I know fish oil (EPA/DHA being the health star components) is not as romantic as two star-crossed lovers, BUT, EPA/DHA has so many health benefit, it wouldn’t hurt to think of in it in “romantic health terms”, it’s THAT GOOD for your health.  I know you’ve already heard of the the many health benefits of EPA/DHA from my husband Randy’s “Virtual Check-Ups”, the most recent mentioning the brain health benefits of a regular intake of EPA/DHA.  I would also like to put in a few words for one of my favorite food sources and supplement.  It helps me to think of the right amount of EPA/DHA, in the form of foods or supplements, as being a “fire extinguisher” for inflammation in the body, in non-chemical terms, but it facilitates an understanding of the importance of it.  Remember that sustained inflammation is the root of many chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.  So among EPA/DHA’s health benefits are the possible prevention of these chronic diseases.  It also is great for skin health, leaving you more youthful looking.  In addition, one of my favorite benefits of EPA/DHA is the alleviation of arthritic pain.  I sustained injuries to both of my feet from running in my earlier years, I participated in many hours of running to train for fun runs and triathalons, but I totally ignored the pain in my feet (which by the way, are totally flat).    I don’t run anymore, but I still exercise everyday and a daily dose of EPA/DHA is part of my regimen for pain alleviation.  So how much should you take per day?  I tell my clients to get the equivalent of 1-2 grams of EPA/DHA per day, if strictly for health maintenance.  My top fish choices for EPA/DHA and their content are as follows:

Alaskan Salmon; 5 oz = 2 gram of EPA/DHA
Fresh Albacore Tuna-6 oz. baked-2.2 grams of EPA/DHA
Tuna in a can with water-6 oz. =.46 grams of EPA/DHA
Herring (Pacific)- 3 oz. = 1.81 grams of EPA/DHA
Sardines-2.5 oz. = 1 gram of EPA/DHA
Trout- baked- 3 oz. = .84 grams of EPA/DHA

My family and I consume EPA/DHA food sources at least once per week, but, that is not enough to get the great health benefits.  We rely on daily high quality (mercury-free) fish oil supplements.  I also recommend to my clients (and my family and friends), if suffering from any type of arthritic pain (or old injuries), to take more EPA/DHA, to get that extra anti-inflammatory boost.  Discover the “romantic health benefits” of daily EPA/DHA, not exactly a Romeo and Juliet saga, but, I think, the next best thing.     

What do you think of when you hear the words “Conjugated Linoleic Acid”? Maybe some new cleaner that finally eliminates soap scum from your shower with no effort at all? I’ll bet you can’t even imagine it might be a type of fatty acid, when included in the diet in it’s natural form, has anti-cancer, anti-atherogenic and immune boosting properties. Is it some miracle cure that you can take in pill form and it will magically make you immune to all disease? The answer is no, the supplement form of CLA has not proven effective, and may be harmful, but let’s back up a little bit first though. Conjugated Linoleic Acid, better known as CLA actually has 16 different molecular shapes, each with a specific set of benefits. The “natural” type of CLA available in dietary sources, namely ruminant meat and dairy products, is referred to by chemists as cis-9, tran-11 CLA, or rumenic acid. What I mean by “ruminant meat” is meat from mammals that eat plant-based foods and initially soften their foods in their first stomach, then regurgitate the “cud” mass and chew it again. Examples of ruminant animals are cattle, sheep, goat, bison, yak, deer, alpaca, giraffes, water buffalo, camels and wildebeest. Please note that lean hamburger from grass-fed cattle have two and ½ times more CLA than an equally lean hamburger from grain fed cattle in from a feedlot. The cis 9/trans 11 form of CLA (the natural one) has a great deal of scientific support, predominantly from animal and test-tube studies, human studies are beginning to trickle out suggesting it’s potent cancer-fighting qualities. The amazing qualities of this natural CLA, has been it’s ability, in very small amounts, to block all three stages of cancer, namely: 1)initiation 2)promotion and 3)metastasis. That’s really something since the majority of anti-cancer agents blocks only one of these stages. For example, a recent study found a 60% reduction in breast cancer risk for the women with the highest levels of natural CLA. The natural CLA’s anti-atherogenic and immune boosting qualities are even more icing on the “health cake with a recent report in the May, 2010 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study, as Randy pointed out, studied Costa Ricans that drank whole milk from cows that were grass-fed. Grass-fed cows produce about five times the amount of natural CLA as grain fed cows. The study concluded that the higher the content of CLA in the participants’ fat, the lower the risk of a heart attack, with the group having the highest levels of CLA associated with a 49% decrease in risk of heart attack. So how do we procure some of this natural CLA (cis 9/trans 11)? The best way to get the most bang for your natural CLA buck is to buy dairy products and ruminant meat that is grass-fed. This is not as tough as it sounds. More and more dairy and cattle farms are getting back to the basics and are taking the time to grass feed their animals for the overwhelming health benefits. Believe my husband and I, the taste is terrific when it’s raised and processed correctly. That’s beef, the way it ought to be!

