Low Carb Salmon and Avocado Patties

This week in the 12 Week Mind Body Rebalance Coaching Call we discussed seed oils, following a recently released podcast episode from Zoe Science. In this episode, Prof Sarah Berry claimed that seed oils are not harmful. We disagree. Interestingly Prof Berry runs courses on healthy fats for the British Nutrition Foundation, which sounds like an awesome foundation, except that it is a lobby group funded by the processed food industry. 

You can read one of their papers here where they discuss the reasons we shouldn't demonise certain foods. Honestly, the fox is truly in the henhouse here. Fancy the Food Industry weighing in on the merits of making sure we don't “demonise” certain foods-Ah that would be the food products they are creating! 

What are Seed Oils?

Seed oils also known as vegetable oils include canola,(also known as rapeseed) soybean, safflower, sunflower and rice bran oil. 

Vegetable oils do NOT include olive, avocado, or nut oils like peanut and macadamia. 

Sesame oil is a seed oil but it is used in very small amounts as a flavouring and so not included here. 

What are the issues with Seed Oils? 

The number one issue is this is a recently introduced food type. While humans have always eaten seeds, they have not been able to efficiently extract the oil. Now we have industrial food plants, the oils can be easily extracted and as a result, we are consuming 100’s of times the amount that we used to. Seed oils contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA’s) which are in fact a good thing. These are essential fatty acids meaning we can’t make them in our body so it is essential we get them from our diet. Like most things though, the devil is in the detail. 

Omega-3 and Omega-6

These polyunsaturated fatty acids are called Omega-3 and Omega-6. 

Omega-3 fatty acid is also known as alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) whilst Omega-6 is Linoleic acid (LA) 

Roles of Omega-3 and Omega-6 

There are not many people who dispute that Omega-3(ALA)  is good for us. Interestingly the studies show supplements containing Omega-3 do not confer the same benefits and it appears the benefits for Omega-3 only occur when it is consumed as food. 

Music to our ears! 

PUFAs are involved in our immune system and in the creation of both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory components. Remember not all inflammation is bad- we need inflammatory pathways activated to fight infection, remove foreign bodies etc. 

At a simplistic level, Omega-3 ALA  activates the anti-inflammatory pathway and Omega 6 (LA)  the pro-inflammatory pathway.  Through various pathways, Omega-3 decreases blood clotting and Omega-6 increases blood clotting

Great food sources of Omega-3 are oily fish including salmon, mackerel and sardines as well as chia and flaxseed. 

Omega-6 is found in seeds and nuts. 

Nutrition Research 

There are studies suggesting that eating high amounts of Omega-6 is associated with preventing cardiovascular disease. This doesn't quite stack up. The majority of seed oil consumption is in Ultra Processed Food. UPF has skyrocketed in the past 50 years as has cardiovascular disease

The main study as quoted by Prof Berry in her podcast is here https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0021915019315758 

The lead author is the chair of the Nutrition Foundation of Italy which also received funding from the processed food industry. 

The study was funded by Bonomelli which is a herbal tea company. However, a little bit of digging revealed that the parent company Montenegro owns a company called Cuore which makes vegetable oils and proclaims the health benefits of, you guessed it Omega-6! 

Sadly the world of nutrition science is heavily compromised. 

In the interest of providing you with a recipe with real food that is high in protein and high in omega-3 fatty acids, I present Low Carb Salmon Patties 

Enjoy

Ingredients for Low Carb Salmon and Avocado Patties

• 1 can salmon, drained (415g)
• 1 avocado, flesh only
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup hemp seeds or almond flour
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 tbsp Mingle Garlic and Dill Ranch Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• butter, ghee or oil for pan-frying

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add the salmon and avocado flesh. Mash the salmon and avocado together with a fork until it is evenly combined.

2. Add in the onions, hemp seeds or almond flour, parmesan cheese, salt and seasoning. Stir well to combine.

3. Add the eggs to the mixture and stir to combine.
4. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add some butter or oil for pan-frying.

5. Shape the mixture into 6 patties and cook for 4-5 minutes each side, or until golden-brown and cooked through.

6. Serve with a side salad or steamed veggies.

Makes 6 patties

Nutrition per pattie:

Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g | Fiber: 3g | Net Carbs: 3g

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Dr Mary Barson and Dr Lucy are the founders of Real Life Medicine. They help women who have been on every diet under the sun, optimise their health and achieve long lasting weight loss without feeling miserable or deprived.

They do this with their 3 step framework that 

• Improves metabolism
• Develops mindset skills 
• Provides tools to implement it easily into busy lives 

With this comes increased energy, vitality and confidence.

You can avoid chronic disease and stop living life on the sidelines!