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Choose Better Fats to Boost Mental Health

What fats are you are eating? One of the best steps you can take to improve your mental fitness and protect your brain is to pay attention to the types of fats you are giving your body.

Your brain consumes about 20 percent of the calories you eat each day. To adequately function, it depends upon a dozen key nutrients — vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins that give your brain the building blocks it requires.

 

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”right” source_author=”Leslie Korn, MD” source_title=”Nutritional Essentials for Mental Health” full_quote=”To improve mood, focus and memory, eat good fats like butter, eggs, avocados, walnuts, and coconut oil, and eliminate all poor-quality fats and trans-fats like French fries and fats (particularly hydrogenated oils) added to canned and packaged foods. Fats from nature are medicine for your brain” short_quote=”To improve mood, focus and memory, eat plenty of good fats “]

Choose brain-healing fats 

  • Grass-fed butter has an ideal balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. It contains vitamins A, D and E as well as iodine and selenium
  • Nuts and seeds – also rich in fiber, zinc, iron and essential vitamins. A small serving offers a nice mix of healthy fats, proteins and slow-burning carbohydrates
  • Nut butters
  • Coconut oil. Coconut is rich in fats, protein and has a full complement of B vitamins. Coconut oil is one of the healthiest and most medicinal of fats. In additional to the fat, coconuts contain iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and vitamins B1, B3, B5, C and Ka. Coconut lowers blood sugar, protects the liver and improves immune function.
  • Olive oil – improves brain and nervous system function
  • Sesame oil – has anti-depressant properties
  • Avocado oil – helps regulate blood sugar

Foods in their natural form are high in brain-healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

Eliminate industrialized fats

Hydrogenated, highly processed fats are toxic and interfere with the essential roles fatty acids have in the body.

  • Corn oil, cottonseed, soybean, canola, sunflower, and vegetable oils
  • Margarine and butter substitutes

If you consume dairy

  • Choose whole milk and milk products (kefir, yogurt, cheeses, butter) from pasture-raised cows. Natural milk is a complete protein, is high in enzymes and contains brain essential vitamins B6 and B12 and fat-soluble vitamins A and D.
  • Goat milk products are also a nutritious option. Goat milk has more nutrients because of the rich and varied diet of the goats and is more digestible.

References

  1. Korn, Leslie. (2016). Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health: A complete guide to the food-mood connection. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company
  2. Brogan, Kelly, MD. A Mind of Your Own: The truth about depression and how women can heal their bodies to reclaim their lives. (2016). New York, NY: Harper Collins

Nut Crusted Salmon

This nutrient dense, delicious recipe is also good brain food.

Salmon is rich in Omega-3 essential fatty acids that

  • help build brain cells
  • fight inflammation in the brain and
  • increase production of brain growth hormones that give your brain the ability to grow and change

Nuts have a mix of protein, healthy fats and slow-burning carbohydrates. They’re also rich in fiber, zinc, iron and essential vitamins.

You can add veggies tossed with olive oil, sea salt and minced garlic to roast with the salmon. Some of my favorites are:

  • asparagus
  • green beans
  • broccoli

Leftovers make a filling second meal.

  • Toss roasted salmon and veggies with greens, add rainbow vegges (carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc)
  • Add to a grain bowl, mix in additional veggies and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette or pesto
  • Make a wrap with pesto and greens

Salmon with Orange and Black Olive Salsa

Maybe it is living in the US southwest, maybe it is summer heat, but somewhere along the way, I’ve developed a keen taste for fresh salsa not as a condiment for Mexican foods, but as a zesty way to dress up grilled and roasted fish fillets. Or chicken and pork tenderloin.

In this case, salmon.

Juicy orange, kalamata olives and garden-fresh basil join together in flavorful harmony enhancing the pleasure of every bite atop grilled salmon. No grill? No problem, simply roast the salmon fillet in the oven.

I like to serve this with CMF Rice or CMF Quinoa with the crunch of toasted pecans.

I’ve even served it with Quinoa Tabbouleh for a colorful summertime dinner. Add a spinach salad with sliced red bell peppers or grated carrots and toasted sunflowers seeds and dinner is a visual and tasty delight.

For dessert, Epicurious: Plum Kuchen

Variations:

  • Cilantro or parsley instead of basil
  • With or without olives
  • Green onion instead of red onion

What’s the Catch?

Fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids beneficial to the brain and heart and are excellent sources of protein, vitamins and minerals. Fish is part of my dinner rotation at least once a week.

But did you know eating fish is risky for for our health and for the planet?

Risk to our Health

Contamination can override the nutritional benefits of eating fish. Mercury and man-made chemicals known as PCBs are the primary culprits.