A DIET CHALLEGE

Let me expand on Randy’s recent “Diet Wars” edition of The Virtual Checkup.  I agree that one study alleging the Atkins is superior to low fat approaches is not proof enough since the Atkins dieters lost marginally less weight than the low fat group (i.e. less than one dress size or minimal HDL increase).  However, there is no refuting the scientific evidence that higher amounts of lean protein in the diet contribute to greater satiety, which in turn leads to higher compliance rates.

Just look at the study mentioned in an earlier Virtual Checkup titled “Egg Breakfast Enhances Weight Loss.”  That study pointed out that in the two groups on a weight loss diet, one  consumed an egg for breakfast and the other ate a bagel.  In the end, the “egg” group lost more weight than the “bagel” group, strictly because the “egg” group was less hungry for the remainder of the day and ate fewer calories than the bagel group. 

So lean protein (that’s low-fat cuts of red meat, poultry, cold-water fish, nuts, low-fat dairy and eggs) along with a diet high in non-starchy vegetables, lower-sugar fruits (especially the berries), good fats (i.e. nuts, olives, avocadoes) and water is the diet that has been my mainstay for quite a few years.   

I know also that the current diatery mantra is to have a lot of grains in a healthy diet, but, if you are going back to a caveman diet, where were his/her grains?  I’ll tell you where they were, they WERE NOT THERE.   Grains are really a new item on the scene for man’s consumption.  If you are really following a low fat protein, non-starchy vegetable, low-sugar fruit, good fats and water type diet, you are getting the fiber you need for a healthy diet, without the grains and you feel GREAT AND ENERGIZED.  Yes, sometimes I indulge in other food items, but I can tell the difference when I don’t follow it.

So my question for you all is this; what diet has worked best for you?  Have you been able to keep off your weight with the diet you are following?  Everyone is different and responds to different diets, it would be great if we could all give each other tips for losing and maintaining weight.  I consider weight that big gorilla in the room no one wants to talk about, because it’s always there.  Maybe we can help one another here and boot that gorilla out of the room for good!   

Randy and I were talking about healthy recipes on last week's 12/5/09 "Vital Signs" show. The following is a healthier version of a recipe for "Birds of Paradise" that my mother-in-law Pat Tobler gave me many years ago. Please note that the members of our family are major "sauce" eaters, so if the amount of liquid on the "Birds of Paradise" is too much for you, you can reduce some of the chicken broth and wine, and if you want a thicker sauce, you can add a little corn starch to the sauce mixture in a separate pan after it comes out of the oven and make it thicker. The original recipe calls for 1 to 1/2 sticks of butter.

This recipe make the difference in flavor by the added chicken broth and wine, but the smaller amount of olive oil (1/4 cup) still gives it that touch of moistness. Enjoy it, my family requests it at least once per month!