I bought a good deal from Costco® the other day. It was a ‘three pound bag of pistachios’. Mistake! The next day after eating handful after handful, I experienced aches and pains in every atom of my body.
Unfortunately, the Omega 6 level of pistachios is not very low like flax and chia seeds. Yet, many others are much higher. I paid the price in painful inflammation even though I should’ve known better. Nuts and seeds also contain lectins.
‘Eating a small amount of seeds and nuts daily must be better than guzzling soda and eating bags of greasy chips, right’?
You can unconsciously slip back to the old ways very easily when you let your guard down. With all the things to remember about good and bad food, one can forget the facts over time. Nonetheless, it’s easy to remember that junk food snacks is not eating healthy.
It’s a good idea knowing the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 in what you are eating. Furthermore, eating more of certain plant based whole food is not particularly better. For example, eating too many nuts, seeds and avocados.
‘Research shows Omega 6 oils are inflammatory, while Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory [1]’
When I eat chips I suffer inflammation from their higher Omega 6 refined oils like corn, palm, canola, safflower, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed and others. But, when I used extra virgin olive oil on popcorn and salads it made it harder for me to breathe.
‘Approximate’ Omega 6 to 3 ratios
- Pistachios 52 to 1
- Sesame seeds 96 to 1
- Pumpkin seeds 114 to 1
- Almonds 1987 to 1
- Peanuts 5500 to 1
- Sunflower seeds 472 to 1
- Cashews 47 to 1
- Pine nuts 32 to 1
- Walnuts 4 to 1 (best choice)
- Macadamia nuts 6 to 1
- Chia seeds 0.3 to 1 (best choice)
- Flax seeds 0.2 to 1 (best choice)
Eating too many Omega 6 rich nuts and seeds may cause inflammation weakening ones immune system. Yet, at the same time it is said Omega 6 is good for the body and heart. Therefore, don’t exclude this from your diet, just limit and balance it as best you can. What’s problematic is that Americans consume way too much Omega 6.
Everyone knows reducing saturated fat in his diet is a heart healthier choice [2]
On the other hand, Omega-3 fatty acid also does good things like help protect against heart disease and possibility of strokes. It may also help in preventing cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, creation of dangerous blood clots and helping to lower ones triglycerides.
‘You can make a tasty salad dressing without olive oil. I use apple cider vinegar (save your money buying balsamic,) add garlic and onion powder, squeeze of lemon, a few drops of sesame oil, shake, spoon on and toss salad’
I have stopped eating peanuts, cashews, almonds, sesame seeds and pine nuts. Peanuts, soy sauce and cashews in particular set my inflammation on fire. I have substituted a sprinkle of chia seeds and walnut pieces on my salads and a couple teaspoons of flax powder in our green smoothies.
Source- 1 PC;, Calder. “n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Inflammation, and Inflammatory Diseases.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16841861/.
2 Hooper L;Martin N;Jimoh OF;Kirk C;Foster E;Abdelhamid AS; “Reduction in Saturated Fat Intake for Cardiovascular Disease.” The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32428300/.
Note- consult your doctor before you change your diet.
