Essential fatty acids for the Pisces in all of us!
Posted March 1st, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Valerie Cerami
Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating
If you were born between: February 19 - March 20, you can call yourself a Pisces. If your Astrological association differs, this article still applies to you – so share in this calendar-timeframe, become an honorary fish-sign, and for the sake of youe health, consider the contents of this article.
What the astrologers say:
In the sign of Pisces, unstable, flowing water combines with the mutable ability to easily drift through change. This makes Pisces the most fluid sign of the zodiac. Pisceans are often kind, sympathetic, receptive, intuitive and humble. They can also be vague, indecisive, secretive, careless, and often are not very adept at dealing with the physical world. (As with a fortune cookie’s generalities, I’m sure you can relate!)
For anyone interested in a healthy diet, weight management and disease prevention, please follow the Pisceans and add fish to your grocery list!
Fish is an excellent source of protein since it is also low in fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids. Research suggests that eating just 6 oz per week of fatty fish (such as salmon or sardines) may be enough to reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by 36 percent and reduce the overall risk of death by 17 percent. This makes fish one of the healthiest foods that you can eat. So … all you Pisceans (and the like), if you want to step-up the pace and win the race of healthy longevity - consider adding fish to your regular diet!
A promising finding from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (July, 2004):
“We confirmed a previous finding that fish consumption may decrease risk of prostate cancer by now showing a similar protective association with omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish such as salmon”
Can you believe some fats are good for you – and even recommended by the experts! I kid you not! It’s all in a name (and a fish by any other name wouldn’t be a Pisces). Fatty acids – sound disgusting (and unappetizing), but are quite healthy (and delicious). Omega 3 fatty acids, found in fish, are specifically beneficial.
“Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.” Most of us have heard this simple recommendation so often over the past two decades that we can recite it in our sleep. Touted as a way to lose weight and prevent cancer and heart disease, it’s no wonder much of the nation repeats this mantra without regard to studies and what it really means.
Unfortunately, this simple message is now largely out of date. Detailed research (much of it done at Harvard) finds that the total amount of fat in the diet (whether high or low) isn’t really linked with disease. What really matters is the type of fat in the diet.
New results from the extensive Women’s Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial showed that: eating a low-fat diet for 8 years did not prevent heart disease, breast cancer, or colon cancer, and didn’t do much for weight loss, either. Needless to say, it’s time to rethink, re-examine and revamp the outdated tenets, by focusing on the types of fats …
What is becoming clearer and clearer is that bad fats (meaning saturated and trans fats) increase the risk for certain diseases. Conversely, good fats (meaning monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) lower the risk.
The key is to substitute good fats for bad fats.
It’s all in a name, Pisceans…
For the good fats, there is consistent evidence that high intake of either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat lowers the risk for heart disease. A Nurses’ Health Study showed: replacing 80 calories of carbohydrates with 80 calories of either polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats lowered the risk for heart disease by about 30 to 40 percent. That’s reason enough for me to have a tuna on whole wheat for lunch tomorrow!
Fish is an important source of the polyunsaturated fat known as omega-3 fatty acid and has received much attention for its potential to lower heart disease risk. There is strong evidence that fish and fish oil consumption reduces the risk of heart disease fatalities and so-called “sudden deaths.” A combined analysis of multiple studies suggests that eating just 6 oz per week of fatty (dark meat) fish (such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, or sardines) may be enough to reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by 36 percent. Higher intakes may be beneficial for people who already have heart disease:
One large trial found that by getting 1 gram per day of omega-3 fatty acids over a 3.5 year period, people who had survived a heart attack could lower their risk of dying from heart disease by 25 percent. (The study participants got their omega-3s from a capsule; getting a gram a day from fish would mean eating two to three 6-oz servings per week of fatty fish.) It’s your simple choice: a capsule or a meal, both are equally beneficial for the fickle.
My Omega 3 manifesto goes something like this: Eating fish may help prevent heart disease in several ways. It may replace red meat or other less-healthy sources of protein. More importantly, the omega-3 fats in fish appear to protect the heart against the development of erratic and potentially deadly cardiac rhythm disturbances. The American Heart Association currently recommends that people eat at least two servings of fish a week.
Although there has been some recent concern about contaminants in fish such as mercury and PCBs, the evidence suggests that the proven health benefit of fish consumption is much greater than the potential for harm among individuals who consume fish one to two times per week. So for most people, the best advice is simply to eat a variety of different seafood twice a week, without worrying about mercury or PCBs.
The main exception to this advice is for women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children. These groups should still include some types fish in their diets, since omega-3 fats promote normal brain development in children and are important for the health of the mother. 
However, these groups should avoid eating four specific fish species that are higher in mercury - swordfish, tilefish/golden bass, shark, and king mackerel - and should limit albacore tuna to no more than 6 ounces per week. Instead, they should eat two servings per week of a variety of other fish and shellfish, such as salmon, shrimp, chunk light tuna, and scallops. There’s a fish-solution for everyone!
Let’s talk fat and fact…
It’s been well documented that (in terms of fat): type trumps percentage.
