30 November 2011

face book christmas









lots of fish in the sea


 

Well..... it's Salmon, alright... It says "wild" but not "Alaskan." 
In fact, it says it came from China! 
Caught maybe by wild people?

Hmm. Since it doesn't say "Alaskan" Salmon, 
Maybe they are Atlantic Salmon.
Atlantic Salmon are near extinction. (link)
So most of the so-called Atlantic Salmon (link)
are indeed Farm-Raised. (link)
And by "most," I mean "all." (link
This is a government report that states:
"Wild Atlantic salmon population levels are very low, 
and commercial fishing for the species is prohibited. 
Almost all of the Atlantic salmon sold in the United States 
comes from aquaculture operations."

In short, there are no such things as "Wild" Atlantic Salmon.
And because they are fed a diet of soy, (and other things)
they typically have higher levels of Omega 6.
And if you have to gag the yukky things down,
(even I don't like them)
at least make sure you get your Omega 3's!!
Alaskan Wild Caught Salmon info here
Atlantic Farm-Raised Salmon info here
64 mg Omega 6 vs. 666 mg Omega 6, respectively!
Just make sure you know what you are getting!
And why!
That symbol - the blue circle - MSC (link)
Is the Marine Stewardship Council...
The package says it's sustainable - meaning?
Not overfished. Verified source. (link)
Maybe fishing boats and vessels, and fisheries..

Total fat 2.5  minus the sat fat = 2.0 grams of....  PUFA?
There are only 4 kinds of fat!
1. Saturated Fat
2. MUFA - MonoUnsaturated
3. PUFA- PolyUnsaturated
 4. Transfat
Remember, they are not required to list PUFA's.


Walmart brand salmon (link)
About half the reviewers said they threw the fish out...
Or fed it to the family dog.
The other half LOVED it!
At least the price it right! 

To be fair - the same debate rages on about Costco Salmon, too.
There are dozens of Salmon threads on-line.
Debating if the product is really wild - or not! (link)

So wonder it's so hard to just buy fish.
It's maddening!
Buyer be aware!

This just in!
I wrote to the Company "Yihe Corporation"
The name on the actual package of fish I bought.
And they actually responded - in one day!


"The Latin species name is Oncorhynchus Gorbuscha, FDA approved common names are “Pink Salmon” or “Salmon.” This species is only Wild Caught. The fish is caught in Alaskan USA waters by US fisherman. We buy from them and ship the fish frozen with head and guts removed to our facility located in Qingdao China. There we inspect for further for quality, do partial thaw and cut to specification. Our facilities are all HACCP and BRC certified facilities with very experienced quality assurance personnel. We also do all packaging in China. The finished product is shipped to US where we arrange deliveries to Wal-Mart distribution centers. FDA and the USDA regulations require we label as: Product of China – Wild Caught"

So there ya have it!

food I avoid and why

This is a LoCarb blog. So I already avoid Carbs!
No bread, or grain, or too much starch.
Not too many sweets!  But we knew that!



If total PUFA consumption should be 4 - 10%
of total intake, and I eat around 1500 calories a day....
That is max 150 calories from PUFA a day.
Which is (divided by 9) about 17 grams total PUFA.
[And that is before the ratio business even starts.]

Sooooo not only do we (all) tend to eat too much Omega 6,
We tend to eat way too much PUFA altogether!
And I am not fat-phobic. I am on a high fat diet!
Just not so much the PUFAs!

I wonder in my heart if it's not so much JUST the numbers that matter.
But the rancid things that happens to the PUFA's
when they are overheated. Which is like 90% of the time.
Fragile little bonds that they are.

Here are some things I don't eat any more... any why!


  
I don't eat "alot" of chicken any more.
Too much N6... Omega 6!
Same with MAYO. Look at the mayo!
And Nuts. Wow! Who knew?
So chicken salad if a thing of the past! (link)
Almost 50 grams - that's 50,000 mg...of Omega 6
for the bowl of Walnut Chicken Salad (2 cans) and I would eat it all!

If some of these Paleo Bloggers REALLY understood
the N6 of chicken, would they still eat it?
Maybe just once in a while.


