This week's mission: Prioritize your omega-3s
Welcome back to the Open Your Mind Challenge! This week, we're learning about the importance of balancing our omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Skip right to the food:
America's Omega Imbalance
One of the most common dietary imbalances in the modern Western world is the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. When metabolized, omega-6 fatty acids have an inflammatory effect on the body while omega-3s are anti-inflammatory. Ideally, this ratio of these two fats should be somewhere between 1:1 and 4:1. But today, thanks to an overabundance of processed seed oils (like soybean, corn, and sunflower oil) and too little omega-3-rich foods (like wild caught fatty fish, nuts and seeds), the average person’s ratio is closer to 15:1 or even 20:1. This shift has been linked to the rise in chronic inflammation.
Where to find omega-3s
Seafood: Salmon, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies are top sources.
Plant-based options: Flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, and algae-based supplements.
Smart swaps: Cook with extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil instead of seed oils when possible.
Even one or two servings of fatty fish per week can make a meaningful difference in inflammation levels and support your gut-brain connection.
Track your wins: Snap a photo of your omega-3-rich meal and tag @lifealivecafe + @drumanaidoo to be entered to win prizes this week!
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Eating Omega-3-Rich at Life Alive
Each meal recommendation below will help you prioritize omega-3s:
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Dr. Uma’s Brain-Food Granola
Vegan, gluten-free, dairy free
Servings: 20
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Packaged granola tends to be high in added sugars and processed ingredients, but it's very easy to make your own healthy, delicious granola at home. My version is packed with nuts, seeds, and spices, and it's great served with yogurt or eaten alone as a snack. I like to make a big batch, which lasts about a month stored in a sealed glass jar.
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons raw honey or manuka honey
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup crushed walnuts
1 cup crushed almonds
2½ cups rolled oats
2 tablespoons flaxseeds
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Heat the oil in a medium pot over low heat. Add the honey and spices.
In a large bowl, mix the nuts, oats, and seeds. Pour in the oil, honey, and spice mix. Mix thoroughly and spread out on the sheet pan.
Roast for 1 hour, until golden brown, stirring the granola mix every 15 minutes to prevent it from burning. Cool and serve.
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Dr. Uma’s Crispy Tikka Masala Tofu
Vegan, gluten-free, dairy free
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
There are a multitude of ways to prepare tofu, but my favorite is to get it nice and crispy in an air fryer. This version includes South Asian spices, but it's adaptable to many other flavor profiles by altering the spice blend used. Bump up the spices if you like foods more spicy.
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 teaspoon red chili powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8-ounce black firm organic, non-GMO tofu
Mix the avocado oil, spices, and salt in a large bowl.
Drain the tofu. Place in a medium baking dish and cover with parchment paper. Place a sheet pan on top of the parchment paper and weigh the pan down with 2 heavy cans of canned food. Press the tofu for 30 minutes. Uncover and drain the excess liquid.
Cut the block of tofu into ½- to 1-inch cubes. After placing the pieces in your air fryer pan/basket, sprinkle on the oil-spice mixture.
Back in an air fryer at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden and crispy (about 8 minutes if you prefer a softer texture), or bake in an oven set to 375°F for 15-20 minutes, depending on how soft or crisp you prefer.
Recipes excerpted from CALM YOUR MIND WITH FOOD by UMA NAIDOO, MD. Copyright ©2020 respectively by Uma Naidoo. Used with permission of Little, Brown Spark, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.