creatures eat tons of phytoplankton; in order to survive in their cold water environments, fish need at least 1% of their calories to come from omega-3s.  Warm-blooded animals need only half that.  This is why fish, fish oil, and algae are such good sources of omega-3s. 


Two important omega-3 fatty acids are DHA and EPA.  EPA is a blood thinner and has anti-inflammatory properties.  DHA is a component of cell membranes, keeping them flexible and functional.  With hundreds of possible configurations, DHA is like a “quick change artist.”  According to Susan Allport (author of The Queen of Fats: Why Omega-3s were Removed from the Western Diet and What We Can Do to Replace Them), “DHA creates membranes with…behavior that is almost liquid-like.”  Cell membranes aren’t inert, like dry wall.  They live and breathe, and they work hard to keep the internal environment of a cell completely separate from the outside environment. 


DHA makes up 25% of brain tissue.  It prevents abnormal heart rhythms, or “arrhythmias.”  It helps the eye to see better by increasing the amount of rhodopsin, a light-responsive protein found in rod cells in the retina.  DHA also appears to improve insulin sensitivity, which would mean that it lowers the risk of developing obesity and diabetes.  

 

Omega-3s have one important limitation:  Double bonds react easily with oxygen, which makes them unstable, chemically speaking.  In fact, fat oxidation is the major cause of food rancidity.  This reactivity makes omega-3s an unreliable way to store fat in nature.  That’s where omega-6s come into play.


Omega-6s, less reactive because they have fewer double bonds, are a much better choice for a different job: storage.  That’s why omega-6s are the main fat in grains and seeds, where long-term storage is all-important.  The stability of omega-6s makes them the preferred form of stored fat in plants.  Plants can convert omega-6s into omega-3s whenever they need some.  They store fat as omega-6s until seeds germinate and initiate photosynthesis.  Then they release an enzyme that converts omega-6s to omega-3s.  

Animals and humans do not have this enzyme, so once an omega-6, always an omega-6.  All the omega-6s we eat end up in our cell membranes as stiff as always.  


The stable chemical configuration of omega-6s increases shelf life considerably, which is why they’re the leading polyunsaturated fat of choice for processed food products, including vegetable oils.  It’s also why it’s not a coincidence that the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s in our diet has climbed from about 1:1 throughout history to upwards of 75:1 today. 


Omega-6 fatty acids in plants serve as a stable, reliable system for storing fat until the plant needs omega-3s.  Omega-3s are flexible, and omega-6s are stiff.  Omega-3s are reactive, whereas omega-6s are stable.  Omega-6s, with fewer double bonds, are more stable and, therefore, less prone to oxidation and breakdown.  That is why omega-6s are found in highest concentration in grains and seeds.  Dry beans can remain viable for centuries under certain circumstances.  That’s clearly not true of lettuce, under any circumstances.  

 

Stiff membranes are good for seeds and grains, but not for green leaves or for  human brains, blood vessels, eyes, or joints.  High blood pressure, inflammation, insulin resistance, and platelet aggregation are predictable consequences of stiff cell membranes and suboptimal function.

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: JAPANESE EGGPLANT STIRFRY

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Not sure where I found this recipe, but I have at least 10 gorgeous Japanese eggplants hanging out in the garden and begging to be eaten in exactly this way.  This recipe has more ingredients than I usually choose, but I thought it was worth it.  Since almost all the ingredients are in the sauce, just skip it if you don’t have one of them.  It’ll still be delicious, just different.



1 medium-large eggplant or 3-4 Japanese eggplants (small, long, thin, dark)

2 long English cucumbers

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or canola oil if you prefer)

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons minced chives



1. Trim the eggplants. Cut in half lengthwise, slice 1/4 inch slices.

Toss lightly with approx 1 tsp. salt, and place in colander. Allow to rest 15 minutes, and prepare other ingredients. Then squeeze excess water from eggplant slices and dry with cloth or paper towel.

2. Meanwhile, trim cucumber ends, cut in half lengthwise, and slice again into 1/4 inch slices.

3. Combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, salt and sesame oil in a bowl and set aside.

4. Heat wok or skillet over high heat until very hot.  Add oil and tilt the pan to distribute. Add eggplant and stir-fry 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Add ginger and red pepper flakes, stir-fry 30 sec. Add cucumbers and chives, stir-fry 30 sec more. Add soy sauce mix, and stir-fry 60 sec until cucumber begins to soften.  Serves 2-4.

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Eating Nuts at the University of Toronto

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I am very pleased to report that a recently published study at the University of Toronto confirmed what we’ve been saying all along: nuts (2 ounces in this case) improved blood sugars better than whole grain snacks, and did not increase weight either.

