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February 24, 2016
February 19, 2016
January 27, 2016
I'm glad to see that a prominent panel is recommending that US women be screened for postpartum depression. Pregnancy takes a great deal out of women, as everyone knows, including her supply of Omega-3s, which help to protect the brain against depression and many other conditions. Please read Web MDs report on the well-documented connection between Omega-3s and postpartum depression and remember that Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies are a great way to boost your tissue Omega-3s.
Omega-3s May Cut Risk of Postpartum Depression
Study Shows Eating Fatty Fish May Be Helpful in Preventing Symptoms of Postpartum Depression
By Denise Mann
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
WebMD News Archive
April 11, 2011 -- Eating fatty fish or other foods rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy may help lower your risk of developing symptoms commonly seen in postpartum depression, a small study suggests.
The findings are slated for presentation at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting in Washington, D.C.
Many new mothers experience the “baby blues” in the first few weeks after delivery. Symptoms of the baby blues, such as mood swings, insomnia, and feeling overwhelmed, are generally not long-lasting.
Postpartum depression is a more serious illness. It has moderate to severe depression symptoms such as sadness and hopelessness, severe mood swings, confusion, guilt, sleeping and eating disturbances, and sometimes thoughts of suicide.
There is a wealth of research linking omega-3 fatty acids such as those found in salmon and other oily fish to improved cardiovascular health. Omega-3 fatty acids are important to the development of a fetus’s neurologic development and growth. In fact, some prenatal vitamins contain omega-3 fatty acids including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
In the new study, 52 pregnant women took either a corn oil placebo pill or a fish oil capsule containing 300 milligrams of DHA for five days a week during the 24th to 40th weeks of their pregnancy. The amount of DHA contained in each capsule is the equivalent of about one-half serving of salmon.
The researchers used a postpartum depression screening scale to determine if the women were showing any signs or symptoms of postpartum depression two weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months after delivery.
Women who received the fish oil supplements scored lower on the scale and had significantly fewer postpartum depression symptoms than those who received the placebo. Women in the fish oil group were also less likely to report anxiety symptoms, the study shows.
But the study was too small to draw any sweeping conclusions about fish oil and risk for postpartum depression.
"DHA consumption during pregnancy -- at levels that are reasonably attained from foods -- has the potential to decrease symptoms of postpartum depression," conclude study researchers led by Michelle Price Judge, PhD, RD, a faculty member at the University of Connecticut School of Nursing.
January 04, 2016
Happy New Year -- and I hope some of caught the PBS version of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food which aired on December 30th. The participants in the film were asked to contribute recipes that support Michael's maxim "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants" so I gave them my recipe for pressure-cooker risotto. Here it is -- as on http://www.pbs.org/food/
"Ever since I learned that one can make risotto in the pressure cooker -- in just 7 minutes, this has been my favorite go-to recipe for a quick, luxurious meal. It can be varied endlessly, depending on what vegetables or mushrooms are handy and never fails to impress. I make a high Omega-3 version of risotto, of course, by using either canola oil to saute the rice or by adding a tablespoon of golden flaxseed meal at the end (at the same time as the parmesan and cream). Both methods produce a creamy,delicious risotto with a healthy balance of essential fats. You'll be lucky to have any leftovers." - Susan Allport
This recipe appears on courtesy of Susan Allport, author of The Queen of Fats: Why Omega-3s were removed from the Western Diet and what we can do to replace them (University of California Press, 2006).
December 21, 2015
I went to my first movie premiere last month: a film treatment of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, in which I had a small cameo. I spoke, of course, about Omega-3s and their competition with Omega-6s for positions in cell membranes. The book -- and film -- acknowledge the importance of Omega-3s but spend more time on the lowest hanging "fruit" in America's troublesome diet: the tremendous amount of extra sugars and calories in the form of soft drinks and overly-sweetened processed foods. I couldn't agree more. Soft drinks should be the first thing to go in any household's diet. That, indeed, is the lowest hanging fruit and the first and most important step towards a healthier future.
But even after all the soft drinks and overly-processed foods are eliminated, individuals can still experience problems with weight, heart disease, diabetes, cancers, and many other illnesses -- depending -- in no small part -- on the oils and fats they choose to use. Corn, peanut, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed and grape oil are all so high in Omega-6s that they promote an Omega-3 deficiency, which is linked -- by well-defined causal mechanisms -- to all these conditions. Canola oil and butter (especially grass-fed butter) have a good balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s and promote optimal levels of Omega-3s -- and overall health. Olive oil is great in the context of the Mediterranean diet (lots of greens and fish) but if you're eating more of a Western diet, mix it with canola to give yourself some added Omega-3s. (See my websites; www.susanallport.com and www.susiesmartcookie.com for more tips on adding Omega-3s to your diet).
