I just received an email from a client who noticed that every time she added flaxseed oil to her diet, she started to wheeze. We checked online, and sure enough, some people can be allergic to flaxseed. Here are some of the common symptoms of flaxseed allergy.
For anyone who is trying to increase their omega-3's, this can pose a challenge, since the vast majority of foods in the grocery store labeled as omega-3 supplemented contain flaxseed as the omega-3 source. If it turns out you are a flax-allergic person, be extra sure you read those labels!
ALA, the primary omega-3 in flaxseed oil, is not a substitute for fish oil; it has completely different and essential functions. A good way to think of it is that EPA and DHA from fish oil provide the"meat" of the structure of your brain and nerve cells, while ALA acts kind of like"rustproofing", keeping all that DHA and EPA in place that you worked so hard to get in the diet. They both need each other present in order for maximum effectiveness.
Here are some ideas for getting more omega-3's in the diet.
1. Other foods containing ALA include
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Canola oil
Edamame
Kale
Parsley
Pecans
Pumpkin seeds
Spinach
Spring greens
Tempeh
Tofu
One reason I have not included walnuts, which are typically the first vegetarian food recommended to increase omega-3 intake, is that the omega-6 content is so high that it is mathematically impossible to improve an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio when using them. I love walnuts and think they have some great nutritional benefits for PCOS, but in the rare and special case of a flaxseed allergy, it may not be a food that you would want to eat in large quantities. (I'm working on a pro-walnut post for a later date for you curious types!)
Here are some practical ways to incorporate the foods above into your diet.
1. Know your nuts!
The nuts with (a) the best omega-3 levels and (2) the best overall ratios of healthy to unhealthy fats include: macadamia, hazelnut, pecan, pine, and pistachio. Those are the nuts you should be using with the most frequency in your snacking and cooking. If you like nut-encrusted fish and pesto sauce…you're in luck! You can also throw nuts in your coffee grinder to make nut powders, which can be added to waffles, pancakes, baked goods, smoothies, and salad dressings. They'll give your creations a little bit of a gourmet twist!
2. Use shredded cabbage in your tacos instead of shredded lettuce. That's how they do it in Mexico…and it's the perfect topping for a fish taco!
3. Get in the habit of throwing a handful of dark greens--kale, spinach, parsley--into your smoothies. You won't even taste them.
4. Pumpkin seeds, like nuts, are easily added to trail mix, thrown on salads, soups, and hot cereals, and ground to include in your encrustings.
5. Cook with canola oil.
6. I've included the three types of soybean that are not tough on thyroid--edamame, tofu, and tempeh. Edamame is a fun snack when popped out of the shell, tofu and tempeh can be the basis for a meatless meal.
7. If you like pesto, you may want to try chimichurri, another parsley-based sauce that I call"South American pesto". It is wonderful on grilled meats and easy to make! I've seen ready made varieties in the grocery store.
8. Be extra careful about omega-6 fatty acids. The less of those in your diet, the less omega-3 you will need to counter their inflammatory influence. For review, except for canola, which is ok, minimize your use of oils beginning with the letters"s" and"c"…safflower, sunflower, soybean, corn, cottonseed. (The reason soy as a food is ok while soybean oil is not, is because the ratio of omega-6 jumps up when you extract and use only the fat and do not buffer it with the meat of the soybean.)
Here are a couple of recipes for you, one for chimicurri sauce, and one for a tasty squash/kale/whole wheat lasagna I tested out this week.
It just takes a little creative thinking to find ways around a flaxseed allergy. Hopefully some of the suggesstions I'm providing turn out to be favorites in your home!
Spinach Kale Whole Wheat Lasagna (from Sunset Magazine, February 2008)
Note: I couldn't find whole wheat lasagna noodles in my store so I bought whole wheat egg noodles and layered them with the other ingredients to make a casserole. It was great!
Prep and Cook Time: about 2 hours. Notes: You can assemble and chill the lasagna a day ahead, but add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time. You can also freeze the lasagna, wrapped well in plastic wrap, for up to 1 month and bake it frozen (add 1 1/4 hours to the oven time).
Yield
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced
3 peeled garlic cloves (1 minced, 2 left whole)
2 cans (14 oz. each) crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
About 1 tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper, divided
6 cups (about 2 lbs.) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-in. cubes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 pound Lacinato kale (often sold as dinosaur or Tuscan kale)
9 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 8 oz.) (Often, whole wheat pastas are made with flax…be sure to read your labels!)1 container (15 oz.) part-skim-milk ricotta cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a 2- to 3-qt. pot over medium heat. Add onion and minced garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, and 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until thick and flavors are combined, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
2. While sauce is cooking, in a 12- by 15-in. baking pan, sprinkle squash with thyme, remaining olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic cloves and toss squash mixture to coat with oil. Bake until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 3 qts. salted water to a boil in a large pot.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Transfer squash and garlic to a food processor and purée until smooth.
4. Tear kale leaves from center ribs and discard ribs. Boil leaves until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain; let cool. Squeeze out as much water as possible and chop finely.
5. In the same pot, bring another 3 qts. salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water.
6. In a bowl, mix ricotta, nutmeg, 1 cup mozzarella, and remaining 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper.
7. Coat the bottom of a 9- by 13-in. pan with 1/3 of tomato sauce (about 1 1/2 cups). Lay 3 noodles in a single layer over sauce. Top noodles with squash, spreading evenly. Sprinkle 1/2 of kale evenly over squash. Arrange 3 more noodles on kale and top with ricotta, spreading evenly. Top with remaining kale and noodles. Cover noodles with remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
8. Bake lasagna until juices are bubbling and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Grilled Halibut with Chimichurri Sauce from Epicurious.com
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallot
3/4 teaaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
3/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 (6- to 8-ounce) halibut steaks (3/4 to 1 inch thick)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
print a shopping list for this recipe
Preparation
Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, water, garlic, shallot, red-pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper until salt has dissolved. Stir in parsley. Let chimichurri stand 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas).
Pat fish dry, then brush with vegetable oil and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper (total).
Oil grill rack, then grill fish, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes total.
Serve fish drizzled with some of chimichurri; serve remainder on the side.
Cooks' notes:
·Halibut can be cooked in a hot oiled large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over medium heat.
·Chimichurri can be made 1 hour ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.