The study, conducted by Dr. David Jenkins at St. Michael’s Hospital, U. of T.’s teaching hospital, evaluated the effect of two food items in Type 2 diabetics.  The first group ate muffins, which were made with “whole wheat flour, applesauce, and vegetable oil.”  Not sure what kind — all vegetable oils are not created equal, as you probably know.  The second group ate a mix of raw almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts (technically a bean, not a nut), cashews, and macadamias. The third group ate a mix of both.

The patients who ate only nuts showed the most improvement in blood sugars, and lowered their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and kept their weights steady.  Patients who ate [muffins] or [muffins + nuts] showed no significant improvement in blood sugars, although those who ate [muffins + nuts] did lower their LDL.  So nuts had a favorable effect on LDL cholesterol, whether or not they were eaten with muffins.

Dr. Jenkins concluded that “…nuts appear to be well suited as part of weight-reducing diets.  Mixed, unsalted, raw, or dry-roasted nuts have benefits for both blood glucose control and blood lipids and may be used as part of a strategy to improve diabetes control without weight gain.”

I have one observation to add:  If eating nuts improves your blood sugar control and cholesterol without increasing your weight, why wait until you’re diabetic to eat them?  

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Driving While Diabetic

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Every week, an on-line newsletter for diabetics appears in my inbox.  This newsletter tends toward the practical, the up-to-date, the amusing.  It’s well done.  I subscribe because I like to know what general information diabetic patients find helpful.  Last week I found a comprehensive list of tips for managing blood sugar while traveling. Two things occurred to me.  The first thing was that many  of the items on this list would be useful not just for those with diabetes, but for all travelers.  Tips #1 (minus the testing supplies), 5, 6, and 8 fall into this category.








The second thing I thought about was that diabetes sure makes traveling more complicated.  It doesn’t make it impossible, and it certainly doesn’t make it inadvisable.  It’s fine to drive if you’re diabetic.  As long as your blood sugars remain the normal range.  

What’s the difference between being diabetic and not being diabetic?  One thing and one thing alone.  People who are not diabetic are able to keep their blood sugars in the normal range without having to think about it.  Their bodies do it automatically.  People who are diabetic, on the other hand, have to involve their brains in the process.  They can’t keep their sugars normal anymore without thinking about it, walking the walk, and measuring and monitoring throughout the day.  That’s what it takes to keep your blood sugars in the normal range when your body can no longer do it automatically.

As long as you do what needs to be done, however, you can expect to remain healthy, with a very low risk of developing complications.

This list reminded me of the difference between being diabetic and not.  As long as you do everything you need to do to keep your blood sugars normal, you should expect to be able to do anything and everything that non-diabetics do.  Like travel.

But have you taken a look at the list yet?  It’s unbelievably detailed!  They thought of everything, and good for them.  Now here’s the rub.  If you’ve ever left home for more than a day or two, you know how complicated it can be.  You have to arrange for the animals, the newspapers, the mail, the house lights, the lawn (if you’re leaving for a while), the children (if they’re not coming with you), the job, the email account.  You have to notify the neighbors, the police (maybe), the boss, the co-workers, the paperboy, the lawn guy, the babysitter, the house cleaner.  Makes you not want to leave home.  

So why would you knowingly make choices that increase immeasurably the complexity of your arrangements?  My suggestion would be that you add these tips to your mental list of reasons that you don’t want to become diabetic (type 2).  Think of it this way:  God grant me the serenity to accept the things i cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  

Make the choice to change the things you can!  Most cases of type 2 diabetes are preventable.

Here are the tips:
1. Pack more snacks, drinks, and blood sugar testing supplies than you think you will need, so that you are prepared in the event of travel delays.
2. If you take insulin, store it for the road trip in a cooler or insulated container.
3. Be sure to wear your medical bracelet if you have one. 
4. If you are taking a long car trip, test your blood sugar before leaving. If it is 70 mg/dL or below, eat or drink something that will raise it quickly, and wait until your blood sugar is back to normal before getting behind the wheel.
5. Research nearby restaurants and grocery stores in your travel destination so you know your healthy options for meals and snacks.
6. You can also research emergency or urgent-care clinics along your travel route. If you belong to an HMO, ask what doctors and facilities along your travel route are affiliated with your plan.
7. Test yourself at regular intervals.
8. Stop periodically to walk around, stretch your legs and give your body a break from sitting down.
9. Follow your daily dosing routine at the regular times. If you always take a medicine at 10 a.m., do so in the car at the same time.
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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: ANOTHER GAZPACHO, THIS ONE GOLD!

