All You Ever Wanted To Know About Omega 3’s!

Hello again!

I’ve had a very fun and informative day here in Philadelphia with New Harvest!

Some fun facts. Did you know that…

• Only 1 in 10 Americans eat fatty fish the recommended 2 times per week
• 17% of Americans never eat fish
• 55% of Americans find it difficult to get the recommended amount of fish

Do you eat the recommended two 3.5oz servings of fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc.) per week? I’d say I do a good job with this — I love my seafood!

The morning started with a presentation from Jenna Bell, a Registered Dietitian (RD) and spokesperson for New Harvest.

I loved all the presentations today — as someone who is studying to become an RD, it was cool to actually understand some of the science talk! :)

Here’s the deal:

• Higher levels of long chain Omega 3’s in the blood translate to a lower risk of cardiac death and a decrease in blood clotting and inflammation. Plus, Omega 3’s they have been shown to make people with depression symptoms happier!
• There are two kinds of long chain fatty acids (Omega 3’s) associated with heart health benefits: EPA and DHA. These come from fish.
• The short chain fatty acid is called ALA and comes from plant sources, such as flaxseed, canola oil, walnuts, etc.
  • Unfortunately ALA is poorly converted to EPA and DHA in the body — bad news for vegetarians!

Apparently the New Harvest supplement is made from yeast — but not the same kind that makes beer ;) Heh. Bummer!

While I don’t think I need this supplement, if you are a vegetarian or someone who never eats fish, this would be a great way to get in your EPA omega 3’s. Plus, it’s sustainable (did you know it takes 25-50 kg of wild caught fish to make 1 kg of fish oil?) and there’s no weird fishy aftertaste! Check out the New Harvest site for more info :)

After the presentations, we headed to the Reading Terminal Market for an awesome vegetarian cooking class at La Cucina!

Jenna and I were put in charge of the sweet potato ravioli and it was pretty much epic.

Yeah, we’re pros. No big deal.

…Except for that one time that Jenna put it on the wrong setting and we almost ruined everyone’s lunch. ;)

Look at her. So mischievous. Just waiting. And plotting.

But I knew what she was up to. And I wasn’t going to stand for it.

Obviously I saved the day. Don’t believe what Jenna says ;)

Heh. Success! ;)

Which turned into:

Yay!!

Also on the menu — amazing bread, caramelized onions, fig jam, and goat cheese appetizers:

And asparagus and a delicious salad!

What a fun day :)

I just ran the Rocky steps:

…and now I’m headed to my BFF Turner’s place for dinner before I hit the road for Annapolis — my first half marathon is in the a.m., GAH!!! Wish me luck! :)