Omega-3 and omega-6 are types of essential fatty acids. “Essential” means our bodies can’t make them, they must be obtained from our diet. Both types influence the inflammatory response. Omega-6 fats tend to rev up inflammation, while omega-3 fats dampen it. Before we relied heavily on processed foods, humans consumed the two types of fats in roughly equal amounts. Now, most North Americans eat far too much omega-6 and too little omega-3, which may at least partially explain the rise of diseases associated with inflammation, such as asthma, coronary disease and many forms of cancer. If you follow my anti-inflammatory diet, you’ll get a healthy ratio of these fatty acids. But more specifically:
- Reduce consumption of processed and fast foods, especially of deep-fried foods.
- At home, reduce consumption of polyunsaturated vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, safflower and soy) and use extra virgin olive oil for cooking and in salad dressings.
- Eat more oily fish or take fish oil supplements, and eat omega-3 fortified eggs.
- Vegetarians should emphasize consumption of walnuts and freshly ground flaxseeds.
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B Vitamins May Protect Against Hip Fracture
Older people running low on vitamins B12 and B6 are at increased risk of hip fracture. High homocysteine levels, which rise in response to depletion of B vitamins, also seem to increase risk, although researchers don’t know how, as they don’t increase bone loss like low levels of vitamin B6 do. Results of a study published in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that elderly men and women who were deficient in vitamins B12 and B6 were 60 percent more likely to break a hip over the four year course of the study than participants whose B vitamin levels were normal. Fracture risk ranged from 50 to 70 percent for those with high homocysteine, but researchers said it is hard to “disentangle” whether low levels of B vitamins or high homocysteine levels were to blame for the fractures. The researchers, from several Boston medical centers, said that more research is needed before advising people to take B vitamins to prevent hip fractures. B6 is found naturally in bananas, potatoes, and beans and in fortified cereals; B12 is found in meat, fish and poultry.
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Chill … and Change Your Genes
Learning to relax not only lowers your blood pressure, relieves anxiety and eases pain, it can actually affect gene expression - that is, it can influence whether certain genes, specifically those related to stress, are turned on or off. A study just published in the open-access journal PLoS One reported that 19 people who had meditated or prayed regularly suppressed more than twice the number of stress-related genes than 19 individuals who never meditated. The differences were determined by genomic analyses of blood from all the participants. The 19 novices then received eight-weeks of training in the relaxation response, first described more than 35 years ago by Harvard’s Herbert Benson, M.D. and were retested. This time, results showed that they were also suppressing stress-related genes, although not as many as the more experienced meditators. Next: studies to see how the relaxation response affects gene expression in patients being treated for stress-related disorders.
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Salmon Teriyaki
This wonderful, easy main dish makes a delicious meal when served with a green salad, rice or rice noodles and steamed vegetables. Reserve some of the marinade before adding the fish to use as a sauce for the rice or rice noodles. Salmon contains substantial amounts of omega-3s, essential fatty acids which reduce inflammation and help protect against heart disease. Try to eat fish two to three times a week, especially fish that contain generous amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Other choices include sardines, herring and mackerel.
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Healthy Aging Tip
Courtesy of Dr.Weil on Healthy Aging
Ways to Meet Others: Take a Class. Opportunities to expand your mind are plentiful, and provide a wonderful way to meet others with the same interests. A class (one or a series) will provide you with new contacts and new information on your personal interests. Look at local community colleges, cooking shops, art stores, and libraries - all are good resources for courses.
Featured Discussion
“I need recipes for portable casseroles,” says SpiceGirl.
My husband and I spend every weekend building a house on property that is 40 miles from our current home. There's a trailer on the property that has a tiny kitchen. Does anyone have any ideas for casseroles or anything that would be easy to prepare ahead and transport. I (would) prefer gluten and sugar free ideas.
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