Omega-3 fatty acids are the structural materials in almost every cell in our bodies. The three main types of omega-3 fats — EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid, DHA or docosahexaenoic acid, and ALA or alpha-linolenic acid — are healthy fats known as polyunsaturated fats. These fats are best known for heart health benefits but the three together are great for brain, eye, skin and hair health.
Our bodies cannot produce omega-3 fatty acids so we must get them from what we eat. This means eating two-3 to 5-ounce servings of seafood every week, which shouldn’t be too difficult for us living in Hawaii. The average American only gets 4.8% of their total omega-3, and the target level should be more than 9%.
Omega-3s may also lower blood pressure, slow the growth of plaque in our arteries, and even decrease abnormal heart rhythms.
The brain can also benefit from omega-3 fatty acids. Unsaturated fats make up about a quarter of the total fats in the brain.
Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include salmon. Atlantic, chinook, and coho salmon have more omega-3 than in chum, pink, and sockeye.
Oysters have lots of omega-3 and are low in mercury. Four ounces or about four to eight oysters, depending on its size, have more than 1,000 milligrams of omega-3.
Trout is another good source of omega-3, as are sardines and anchovies.
When buying sardines, look for wild caught and sustainable ones.
I can remember my father’s cardiologist telling him to eat sardines so whenever he was at home alone, he would heat up a can of sardines with some sliced onions and eat it over rice. He would make my boys eat it too if they were with him. It is nice to see my two grandchildren loving sardines! Wonder if it is an inherited thing?
Make a sardine salad spread like you would a tuna salad spread. I would not remove the bones as they are edible and a good source of calcium, add drained capers, diced red onions, diced carrots and celery, chopped parsley, Dijon mustard to your taste, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Serve them with crackers.
Some fish like mackerel, swordfish and ahi, however could also be a source of mercury in the form of methylmercury. It can hinder neurodevelopment in unborn and young children, but as an adult, it could cause tingling in your mouth, hands and feet, make it difficult to think clearly, and even have you lose your hair. However, if you follow the USDA’s guidelines at eating 8 ounces of seafood a week and make choices of lower-mercury fish like shrimp, tilapia, and trout, you should be fine, even if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Generally, research shows that the benefits of eating more seafood outweigh the risks.
I gathered recipes for the Volcano Art Center’s Ohana Cookbook many years ago and remember this recipe well because of its name and the narrative in the instructions and would like to share it.
The Best Salmon BBQ Sauce on the Planet
Tina Neal
Gail Ferguson
Anchorage, Alaska
1 stick butter, or less
1 or more cloves garlic
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Grey Poupon or seeded mustard (not hot dog mustard)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Freshly cracked black pepper
8 pieces salmon filets or salmon steaks
Once you try this BBQ salmon you will never be the same. Even people who don’t like fish are recruited with this sauce. This is a variation on a published recipe. We thank Mary Gibson’s mom, Mary E., for the original inspiration. Melt the butter with garlic in a small saucepan, mix all remaining ingredients and warm over very low heat to keep the sauce from separating.
My rule of thumb is 10-12 minutes total per inch of dense salmon. If cooking a filet, I sear the flesh side for 2-3 minutes. Flip, baste with sauce, then cook on low, skin side down, basting often. Some thick filets may require a brief turn again to flesh side down to finish them off. The sauce tends to help keep the fish moist, but don’t get too distracted drinking wine and overcook the fish!
Don’t like seafood? There are other ways to get omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed contains nearly 1.600 milligrams of ALA in just 2 tablespoons. They should be ground as your body can’t access the omega-3 and other nutrients when the seeds are whole. Buy them whole, but grind as needed as these seeds get rancid.
Look for omega-3 fortified or enriched milk or eggs. Cows are grass fed which produces significantly more omega-3, or omega-3 is physically added to the milk. The hens are fed flaxseed in their daily diet to produce omega-3 enriched eggs.
Here is a flaxseed, keto friendly breakfast muffin recipe, which is also gluten-free:
Breakfast Flaxseed Muffins
Makes 9 muffins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together well:
1 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup monkfruit sweetener with erythritol
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Add to dry ingredients and mix:
1 stick melted butter
4 eggs, beaten
Line muffin tins with paper liners, fill just over half way with batter.
Bake for 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Cool in the tan for a few minutes, then remove.
Topping:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dip the tops of the muffins in the melted butter/cinnamon.
If you are a vegan, seven macroalgal species from north Atlantic and tropical seas have been found to contain polyunsaturated fatty acids: North Sea lactuca, Chondros crispus, Laminaria hyperborea, Fucus serratus, Undaria pinnatifida, Palmaria palmata, Ascophyllum nodosum, two from tropical seas: Caulerpa taxifolia and Sargassum natans.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.