See In Defense of Food on PBS on December 30th and let me know what you think. It features Maira Kalman's very whimsical illustrations.
December 01, 2015
September 16, 2015
June 25, 2015
Never be caught on the tarmac without healthy snacks again!! Cibo Express Gourmet Markets in JFK, Newark and 10 other airports will be carrying Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies starting in July. Post a picture of the Breakfast Cookies in any one of Cibo's 89 locations on our Facebook Page (Susie's Smart Cookie)and be entered to win a free box of these great traveling companions. Winner will be chosen at random and the contest ends August 31, 2015.
June 04, 2015
March 09, 2015
January 12, 2015
1. A go-to fish recipe and a good source of sustainable fish. We have 6-oz pieces of wild silver salmon in our freezer (from Vital Choice Seafood) which are so flavorful that my husband and I will split one of these for dinner. They defrost in minutes and are our favorite quick and healthy meal.
2. A go-to breakfast or breakfast cereal with a healthy balance of fats. Our favorite packaged cereal is Nature's Path Flax Plus, but we also eat a lot of oatmeal, balanced out with ground flax seed. Omega-3 eggs are another great alternative, as are Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies.
3. Ground flax seed or flax flour, which you can add to sauces, batters, oatmeal, soups, mustards, ketchup, etc. Two teaspoons of ground flax seed will balance out the Omega-6s in one cup of cooked oatmeal, for example. In most recipes, replacing one-fifth to one-quarter of the flour with ground flax seed works very well. Don't go overboard with this since we need Omega 6s (just not as many as most of us are getting). Keep your ground flax seed meal in a cool dry place and discard it if it begins to go rancid.
4. Flaxseed oil, which you can add to salad dressings to balance out the Omega-6s in vegetable oils.. One and a half tablespoons of flax seed oil will balance out the Omega-6s in a cup of olive oil, for example. Use your common sense, here, keeping in mind the whole meal that you're creating. If you're serving fish, you won't need to add flaxseed oil to your dressing, but if it's chicken or beef or pork, it's a good idea. The trick is to have a source of Omega-3s -- and not too many Omega-6s -- at every meal. Be sure to keep your flax seed oil in your refrigerator and discard it if it begins to go rancid.
5. Omega-3 eggs, as every egg consumed in this country should be! These eggs are not injected with omega-3s, as some might think. Rather, they are laid by chickens that have been fed a balanced diet of Omega-3s and Omega-6s (as we all should be!). Ideally, an egg will have 300 mg Omega-3s so buy eggs with as close to that as your pocketbook will allow. All eggs have some Omega-3s so don't be fooled by those that say they are Omega-3 but don't have more than 200 mg/egg.
6. Smart Balance Peanut Butter or some other homemade or bottled spread for quick and easy sandwiches and snacks. Smart Balance uses flax oil to balance out the Omega-6s in peanuts to make this great peanut butter.
7. Canola oil for sauteing and frying and salad dressings -- if you like the taste of canola. (Some don't.). If you're concerned about industrially processed oils, you can always find expeller-pressed, non-GMO canola oil. A half-and-half mixture of canola and olive oil produces a well-balanced salad dressing. Speaking of canola, we're also big fans of Hellman's Canola Mayonnaise (for those many times when we don't make our own).
And please don't believe everything you read about canola oil on the internet. Canola, or rapeseed, is a traditional oil that has been used in Northern Europe; India and China for thousands of years. In Sweden, they mix it with butter to create a healthy, low-cost spread that can be used for spreads and most cooking. Rapeseed or canola is one of the foundations of the healthy Nordic diet.
8. Butter from grass-fed cows if you can find and afford it -- because it has a much healthier balance than butter from grain fed animals. Anchor butter from New Zealand and Kerry Butter from Ireland are two widely-available options. Cows were meant to eat grass -- not grains. They are much healthier on a grass diet and so are the people who eat their milk, cheese, butter and meat.
9. And, of course, plenty of legumes (such as lentils; peas, and beans); quinoa; potatoes; wild rice; green leafy vegetables; and walnuts: all foods that are naturally rich in Omega-3s and have a healthy balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s.