One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Which Fish?

In the last couple of weeks, I have received lots of questions about which fish to choose, in the last couple of weeks so I thought I'd post the low down on fish. There is a lot to keep track of - which fish has the most mercury, toxins, antibiotics, and which fish are the best for me. Since fish can be expensive, you want to make an educated purchase and get the most nutrition, not the most chemicals, for your money.

Sustainability

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, with better technology, humans have started to "fish farther, deeper and more efficiently than ever before." Scientists estimate that we have removed as much as 90 percent of the large predatory fish such as shark, swordfish and cod from the world's oceans. In 2003, the Pew Oceans Commission warned that "the world's oceans are in a state of 'silent collapse,' threatening our food supply, marine economies, recreation and the natural legacy we leave our children." Sustainable seafood is seafood that comes from "sources, whether fished or farmed, that can maintain or increase production into the long-term without jeopardizing the structure or function of affected ecosystems."

• Farmed arctic char, Catfish, Farmed clams, Pacific cod, Dunganess/stone crab, Crawfish (US), Pacific halibut, Spiny lobster, Atlantic mahi mahi (US), Farmed mussels, farmed oysters, Black cod (Alaska, Canada), Salmon (Alaska), Canned sockeye salmon, Bay farmed scallops, Pink shrimp (Oregon), Spot prons (Canada), Longfin squid, Farmed striped bass, Tilapia (US), Rainbow farmed trout, Tuna (Canada, US), Albacore tuna (US), Bigeye/Yellowfin tuna, Skipjack tuna (Pole/troll)

Mercury

Older fish and larger fish will contain the most mercury. As the fish ages and eats smaller fish or spends more time in the mercury filled water, the mercury builds up in its system. The mercury doesn't really get excreted either, so it ends up being passed down to us. Mercury in large quantities can be quite toxic.

• Anchovies, Butterfish, Catfish, Clams, Crab (Domestic), Crawfish/Crayfish, Croacker (Atlantic), Flounder, Haddock (Atlantic), Hake, Herring, Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub),
  Mullet, Oyster, Perch (Ocean), Plaice, Pollock, Salmon (Canned), Salmon (Fresh), Sardine, Scallop, Shad (American), Shrimp, Sole (Pacific), Squid (Calamari), Tilapia, Trout (Freshwater), Whitefish, Whiting

Heart Healthy

Two to three servings of these varietals of fish give you tons of omega-3 fatty acids. These fats cannot be made by the body so they must be eaten and fish pack the most omega-3s of any food. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to reduce inflammation and help prevent clogged arteries as well as promote brain health including improving symptoms of depression. Sub out the high saturated fat steak for one of the heart healthy fish listed below and you will be helping your heart in two ways.

• Sardines (packed in water, olive oil, or their own oil), Herring, Mackerel (Atlantic, Boston, Pacific/Jack, and Spanish mackerel - avoid king mackerel), Salmon (wild sockeye salmon, keta (chum) salmon, and pink salmon--all Pacific species), Trout, Tuna (canned - in water - is better than fresh!), Anchovies, Mussels, Oysters, Sablefish, Smelts, Whitefish

Whole (Grain) Truth and Nothing But the Truth

If you are confused by the term "whole grain," you definitely are not alone. Most food manufacturers love to throw these two words around to help market their products, but more often than not, these foods are not quite as healthy as they are made out to be.

Whole grains contain more fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Refined grains, or processed grains, end up being stripped of their nutrients when the bran and germ are removed. In the United States, the FDA requires that refined grains be enriched with niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, and iron so these nutrients are added back in to the final product. Lately, you will also see products that re-add the fiber. Unfortunately, this form of fiber is not proven to be as beneficial as the fiber found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and beans and lentils.

How do I spot a whole grain? If you see other words like made with or enriched or even flour, keep searching. Look instead for words like 100%, or whole.