The findings from a Women’s Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial came as a surprise to many Americans who have been hearing for years that reducing fat is important for long-term health. Astoundingly, this (and plentiful others) of long-term follow-up studies have consistently found little relation between the percentage of calories from fat and risks of breast cancer, colon cancer, or coronary heart disease.
Such studies are a reason why major reviews of diet and health during the last five years (including those conducted by the U.S. Institute of Medicine and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Committee), have moved away from advocating low fat intake to an emphasis on the type of fat.
Much evidence indicates that the type of fat is very important to long-term health. Replacing saturated and trans with natural vegetable oils can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Studies have shown that women who consume high amounts of red meat and high-fat dairy foods during their early adult years are at increased risk of developing breast cancer … Another propelling reason to substitute a filet of fish over that burger.
Have you checked your “Dietary Guidelines” lately? Perhaps you haven’t re-evaluated your image (or use) of the food pyramid lately (I, for one, still envision the poster from my homeroom class in grade school!).
Released in early January 2005, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 continues to reflect the tense interplay of science and the powerful food industry. Several of the new recommendations represent important steps in the right direction:
- The new guidelines emphasize the importance of controlling weight, which was not adequately addressed in previous versions. And they continue to stress the importance of physical activity.
- The recommendation on dietary fats makes a clear break from the past, when all fats were considered bad. The guidelines now emphasize that intake of trans fats should be as low as possible and that saturated fat should be limited. There is no longer an artificially low cap on fat intake. The latest advice recommends getting between 20% and 35% of daily calories from fats and recognizes the potential health benefits of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
While we’re chewing the fat, did you know that we store body fat in two ways? (I’m pushing the importance of the point: types of fat matter, types of fat matter!). We have regular old ordinary white fat (just like the white stuff you trim off your red meat), and most evidently nestled in our bellies. We also store brown fat. This brown adipose tissue (unlike the white) is crisscrossed with blood vessels and nerves; and thus, can be stimulated and chemically burned to make heat.
Small mammals (like mice and woodchucks) rely on this fat to keep warm. After a few days in the cold, they’ll sprout specialized shoulder pads of brown fat tissue. We humans get nothing but goose bumps (and use shivering as an automatic, non-coordinated activation of muscles motions to generate heat).
Richard Panush, M.D., (Professor and Chairman, Dept. of Medicine, St. Barnabus Medical Center, NJ) had an interesting patient Q & A:
Q. My daughter wants me to eat fish three times a week because she things this will help my rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Is she right?
A. Animal studies have shown that components of fish oil called omega-3 fatty acids block the ability of cells to make some of the substances that cause inflammation. These fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They are found in cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, bluefish, sardines, and tuna.
Studies in humans found that when people with RA took fish oil capsules containing a total of around 3-5 grams of EPA/DHA every day, some experienced a modest decrease in stiffness and joint tenderness. And some were able to decrease the amounts of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) they were taking. In other words, EPA and DHA do not have any major effects on RA, but may help with symptoms in much the same way as aspirin and other NSAIDs do. Studies have shown that fish oils are also moderately effective in aiding some people with psoriatic arthritis and Raynaud’s phenomenon.
Vegetarian? Vegan? Allergic to fish?
No problem!
There are many wonderful alternatives for your fill of essential fatty acids. These include: flax-seed oil, canola oil, soybean oil and walnuts. In addition, several packaged foods that can be found in health food stores and even your local grocery outlet are loaded with omega-3’s, such as:Vega’s Whole Food Energy Bars (check out our review of the berry flavored variety!) and Smart Balance’s Omega PLUS Buttery Spread.
Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for our well-being.
They can prevent and protect us in a myriad ways. They are a necessary part of our diet, the body does not produce them on its own (too bad we produce that white belly fat on our own!), and eating foods rich in these nourishing fatty acids is highly recommended. An appropriate supplement can be an efficient, effective and often necessary way to meet the body’s needs, enhance its daily functions and promote health and longevity.
Would you like to:
- Feel great
- Look great
- Have thick healthy hair
- Have healthy smooth skin
- A strong immune system
- A positive out look on life
- Have more get up and go than you have ever had
- Have a Vastly improved memory
- Improve your quality of life
If you answered “yes” to one or more of the items on the preceding list, then it’s time for you to start putting a focus on essential fatty acids and an antioxidant diet.
Here are a few articles that I recommend if you have an interest in exploring the issues mentioned above and other, related topics:
- The Anti-Inflammatory Diet
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Essential fuel for an efficient running machine
- To eat or not to eat? Ten foods runners should know about
- TFS’s Top Picks of 2006: Nutritional Supplements
- Healthy Eating Guide: Part 1
- VEGA nutritional products: Leading a healthy revolution
Lastly, if you want to maintain your active lifestyle, continue tearing through those marathon finish lines for years to come and/or improve your overall health … then please remember: In a plate or a pill, please get your healthy fats!
Research sources and for more information: [Harvard University - Medicine], [WebMD], [Zodiac Indo]
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: bad fat, eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA, essential fatty acids, fat, fatty acid, fish, good fat, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Pisceans, Pisces, salmon, tuna
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