Omega 3s for me, please.

We've probably all heard how important it is to consume Omega 3 fatty acids in our diet for lowering triglycerides and blood pressure. Omega-3s are essential fatty acids; we need them for our bodies to work properly. One of their most important benefits is that they seem to have an anti-inflammatory effect. And there are studies, reports WebMD, showing that omega-3 fatty acids may help with other conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and many more.

Are you getting enough in your diet?

According to experts, probably not. And most people you know – your spouse, your toddler, and your mom – probably aren’t either.

 

“Pretty much everybody’s diet is deficient in omega-3s,” says David C. Leopold, MD, director of integrative medical education at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in San Diego. (from WebMD)

What foods, beside wild salmon, contain Omega 3s? Check out Your Omega-3 Family Shopping List.

Early research is showing that infants, children and teens can benefits from Omega-3s for cognitive development, growth, ADHD and asthma (read the article below for more information.)

 

How do you get your child to eat more Omega 3s?

Parents magazine offers some tips:

• Introduce fish to your baby during the first year, to help her develop a taste for it. Then serve it often.
• Be creative: Grill fish on skewers, sauté fish cakes, make fish tacos, or mix it into pasta sauce.
• Buy DHA-fortified milk, soy milk, eggs, and orange juice when possible.
• Get into the habit of cooking with canola, flax, hemp or soy oil.
• Bake chia, hemp or ground flaxseeds into muffins, pancakes and crepes, and sprinkle them over yogurt or cereal.
• Give your bigger children omega-rich walnuts to snack on.

Just like any other important nutrient, mineral or food – don't over do it and don't leave it out. Incorporate omega-3s into a varied, healthy diet.

 

 

Action Item: Seek out ways to incorporate fish into your meals. And keep eating those leafy greens! Check out allrecipes.com for salmon or tuna recipes that interest you.

 

For Further Reading: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Fact Sheet, Omega-3 and Brain Health, and Who Needs Omega-3s?

No Eggs? No Problem.

A few people have mentioned to me about using flaxseed as an egg replacement, and I had never tried it until this morning. While making pancakes, I was about to use flaxseed meal to replace some of the flour when I remembered that I can use it instead of the egg! It worked great for pancakes, and the taste was great. My son ate three of them!

Eggs have more protein, but flaxseeds have fiber so use what works best for your diet. Use flaxseed if you are trying to get more Omega-3 fatty acids* in your diet, if you are out of eggs, or if you are cutting back on cholesterol and saturated fat intake.

Care2.com explains that flaxseeds are a nutritional powerhouse and sneaking some into baked goods is an easy way to get some of their wonderful nutrients into your diet. Read on for an easy tip on how to substitute flaxseeds for eggs.
 Flaxseeds are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid that appears to be beneficial for heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and a variety of other health conditions. They also contains a group of chemicals called lignans that may play a role in the prevention of cancer.

With all of this goodness, it seems like a great idea to get flaxseeds into one’s diet in any way possible.

To replace one egg:
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
3 tablespoons water (or other liquid)

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Stir together until thick and gelatinous.

You can also use whole flaxseeds:
1 tablespoon whole flaxseeds
4 tablespoons water (or other liquid) Process seeds in a blender to a fine meal, add liquid and blend well. You can make a bigger batch by increasing the ingredient amounts. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

*According to MayoClinic.com, flaxseeds contain a precursor to omega-3 fatty acids. These fats play a critical role in your brain function, growth and development. They may also reduce inflammation in your body and lower your risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and arthritis, according the University of Maryland Medical Center. Most eggs from the grocery store don't have a significant omega-3 content, however hens that are free range and eat a large amount of grasses tend to lay eggs with a high omega-3 content. --SF Gate Flaxseed vs Eggs


Action Item: Try this in one of your baking recipes. The articles below give some helpful advice when using flaxseed.

For Further Reading: Flaxseed vs. Eggs and Flaxseed Egg Substitute