The same numbers apply to most soy-based salad dressings, too.
Ranch Dressing - one serving has about 20 grams of Omega 6.
Depends on the brand, of course!

I don't eat alot of Tilapia, or warm water fish.
N6 is way low! Plus I don't care for them.

 
Nuts of all kinds are off my agenda - for now.
This is 1 cup of mixed nuts... 18 grams of N6.


And this kinda excludes the nut flours, too. They can't be better than
the sum of the parts. 6 grams N6 per 100 grams.
*sigh*


Olive oil is a so-so thing....
But I didn't throw away the bottle I already had!
Mostly I cook with butter, or coconut oil. 
Or bacon or beef fat that I rendered myself!  (link)

But all the other veggie oils are out. (link)
Corn, soy, canola, safflower, sunflower, yuk! (link)



My beloved Peanut Butter, of course,  
did not survive the cut. This is just 100 grams.
Time was, I could eat that much per bite!

I also stopped going to McDonald's.
Too many funky oils.  (link)
I wrote to them. Asked them about the Omega 6
content of  Big Mac. They answered!
Said they were not obligated to disclose.

But here the total PUFA is less than the Trans Fat!
Maybe in the bread which I don't eat! Who knows.
The meat at McDonald's is 100% beef.

I also stopped going to Pizza Hut.
They use soy meat! (link)

I stopped using Aspartame.
No need to risk the unknown 
when there are "better" sweetener options already.

And MSG is probably a thing we don't need.
I started making my own beef - and salmon - jerky!
Much better than any you can buy.

I also stopped drinking. 
Too many carbs. Plus too many head injuries!
*wink* But mainly the carbs.
Before Atkins sold out to a larger crowd,
He wrote that one ounce of hard liquor has the 
equivalent of 17 grams of carbs. 
It's the classic diet staller!
Plus... who need the extra work on the liver?
Not us- that's who!

This is just a partial list... 
I'm sure there's more!
Thanks for reading!

paleo blonde

Here's a typical day for me .. since a few people have asked!

   
Breakfast:
Eggs raw, or poached and smeared with KerryGold Butter
Maybe some cheese - maybe not
Maybe some bacon - maybe not
Coffee with Heavy Whipping Cream
Trying to cut out the Splenda... or keep it down to a dull roar.
No more than 2 packets a day.

I tried to - and did - give up coffee a few times.
All I did was "prove" that I could do it.
Went back. That's ok!
I cut back one day a week or so.
Try to get more tea on those days.

My diet is pretty high in fat.
Some days more than other.
It's a high(er) fat /lo carb diet for sure.
But not a crazy one!
Maybe all those previous cravings for fats 
were just missing micro-nutrients!!

 
Try to get some work out in everyday.
Stretching, at a minimum.
CrossFit twice a week.
Walking is a daily goal... not always met!
No need to add another OCD behaviour to my repertoire!
I take it easy and do as much as I can.
I'm learning when to "push it" and when to stay good.
Bodies love to move and play!
It was a great day when fitness stopped being a chore -
and became something I looked forward to!

Protein shake for at least one meal a day.
Still for my weight loss phases.
And the convenience of taking it to work! 

 
 
Dinner
is something cooked. In the summer in Texas - it is sometimes
too hot to cook! So somedays I have 2 protein shakes a day.
They are meal replacements for me. Complete. 

Here's some yummy grass-fed beef. 
Sometimes it's grain-fed. 
Sometimes with cheese - mostly not.
Some bacon-wrapped asparagus.
Canned Salmon or Mackerel.
Chicken - not so much - after I studied the Omega 6's!
Some pork, but not so much the salty stuff.
Trying to keep those down to a dull roar.

 
 
Here's some fresh/frozen Salmon. 
 I have fish 6 days a week.
I do take the cod liver oil every day...
as part of my 100 days of fish.
Some salad - easy on the N6 dressing!
Some veggies - not too starchy, please!
Green Beans, Peppers, Summer Squash, Spinach,
Avocados, Tomatos, Onions, Cauliflower...

My veggie selection reads like an Atkins primer.
Nuts are mostly "off" after I learned about the Omega 6
and inflammation properties! And of course, no grains.