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I saw this recipe on a site for new blenders.  Since I expect that I’ll have a new blender by the end of the week (!), I thought it was a perfect time for this beautiful, late summer, golden gazpacho recipe.  If you can’t find yellow (acid-free) tomatoes, use red ones and the soup will be orange.



5 medium yellow tomatoes, quartered

Corn kernels stripped from 2 cobs

1/2 cucumber, peeled if thick or waxy

1/2 yellow pepper, cored and seeded

1/2 clove garlic

1 scallion, cleaned and sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper



Blend the tomatoes first.  Then add in the remaining vegetables, one at a time.  Then add the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Serves 4.



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Creamy Kale (No Dairy)

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You would not believe how much kale is growing in my garden.  I’ve given some away, eaten some steamed, spun some into green smoothies, and still there is more.  So here’s one more way to use it up.  Many thanks to Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen for this great recipe.  They recommend serving it with quinoa, raw vegetables, and chicken or black-eyed peas for dinner.  They also warn that 10-12 cups of chopped kale may seem like a lot, but it shrinks a lot when you cook it.

Ingredients:
10-12 cups finely chopped kale

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (approx. 1 heaping cup)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 cups water
1/2 small jalapeno pepper, seeded
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 to 2 teaspoons Herbamare (an herb/seasoned salt mix–I used 1 t. salt + a mix of fresh basil and oregano)

#1  Chop the kale and set aside.
#2  Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, then onions and garlic. Saute 5 min or until soft and turning brown at the edges.  Add to a blender with cashews, water, jalapeno pepper, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and Herbamare. Blend until smooth and creamy. 

#3  Return sauce and chopped kale to the skillet and simmer 10-15 min until kale is soft and sauce is thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Which Eggs are Best?

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Limited access to a computer today — I’m visiting family in NJ and the power isn’t back yet.  Working by generator today, so I’ll make it brief!

If you are one of the majority of Americans who purchase their eggs at a store, you may have questions about which eggs to buy, and why.  What are “free-range” and “cage-free”?  Here’s a little primer to help you understand the facts behind the labels:

FREE-RANGE chickens roam freely outdoors.  The amount and type of outdoor access are unspecified, as is the type of feed.  If you happen to be lucky enough to know who cares for these chickens, you’ll know the answers to these questions.  Beak cutting is, technically, permitted.

ORGANIC eggs with the “USDA Organic” seal come from chickens that have outdoor access, no matter how little.  The amount of outdoor time is not specified.  By the way, the USDA Organic seal is the only official, federally regulated egg label claim.  These chickens eat only organic, vegetarian, antibiotic-free feed.  Note: Chickens are not vegetarian by nature; bugs and worms are a vital part of their diet.  Beak cutting is, technically, permitted.

CAGE-FREE chickens are uncaged with unlimited access to food and water, but they have no outdoor access unless specified.  Cage-free chickens may be packed tightly into a large, unlit shed with no access to a farmyard.  Beak cutting is permitted.

CERTIFIED HUMANE chickens live in barns or warehouses without access to the outdoors unless specified.  Regulations exist to limit the population density and permit normal behaviors.  Beak cutting is, technically, permitted.

ANIMAL-WELFARE APPROVED chickens are raised by independent family farmers with flocks of up to 500 chickens.  They spend unlimited time outdoors on pesticide-free pasture.  Beak cutting is NOT permitted.  Eggs from these farms are most commonly found at specialty or health food stores, or at farmers’ markets.

UNITED EGG PRODUCERS CERTIFIED specifies only that caged hens receive food and water.  That would, naturally, be the case if hens are to remain alive and laying. 

Finally, the following terms are unregulated and have no official meaning:  Natural. Naturally Raised. No Hormones. No Antibiotics.

I recommend purchasing eggs with increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids, gained from better quality feed, and that you buy “Animal Welfare Approved” and/or “Free Range” eggs if you can find them.  When it comes to eggs, don’t hesitate to buy the more expensive ones.  If you do the math, even the most expensive eggs at my local supermarket, at $4/dozen, still work out to only 34 cents an egg.  That’s some of the cheapest high-quality protein around. 
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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: GAZPACHO

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There were 10 large tomatoes in my CSA box today.  Here’s something wonderful to do with them, adapted from “Poor Girl Eats Well.”

