Napoleon famously said that an Army March’s on its stomach. Omega 3 fatty acids found in lamb, Ostrich, oily fish and walnuts have many health benefits from protecting the heart, eyes and decreasing the risk of depression. The US military views Omega 3 as Nutritional armour in its ability to improve stress resilience and improve overall wellness. A conference was recently held where this topic was discussed it was also stated that Omega 3 supplementation could reduce medical costs. In particular Omega 3’s ability to reduce the incidence of depression and possible curb the high rates of suicide in troops returning from the line of duty.

Source:

1. http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/US-military-may-enlist-Omega-3s-to-boost-performance-but-why-wait

Eat This-Grass Fed Meats

As a physician, I do my best to heal my patients. I address symptoms and perform procedures when necessary. As an Interventional Cardiologist that at times involves treating heart attacks and placing stents or other devices to open up blocked heart arteries, restore blood flow and reverse years of damage. I try to help restore their health so they may enjoy the rest of their life. Yet after the procedures are done and the prescriptions written, after a time, all I can give is advice and guidance. It is ultimately up to the patient. Counseling often involves trying to establish a balance about what to eat, a realization that your food is your best medicine-or your worst poison. As their physician I want them to consume more things like fresh vegetables, fruit and items rich in fiber. I want them to prepare things in a healthier manner and lower their consumption of foods high in cholesterol, salt, fat and sugar. The latter three being the common evil found in everyday over processed and fast food.

Over processed food and altered animal products are not what I recommend. It’s not what I eat. To me, these are not healthy choices. A great example is found in natural (hormone and antibiotic free) beef that is allowed to roam free and consume natural grasses. These animals are herbivores; feeding them high protein pellets made from ground up bits of other animals just is not their natural diet. Cramming them in feedlots and pens where they cannot move, let alone get any exercise may increase yields, but decreases healthy benefits. These are the animals whose conditions are so poor they need prophylactic antibiotics. The average store bought beef you find in the super chains is often chock full of antibiotics, hormones and God knows what else. The result of these stressed out adulterated animals is a product full of fat and cholesterol. We have taken something natural and beneficial and made it unhealthy. When the animals are allowed to thrive naturally we find things like beneficial omega fatty acids-3s in the red meat. Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial and essential fatty acids with a plethora of healthy benefits. Animals with natural diets produce a product lower in overall saturated fatty acids (bad) and higher in polyunsaturated fatty acids (good). Products from grass-fed animals have increased conjugated linoleic acid by 50% and Omega 3 fatty acids (both good) by 40%. The animals allowed to move about naturally are also lower in overall fat and higher in vitamin E, a natural antioxidant.

None of these health benefits means anything if people won’t eat it. As a Chef, I know people won’t eat any of the food if it doesn’t taste good. It has to taste good. If it doesn’t taste good it’s not food-it’s just medicine. The beauty of consuming these natural grass fed products is that they simply taste better. They have a delicious flavor you want to savor, not like tasteless gobs from feedlots and super chains. Fresh product like this is what I use when I do my Grassroots cooking. It is what I use to cook with and serve, because it is what I want to eat. It is a pleasure. As a Chef, for me, it is all about taste.
Translation: It’s great tasting food that’s great for you. And that’s what Doc’s all about.
-Michael S. Fenster, MD, F.A.C.C., FSCA&I; Interventional Cardiologist, Chef and host of What’s Cooking with Doc (www.whatscookingwithdoc.com)

The following recipe come from Mango and Tomato a fantastic food blog full of tasty dishes:
Using simple ingredients, you can make a hearty meal that takes minutes to put together and can be served for lunch or dinner. If you have kids in your household, I’m sure they’d be more than happy to help you assemble the enchiladas.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• lime salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 19 ounce can enchilada sauce
• 1 cup brown rice, cooked according to directions on the package
• 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 green chili pepper, minced
• 8 flour tortillas
• 15.5 ounce can black refried beans
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

extras: sour cream, cilantro, salsa, guacamole

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef with lime salt, chili and cumin. Add 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce. Mix.
2. Add drained tomatoes and diced chili pepper to the rice. Mix.
3. To assemble the enchiladas, spread refried black beans on a tortilla. Top with rice and ground beef mixture. Top with cheddar cheese. Roll.

4. Preheat the oven to 375.

5. Add enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of 9×13 Pyrex dish. Once the enchiladas are rolled, put them into the sauced dish seam-side down. Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

6. Bake for 20 minutes.

7. Serve enchiladas with sour cream, salsa, cilantro and guacamole (I wish I had guacamole, but I did not).

Variations: the beauty of this dish is how versatile it is. You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey or chicken, or use leftover pulled pork. You can make the entire dish vegetarian! Of course you can also use any type of cheese you want and add regular black or pinto beans instead of refried beans.

Please tell everyone who wants organic foods ….

US House and Senate are about to vote on a bill that will outlaw organic farming (bill HR 875).

Main backer and lobbyis is Monsanto, chemical and genetic engineering giant corporation (and Cargill, ADM, and about 35 other related agri-giants). This bill will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous insect sprays dictated by the newly formed agency to “make sure there is no danger to the public food supply.” This will include backyard gardens that grow food only for a family and not for sales.

If this passes, then NO more heirloom clean seeds, but only Monsanto genetically altered seeds that are now showing up with unexpected diseases in humans.

There is a video on this subject: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epXNJNjYBvw&feature=related

And another one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeWVkTU1s1E

The name on this outrageous food plan is Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (bill HR 875). Get on the phone and burn up the wires! Get anyone else you can to do the same thing! The House and Senate WILL pass this if they are not massively threatened with loss of their position. They only fear your voice and your vote. The best thing to do is go to www.house.gov/writerep, put in your zip code and it will give your congressperson and how to get in touch with them. When you call their office tell them politely that you are calling to express your views on HR 875. They’ll take your name and address and pass your comments along to the congressperson.

The following link is a list of US senators and their contact info: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm