Maggan’s Kitchen Adventures

Hi, my name is Maggan. Welcome to Maggan’s kitchen!

When H and I were down in New Zealand a year and a half ago, I got acquainted with Patrick Holford’s The New Optimum Nutrition Bible. This bible introduced me to Higher Nature—maker of quality and reliable health supplements.

Let me now introduce you to Higher Nature by sharing their healthy diet tips.

• Drink plenty of spring, mineral, filtered water, herbal teas.
• Dilute fruit and vegetable juices 50-50 with water.
• Reduce caffeine by cutting on coffee, tea, chocolate and some painkillers
• Reduce intake of sugary foods, sweets, cakes, biscuits, chocolate. Eat fresh fruit instead.
• Check for hidden sugars in processed foods like sauces soups cereals. Choose unsweetened alternatives or make your own.
• Add less salt to food or switch to low-sodium salts.
• Eat more fibre like wholemeal bread, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, quinoa, millet, corn, flax seeds.
• Drink less beer, spirits and white wine. Red wine contains potent antioxidants so an occasional glass is acceptable.
• Eat plenty of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated oils from fish oils, borage seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, olive oil, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, grape seeds, avocados.
• Cut down on saturated fats in junk food, ready-made meals, takeaways, red meat, sausages, burgers, tinned meats.
• Avoid harmful trans fats in chips, crisps, food fried in polyunsaturated oils.
• Eat at least 5 portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day (1 portion is about the size of an apple)
• Avoid hydrogenated fats in margarine, biscuits, sweet snacks.
• Eat fruit and vegetables in a variety of colours.
• Avoid artificial preservatives, colours, flavourings
• Eat organic fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, dairy and eggs where possible.
• Try milk alternatives like oat, rice, soy, almond, or sheep milk and goat milk products.
• Snack on nuts like brazil, almond, cashew, macadamia, walnut, pecan, pine, pistachio.
• Eat a little piece of protein at each meal.
• Avoid known allergenic foods and drinks.
• Stop smoking and avoid people who smoke and places with people who smoke.
• Take daily supplements that basically include a multi-vitamin and mineral formula, Vitamin C, fish or flax seed oil and starflower or hemp seed oil.

The last point reminds me of my recent vacation at Ed’s and Claire’s. Aside from the 4 daily supplements, I was taking additional supplements. I beat Claire in the number of pills and capsules that they take every day. I was close to beating Ed.

My supplements sure took up a lot of space in my luggage. No, I didn’t have smaller containers and didn’t transfer the supplements in plastic bags because the original containers were good and protected the pills and capsules. Well, that’s Maggan travelling as she gets older.

In addition to the above points, I would recommend reading Patrick Holford’s The New Optimum Nutrition Bible and Dr. P. J. d’Adamo’s Eat Right 4 Your Type. These make for good reading especially when you’re resolved in starting to live a healthy lifestyle and you need a push.

Hi, my name is Maggan. Welcome to Maggan’s kitchen!

Not all fats are bad. The truth is, we should get more good fats or oils, such as fish oils and certain vegetable oils. These healthy oils are also known as omega fatty acids. Bad fats or oils, on the other hand, are known as saturates and trans fats.

Trans fats are commonly contained in most processed foods as hydrogenated fat or oil from vegetable or non-vegetable sources. They are in the ingredients list of cookies, biscuits, chips, chocolates, frozen pies, frozen foods and other foods that have a long shelf life.

The problem is, we get more of the bad fats than the good ones in the modern diet. It takes more effort to ensure that we’re getting the right balance of good oils. It also costs more.

So what are these omega oils or omega fatty acids really? How are they beneficial to our health and well-being?  Christine Morgan explains about omega oils in an article published in the May 2008 issue of Nutrition News. I’d like to share it with you.

Omega-3 oils

These are polyunsaturate fatty acids. There are 3 types of Omega-3 oils: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

ALA is an essential fatty acid. Our bodies cannot make it. The only way to get it is by eating ALA-rich foods and supplements. Once in our system, a certain amount of the ALA is converted to EPA and DHA.

ALA comes from certain plant foods, the best source being flax seeds or flax seed oil. Other sources include rape seed oil, soya bean oil, pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil, walnuts and walnut oil.

While some ALA is converted to DHA and EPA, both DHA and EPA can be directly obtained by eating oily fish such as salmon, fresh tuna, mackerel, sardines, herring, trout, and anchovies.

Scientists believe that ALA has anti-inflammatory properties. It blocks the formation of compounds in the body that promote inflammation, which is linked to many chronic illnesses including heart disease. Several clinical studies suggest that DHA and EPA are essential for a healthy heart. They are also vital for pregnant women for the development of the baby’s eyes and brain. DHA and EPA may help relieve arthritis and menstrual pain.

Omega-6 oils

These are polyunsaturates like their cousin Omega-3. There are different types of Omega-6 oils: linoleic acid (LA) which is an essential fatty acid that our bodies cannot produce, gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) which is converted from LA, and arachidonic acid (AA) which is also converted from LA.

LA is found in seeds and nuts such as hemp and pumpkin seeds and oils. It is also found in sunflower oil, corn oil and sesame oil. LA’s daughter, the GLA, is found in evening primrose, blackcurrant and borage, also known as starflower. LA’s second daughter, the AA, comes from egg yolk and certain meats.

GLA and AA are believed to produce prostaglandins. These hormone-like substances are important for hormone balance, nerve function, immunity, circulation and healthy skin. GLA can help prevent nerve disease in diabetics, as well as dry-eye conditions. In women, GLA help relieve pre-menstrual syndrome-related breast tenderness. Many women take GLA supplements in the from of evening primrose oil or starflower oil.

Omega-9 oils

These are monosaturated oils unlike their cousins Omega oils 3 and 6. The most important Omega-9 oil is the oleic acid.

Oleic acid is abundant in olive oil, rape seed oil and peanut oil. It is also rich in peanuts, cashews, macadamia nuts and avocados. Starflower oil or borage oil contain oleic acid besides mega-6 oil GLA.

Oleic acid is important for heart health because it can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, and stroke. Olive oil, which is rich in oleic acid, when taken moderately has been shown in studies to help lower blood pressure. This is the reason why the Mediterranean diet, which uses olive oil,  is believed to be healthy for the heart.

Other studies suggest that oleic acid may play a part in protecting women against breast cancer by the way it acts on a gene involved in the development of the disease.

Omega oils are sensitive to heat. Heat kills the essential fatty acids in the oils so it is not ideal to use them in cooking. The best and surest way to get the omega oil nutrients in our bodies is by using cold-pressed oils (pumpkin, walnut, rape seed, sunflower, flax seed) in our salad dressing, eating nuts and seeds we’re not allergic to or taking omega oil supplements.

Ensuring that we eat foods that are rich in omega fatty acids can hurt our budget. It eats our wallets. Cold-pressed oils, omega oil supplements, fresh salmon are not cheap. It also takes time to get used to these foods. I personally suggest to incorporate gradually the omega oil-rich foods that suit your taste into your regular fare. Don’t make a total switch overnight. Ouch!

When you’re not craving for chips but still want to eat something while watching a good movie, try some nuts. Chips are not cheap anyway. Make your own salad dressing using cold-pressed oils. Have a meal of salmon at least once a week. Spending on a diet rich in omega fatty acids cannot be any more expensive than spending on medications to manage a chronic illness.