Gazpacho
                                                                                                  
5 large, very ripe tomatoes                                                           
1 medium cucumber, unpeeled
1 small bell pepper, red or green as you prefer
1 small red onion
1 large carrot

1 T finely chopped hot pepper (serrano, jalapeno)  
1/2 t crushed red chili flakes                                                    
2 large garlic cloves
2 c tomato juice
1/4 c olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1.  Dice and mix together the onion, bell pepper, carrot and cucumber.  Separate into two equal batches, but put one batch in a large serving bowl (or pot) and the other in a small bowl.
2.  Chop the tomatoes.  Add one cup of the chopped tomatoes to the small bowl of vegetables to use later.  Add the rest of the tomatoes to the large serving bowl filled with chopped vegetables.
3.  Add the tomato juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to the serving bowl, now filled with tomatoes and vegetables.  Slowly puree the mixture using a blender or hand mixer.
4.  Finally, pour the reserved vegetables (from step 1) and tomatoes (from step 2) into the serving bowl.  Adjust seasoning and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. 
5.  Garnish with cilantro, chopped scallions, or grated carrot, as you like, and serve.
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What’s for Dinner Tonight?

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I rolled out of bed this morning, threw on some old clothes and headed outside.  It was drizzling, but I couldn’t wait any more; the garden needed some serious weeding, made more serious by two Sundays in a row of commitments when it wasn’t raining, and rain when there weren’t commitments.  The crabgrass was my primary focus today.  I saw some dandelions, which I’ll leave for next week, when I’m looking forward to making another one of those amazing dandelion salads I wrote about a few weeks ago.  I saw, for the first time, a little bit of purslane, too, which I left to spread and grow.  Purslane, which is pleasantly crunchy and extraordinarily high in omega-3 fatty acids, was actually cultivated in gardens once upon a time, though most people consider it a weed these days.  It’s everywhere; if you Google its image, you’ll probably recognize it.  I saw a large patch of it growing near my office last Friday.  Let it be known that I’m planning on reviving purslane-on-purpose.

In my garden, I sprinkled lots of lettuce seed about a month ago, so today I got to pick a huge bowl’s worth of mixed miniature lettuce leaves.  Then I picked a round purple and white striped eggplant, 2 long dark purple eggplants, a long thin red hot pepper, one tomato, a large bunch of basil, and a couple of bunches each of flat and curly parsley.  I carried everything into the kitchen and tossed the lettuce into a bowl of water to get it rinsing right away.   I cut up the eggplants and tomato.

Back outside, I grabbed the wheelbarrow.  The chicken coop was due for a change of straw today.  I filled the wheelbarrow with the old straw, and took it to the garden, where I spread the straw over the areas where the crabgrass had been thicker.  We’ll see whether that works.

In the kitchen, meanwhile, the eggplants, tomato, and hot pepper, along with 3 cloves of garlic, an onion, olive oil, and a couple of zucchini, turned into a lovely ratatouille.  When it was done I sprinkled the top with the fresh parsley and left it to cool to room temperature.

A small head of broccoli from last week’s CSA was cut into florets, steamed until bright green, and then sprinkled with French Thyme.  I cut the woody part of the stems from five gorgeous artichokes, and then steamed them, too, along with two cut up limes, until the leaves separated easily.  I baked a few potatoes.  The lettuce went through a great many water changes until it looked quite clean and all the specks of dirt had been rinsed away.

In the afternoon, my husband left for the supermarket to pick up a few pieces of tilapia.

I stripped the basil leaves (approx 30) from the stalks, and mixed them with olive oil (approx 1/2 c.) and salt (approx 1/2 t.) in a 2-cup pitcher.  Then I blended the mix with an immersion blender until it was smooth and bright green.  This should be amazingly good(!!) anywhere you decide to put it: on the salad, baked potatoes, broccoli, or fish.  Or all of them, as I plan to do.  Maybe the ratatouille, too.  I’ll bet the artichoke leaves will taste delicious dipped in basil-olive oil.

Dinner should be ready soon and, given the number of dishes we prepared, there should be plenty of leftovers.  I am looking forward to eating them for lunch this week.  I am also looking forward to a new batch of vegetables from our CSA on Tuesday.

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: POTLUCK BEAN SALAD

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Running out of ideas for what to take to summer potlucks?  Run no more…

16 oz can red beans
16 oz can black beans
16 oz can garbanzo beans
16 oz can corn, drained (or 2 cobs worth)
Rinse and drain.

2 large stalks celery, sliced very thinly
1 medium red onion, diced small
1 large tomato, diced small-medium
1 c spicy salsa (or 1/4 cup tomato paste + 1 small jalapeno, diced fine)
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c lime juice (approx 4 limes)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Mix spices with lime juice at the bottom of a beautiful, wide pottery bowl, and then add in the olive oil and salsa.
Mix in corn and all the beans. Add all but 1/4 cup of the celery, diced onion and diced tomato.  Mix them together, and then pile the small mixture in the middle on top as a garnish.  Let sit 1/2-1 hour, and then take to a pot luck.  Delicious!
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