I had heard that macadamia nuts were very low in Omega 6. I looked them up and they really are. 2 fat blocks (3g fat) only have 52 mg of Omega 6. I'm going to stock up.

awesome!

sarah



[quote]
Posted By larry on 02 Jul 2012 06:25 PM
I had heard that macadamia nuts were very low in Omega 6. I looked them up and they really are. 2 fat blocks (3g fat) only have 52 mg of Omega 6. I'm going to stock up.
[/quote]

Good for you.
They are pricey in USA.

They sure are! I have a bulk section at the grocery store ...

Why are peanuts so much cheaper than these nuts? :-(

Sometimes it feels like everything that's really good for me, is more expensive!

Obviously, it's a lot cheaper down the road ...

Sarah

Yeah, I hear you, Sarah!

Peanuts are not really even nuts at all! They are legumes.

I remember when I first started zoning, I had trouble even tossing out my egg yolks, because it seemed like money down the drain. And, it seemed so terribly expensive to buy the favorable ingredients. Now, I don't even worry about it. Processed food is much cheaper, but I was not well eating it.

Hi Cranberrycat,

Oh, they're not even nuts ... LOL.

Yes, I can understand why you'd find it difficult to toss out your egg yolks back then ... :-)

I still struggle with how expensive it is sometimes to buy favorable ingredients, but yes, you are right, you're a lot better off health-wise, and you FEEL a lot better too ...

I compare how much I spent on groceries with how much someone else I know spend on his groceries, and I spend a lot more on groceries than he does. More than double his grocery bill!

On the other hand, he spends a lot of money on entertainment. I am frugal there because my health comes first.

Sarah

The average older American takes up to 31 medication pills per day!
My wife and I (55 and 50) take none.
Figure what the cost of medications, doctors, etc. would have been when you get older,
and all the little bit of extra money you spent for healthy food,
adds up to less than what you would have been paying for sick care, later on.

Sometimes people never really think about the healthcare costs, because they are covered under an insurance plan, or Medicare. But, in the long run, we all pay for it in some form or another.

My husband and I, both late 40's, do not have the need for any prescription medication, either. And, we both have huge family history of hypertension, heard disease, diabetes. So, the stakes are against us. But, hopefully we can maintain our health by spending our money wisely on food, thereby decreasing the need for medications and maintenance of chronic disease later in life.

Well said Cranberrycat.

So this is the thread that I'd been looking for! :-)

292.6 mg of omega-6 for only 2/3 tsp of olive oil? I often use one tablespoon of olive oil, to go with my pollock which is nearly fat-free.

so that makes, I don't know, rounding it up ... 300 x 3 for three 2/3 tsps = 900 mg. And round up more to make 3 tsp = 1100 mg??

I don't have the energy to be accurate, but, that's for just one meal ... I eat probably 5 tablespoon of OO per day. And still losing weight by the way ... LOL.

So the weight thing isn't the problem, my concern right now is health-wise because of my allergies and congestion.

And that sounds like an awful lot of omega-6s to me ... I'm trying to lower my inflammation but as Cranberrycat comments, we still need some omega-6s. on the other hand, I'm going off ZFO.

I had been gouging on almond ground mixed with a little OO and microwaved to brown it, I love it with seasalt. I'm seeing I have to find something else if I want to lower my omega-6s temporarily while I struggle with my ZFO.

So ... advice???

And, hey! I can email Dave too ... the scientist ... LOL. So doing so right now ...

Alexy

That is surprising to me. I think you can't just go by the raw number. You might have to do a comparison between olive oil an other oils, and then you may see a difference, in that olive oil has a lower omega-6 content than other fats/oils.

Again, as stated on another thread, if one goal in the Zone is to reduce the amount of omega-6 in our diets and change the omega-3/6 ratio, then wouldn't it be nice to have an actual chart here on this website that shows a table of fats with their omega3/6 content (and AA as was stated on a different discussion thread)? Of course, we also have the food block index to follow, but that does not have actual amounts of AA and omega 3/6 listed. It would be valuable to have the actual figures at our fingertips.