If you are looking for that perfect slice and aren't confident that you'll make the right choice, refer to this list. The Center for Science in the Public Interest Reviewed the post popular brands on your grocer's shelves and compared the taste of the whole grain varieties. Hold your own taste test!

Tuna Time!

School is back in swing - getting dinner on the table at a reasonable hour can be tough. And what about making sure the kids (not to mention you!) are out the door with a balanced breakfast, if any breakfast at all. Tuna may be the nutritional time saver you need.

Top 5 (plus one) reasons tuna (or salmon) made the dietitian's cut:

1. You can buy in bulk and always have some on hand. Keep in your cabinets, your desk drawer, even in the middle consul of your car.
2. Tuna is packed with lean protein and healthy fats that support brain function and the heart.
3. Tuna is versatile and can be used in a ton of recipes - tuna salad, tuna cakes, tuna casserole, etc.
4. Tuna allows your creative juices to flow. Make with different seasonings (dill, cilantro, cayenne, wasabi), veggies (red pepper, onion, celery), sauces (hot sauce, lemon juice, mustard, relish), bases (plain yogurt, olive oil, canola mayonnaise), or extras (garbanzo beans, hard boiled egg, artichokes, green peas).
5. Although not quite as tasty, canned and bagged fish is a lot less expensive than its fresh counterpart.
6. Chicago Sun Times thought of twenty ways you can use the handy can.

Try this recipe and I promise you'll be smiling come lunch time. The same preparation works great for tuna or salmon cakes as well. Even give it a try with some melon for breakfast!

Salmon or Tuna Salad

1-2 servings

Ingredients:

1 (4 ounce) can salmon or tuna
1 hard-boiled egg, crushed
1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 Tbsp light mayo
1 Tbsp low fat yogurt (Greek or plain)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Salt and pepper
1/4 lemon, juiced

Directions:

1. Combine salmon and hard-boiled eggs in bowl.
2. In another bowl, add chopped bell pepper, celery, onion, and mayo.
3. Add seasonings and stir to combine.
4. Pour over salmon, add lemon juice, and toss lightly.

Nutrition Information (per recipe):

Calories 266, Carbohydrates 19g, Fiber 19g, Sugars 7g, Protein 21g, Total Fat 4g

Trust Bob

I have enjoyed every one of the Bob's Red Mill products I have tasted to date! Bob offers gluten free (and non-gluten free) whole grain mixes, flours, and plain 'ol grains like quinoa, steel cut oats and flax seed. Mix directions often offer dairy free and egg free alternatives, and end results still turn out well.

Since I personally avoid wheat, any time I come across tasty products, I am excited to eat the foods I often miss on an allergy-restricted diet. But the best news is, you won't miss out with these delicious mixes. These are the ones I have tried and recommend but let us know about your own personal Bob's experience.

• Gluten Free Cornbread Mix - Pairs well with a hearty, bean chili. I recommend making half or a quarter at a time or you will have cornbread out the wazoo!


• Gluten Free Bread Mix - Use the bread machine or oven and sub flax seeds for egg if you want a low-cholesterol or allergen friendly option. Do be careful if yeast is a problem! I'm anxious to try their Hearty Whole Grain blend as well, which offers an additional gram of fiber and 2 more grams of protein per slice.


• Gluten Free Pizza - Makes a huge pizza! **Use organic pizza sauce to avoid the BPA in the can. This mix also contains yeast.


• Oat Bran - I make my oatmeal with half old fashioned oats and half oat bran. The bran adds a delicious nutty flavor and packs in more protein and fiber.


• Gluten Free Pancake Mix - Great for pancakes or waffles. Leftovers save well in the fridge or freezer. Just pop them in the toaster oven and use for a quick breakfast or in place of bread on a sandwich, which is a great substitute if yeast is bothersome to you.