Mercury comes from coal-burning power plants emissions and falls into nearby waterways and fields. Small fish near mercury-laden industrial sites swim away and pass mercury up the food chain.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”left” source_author=”Marion Nestle” source_title=”What to Eat” full_quote=”Because virtually all waterways in the US are heavily contaminated with mercury or other chemical pollutants, the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) safety limits are invariably stricter than those of the FDA. The EPA is responsible for protecting the public’s health against pollutants in air and water. Since toxic contaminants in water get incorporated into fish, the EPA issues advisories about which fish are safe to eat. All fish are contaminated with PCBs, agricultural pesticides, and dioxins from industrial waste and emissions. Although most of these chemicals have been discontinued or banned for years, they persist in the environment and pollute streams, lakes and oceans. All fish have PCBs, but farmed fish have more because farmed fish need proteins and fats to help them grow; they grow better when those nutrients come from fish meal and oils, but these feeds contain high concentrations of PCBs” short_quote=”Virtually all waterways in the US are heavily contaminated with mercury. All fish are contaminated with PCBs, agricultural pesticides, and dioxins from industrial waste and emissions. “]

Farmed fish are fed the equivalent of dog food: pellets of fishmeal and fish oil, soy protein, vitamins and minerals. The pellets also contain meat-and-bone meal made from leftover meat, blood and bones of cows, pigs and other animals (the same by-products excluded from “natural” beef because of concerns about mad cow disease). Because the price of farm-raised fish depends on the cost of feed, there’s pressure to use the cheapest ingredients possible. Farmed fish are less active, so they have twice the fat of wild fish. Their omega 3 content depends on what they are fed and varies by species and by farm.

Risk to our Planet

Overfishing is depleting our oceans of sea life. Do we really want to be the generation that exterminates fish from the sea? By some estimates tuna population has declined by 90 percent. And overfishing threatens not just the livelihood of billions of people but their food supply. Without fish we could all face a food crisis. The answer is sustainable management. With smarter fishing rights and management systems, it’s possible to reverse the incentives that cause overfishing. Fishermen’s interests are tied to the long-term health of a fishery. Their income improves along with the fish population. We can make a difference every time we buy fish at the grocery store or order sushi by learning what fish to select and support smart fishing.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Marion Nestle” source_title=”What to Eat” full_quote=”Formerly abundant fish are disappearing from the oceans. By some estimates, the biomass of large predatory fish has declined by 90% since the preindustrial fishing area. Most of the world’s fishing zones are considered to be unsustainable, meaning that fish cannot reproduce fast enough to replace the ones that get taken. Some fish are considered endangered—among them certain species of salmon, sturgeon and trout —due to overfishing—too many boats using too efficient methods to catch the too few fish that remain. Fish do not have a chance against modern catching methods. Attempts to protect spawning grounds, to limit catches, or to enforce catching rules run against business and government interests.” short_quote=”Formerly abundant fish are disappearing from the oceans. By some estimates, the biomass of large predatory fish has declined by 90% since the preindustrial fishing area”]

So what to do?  Choose seafood healthy for us and for our planet.

  • Buy only from providers that I know have vetted their fish.
  • Use Seafood Guides that identify fish safe to eat (tested for mercury and PCB content) and fish that are sustainable.
[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Marion Nestle” source_title=”What to Eat” full_quote=”As an individual, you can express your dismay about the current situation directly by voting with your fork. Inform store managers that you have no intention of ever buying fish on the “Avoid” list. If seafood managers get that message, they may demand more thoughtful action from their suppliers, suppliers may demand better support from their trade associations and trade associations may demand more consumer-friendly policies from the government.” short_quote=”As an individual, you can express your dismay about the current situation directly by voting with your fork.”]

For more empowerment:

How to Eat Fish and Still Save the Earth

“It turns out global survival and delicious seafood are possible if we’re smart about what we eat. Here, pre-eminent food writer Mark Bittman teaches you how to hunt for your next great meal.”

Home delivery of sustainable seafood

Sea2Table

Seafood Buying Guides

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”left” source_site=”Seafood Choices” source_url=”http://seafoodchoices.com” full_quote=”Which wild fish are sustainably harvested? Is it okay to eat tuna? What kind of salmon should I buy? Are there farmed fish that are environmentally responsible choices?  Seafood Choices Alliance works with conservation organizations around the world that are working to answer these and other important questions regarding the sustainability of our seafood supply. Click on the links below for further information.” short_quote=”Which wild fish are sustainably harvested? Is it okay to eat tuna?  What kind of salmon should I buy? Are there farmed fish that are environmentally responsible choices?”]

Seafood Watch: Consumers Guides

Environmental Defense Fund: Seafood Selector – “Fish Choices that are Good for You and Good for the Oceans”

Smart Seafood Buying Guide

Marine Stewardship Council: Fish to Eat

 

 

Roasted Salmon with Tomato Olive Salsa

Something magical happens with this combination of tomato, black olives and basil. The flavors fuse with such harmony it makes every bite a feast for the tastebuds.