Hi Sarah - the answer is macadamia nuts. 1/2 ounce (14 g) has 10 g of fat and only 182 mg of Omega 6. Compare to olive oil -- 1 TBSP (14 g) has 14 g of fat and 1318 mg of Omega 6. I try to get at least half my fat from macadamia nuts.

Hey Larry;
Just curious, how much Omega-6 in coconut oil?
(Coconut oil is a medium-chain sat fat, as opposed to a long-chain like most all other sat fats.)
Medium-chain sat fats are converted directly to ATP unlike long-chain sat fats.)
NOTE: To all others reading coconut oil (medium chain sat fats) are still considered not favorable by Dr. Sears.

Very nice thread.. I think macademia nuts are very expensive but because we don't eat many they are cheaper in a way.. I use almonds and o.o. mainly but I would like to know about coconut like John asked.

Hi John - Iooked up coconut oil on nutritiondata.com 1 TBSP (14 g) has 14 g of fat and 243 mg of Omega 6. It's about the same as macadamia nuts (10 g of fat yields 183 mg of Omega 6).

I've been wondering about using coconut oil and I love coconut butter. Dr Sears says it's not a favorable fat but there are a lot of places that say it's very good for us.

Warning: Coconut Oil is not favored by the Zone nor Dr. Sears!
That said, my wife and I have used it and Olive Oil almost exclusively for a year now.
And my recent blood work has been excellent.
Olive oil, Extra Virgin, for all unheated, uncooked uses.
Coconut oil for all heating, cooking uses.
.
As a side note: Last year and all previous years in my life, including 7 years on the Zone, some summers stricter than others,
I have always burned very easily. And using, the last couple of years a natural sunscreen, no toxic metals, etc. from Dr. Mercola.
However, in January, I read that regular use of Coconut oil (ingesting) can help with sun protection,
while still allowing one to get optimal Vitamin D without supplements, that sunscreens, even Dr. Mercola's natural sunscreen, block.
.
So this summer, I gave it a test. As much as we kayak in the summer, and usually from about 10 am to 3 pm on Saturdays and some Sundays,
out in the sun at its highest and worst with reflection off of the water to boot -- this year I did not put any of Dr. Mercola's (or any other sunscreen) on,
either before, during, or after kayaking.
Though I always brought a bottle with me, just in case I felt my skin starting to get red.
Not once this year did my skin even get even a bit pink, let alone any red or burn.
Nothing.
.
I have never tried, but rubbing a bit on the skin also helps the skin in many additional ways, as well.
Wonder why any of the tropical people that live on Coconut oil/tropical oils, (medium chain sat fat),
never get burned, often live long lives as a rule and not an exception,
rarely have any heart disease, etc.? .....

Wow ...

Alexy

I'm just gonna say, very interesting stuff!

IMO its another issue regarding how an unfavorable zone food actually has some very good benefits.

Yeah!

And I am curious as to exactly why coconut oil isn't seen as being great, when it doesn't operate the same way as other similiar fats ... it's not from animals, after all; it's from coconuts. The saturated fat in coconut oil doesn't act the same way as the saturated fat in animal fats.

Sarah

Coconut oil is rich in saturated fat and may be used in moderation. There are better oils to use. The fats in coconut oil are in form of shorter-chain fatty acids that may increase LDL cholesterol levels and bind to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) to induce inflammation. Coconut oil also contains higher amounts of MCT (medium chain triglycerides) that go directly to the liver via the portal vein and rapidly consume stores of liver glycogen. Without adequate levels of liver glycogen it’s difficult to replenish blood sugar levels for optimal brain function and satiety. Also, the oil has much lower amounts of monounsaturated fats that are highly recommended on the Zone.


Bottom line: Coconut oil does have some advantages, i.e., easier digestion, anti-microbial and oxidative potential, and contains very little if any Omega-6 fatty acids