You can find Bob's Bags at most grocery stores from Whole Foods to Shoppers. Order online by the case and save 10% - cases contain 4-8 bags depending on the product. Give the corn meal/grits or buckwheat groats a try for a new weeknight dinner side dish. Or toss a combo of grains in the crock pot overnight for a weekend brunch. Also, if you have had any trouble finding gluten free oats, look no further! Bob's Red Mill is here to save the day.

Nutritionally yours,

Melissa Majumdar, RD, LDN, CPT

Organic Foods Taste Test

These days it is costing us more and more to treat our bodies like the temples that they are. According to the USDA, organic produce costs and extra $0.13 to $0.36 per pound! Organic milk can have the most overwhelming influence on our pocketbooks costing $6 per gallon. So why am I, along with other health professionals and food experts, still recommending sticking with organic foods as much as possible?

Although the nutrients in produce are arguably similar for both conventional and organic fruits and vegetables, it's the pesticides and added chemicals we are most concerned about. The conventional milk, for example, is made from cows treated with hormones and antibiotics. The hormones are given to the cows in order to produce more milk and antibiotics are used to keep the cows healthy since they are housed is such close quarters with other milking cows. As kids gobble down their bowls of cereal, think about the milk they are slurping with every bite. The antibiotics found in the milk can lead to resistance by our immune systems and the extra hormones disrupt hormonal balance, especially in sensitive individuals.

Besides avoiding the chemical burden, taste is also an upside of organic foods. Time Magazine gathered some of the leading chefs in the industry to sit down and do a taste test comparing organic versus conventional foods. Results were overwhelmingly in favor of organic, at least for such items as chicken, white nectarines, pork, tomatoes, and eggs.

Kluger J. What's so great about organic food? Time Magazine. 2010; 176 (9): 30-46.

Xenoestrogens

Xenoestrogens have been getting exposure in the media for their connection to early onset puberty, endocrine disruption, and influence on cancer risk for men and women. A xenoestrogen is defined as a substance that has an estrogenic effect but chemically differs from the naturally occurring estrogen produced by living beings. Certain substances including food, environmental chemicals, beauty products, and household cleaning products have been identified as possible xenoestrogens.

• Foods

Processed soy products (soy protein isolates & soy protein concentrates, Bisphenol A (found in the lining of cans and in certain plastics), artificial colors (ie Red No. 3), propyl gallate (used to emulsify and prevent oxidation with fats, certain hormones in non-organic meat, dairy, poultry and eggs, BHA (preservative)

• Chemicals

PCBs (paint, adhesives, and lubricants), insecticides (DDT, methoxychlor, dieldrin), nonylphenol (industrial surfactant), DEHP (plasticizer for PVC)

• Beauty Products

4 MBC in sunscreen, parabens in lotions, nail polish and nail polish remover, perfumes or fragrances

If you or a family member has thyroid problems, breast, uterine, or prostate cancer or premature signs of puberty, or if you are simply trying to reduce your exposure to these potentially damaging chemicals, it is in your best interest to take some of the following precautions.

1. Use glass, stainless steel, or other plastic alternatives
2. Make your own natural cleaning products with lemon juice, baking soda and vinegar or look for commercially available products that take special care to avoid xenoestrogens and other carcinogens (brand names like Seventh Generation, Green Works, Aubrey, Desert Essence)
3. Choose organic meat, poultry, dairy and eggs whenever possible. Buy organic produce at least for the "Dirtiest Dozen"
4. Choose paraben free beauty products for anything that remains in contact with the skin (Natural Health magazine always has great suggestions!)

Rice (and Quinoa, Buckwheat, or Oats) Cooker

If anyone has ever heard me speak about quinoa, you know it is one of my favorite foods to discuss. Although its quick stove top cooking time (15 minutes) is one of the reasons I speak so highly of this little grain, I am now even more impressed with the ease of preparing quinoa. I threw it into my rice cooker last week and it produced a fluffy, hands-off side dish in no time at all. I didn't have to watch for overflowing pots as the water began to boil and I didn't have to turn the heat down when it was time to simmer!

