The Dietitian Is In: What is Camelina Oil?

When we meet someone for the first time and share what we do, it often seems to open the gateway to a game of 20 questions. “What do you think about the Paleo diet?” “It’s a good thing to give up gluten, right?” “Is a banana bad for me?” “So, do you always eat healthy?” When we’re asked these kinds of questions, we’re happy to answer them. We feel grateful that people feel comfortable enough to ask. Here's a recent question we were asked...and here's the answer!

 Question: What is camelina oil, and is it a healthy alternative oil?

Answer: 
Camelina oil is anticipated to be the next healthy (and popular) cooking oil. This oil is derived from a seed belonging to
 the mustard family, that has a light, nutty, and earthy flavor. Also referred to as wild flax, false flax, or gold of pleasure, camelina grows well in colder climates. It was widely grown in Eastern Europe and Russia up until the 1940s, when it was displaced by commodity crops, such as wheat and oilseed. More recently, it is making a comeback among farmers in northern areas in North America, such as Saskatchewan and Montana, as a 
low-input, sustainable
 crop that shows allelopathic properties—in this 
case, the ability to inhibit
 the growth of weeds. Aside from containing
 high levels of omega-3 fatty acids
 and vitamin E, the oil is available in cold-pressed form—a process which maintains its integrity, nutrition, and flavor. Research 
has shown positive heart health outcomes in camelina oil’s ability to reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol. And since camelina oil has a high smoke point (475° F), it makes an ideal choice for culinary uses requiring high heat. Be on the lookout for this oil on your supermarket shelves; it’s a nice addition to a healthfully stocked pantry.

This Q & A was written by McKenzie for the September 2014 issue of Environmental Nutrition.

The Dietitian Is In: Olives

When we meet someone for the first time and share what we do, it often seems to open the gateway to a game of 20 questions. “What do you think about the Paleo diet?” “It’s a good thing to give up gluten, right?” “Is a banana bad for me?” “So, do you always eat healthy?” When we’re asked these kinds of questions, we’re happy to answer them. We feel grateful that people feel comfortable enough to ask. Here's a recent question we were asked...and here's the answer!

Question: Are olives healthy, even though they are high in sodium?

Answer: Although olives seem to get most of their attention for their heart-healthy oil, olives by themselves offer important health benefits. Whether they’re Greek-style black olives, Spanish-style green olives, Kalamata, French, or Californian, olives are a plant food rich in phytonutrients that exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Two particular phytonutrients found in olives— hydroxytyosol and oleuropein—appear to reduce oxidative stress, and help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease. The heart-protective benefits of olives may also be due to their high monounsaturated fatty acid content, a type of fat well-touted for its ability to improve cholesterol levels. Additionally, olives are a good source of fiber, iron, copper, and vitamin E. Despite these substantial benefits, some varieties of olives do pack in a significant amount of sodium. One large black olive contains 32 - 72 milligrams of sodium, depending on the size and preserving technique. To help offset the naturally bitter taste of fresh-picked olives, many undergo brine curing (submersion in a salt solution) for several months. Because the olives are preserved in the solution and absorb the sodium content, rinsing them prior to eating will do little to lessen the sodium. However, you can reap the benefits of olives without overloading on sodium by letting olives provide the central flavoring—no additional salt is needed—in pastas, sandwiches, dips and spreads.

—McKenzie Hall, RD

This Q & A was written by McKenzie for the April 2014 issue of Environmental Nutrition.

So Much to Love About Omega-3s

Omega-3s seem to be the talk of the “healthy fat” town these days. And there’s no denying how much we love them.  Here’s why:

There are many benefits of consuming omega-3 fatty acids – they help to lower blood pressure, reduce the level of triglycerides in blood, have an anti-inflammatory affect in the body, and also help to prevent chronic diseases.

Omega-3s are what are referred to as essential fatty acids, meaning our body cannot make them, and so we must consume them through food.  There are two main categories of omega-3 fatty acids.  EPA and DHA omega-3s come from fish sources and ALA omega-3s come from plants. 

