Chips Anyone?

Chips. Who doesn't like potato chips? And hey! Now they're available with No Trans Fats! How about that. Ingredients: Potatoes, corn oil, salt. Oh yeah, and usually preservatives.

My doctor pointed out that corn oil and the like contain Omega 6 fatty acids, which we all need. The trouble is, we need it in a specific ratio with Omega 3 fatty acids - the optimal ratio is thought to be 4 to 1 or lower. High levels of Omega 3's are found in wild salmon, flax seeds, and walnuts to name a few.

According to the National Institutes of Health, modern Western diets typically have ratios of Omega 6's to Omega 3's of 15 to 1, or higher. Research shows that excessive levels of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids can lead to inflammation and diseases such as cardiovascular, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.^

Dr. Heather also explained why farm raised salmon can actually be harmful: they are raised on corn and thus their fat tissues are high in Omega 6's and not the Omega 3's that only wild salmon can produce.

So the potato chips? Bad idea.

So what do I do instead? One of my standbys for a snack is sweet potatoes. Peeled and thinly sliced. Raw. The darker, the sweeter the flavor. I like the "Garnet" variety.

For some reason, here in the West, yams and sweet potatoes are labeled opposite than in other parts of the country, but I'm talking about the brown ones that are bright orange inside. Preferably organic - I think they taste better.

Last fall, I bought a few turnips from our local Grower's Market. I hadn't had raw turnips for a long time, probably since I was a kid, and these were the sweetest, peppery taste I could even imagine. I thought to myself, Wow, I should do this more often! By then the market had closed for the season. So, while at Fred Meyer one week, I picked up a nice large turnip in the produce section and was all set for that great taste. Boy was I disappointed. No flavor. And I realized if I had had that one first, I would likely not have tried the others, thinking "I don't like turnips."

Just goes to show you - locally grown, organic produce can be so much more flavorful as well as have better nutrition and hey! If we're going to eat, why not make it something to really enjoy as well as be nurturing.

You'll thank me later. :)



^www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442909