In an age of multi-tasking and eating on the go, a rice cooker is the perfect household gadget. Searching online, I found cookers ranging from a small 6-cup cooker for under $15 dollars to a high-tech rice machine for over $300. I am spreading the benefits of a rice cooker in hopes that you will venture out of your white rice comfort zone and try a new whole grain. Search your local grocery store for millet, quinoa, buckwheat groats (aka kasha), steel cut or Irish oatmeal, teff, or amaranth. Most grains can be cooked using a simple 2:1 ratio of liquid (water or a low sodium vegetable broth are my suggestions) to grain. Add some flavorful spices such as cumin or smoked paprika or saute some garlic and onions for a ton of great flavor (and aroma!).

Check out these helpful cookbooks for more great rice/grain cooker ideas!

• Everything Rice Cooker by Hui Leng Tay
• The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann

Did I mention that quinoa has all the essential amino acids...?

Let's Do Lunch

Tired of the same old turkey sandwich? Sick of the local restuarant's salad? Join Melissa Majumdar, Registered Dietitian, and Wendy Pecache, Whole Foods Rockville's Food Demo Specialist as they whip together some delicous, nutritious lunch box recipes. Melissa will teach you how to balance a lunch to prevent the afternoon slump and latenight cravings. Wendy will show you how spending just a few minutes a day can entertain the noontime tastebuds.


Who: You! Sign up at customer service or email Gina
Lanacaster at gina.lancaster@wholefoods.com
What: Cooking Demonstration
When: Wednesady, August 11 at 6:30 pm
Where: Whole Foods Rockville, 1649 Rockville Pike
Why: To eat a more balanced, natural lunch by brown bagging it
How: It is FREE to attend!

Can't wait until next week and need some ideas for tomorrow's lunch? Check out what other Whole Foods' customers are eating and enter the Pack-a-Lunch contest by visiting the Whole Foods blog.

Michael Pollan's Opinions on Food

I was lucky enough to turn on National Public Radio during their weekly Science Friday and hear an interview with author and "food opinionist" Michael Pollan. Pollan was discussing a book published in 2001, The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World, but hearing his interview reminded me of a book I would like to share with all my clints: Food Rules. Released earlier this year, Rules is more or less a ten commandments of eating. EB Nutrition's principles or more Organic and natural products and less food with a ton of ingredients can be summed up in a few of Pollan's "rules." For example,

1. It's not food if it's called by the same name in every language. In other words, Coke, Cheetos, Big Mac. You get the picture.

2. If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't. Interpreted, this means eat more vegetables and whole grains and less food coming out of a package or bag.

To read more about Pollan's principles on food and eating, check out:

• The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World,
• The Ominivore's Dilemma,
• In Defense of Food, or
• Food Rules: An Eater's Manual.

And let us know what you think!

Nutritional Value of Fruits, Veggies is Dwindling

The verdict is not clear wether organic produce is actually healthier, but MSNBC.com offers some great tips on how to opimize vegetable intake wether fruits and veggies are organic or conventionally grown. Read below, then plan to incorporate one more veg per day!

"While we've been dutifully eating our fruits and vegetables all these years, a strange thing has been happening to our produce. It's losing its nutrients. That's right: Today's conventionally grown produce isn't as healthful as it was 30 years ago — and it's only getting worse. The decline in fruits and vegetables was first reported more than 10 years ago by English researcher Anne-Marie Mayer, PhD, who looked at the dwindling mineral concentrations of 20 UK-based crops from the 1930s to the 1980s.

It's happening to crops in the United States, too. In 2004, Donald Davis, PhD, a former researcher with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, Austin, led a team that analyzed 43 fruits and vegetables from 1950 to 1999 and reported reductions in vitamins, minerals, and protein. Using USDA data, he found that broccoli, for example, had 130 mg of calcium in 1950. Today, that number is only 48 mg. What's going on? Davis believes it's due to the farming industry's desire to grow bigger vegetables faster. The very things that speed growth — selective breeding and synthetic fertilizers — decrease produce's ability to synthesize nutrients or absorb them from the soil.

