-Your Daily Cookie-
© 06/29/08
By Dahni
Clown Fish – Certified organic
Good day, here is your cookie for today. Sounds fishy to me. Have you ever been fishing, or visited a fish market? If you have done either of these things, the chances are great that you have filled your nostrils with the distinct aroma of dead fish. Now the shops don’t want to say that, and they market it as, ‘fresh fish,’ but that’s what it is, dead fish. Most people don’t eat live fish unless it was during some some childhood prank or you are related to the creature Golum, from Lord of the Rings by J.R. Tolkien.
Pretty much everyone knows that we should eat more fish, because it’s good for us. Why, because of Omega-3. But for me, I have a real sensitive sense of smell and it is closely aligned to my sense of taste. If I can smell it and it smells ‘fishy,’ I ‘m not eating it! What to do?
My wife and I were in Japan a few years ago. The Japanese are really ‘into’ fresh and especially fish. I thought I might starve over there, and at first was so thankful to find a McDonald’s close by. Soon, I was eating stuff I never imagined and even stuff one Japanese native was envious of, because he couldn’t eat it. Why could I eat the stuff? What changed for me? As an example, in the U.S.A., the truck full of fresh fish just delivering to the store, might have been thrown out in Japan, two weeks prior. When I say the Japanese love, fresh, I mean it. We saw live stuff on little styrofoam containers, sealed with clear plastic wrap, wiggling underneath the film! That’s FRESH and in Japan, I ate the stuff, because I could not smell it. I couldn’t smell it because it was fresh. I did not however, eat the wiggly stuff!
When we think of fresh, we usually associate this with quality. If it has a poor smell, we often think it is spoiled, rancid, not fresh and not of good quality. Perhaps like me, there are many people that do not eat a lot of fish, even though it’s good for us. There is a solution.
The Flavor of the Day
Fish oil. Of all the natural substances the FDA has looked into, it is only fish oil or Omega 3 from fish that has come anywhere close to getting approval. There are several sources for Omega-3 like flax seed, walnuts and other plant based substances with nutritional value, but the best and most concentrated sources for Omega-3 is from fish. “But I don’t like fish,” some may cry out. Not to worry, there are plenty of gelatin-like, encapsulated supplements on the market. That’s just a fancy schmancy way of saying soft gel pills filled with fish oil. What’s the big deal with fish oil and Omega-3, anyway?
You can do your own research, but primarily, Omega-3 has been shown to protect our hearts, aid in circulation and many other benefits. Omega-3 is essential to our health, but cannot be manufactured in the body so therefore, we must get it from the food we consume. We all know about good and bad cholesterol. Too much of the bad stuff can cause plaque to develop in our circulatory system, block blood flow and even cause a stroke or a heart attack. Omega-3 (the good stuff), has been shown to help keep our body plumbing free of clogs. My wife believes Omega-3 helps keep her joints flexible and there are many other benefits Omega-3 is known to offer. The point is, it’s good for us. The next question is where do we get it?
There are some pharmaceutical companies making ‘pharmacy grade’ fish oil (Omega-3), but it’s only available by prescription only, from a physician, for $300-$600.00. Do not ask me who makes it, where to get it, or what you get for 300-600 bucks because, I don’t know and I don’t want to know. Is their Omega-3 fish oil better than what anyone else makes? Very doubtful! It smells fishy to me. There is a lot of money to be made with pharmaceuticals rather than nutriceuticals (nutritional – super FOODS). Since the high dollar stuff is certainly out of my budget (maybe yours too), and probably not necessary anyway, where else can we get fish oil (Omega-3)?
Almost every grocery store, health food store and direct marketing, health and wellness company offer Omega-3, all with some type of gel caps. There may be, just as many different prices as there are brands. So which ones are the best ones and offer the best bang for our bucks?
First, READ the labels or the literature. What we are looking for is the source(s), of the fish oil (Omega-3). Where does it come from, what kind of fish?
Which is easier to catch, big fish or little fish? The big ones right? Most fish oil come from salmon and other larger fish. Sardines and anchovies are smaller, harder to catch, would probably end up costing more, but they also are a source for Omega-3. Which size of fish (the bigger or smaller), are more likely to live longer? Again, the bigger fish generally live longer than sardines and anchovies. Considering both size and lifespan, which fish (the larger or the smaller), would potentially have less harmful chemicals? It is the sardines and anchovies. Choose Omega-3 fish oil that clearly states it is made from sardines and anchovies!
Again, reading the label, it should read EPA with a minimum of 900 mg and DHA with a minimum of 600 mg. You will have to research EPA & DHA as to what they are, but the label should read these minimum amounts. It should also contain 100% natural Vitamin E, 25 IU, minimum, which will also read 77% of Daily Value.
Your last check is a simple one for testing the quality, freshness and purity of the product. If the ingredients listed and in the amounts as I have listed them above are on the label, the quality, freshness and purity is probably there, but this is a real simple way to know for sure. Just as this post was started, use your ‘smell-er.’ Take one of the gel caps and carefully cut one open to spill out the oil. Take a whiff. If it smells fishy or like rancid oil, it probably is. If it smells fishy to me, I wouldn’t swallow them and I’d throw the bottle away. That’s a pretty easy way to determine the freshness, quality and purity of the product, without having to understand all the technical stuff. For the non-fish eaters and those wanting more Omega-3 in their diets, you won’t taste the fish. You won’t taste the gelatin/glycerin encapsulating the fish. It’s just capsules swallowed with water.
Your cookie for this day, consider fish oil (Omega-3) for your heart and health. If you really need to find a top quality product, reply to this post with your name and E-mail and I will send you some more information and where you can get it.
Tomorrow’s cookie – ‘Talkin’ Dirt’
Baking cookies Just for You,
Dahni the cookie man
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