For a long time I didn’t bother seeding the tomatoes, but the salsa was so runny I finally did and discovered it is really worth it. Simply scoop seeds out with a spoon (I mix the seeds into salad dressing to put them to good use). Removing the seeds makes the salsa more chunky and prevents it from becoming too runny.

The basil is heavenly in this dish, but the salsa is also quite tasty with parsley or cilantro which what I usually have.

I like to serve this with CMF Rice or CMF Quinua usually adding toasted, chopped walnuts for crunch and that extra nutrient boost. Add an arugula (or mixed green salad) tossed with peas or with blueberries, a couple of sliced green onions with CMF Basic Salad Dressing and dinner is complete.

Make this menu for dinner guests, adding an appetizer and dessert, both of which can be made the day before:

Get an extra meal out of it, lunch or another dinner later in the week:

  • Chop up the salmon and toss with leftover tomato olive salsa, arugula and leftover rice for a one-dish salad lunch (or dinner)
  • Spread plain Greek yogurt on a wrap, place salmon, tomato olive salsa and greens and roll it up. Add leftover grains or white beans to make it a more robust meal.

 

Salmon Summer Dinner Party

A delicious healthy summer dinner to share with friends and family.

Read more

Good Fats for Healthy Living

There’s probably nothing more confusing about food than fat. It’s the most misunderstood macronutrient and can negatively impact our health.

It seems we eat too much of the wrong fats and not enough of the good fats. Added to which, a phobia of fats spawned innumerous “low-fat” products that replace fat with sugar creating more health hazards.

Here’s my take after working through innumerous articles, books and online sources.

  1. Fats are essential for healthy living
  2. There are good fats and bad fats
  3. Moderate use of good fats is best
[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Patrick Quillin” source_title=”Beating Cancer with Nutrition” full_quote=”Human health is highly dependent on the quality and quantity of our fat intake. Most Americans eat too much fat and the wrong kind of fat AND do not get enough of the essential fatty acids that should be in our diet, hence the need for dietary changes and supplements.” short_quote=”Human health is highly dependent on the quality and quantity of our fat intake”]

Good fats are necessary for proper brain function, a strong immune system, hormone production, strengthening cell walls, joint lubrication, organ protection and a healthy nervous system. A high-functioning happy brain is partly a result of the quantity and quality of fat we eat. Healthy fats are clean and sustainable sources of energy. They help us absorb and transport vitamins and phytochemicals, help us detox, and increase metabolism.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”right” source_author=”Nina Plank” source_title=”Real Food: What to Eat and Why” full_quote=”Fats are necessary for health. Fats in the omega family are called essential because the body cannot make them; we must get them from foods. The brain relies on omega-3 fats; deficiency causes depression. Without fats, the body cannot absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fats are key to many other functions including building cell walls, immunity and assimilation of minerals like calcium.Digestion is impossible without fats. The cell membrane controls the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract. Fats stimulate the secretion of bile acids, which are essential for digestion. Without fat, digestion literally fails you and you starve—even if you are eating plenty. Today, overeating low-quality food is more often the cause of poor nutrition than starvation.” short_quote=”Fats are necessary for health. Fats in the omega family are called essential because the body cannot make them; we must get them from foods”]

So what are good fats? Essential fatty acids: omega-3s and omega-6s. Essential fatty acids cannot be produced in our body. Ideally, we should get equal amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fats because they have equally important but different effects in the body. But the Standard American Diet provides insufficient omega-3 and too much omega-6. This is what leads to inflammation and disease: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and depression.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Richard Beliveau PhD and Denis Gingras PhD” source_title=”Foods to Fight Cancer” full_quote=”Omega-3s are an essential ingredient in an anticancer diet, and they protect against heart disease too. The ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids obtained through the ancestral diet was probably around one to one, but the ratio has become more like twenty to one! This imbalance may have negative repercussions on the development of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Increasing the intake of omega-3 may significantly reduce the risk of all inflammatory ailments, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.” short_quote=”Omega-3s are an essential ingredient in an anticancer diet, and they protect against heart disease too”]

Good sources of essential fatty acids are those that come from nature: avocados, nuts, seeds, extra-virgin olive oil, flaxseed, fatty fish, grass-fed beef and butter and pastured eggs. Good fats are healthy in moderation.

Bad fats are man-made industrial fats such as refined vegetable oils processed under high heat, which makes them rancid and carcinogenic. These oils include corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, and synthetic trans fats. They have too much omega-6 leading to inflammation, which leads to disease.

