Essential Fatty Acid Tidbits:

FACT: Your Body Can't Live without Fat.

• The human brain is 60% fat.
• Fat maintains the integrity of the nervous system, your brain's "communication center" with the rest of your body.
• Fat is needed by all the cells in your body: Nerve cells, eye cells, brain cells and even heart cells need fat to survive.
• Your body needs fat in order to properly absorb and use crucial vitamins such as A, D, E, K and Beta-Carotene
• Fat boosts your immune system and acts as a shield to keep out harmful germs and microbes that can cause illness.

 http://www.nahanniriverherbs.com/186

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are well, like the name says, essential for daily living. Most commonly known as Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential acids are actually categorized by numbers for accuracy and clarity. There are over 52 different varriations of EFAs including Omega 3, Omega 6 and there is also Omega 9.  Part of what is essential that I didn’t realize until recently is not just that I need to put them in my body but how they interact with each other and just how much of what the body needs.

Did you know that the human body requires a 3:1 ratio of omega 3 to omega 6? Meaning that the proper amounts are part of what is “Essential” about them. Here are a few quotes that I found interesting from the internet (I think Wikipedia).

Essential fatty acids play a part in many metabolic processes, and there is evidence to suggest that low levels of essential fatty acids, or the wrong balance of types among the essential fatty acids, may be a factor in a number of illnesses, including osteoporosis.^[14]
In the body, essential fatty acids serve multiple functions. In each of these, the balance between dietary ω-3 and ω-6 strongly affects function.

• They are modified to make
• the classic eicosanoids (affecting inflammation and many other cellular functions)
• the endocannabinoids (affecting mood, behavior and inflammation)
• the lipoxins from ω-6 EFAs and resolvins from ω-3 (in the presence of aspirin, downregulating inflammation.)
• the isofurans, neurofurans, isoprostanes, hepoxilins, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and Neuroprotectin D
• They form lipid rafts (affecting cellular signaling)^[7]
• They act on DNA (activating or inhibiting transcription factors such as NF-κB, which is linked to pro-inflammatory cytokine production)^[8]

Research suggests that high intakes of fish and omega-3 fatty acids are linked to decreased rates of major depression.

Basically, the moral of the story (and purpose of this blog) is know what you’re eating and why (to whatever degree you are comfortable with). Don’t take my word for it either, try it out for yourself. Set a weekly goal or challenge about nutrition or whatever area you’d like to improve and see where the results take you.

I’ve been monitoring to make sure I’ve had as close to appropriate nutritional levels as possible (manageable within the circumstance of each day, aka I don’t stress out of the place I’m eating at lunch doesn’t have fish or omega 3 containing foods, I just make sure to incorporate it with dinner or if I missed the mark that day I know I’ll eat it as soon as I can the next). I’ve already noticed a difference in my hair and skin (I started this last week actually) and have refined my challenge this week as I kept thinking I was missing the “mark” on my goal but really, I misunderstood what nutrition is all about. It’s more about an accumulation of vitamins and minerals on a daily basis so the body can do it’s job.  What I eat today is important for how the body will function not just for today but for the next week or month or however long. Ok, ok… I’ll get off the soap box now and have some fish tacos for lunch! :o)

Here's a quick and easy recipe for fish tacos (this photo is from Rachel Ray' website- her's look most like mine). PS the thought of fish tacos used to repulse me until I moved to San Diego and learned what mexican food (and fish tacos) were supposed to taste like. Yum-o as someone might say!

Ingreditents:

Taco:

1 pound cooked white fish (halibut is my favorite but it'll work with any fish, really. made salmon tacos last week and making Ahi tacos today). I pan sear or BBQ

1 package sprouted corn tortillas (or whatever your favorite is or make them homemade), warmed  (bake in oven on low or on a gas burner on low for a few minutes then remove and place in a tortilla warmer (or just before eating)

Slaw

1/2 medium green cabbage sliced as thin as possible and then into more bite sized pieces (or red cabbage is ok too. I've also used crunchy romaine hearts when I'm out)

1/2 cup fresh prepared salsa (cheat and buy in a store OR make avocado cilantro salsa and skip the mayo- see recipe below-SO GOOD!)

1 tbsp canola (or grapeseed or your fav) mayonaise

While fish cooking place tortillas in oven set to warm. Chop cabbage and place in medium sized bowl, add salda and mayo or skip to preparing cilantro avocado salsa and stir until well mixed. Set aside.

On plates arrange tortillas and assemble; fish, slaw and maybe garnish with a little hot sauce, cilantro and/or some more salsa and enjoy!


