I started off with the wakame salad, which I’ve become obsessed with ever since I tried it a month or two ago.
Then I ordered two rolls: a salmon roll and a tuna roll. I also ate the 3 pieces of California roll from Chris’ bento box, since he doesn’t like them. Silly boy!
I was a little disappointed with the sushi here. It was pretty dry and didn’t taste that fresh! So I guess I’ll have to go out for sushi again soon to make up for it. ;)
Since I’m already talking about fish here, now is a good time to pull out my nerd glasses and talk a little science with you about a health favourite: omega-3’s. Obviously we all know they’re good for us, but I think what the average person doesn’t know is that not all omega-3’s are created equal!
[Source]
Walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seed, and omega-3 enriched eggs are all great sources, but only of a certain omega-3: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is considered an essential fatty acid because our bodies cannot make it, so we must get it from our food.
Theoretically, ALA is then converted to other omega 3’s in our bodies in a chain of reactions that looks like this:
Since EPA and DHA can be made, they are not considered essential nutrients. BUT, that conversion in our bodies is super inefficient because the enzymes are busy working on other conversions. Namely, conversions in the omega-6 family. And because we eat so many more omega-6’s than omega-3’s, those enzymes are super busy!
So even though EPA and DHA aren’t technically considered “essential” it’s still best to get them from the diet. For the most part, this means FISH. Most plants are very poor sources of EPA and DHA.
No meat? No problem! If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can get these nutrients from fish oil pills. But read the label carefully to make sure they contain DHA and EPA. Fish oil pills still make you squeamish? Then you can also get DHA and EPA from certain microalgaes. Check your health food store for supplements.
And just a quick reminder about why EPA and DHA are so good for you:
- They produce anti-inflammatory compounds in the body
- They are good for cardiovascular health and help to prevent heart disease
- DHA is important for optimal brain and visual function
- Sufficient levels of EPA and DHA may help to prevent depression
- EPA and DHA may help to prevent or slow certain chronic dieases, such as arthritis, alzheimer's, and inflammatory bowel diseases
Favourite type of sushi?
How do you get EPA and DHA in your diet?
I absolutely adore sushi, but lately for some reason it's been making me a bit squeamish. So I've been having shrimp tempura rolls, avocado rolls, and cuke rolls. it seems to satisfy my craving perfectly. I also *love* that seaweed salad. I picked some of that up from my local Korean market last week and nibbled at it constantly until it was gone.
ReplyDeleteI eat a good amount of fish, so I guess that's how I get most of my EPA and DHA. If you're not going to eat fish or take fish oils, I guess you'd need to cut back on consumption of omega 6's so your body is free to process the ALA. Would that make sense?
Keep the science lessons coming! I love your explanations, so much more interesting and easy to comprehend than textbook explanations. Sounds like I actually don't get enough EPA and DHA haha. I'll look into these fish oil pills.
ReplyDeleteI usually love trying little "unknown" restaurants, they usually have the best menus and food. Too bad the sushi wasn't the best there! I actually have tried Sushi, but my mom and I are going for it this week, any recommendations?
ReplyDeleteI love your nerdy lessons! :)
I'm sorry to hear the sushi you had wasn't up to par! But like you said, now you can go somewhere else and order it again ;)
ReplyDeleteI personally loveeee sushi. I am a big fan of the raw kind simply served over rice- tuna, yellowtail, salmon, shrimp are among my favorites
I also like getting my omega-3s in with walnuts! They are my favorite type of nut and tastes great in my morning cereal/oatmeal and sprinkled on top of a salad
I've never had sushi before! It freaks me out haha! But I do eat lots of seafood and fish...gotta get those omega-3s! :)
ReplyDeleteI had sushi for lunch and it tasted divine. Salmon avocado is without a doubt my fave. Great way to get my omega 3 and healthy fats fix! For veggies, chia seeds and flax seeds are ideal sources of omega 3s as they can be added to anything without altering the taste.
ReplyDeleteI love sushi! I think I have it just about once a week. I love the tuna roll with brown rice, or this really fancy shmancy roll called the Manhattan Roll. Inside is shrimp and avocado, and on top of it is spicy tuna and sprinkled with tempura bits. Not that healthy but sometimes I like to just splurge. I also love the rainbow roll!
ReplyDeleteI haven't had sushi in forever! My favorite is the avocado peanut roll at my favorite sushi place. It's an avocado roll with the addition of a honey roasted peanut. It's delicious!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know all this info about essential fatty acids! I'm so glad you brought it to my attention. I immediately went to check the supplement that I take, and let out a sigh of relief when I saw that it does contain the types I need.
Oh dear, now you reminded me that it's been too long since I had sushi, too...and too long since I had fish, for that matter! I usually prefer sashimi, but when it comes to sushi...the unauthentic baked sushi rolls are sooo good!
ReplyDeletei love California rolls too- yea my mom doesnt like them and im always taking hers.. i dont get why some people dont like Cali rolls... pretty much all sushi is good sushi!!
ReplyDeleteps. your wish is my command, ur on my blogroll ;)
I had sushi last week, after having stayed away for a very long time! I love tuna and avocado rolls, with extra wasabi! The restaurant's seaweed salad, however, had the texture of rubber bands. It was different, but not bad!
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't mind, I've added you to my blogroll!
sushi is awesome! i am really just in love with raw tuna actually, i can skip the rice part :)
ReplyDeleteLOVE sushi! My fav is prob an avocado and cream cheese roll. :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
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