The GAIA Health Blog

"Let thy food be thy medicine" –Hippocrates, circa 420 BC

below…. Smoked, Omega-3 rich Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon and Herbed Goat Cheese Tartine (click photo for recipe)

Disease prevention is the result of a series of interconnected wellness habits and activities, of which, I am convinced that eating habits is of the utmost importance.

Overwhelming evidence is starting to surface that one of the "major players" in what is causing all the cancer in the USA, is the imbalance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids ratio in out diet.

My blog readers depend on me to give them "the scoop" without out all the scientific "mumbo-jumbo", so let me break this thing down in an easily digestible manner……pin intended………

below, Spicy Shrimp Corn Chowder (with omega-3 rich shrimp), make sure corn is non-GMO, click photo below for recipe

The Short Story…..Omega-6 Overkill

In a nutshell (as my readers prefer it), we get omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids from different types of foods. The issue is not so much omega-6 fats are bad for you, but if seems that the American diet is overloaded with omega-6 fatty acids, while omega-3 are often grossly lacking.

The proper balance between the two is what promotes better health, including cancer prevention. This pertains to many types of cancer, and studies are showing Breast and Prostate Cancer risk reduction can transpire via involking the dietary adjustment of getting more omega-3's into the diet (and reducing omega-6's).

below , [omega-3 rich] Pan-seared trout with Red Boat fish sauce vinaigrette, hazelnuts and tangerines.

Cancer and Omega 3 Deficiency

In my ongoing research on diet and cancer, there seem to be four or five major issues that affect cancer, some of them I wrote about, including lack of B17 nitrilosides in the American Diet, as well as vitamin D deficiency, and now, the low ratio of omega-3 fatty acids relative to omega-6 fatty acids in the Modern American diet, is beginning to be addressed by nutrition researchers.

I get the impression that the imbalance is caused by excessive omega-6 rich vegetable oils brought into the American Diet in recent decades, i.e., corn oil, vegetable oils like Wesson and Crisco, sunflower, and cottonseed oils.

above, Vanilla Chia Pudding, with Omega-3 Rich Chia Seeds (click on either photo above for recipe)

…you can also add Chia seeds straight to smoothies or sprinkle over oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, or just about anything else
read my article on Chia here

below, Goat Cheese, Olive, and Cranberry Tartines, with Omega-3 rich chia seeds (click on photo below for recipe)

Plants with the highest levels of Vegetarian Omega-3

Flax Seeds (highest omega-3 of all foods, be it vegetable or meat), Chia, and Walnuts

Flax note: my research suggest that flax "may" increase estrogen levels in men. That research was "inconclusive", and I'm not sure if eating excessive flax would mean anything for men. However until I learn more, I avoid flax, since I get so much omega-3 from other sources. Also, it seesm flaxseeds might not be easily converted to the type of O-3 that the body needs. So I'd suggest doing your homework before overloading on flax. read more here

Chia note: just like with flax, when I tried chia, it didn't seem to be best thing for me, I felt somewhat "stopped up".  For me, since I am never gonna be a vegetarian, it seems like the animal based O-3, like from salmon, is best for me. However everyone's biochemistry is diffenent, and we each have to find our own way.

below, Baby Kale Salad with Apricots, Feta & Apricot Dressing (click photo below for recipe)
kale has moderate omega-3 but eating it consistently, allows one to reap omega-3 and other benefits from this nutrient packed veggie

Other Vegetarian Omega-3

Certain vegetables have a "fair" amount of omega-3, the problem is that by volume, you would have to eat a heck of a lot to get omega-3 benefits. I might suggest, for daily smoothie drinkers, you pick as many as you can and bring them into your daily smoothies, to get those nutrients in daily.

Basil, Winter Squash, Raspberries, Kale, Thyme, Oregano, Broccoli,  Argula, Spinach

to see full list of omega-3 rich vegetables, go here

below, walnuts are probably the easiest non meat omega-3 to bring in daily, sprinkle chopped on oatmeal or yogurt, add to trail mix

below, I always add Omega-3 rich walnuts to my "healthy pastries", such as this Zucchini Coconut Lunchbox Bread
(click on photo below for recipe, just use a quality sweetener, I currently use Birch Tree Xylitol or wild raw honey)

Seal Sandwich? Probably not…….I'll settle for Grass Fed Beef

An interesting thing I noticed on the list of high omega-3 foods, I noticed Seal was high on the list. Seal is mainly consumed by the Inuit Native Americans (Eskimos).

The important point there is that historically there is overwhelming scientific, historical, and medical evidence that the Inuit diet of Seal, Wild Caught Salmon, and other foods high in omega-3's, allowed the Inuit to [supposedly] remain cancer free (at least until adopting the Western Diet)

I found the nutrients in grass fed beef have health and healing properties, as opposed to commercially raised beef. For whatever reason, omega 3 benefits are ONLY IN GRASS FED BEEF!!!

above "Daddy's Burgers" (make with Omega-3 rich Grass Fed Beef)…click on photo above for recipe

(ONLY GRASS FED BEEF HAS THE BENEFITS OF HIGH OMEGA-3, COMMERCIAL BEEF IS HIGH IN OMEGA-6!!!!)

below, Omega-3 rich Grilled Flank Steak from Grass Fed Beef, with Balsamic Fig and Mint Salsa….click photo below for recipe

Mercury, To fish or not to fish…..

Fish is kind of a "double edged sword" in that fish has many health and healing benefits including many species being high in omega-3….but then, there is the "mercury levels" issue

Mercury levels in fish vary wildly from species to species, and I kinda lucked out, because Wild Caught Salmon is my fav', and the highest o-3 of all fish, and I can eat it almost every day, and also Wild Caught Salmon is relatively low in Mercury. I do enjoy other fish occasionally, but I don't worry because I consume Chlorella in my smoothies, since Chlorella removes mercury and other heavy metals from the body

For full list of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids go here

Fish eaters should bring chlorella their your daily regiment, to remove mercury and other heavy metals from the body

below "Fish in a Bag", the sealed bag uses steam to cook the fish, infused with wine and spices…click photo below for recipe

Omega-3 Sources to Avoid

Canola Oil: Although high in omega-3 and marketed to give that benefit, this is one of the top 3 worst foods to be introduced to the human diet since the beginning of mankind (in my opinion).  To read my article on the health hazards of canola go here

Soy: I think people think just because they hear the name "soy", it means "something healthy". However, the Soy consumed in the USA has nothing to do with the naturally fermented soy used for health and healing in the Far East for thousands of years. To read about the
dangers of soy, go here

below making omega-3 fun, with grilled lemon-salmon skewers
(use Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon only, since Farm Raised Salmon is high in omega-6)
…..click on photo below for recipe

Do Your Homework……

…and you will see for yourself that omega-3 deficiency is one of the most critical issues affecting our health, and getting omega-3 and omega-6 ratios back in balance helps addresses health concerns such as Breast Cancer and Prostate cancer.

This is supposed to be Breast Cancer Awareness month. Are we making any effort to take it upon ourselves to be aware of the healing powers of nature and the human body, or are we just wearing Pink, waiting for someone else to solve these issues?

note: if you start researching this issue, you might run across internet info (that seems to have spread like wildfire), that omega-3 can increase prostate cancer risk. When I looked into it deeper, it seemed conclusions were based upon exactly flawed study. To read a good explanation of this flawed study, go here

~stay healthy~

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check out all my articles in "Eat Smart", the science of food (click here or on the photo below)