AVOCADO CILANTRO SALSA

Ingredients: 

1 small green basket of tomatillos (or about 6-7 medium tomatillos).
2 ripe hass avocados
1 bunch of cilantro
1 onion or 3 stems green onions
2 medium jalapeño (and seeds of ONE jalapeno for medium spicy- best to add less and taste, then add more), if necessary)
sea salt
Pepper

Preparation: 

Peel the leaves off of the tomatillos and throw them in the blender until creamy, I needed to add a little bit of water to get it goin'.  Next add the cilantro, jalapeño and onions.  Then with the blender running add the avocado (pitted, just spoon the meat out).  I add the salt and pepper (to taste) and after about 30 seconds stop blending, it should be rich and creamy. Hands down the best salsa ever. You can also roast the tomatillos if you prefer it that way. I used it once for green enchilada sauce it was awesome!

Nutritional Challenge

This week I am challenging myself on just how “healthy” my eating is. I say I eat healthy because I prepare my own meals and they’re generally organic etc., however, I do have my “favorites” and tend to repeat meals, snacks and treats.  I wondered, is variety really the spice of life?!?

As it turns out it is. I found a cool online tool that I used once about 6 months ago and then didn’t make the time for after that. As it turns out my habits are that I don’t always eat enough protein or carbohydrates.  Mostly my carbs come in the form of starchy veggies and fruit and protein comes from small amounts of meat and veggie sources (not soy, which is not enough).  So this week I thought I’d challenge myself to learning how to correct tendencies (even when eating out). I log on to my account at: http://nutritiondata.self.com/user/login

 Enter the food I ate that day, see where I stand nutritionally and know exactly how to balance it out the next day. It’s actually super helpful because I don’t spend time wondering what I should/want to eat for breakfast/lunch etc. I already know I ate too many carbs yesterday and now need more protein (or whatever). It also has a vitamin and mineral breakdown as well as natural food resources on how to obtain them, SO COOL.

If you’re interested in trying this as well (just to see for yourself) it’s super simple!

• Go to the above website.
• Create an account
• Go to Tools
• “      “ Daily needs calculator
• Plug in values and select calculate then add to my tracking
• Search foods by name that you ate and then add to tracking( it will automatically save to My Foods and you can reuse it to add quickly the next time you eat it.
• The next day you clear all quantities and select what you ate and press save and calculate.

If you want to take a step towards this type of challenge but aren’t quite ready for the online tool (I sure wasn’t 6 months ago!) start a food journal and write very simply, like a list of what you ate. Make sure you are ready to take this step as well and your goal/ intention with this is clear (treats are not to feel guilty about eating as a food journal is not kept to fell bad about yourself in anyway but just to bring awareness to tendencies and habits that would otherwise go unnoticed). 

Or maybe choose one area that you'd like to work on. It took me a couple months to figure out essential fatty acids, why I need them and why I should care about appropriate ratios of consumption. (I'll post more on this later if anyone is interested).

Latest Creations & Thoughts...

Here are some photos of my latest creations and modifications to some of my traditional favorite recipes and a couple of ideas:

Kale Salad: 

beginning stage of a modified version from last postings recipe :o)

Coconut Mousse: 

just like it sounds, light and delicious!

 Coconut Meese (inside joke)

Spaghetti squash with meat (turkey) sauce:

 no need for noodles here, SO GOOD and so easy!

Ingredients:                                                                                                

•  1/2 pound ground turkey thigh (this is good for 2 modest servings, adjust accordingly). Brown with a little garlic powder and fresh ground pepper
• 1 can tomato sauce (or several fresh tomatoes,  rough chop and simmer with garlic any other spices like Italian seasoning or oregano and a little oil, simmer 10 minutes, then blend)
• 1 roasted spaghetti squash (wipe or rinse squash, poke holes in squash all around so steam can let out. Bake on a cookie sheet for about 50 minutes, depending on size at 350-400. Make adjustments as necessary. Scoop out the seeds and "guts". Scrape cleaned squash with a fork and put the "noodles" in a bowl with a little olive oil while still warm. This helps them to not dry out., set aside
• Fresh veggies: I used one zucchini and 1/2 heirloom tomato, diced.
• Fresh parsley, about a 1/4 cup minced (I put a little in the sauce, mix in a little with the noodles, while they're waiting ;o) and save a little for garnish)

 "Fake" cleanse vs. Juicing

Sometimes I want to do a cleanse but I'm just not into it, not even a "fake" one (see earlier posting), or I forgot my lunch/ didn't have time to prepare one... so I juice.
Note: the purpose (for me anyway) of juicing is to nourish the body without overwhelming it with food to digest. Juicing will replace one meal and I usually will wait about 4-6 hours or so before eating again (just to get the maximum benefits as it helps to detoxify the body).

There are a couple ways to do this; At home or from a fresh (organic) juice place (sorry Jamba I usually get these at the farmer's market- instead of the chocolates or pastries). 

