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From The Kitchen Girl

Equipment

• chef’s knife
• cutting board
• immersion blenderor wire whisk
• 7-cup food processorfitted with shredding blade
• large mixing bowl
• airtight storage container(s)

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
• 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt
• Black Pepper to taste
• ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the salad

• 1 pound Raw Brussels Sprouts (4 cups) rinsed and patted dry
• 4-6 leaves Dino Kale washed, dried, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup Dried Cranberries
• ¼ small Red Onion diced
• ¼ cup Sunflower Seeds or any nuts or seeds
• 1 medium Apple (any variety) thinly sliced
• 1 cup Pomegranate Seeds

Instructions

• Make the dressing by blending VINEGAR, MAPLE SYRUP, DIJON, SALT, and PEPPER. Drizzle OLIVE OIL into the mixture and continue blending until the dressing becomes creamy and emulsified. Cover and set aside.
• Trim the ends away from BRUSSELS SPROUTS, if needed. Shred Brussels sprouts in food processor fitted with the slicing blade. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• To this, add KALE, CRANBERRIES, ONION, POMEGRANATE, and SUNFLOWER SEEDS.
• Add vinaigrette and toss until everything is evenly coated.
• Add APPLE SLICES and gently toss again. Garnish with a few pomegranate seeds and serve chilled.
• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. The salad may lose some crispness over time, so enjoy within a day or two.

Notes

• When selecting Brussels sprouts, ensure the leaves are bright green with no signs of drying or discoloration.
• If a food processor isn’t available, Brussels sprouts can be thinly sliced with a chef’s knife or shredded with a box grater or mandoline at your discretion.
• When dried cranberries become too dry, you can soak them in warm water for a few minutes. This is the best trick to make them plump and juicy again.
• When prepping ahead, prevent sliced apples from browning by placing them 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
• To make ahead, you can prepare the Brussels sprouts and other ingredients a few days ahead. But wait to add the dressing until shortly before serving time to preserve crispness.

We should all be consuming Omega 3 Fats daily. We need to be getting this from WILD fish sources. This post leaves you with an action plan on exactly how to do that. First lets start with 3 super cool facts you can impress others with:

1. It’s the fish swimming in cold water, that brings powerful benefits to your brain?  Author and food science researcher, Max Lugavere explains:

“A fish has to stay limber and flexible at really cold temperatures,  it’s those delicate polyunsaturated fats that help keep a fish really, really flexible and fluid, and it’s that same quality that polyunsaturated fats give to your brain,keeping your brain cell membranes nice and fluid and flexible, and so that’s why there’s this interesting relationship that our brains have with fish fat, that’s why fish oil is so important,
and the fish that are most abundant with that kind of fat, in particular DHA fat, which is one of
the most important structural building blocks of the brain is salmon.

It’s those Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA fat in particular, that keeps your brain cell membranes nice and supple and fluid, so that the receptors for various neurotransmitters, serotonin involved in having a healthy mood,dopamine involved in feelings of reward, acetylcholine, which is important for learning and memory, receptors for those neurotransmitters have to bob up to the surface of the cell
membrane, and they rely on that characteristic, that membrane fluidity in order to do so”

2. DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) is the most beneficial component of Omega 3’s.

It’s found in marine algae. It’s the fish eating the algae that we get the DHA from. Farmed fish do NOT eat algae. This is why it’s super important to eat WILD fish. Farmed fish are often fed corn which creates inflammation in our body.

“DHA produces compounds called docosanoids, and docosanoids are both neuroprotective and antiinflammatory. It’s one reason why DHA is so good for the brain. And DHA also inhibits the expression of several inflammatory markers”  Chris Kresser M.A

3.  Humans need pre-formed omega 3’s. From fish not plant based sources.  “Plant based Omega 3 sources (flax, chia, walnuts) do not convert easily to DHA. Vegetarians and vegans have been proven to be poor converters of ALA to DHA.”  Max Lugavere

Most Americans need 2g of Omega 3’s daily. That means 2,000 mg total of EPA & DHA.

EPA = Eicosapentaenoic Acid. Reduces depression, lowers triglycerides, improves blood flow & heart health

DHA = Docosahexaenoic Acid. Neuro-protective + Anti- inflammatory. DHA is more highly needed by modern humans due to damaging stressors in our foods and everyday life.

Your 3 step action plan is below. Number one will save you a lot of money!

1.Reduce Omega 6 fats and oils daily. 

These are pro-inflammatory and wreak havoc on our bodies (Heart disease, alzheimers, strokes, depression, poor cognitive function, hormone imbalances)

Ever since the industrial revolution we’ve been over-consuming Omega 6 fats from grain and seed oils (canola, sunflower, corn oil). We also started feeding corn and grains to livestock (rather than grass) . We are now consuming a ration of 20:1 (Omega 3’s to Omega 6 ratio) .  “Our primal ancestors were consuming 1:1. We want to get to 3:1 ( Omega 6:Omega 3 ratio)” Chris Kresser M.S.

Here’s how 3 simple ways to decrease Omega 6 fats AND save money (less money on Omega 3 supplements!)

• Cook at home more. Restaurants and takeout pack in the Omega 6 oils to keep cost low. CLICK HERE for more info on this

Use EVOO (low heat) Avocado Oil (medium heat) and grass-fed butter or ghee (high heat)

• Eat less prepackaged foods. These are often high in grain and seed oils.
• Be a fish & meat snob! Only buy grassfed, pastured and WILD animal products

2. Eat WILD fish 3x a week. 4 ounces (if you eat less than this take more fish oil)

CLICK HERE for why eating whole fish is better than just supplementing

Look for “wild” on the label. If it doesn’t say wild it’s farmed and that has omega 6’s in it. The colder water and fattier fish give you the most bang for your buck. Here are your top choices

• Salmon (King is best)
• Halibut
• Herring
• Sardines
• Trout
• Mackerel
• Tuna
• Anchovies

• If you’re worried about Mercury content. Don’t be CLICK here for science on why selenium in these foods counteracts mercury and makes these fish safe for you

3. Take Fish Oil ** Pick one of the 3 top brands (cheap brands can wreck you)

If you are eating fish less than 3x a week (high quality 4 ounce servings) You want:

• 2000 mg daily
• At least 200 DHA
• NSF (national Sanitation Foundation) Stamp AND /OR MSF (Marine stewardship Foundation stamp)

Here are the top 4 in order:

• Rosita, Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil DHA 605 EPA 443 (64.95 30 servings) CLICK HERE for benefits of Cod Liver Oil
• New Chapter WholeMega Fish Oil ( 220 mg DHA 180 mg EPA. 49.24 180 caps. 90 servings) ** This is my top choice
• Vital Choice Wild Salmon Oil (220 DHA, 240 EPA 39.99 for 180 caps 60 servings)
• Jarrow Max DHA (600 mg DHA 29.99 Amazon 90 caps. 45 servings)

Great podcasts with transcripts and science backed studies!

Shawn Stevenson with Max Lugavere
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wvizReiTSw0SCwG6VIgZb?si=fc2546bc0e8e4ced

Chris Kresser,
https://chriskresser.com/podcast-episode-ii-essential-fatty-acids-fish-and-fish-oil/
https://chriskresser.com/the-definitive-fish-oil-buyers-guide/

Kwik Brain with Jim Kwik
https://www.jimkwik.com/podcasts/eating-smarter-for-your-brain-part-2-with-shawn-stevenson/

Dr. Robert Lustwig on The Neuro Experience with Louisa Nicola
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4rmFO3qBrnHChAwb7EIoDY?si=35b918f610e74618