EPA and DHA, the omega–3 essential fatty acids in fish oil, have been shown to also have mood-boosting qualities, including:

ü  Prevention and treatment for clinical depression – up to 50% reduction

ü  Supporting memory and learning ability

ü  Reducing anger and irritability

ü  Increasing focus and attention

ü  May help slow the progression of age-related memory loss

ü  Protecting nerve and brain cells from oxidative stress and damage

Why? One reason…the brain is nearly 60% fat, and DHA makes up 20% of the total fatty acids in the part of the brain responsible for memory and attention. 

To get the optimal mood-boosting potential, stick with fish-based sources of omega-3s (DHA and EPA). Here are our general recommendations below:

ü  Aim for at least 2 (3 ounce) servings of coldwater fish per week

ü  If choosing a supplement, choose one with at least 1000 mg combined of DHA + EPA per day, for support and maintenance. ***We love this video by registered dietitian, Jennifer Neily to help you understand how to best choose a fish oil supplement.

We also encourage you to enjoy plant-based sources of omega-3s (ALA) such as walnuts, olive oil, flax seeds, and chia seeds on a regular basis to reap the other wonderful benefits associated with omega-3s.

Since we’re such fans of getting our omega-3s, we absolutely love Barleans Omega Swirl in Lemon. We add it to our smoothies, stir it into yogurt, and recommend it to our friends, family, and clients for its great taste and nutrition.

A couple weeks ago at FNCE, I ran into the wonderful Nutrition Babes who shared this delicious recipe featuring another fun Barleans’ product – Barleans’ Greens Chocolate Silk. We put it to the taste and love it! Hope you do, too!

Power Green Smoothie

By Nutrition Babes

Photo by our wonderful contributing blogger, Jaime

Ingredients:

½ cup low fat cottage cheese
6 oz milk or milk alternative (i.e. almond, soy, rice)
1 scoop Barlean’s Greens Chocolate Silk
1 large handful of darky leafy green, such as kale, Swiss chard, or spinach mix
4 ice cubes

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix well until smooth.

Sweet Twist:
Add fresh raspberries for an added touch of sweetness. 

Enjoy, preferably with those you love.

Whole Wheat Fruit & Nut Bars (and Coconut Oil)

Every once and awhile, I’ll bust out of my cooking comfort zone and discover a recipe or ingredient that is game changing. With all the attention coconut oil has been getting this past year, I finally picked up a jar of virgin coconut oil at my local Whole Foods last week.

While preliminary research indicates that coconut oil may have anti-inflammatory properties and may actually help to boost our good (HDL) cholesterol, it does have a high saturated fat content; about 86 to 90 percent of its total fat content is saturated. A fellow registered dietitian, Rosie Schwartz wrote a wonderfully informative article, presenting both the pros and cons of coconut oil. We highly suggest you read it here.

Our thoughts? Rather than using coconut oil with abandon, we feel best recommending you use it within your daily saturated fat budget. On the upside, it really is a delicious baking alternative for butter and for those looking for a vegan cooking source.  It’s also a good oil to use for high heat cooking. 

And now, for a recipe featuring virgin coconut oil.

 Whole Wheat Fruit & Nut Bars

These bars could not be any easier to make – and the result? A slightly sweet, yet wholesome breakfast to-go, snack, or after-dinner dessert.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried fruit of your choice, such as raisins, currents or tart cherries

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup nuts of your choice, such as pecans, walnuts or almonds
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup virgin coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup

1.      Preheat oven to 350 F.

2.      In a large bowl whole wheat flour, nuts, and salt.

3.      In a small bowl, whisk together coconut oil and maple syrup.

4.      Pour coconut oil maple syrup mixture over dry ingredients.

5.      Stir in dried fruit.

6.      Pre-oil a 9 x 9 baking pan. Press batter into the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Makes 16 squares.

Enjoy, preferably with those you love.