I have to be honest the best results come from fresh juiced greens and fruit juice (for me about a 60veggie/40fruit ratio) that is probably too green for most but mixed with fruit juice they really can taste delicious. Start 50/50 and when your ready experiment!

This is how I do it:

Method 1: Use a blender and a nut milk bag or fine mesh strainer (and maybe a bowl depending on what you have at home):for the "green juice" then blend with your favorite fresh fruits.Keep the ratio at least 50/50 to start and include one ground veggie like chopped beets and or a carrot (these are best juiced because they're so sweet but you decide).

Method 2: use a juicer. Slice, peel (some juicers you can skip this step) and juice

Method 3: buy it but only if it's fresh (aka you can watch or hear them juice it)

TIME SAVER: Plan ahead!

One trick I use to stay on track is to make two or extra of whatever I'm preparing so I have some food "ready made" on those days you are running late or just don't have time to prepare food.

Kale Salad with Avocado and Apple

Dad is exploring healthier eating and during our most recent phone conversation he seemed to be getting bored with his diet so I asked if he's eating any dark leafy greens.  "I have kale in the fridge" was his answer, "great, it needs to go in your body" was mine :o)  Lol, love you dad! I told him how great dark leafy greens are for you and they will give you an extra little pep in your step when eaten regularly. I also asked if he's tried raw green salads, these are the most bang for your buck. I didn't care for the texture of them unil I learned how to chiffonade and prepare this type of salad now I LOVE them. Hope you all will too. 

KALE SALAD WITH AVOCADO & APPLE

Ingredients:

*1 bunch of kale, thick stems removed and chiffonade (see re-post of how-to below). If I don’t have a full bunch of kale I do half kale and half collards, spinach works too
*1 ripe avocado, diced
*sea salt and freshly ground pepper
*3 tablespoons olive oil
*lemon, lime or your favorite vinegar (balsamic and apple cider- raw are my fav.)

*1 carrot, well cleaned & sliced into thin half moons, grated or try julienned (I make these a lot so you’ve got to mix it up or you’ll get bored)
*1 small, green apple (Granny Smith), sliced thin, or whatever crunchy fruit/ veggie you have sometimes I use asian pear (SO good) sometimes celery, you decide
* optional 1 handful of dulse flakes- and not cheap but worth it. Salty and savory flavor and packed with trace minerals and essential B vitamins (that most fruits & veggies no longer contain)
* optional 1 handful fresh herbs like mint, basil, cilantro (substitute lime for lemon or vinegar) or your favorite, minced

VARRIATION:

1. "Must go" (this is my mom's phrase for all the veggies you need to eat up. I make this version the most often).
2. Almond/ Chicken:

·        1 Chicken breast diced

·        1 large handful of raw or toasted almonds, walnuts or pine nuts (healthiest option is to buy nuts raw, soak them and toast them yourself. Reason: nuts with “skin” have enzyme inhibitors which actually slow your digestion, when you soak them they break down and your body is better able to absorb most the nutrients.

Preparation:

1. Place kale in a large bowl with the avocado. Add salt, garlic, lemon, lime OR vinegar and olive oil. Mix very well, “massaging” the greens for about 3 minutes or until “soft”.

2. Reserve a small handful of the carrot and apple slices for garnish- if you’d like, then gently fold the rest into the kale mixture reserving the dulse for last. It is very salty and it is best to taste 1^st and adjust to your liking.

How- To Chiffonade

De-stem greens, here's a You Tube link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqKns6Qm8jI

Note: this is Dino (or Lacinto) kale, easier to start practicing with because the leaves are not curly. The other images show collards, basil.

Stack on top of each other and roll up like sushi

Begin thinly slicing the kale all the way until all is sliced (as thin as you can get it) I go down the middle horizontally to get even smaller pieces, you decide which you like best.

Exploring Natural Resources

I am on a leave of absence from work this year and the budget is far tighter than it’s been in awhile. It has been rather enlightening in the sense of re prioritizing and I have taken an interest in utilizing natural resources.  There are so many free things to enjoy in the bay area, why bother spending the money- if you don’t need to!?!

For the holiday weekend I went to one of the local parks (which includes a native California botanical garden), SO cool!

Bridge connecting exhibits

                                                        

                                      Flower on above bridge

                   I was so entertained by the name of this plant.

Whoa Mama Toast

My mom and I invented this quick and seriously satisfying breakfast while she was recovering from surgery. She wanted toast but something more sustaining than bread and butter or jam.  This is what we came up with:

Inspired by my husbands obsession with Toasted PB &J’s (yum!) we used what ingredients she had aka raspberry creamed honey instead of the jelly or jam. I took one bite and said “whoa mama that's good!”, hence the name. Here’s what you need:

• Favorite nut butter (mine is almond because of nutritional value, more protein and fiber, etc. than other’s)
• Fav.  Bread for toasting (All I had was rye today, lol still tasted good to me)
• Good quality honey (if you are interested in trying some seriously amazing honey go to http://www.beekind.com/

1. Toast bread
2. Spread nut butter evenly on toast
3. Spread honey evenly on toast
4. Pop the toast back in toaster oven, on top of toaster or in the oven on low heat for a minute or two just until the nut butter is all melty. 
5. Variations: mom butters the toast before adding nut butter, I like a tiny bit of good quality olive oil mixed in after I add nut butter.