LoCarb
is not all work and no play!
I like the starchy veggies... sweet potatoes and butternut squash.
And some berries - seen here with Heavy Whipping Cream!
I am learning that fats and carbs don't play nice together.
So on days I have a little more starch or berries,
I lay off the fats and butter. (link)
Seems you can pick 2 - fat, protein, and carbs.
But not all 3. At least not at once.

"Paleo Blonde"
Kinda sums it all up for me right now.
Food is part of a lifestyle of health.
Fitness is part of health.
Is 100% compliance even possible?
Someone, somewhere would debate even that.

We have environmental toxins all around us.
No one would debate that!
There are probably blogs devoted to the dangers of soap!
(Much less - hair dye!)
So I try to keep it between the lines...
Still with one foot in each world.
The wholesome, natural, organic world...
and the "real" world of "compromise."
The difference is - I no longer have one foot in the grave!
Mostly I try to eat clean. Live clean!
But I don't demand 100%  -- all the time.

Thanks for reading!

my fish oil


So we know what NOT to get in a Fish Oil.
Now what is left? (link)

I googled Fish Oil, and HAL went crazy over here!
Millions and millions of hits. Like this:

"Top Fish Oil Brands at Livestrong
Zone Labs ............ 200 DHA/400 EPA
Omega 3 Plus .............. no listing of  amounts!
Xtend Life Omega 3 .................. 280 DHA
Nordic Naturals .................. 800 DHA/400 EPA" (link)

Many of these also have a base of soy bean oil.
1,000 mg capsule = 1 gram of carrier/oil...
One gram of soybean oil has about 567 mg of Omega 6.
Some of them have Vitamin E or D added, too.

Fish oil is so HOT right now -
They even charge you to look at the reviews and comparisons!
Incredible. Top Secret Inside Information for sale.
Some are even selling memberships to Fish Oil Clubs.
Not to mention, the pills are like $60 a month - and up!
Man, did I ever pick the wrong career!

$500 a year for your monthly Fish Oil re-up....
AND just look at all the things Fish Oil is said to cure!
Acne, Alzheimers, Bunions, Depression, 
Weight-Loss, Zombie-ism, and many more ailments!

Eh- what can ya, do, eh?

Learn as much as you can about Fish Oil.. for starters.
With OUT for the hype.
Know that small amounts of DHA are no good.
Small amounts of EPA are no good. (link)

In fact, if you want to buy those lesser products,
it might be better to take your money,
and give it to your fave group - for the holidays!

Some people asked me about my own supplements.
Remember - it wasn't that long ago that I lived 
on Monster drinks, and Advil, and Trident gum.
Trident is not really from the Ocean...so it doesn't count!
... a pretty strict - and typical LoCarb diet!
The ONLY requirement was that the carbs were low.
Now, I take my health MUCH more seriously.
Still I'm just learning and evolving here!

I'm still in my long-term weight loss phase.
I take a Multi-vitamin...
Alive! - for now. (link) I'm always trying new ones!
This one is pretty good. 
I also take an SL B-12. (link)
I take vitamin C at night.
And I take my Omega 3.
I have taken Cod Liver Oil... Carlson's.
240 EPA /300 DHA

There are Primal Kits out there (link)
That have 900 EPA/600 DHA

This one is popular with the CrossFit/Paleo 
crowd... but almost too strong for me! (link)
Over 5 grams of EPA/DHA  (triglyceride form.)

Nature Made (Walmart)
660 EPA/500 DHA (link)
[fish burps reported]

Vita Cost Fish Oil (link)
360 EPA/240 DHA
[no fish burps reported]

And by the way - I have no affiliation, or endorsment 
with anyone ...ever... no group or product.
Just so you know. This is all just my own observation.

click my pic!

HOWEVER, the very best way to get more Omega 3's 
in your daily and weekly diet - 
is to eat more Salmon and Oily Fish!!
AND limit the Omega 6's.
You can not take enough Omega 3 to cancel out a bad diet!
Keep all PUFA's down to a dull roar -
for the inflammation caused by the excess Omega 6's!

I love it when we are all able to learn together - 
as we go! What kind /numbers do you take?