Trans fats are the worst for our health. They’re formed by hydrogenation in which unsaturated fats are pelted with hydrogen atoms to make artificially saturated fat. That’s how firm margarine is made from liquid corn oil. Hydrogenated oils are solid at room temperature and shelf-stable, making them useful for processed foods. But trans fats cause heart disease, and other maladies. Fast food and processed foods are loaded with industrial (bad) fats.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”right” source_author=”Kris Carr” source_title=”Crazy, Sexy Cancer” full_quote=”Vegetable oil is heavily processed under high heat and pressure turning into trans fats, which distorts fat molecules in a way, your body can’t recognize as food. These fat molecules cause inflammation, cardiovascular harm, liver, kidney and bowel stagnation and accelerate the aging process.” short_quote=”Vegetable oil is heavily processed under high heat and pressure turning into trans fats, which distorts fat molecules in a way, your body can’t recognize as food”]

Health problems associated with a high-fat diet come from consuming processed oils and trans fats, and too much animal fat.

What to do?

Moderate use of good fats is beneficial. Essential fatty acids increase the absorption of immune system-supporting micronutrients and phytochemicals. For example, an olive oil or nut-based salad dressing helps the body absorb more of the carotenoids and certain nutrients in raw vegetables. This can help minimize heart disease and diabetes. The key is moderation.

I choose to avoid bad fats: hydrogenated (vegetable) oils (fast food is cooked in it), junk food and processed foods loaded with industrial fats. I don’t buy or cook with corn, safflower, sunflower and soybean oils.

Instead I choose fats close to nature, and try to use them in moderation:

  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Unrefined coconut oil
  • Avocado oil
  • Butter and milk from grass-fed cows; better ratio of good omega-3, and minus the hormones and antibiotics of factory farmed animals (high in bad omega-6)

I also use expeller-pressed canola oil ocassionally for cooking because I trust Dr. Andrew Weil.

For further health empowerment check out:

The Problem with Refined Oils

How to Find and Avoid Trans Fats

Separating Fat from Fiction

Recipes

Nut Crusted Salmon

This nutrient dense, delicious recipe is also good brain food.

Salmon is rich in Omega-3 essential fatty acids that

  • help build brain cells
  • fight inflammation in the brain and
  • increase production of brain growth hormones that give your brain the ability to grow and change

Nuts have a mix of protein, healthy fats and slow-burning carbohydrates. They’re also rich in fiber, zinc, iron and essential vitamins.

You can add veggies tossed with olive oil, sea salt and minced garlic to roast with the salmon. Some of my favorites are:

  • asparagus
  • green beans
  • broccoli

Leftovers make a filling second meal.

  • Toss roasted salmon and veggies with greens, add rainbow vegges (carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc)
  • Add to a grain bowl, mix in additional veggies and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette or pesto
  • Make a wrap with pesto and greens

Salmon with Orange and Black Olive Salsa

Maybe it is living in the US southwest, maybe it is summer heat, but somewhere along the way, I’ve developed a keen taste for fresh salsa not as a condiment for Mexican foods, but as a zesty way to dress up grilled and roasted fish fillets. Or chicken and pork tenderloin.

In this case, salmon.

Juicy orange, kalamata olives and garden-fresh basil join together in flavorful harmony enhancing the pleasure of every bite atop grilled salmon. No grill? No problem, simply roast the salmon fillet in the oven.

I like to serve this with CMF Rice or CMF Quinoa with the crunch of toasted pecans.

I’ve even served it with Quinoa Tabbouleh for a colorful summertime dinner. Add a spinach salad with sliced red bell peppers or grated carrots and toasted sunflowers seeds and dinner is a visual and tasty delight.

For dessert, Epicurious: Plum Kuchen

Variations:

  • Cilantro or parsley instead of basil
  • With or without olives
  • Green onion instead of red onion

Roasted Salmon with Tomato Olive Salsa

Something magical happens with this combination of tomato, black olives and basil. The flavors fuse with such harmony it makes every bite a feast for the tastebuds.

For a long time I didn’t bother seeding the tomatoes, but the salsa was so runny I finally did and discovered it is really worth it. Simply scoop seeds out with a spoon (I mix the seeds into salad dressing to put them to good use). Removing the seeds makes the salsa more chunky and prevents it from becoming too runny.

The basil is heavenly in this dish, but the salsa is also quite tasty with parsley or cilantro which what I usually have.

I like to serve this with CMF Rice or CMF Quinua usually adding toasted, chopped walnuts for crunch and that extra nutrient boost. Add an arugula (or mixed green salad) tossed with peas or with blueberries, a couple of sliced green onions with CMF Basic Salad Dressing and dinner is complete.

Make this menu for dinner guests, adding an appetizer and dessert, both of which can be made the day before:

Get an extra meal out of it, lunch or another dinner later in the week:

  • Chop up the salmon and toss with leftover tomato olive salsa, arugula and leftover rice for a one-dish salad lunch (or dinner)
  • Spread plain Greek yogurt on a wrap, place salmon, tomato olive salsa and greens and roll it up. Add leftover grains or white beans to make it a more robust meal.