(NOTE: I highly recommend a good quality honey as it really is the star of this breakfast or snack)

Summer Comfort

It feels like ages since I last blogged. Sorry I was MIA for awhile. Mom had hip replacement surgery (everyone reacts to this and says "oh, no" but it was planned and overall a VERY good thing) and we ended up inventing a new inside joke. "Surgery is fun".   This just really and all inclusive phrase to help us keep a positive attitude with all the twists and turns that are included when you or a loved one undergoes major surgery. None of us were prepared for it no matter how much we "tried" to. Everything is great now but the process to get us here was quite the adventure. I am also very fortunate to have this time to share and reconnect with family.
I made mom a recovery cake a day or two before she was able to go home to help cheer her up.  She did NOT like being stuck in the hospital. I used a friend's Roll Cake recipe to make this cake and garnished it with strawberries, powdered cocao and a drizzle of raw honey. Inside and on top is fresh (organic) whipped cream (mom's fav).

During this process the health food nut when into major comfort food cravings. Here's what I came up with, because I still have to eat healthy.
First I was craving hashbrowns like my dad used to make when we were kids. Crispy, salty and greasy on the outside and a little soft on the inside. I wasn't feelin' potatoes though so I made parsnip ones instead and nicknamed them Parsnip Pancakes. 2 weeks later whole foods had them on sale. Great minds must think alike!

I remembered how dad used to make hash browns and saw some Potato Latkes in the Whole Foods and made up my own recipe. Super simple (though a little bit time consuming if you don't have a food processor). First I gathered up the ingredients:

• 3 parsnips (look and taste like carrots if you've never had them)
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion (any size, type. I used a medium yellow)
• 2 stalks celery

Grate all (I used food processor but it's just as easy to grate by hand just takes a bit more time)

 Here's a close up. The yellow you see is actually carrots. My favorite (inexpensive and organic) market  had rainbow carrots on sale including yellow and purple. I only had yellow left so I used that.

 Take half of the grated mixture and process (you can skip this step if you do not have a food processor. I just to this to avoid adding bread crumbs, you can do bread crumbs instead if you want. If you skip it it's more challenging for it to bind so let them cook a little longer before flipping and use a plate or if you eat eggs make it into a "hash" and add two or three scrambled eggs

Add a little oil to the pan ( I used olive oil, extra virgin) and cook on one side without flipping until golden brown. I use the little outside pieces that stick out to tell when it's ready to be flipped. They'll turn golden or crisp up when ready. Use a plate to flip by placing it over the pan (should fit snug) and just turn over. Then slide it from the plate back into the pan.

After this I wanted Fried food, which really surprised me.  So I found a way to make bread crumbs I wouldn't feel guilty about (or regret... I'm gluten conscious but not gluten free and had been eating my fair share of gluten). I took sprouted wheat bread and toasted it, broke it up and put it in the food processor.

Step 1

Step 2 ( had to regroup here. The larger chunks you see weren't toasted enough and too soft to break down so I had to take them out and re toast)

Step 3 (after broken down you can add your favorite seasonings. I made this a few times. first I made it simple with salt and pepper, the next time I did the same but also added some italian seasonings, play around with some of your favorites and see what you come up with).

This was a simple Spinach Pan Fried Fish Salad, literally. I used Annie's Organic (lite) honey mustard dressing and was too hungry/tired to fuss about details.

 Here's a fancier version!

 This is my new favorite salad with Papaya and an orange dressing. I use orange flavored cod liver oil (seriously tastes just like oranges with out the sweetness) a little olive oil and a little of whatever prepared or store bought dressing i'm into. I think the one I used was Annie's Lemon herb, not sure...

And for desert, Coconut Mousse Parfait. I made it around fourth of July and it's red white and blue. I layered pureed fruit (blueberries and a dash of orange juice and cinnamon), soaked gojiberry puree (in spring water, just to cover then puree in own juice that it makes) and coconut mousse (this one is far more complicated. I used irish moss gel (i'll provide the recipe if you're interested), canned organic coconut milk (with no additives except for guar gum) vanilla beans (2, scraped) and a dash of agave.

A far more simple version would be a pudding or yogurt parfait, if you eat dairy. You can layer it with fruit, granola, berries and cookies or whatever sounds good to you! This is actually my mom's new favorite sweet treat.