A different story is playing out with organic produce. 'By avoiding synthetic fertilizers, organic farmers put more stress on plants, and when plants experience stress, they protect themselves by producing phytochemicals,' explains Alyson Mitchell, PhD, a professor of nutrition science at the University of California, Davis. Her 10-year study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that organic tomatoes can have as much as 30 percent more phytochemicals than conventional ones.

But even if organic is not in your budget, you can buck the trend. We polled the experts and found nine simple ways to put the nutrient punch back in your produce.

Sleuth out strong colors

'Look for bold or brightly hued produce,' says Sherry Tanumihardjo, PhD, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A richly colored skin (think red leaf versus iceberg lettuce) indicates a higher count of healthy phytochemicals. Tanumihardjo recently published a study showing that darker orange carrots contain more beta-carotene.

Pair your produce

'When eaten together, some produce contains compounds that can affect how we absorb their nutrients,' explains Steve Schwartz, PhD, a professor of food science at Ohio State University. His 2004 study of tomato-based salsa and avocado found this food pairing significantly upped the body's absorption of the tomato's cancer-fighting lycopene.

Buy smaller items

Bigger isn't better, so skip the huge tomatoes and giant peppers. "Plants have a finite amount of nutrients they can pass on to their fruit, so if the produce is smaller, then its level of nutrients will be more concentrated," says Davis.

Pay attention to cooking methods

Certain vegetables release more nutrients when cooked. Broccoli and carrots, for example, are more nutritious when steamed than when raw or boiled — the gentle heat softens cell walls, making nutrients more accessible. Tomatoes release more lycopene when lightly sauteed or roasted, says Johnny Bowden, PhD, nutritionist and author of "The Healthiest Meals on Earth."

Eat within a week

'The nutrients in most fruits and vegetables start to diminish as soon as they're picked, so for optimal nutrition, eat all produce within 1 week of buying,' says Preston Andrews, PhD, a plant researcher and associate professor of horticulture at Washington State University. 'If you can, plan your meals in advance and buy only fresh ingredients you can use that week.'

Precut produce and bagged salads are time-savers. But peeling and chopping carrots, for example, can sap nutrients. Plus, tossing peels deprives you of good-for-you compounds. If possible, prep produce just before eating, says Bowden: "When sliced and peeled or shredded, then shipped to stores, their nutrients are significantly reduced."

Look for new colors

If you're used to munching on red tomatoes, try orange or yellow, or serve purple cauliflower along with your usual white. "Many of us buy the same kinds of fruits and vegetables each week," says Andrews. "But there are hundreds of varieties besides your usual mainstays — and their nutrient levels can differ dramatically. In general, the more varied your diet is, the more vitamins and minerals you'll get."

Opt for old-timers

Seek out heirloom varieties like Brandywine tomatoes, Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage, Golden Bantam corn, or Jenny Lind melon. Plants that were bred prior to World War II are naturally hardier because they were established — and thrived — before the development of modern fertilizers and pesticides.

Find a farmers' market

Unlike prematurely picked supermarket produce, which typically travels hundreds of miles before landing on store shelves, a farmers' market or pick-your-own venue offers local, freshly harvested, in-season fare that's had a chance to ripen naturally—a process that amplifies its amount of phytonutrients, says Andrews: 'As a crop gets closer to full ripeness, it converts its phytonutrients to the most readily absorbable forms, so you'll get a higher concentration of healthful compounds.' "

Take from:
Burns, S. Nutritional value of fruits, veggies is dwindling. Diet and Nutrition. MSNBC.com. July 9, 2010. Last accessed July 13, 2010. Available at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37396355/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/?gt1=43001.