FDA Attempting Advisory Change on Seafood Containing Mercury

17. December 2008 · 3 comments · Categories: Health, News · Tags: , , , ,

Just a quick note to give a heads up to all parents, particularly pregnant and nursing moms:  It’s being reported by The Washington Post that the FDA is trying to convince the government to remove warnings on fish and seafood containing mercury.  This means a removal of any sort of warning telling us that mercury in fish is bad for us and our children, and rather than advising us to watch our fish intake due to mercury levels, they would begin recommending larger amounts of fish, especially for pregnant moms and young children.  

Of course we all know mercury didn’t suddenly become a health benefit. But the FDA’s claims are that the benefits outweigh the risks.  If you’re concerned about your kids not getting enough Omega-3′s, there are many other sources.  I’d recommend searching through the “Healthy Recipes” section of this blog; if you have recipes you’d like to add, please feel free to send them along!  Just check the Healthy Recipes section (there’s a tab at the top of the page) and you’ll see how to get those sent to me.  In the meantime, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for some new recipes to add that will help get those Omega-3′s into your kids – mercury free!

Omega-3 foods:  Beans, flax seed, walnuts, soybeans (including tofu), wheat and oat germ, avocado, pumpkin seeds, kiwi, lingonberry, black raspberry, pecans, butternuts, hazelnuts, hempseed oil, olive oil.

Know any more?  Please leave a comment and share with us!

Flax Seed – How do You Eat the Stuff Anyway?

24. March 2008 · 10 comments · Categories: Health · Tags: , ,


Flax seed. You’ve read about it here, you’ve seen it at the health food store, and you know it’s good for you. But what on earth do you do with it? A previous post of mine, Feeding Your Children Healthy Fats, mentioned flax as a good source. In the Comments, Elizabeth asked me for some fun ways to give your kids flax. While not all the following ideas are necessarily fun, they will all get the flax into your children (and you), without upsetting your family’s peace (“But I don’t liiiiike tiny seeds!”).

I remember reading somewhere that the ancient Greeks or Romans used to snack on flax seed as is. I’ve tried it, and they are good little buggers, tasting like walnuts. Some kids enjoy eating something like that. The seeds are unique and slippery, and I have to assume they’re fun to play with. But since flax is a pretty darned good source of fiber, don’t let your kids eat too much, especially in the beginning – or you’ll be lined up at the bathroom door. A teaspoon at most to begin with.

A friend of mine actually grinds up flax and puts them in some marvelous homemade cookies. You can certainly add flax to all sorts of recipes. I do remember her saying it took awhile to get the ratio of flax to flour correct, as the flax prevents the dough from sticking together. (I’ll have to see if I can beg the recipe from her for publication. You’d love them!)

Other options for flax are adding a teaspoon or so to that all-star green smoothie You can also sprinkle it on oatmeal or cold cereal, sneak it in spaghetti sauce, put it in muffins, and – phew! The list is endless! Just make sure to grind them first in a coffee grinder. They have a hull on there that needs to be broken. Otherwise the flax won’t digest and you’ll miss out on all the benefits!

Oh, and one last use for flax: Feed it to your dogs. My two mini doxies get ground flax seed in their food every day, and their coats really shine! Dogs should get about 1/2 a teaspoon of flax a day per 10 pounds of dog – build up to that level or you may be cleaning up more in your house than dog fur. But you’ll have a dog with fur that feels more like a cat; even better, fleas don’t like healthy fur and skin.

There’s something about flax that makes me all wordy as you can see. Omega 3′s, major brain food, keeps things regular. I’m sure I’ll think of 12 more uses for flax by the end of the day, but we’ll stop for now so I don’t get typer’s cramp.

Now if you don’t mind, I’m going off to dream about those cookies…