New York Times article

As you have probably noticed, there are more and more articles about omega-3 fatty acids. From magazines, to well-known newspapers like the New York Times, many of the important health and ecological issues surrounding omega-3 fatty acids are being discussed. For example, last week this article appeared (www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/opinion/16greenberg.html?_r=2&em), mentioning the unsustainable harvest of menhaden fish for many fish oils.

I take several lessons from this well-written article:

1) It is extremely important to critically evaluate any supplement you might be taking, with respect to quality, dose, ingredients, etc.

2) More specific to fish oil, I only recommend fish oil products from certain species of fish and with a strong environmental track record; for this reason, I chose to work with Pharmax LLC.

3) Algae oil continues to be a very interesting alternative to fish oil, avoiding all of these issues. Consider indulging in one of Dr. Dave's Mega-O Vegetarian flavors!

Happy Holidays!

The Wall Street Journal features omega-3's

An excellent review of omega-3s appears in today's Wall Street Journal. In the article entitled "Probing Health Benefits from Eating Omega 3s", writer Jeanne Whalen discusses the beneficial effects of fish oil and other omega-3 sources on inflammation, triglycerides and conditions like epilepsy. This article is essentially an affirmation of the omega-3 information we have know about for a few years, though the author leaves out one very important piece; the absolutely delicious and convenient Dr. Dave's Mega-O truffle option!

Sustainability

I recently ran across an article that touches on a very important subject, namely, the connection of our medical recommendations and ecological sustainability. The authors of the article "Are dietary recommendations for the use of fish oils sustainable?" (Jenkins DJA, et al. CMAJ. 2009;180(6):633-637) discuss the paradox of the well-proven benefits of fish and fish oil consumption on human health and the fact that many fisheries are in trouble as well as well the fact that there are contaminants such as mercury and PCBs in some species caught from some areas. There is also a mention at the article's end of some of the alternatives to fish oil (like algae and, less ideally, plants). From my exploration into these issues, I still feel like there are good and bad ways to catch fish, and that the companies with whom I work have ecologically-admirable practices; I don't feel like we need to abandon our fish oil recommendations, yet. I am also glad to offer all of you our algae line, Dr. Dave's Mega-O Vegetarian truffles. I think the issue of sustainability always needs to be in our thoughts, and I welcome more articles like this one as omega-3s continue to be studied and recommended in clinical practice.

Seattle Food Geek

There are many very interesting food bloggers in the Seattle area, one of which, Seattle Food Geek, recently wrote a nice description of Dr. Dave's Mega-O chocolates. Visit www. seattlefoodgeek.com and type "Mega-O" into the search box to see the posting. And, I agree that our truffles are much better than flax seed sprinkled onto Snickers bars!

Press Release: Whole Foods Market (Seattle and Bellevue)

SEATTLE (June 2, 2009) – Dr. Dave’s Omega-3 Foods announces that Dr. Dave’s Mega-O™ , dark chocolate truffles enhanced with omega-3 fatty acid, is now available for purchase in two Seattle-area Whole Foods Market locations – Roosevelt Square and Bellevue.  The move into the national grocery space, a first for the company, gives Dr. Dave’s Omega-3 Foods the opportunity to help more people meet their daily omega-3 needs by eating one delicious, dark chocolate truffle.

“We are very excited to partner with Whole Foods Market and have access to a much larger audience of health conscious consumers.” says Dr. David Kiefer, MD, founder of Dr. Dave’s Omega-3 Foods. “The Whole Foods Market team leaders and buyers are keen to support local products, which led to them bringing Dr. Dave's Mega-O chocolates into the Roosevelt Square (Seattle) and Bellevue stores. Of course, they also love how the truffles taste! ”

Both Whole Foods Market locations will showcase Dr. Dave’s Mega-O™ as a local Pacific Northwest product.  The company’s headquarters is not the only tie to the Seattle area; local chocolatiers, Chocolati and Theo Chocolates, produce the gourmet dark chocolate truffles for the two Seattle stores, using Dr. Dave’s Omega-3 Foods’ unique patent-pending recipes. 

Dr. Dave’s Omega-3 Foods was started by Dr. David Kiefer, a board-certified family physician in Seattle.  While focusing on integrative medicine during a two-year fellowship with Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona, he became determined to find a more appetizing way to deliver the medical benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. 

“The evidence is irrefutable for the benefits of omega-3s for the heart, joints, brain, and eyes, and it can help to lower triglycerides,” says Dr. Kiefer. “However, it can be difficult to get enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, and unless you want to eat a salmon filet every day, the current supplement options are not too tasty.” 

Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary every day for optimal health; DHA and EPA are the two most active omega-3 fatty acids.   Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of heart disease, help with joint pain and eye function, and lower triglycerides.  DHA may also benefit childhood and fetal brain development, which is why it is recommended for children and pregnant women.  

Dr. Dave’s Mega-O™ truffles are the result of Dr. Kiefer’s efforts to provide people an irresistible source of omega-3s.  Each ½-ounce truffle has only 80 calories and provides a daily serving of omega-3 fatty acids in the form of either fish oil or algal oil.  The truffles are packaged seven to a box (the “Week Pack”), a convenient amount and reminder that omega-3s should be part of everyone’s day.  Both Dr. Dave’s Mega-O™ Original and Vegetarian product lines will be available for purchase in the Whole Body refrigerators at Whole Foods Market.

Dr. Dave’s Mega-O™ Original Truffles:  Made with Pharmax Finest Pure Fish Oil and have 500 milligrams of DHA + EPA.  Available in one flavor: Orange Shine.

Dr. Dave’s Mega-O™ Vegetarian Truffles:  Made with organic Life’s DHA® algal oil and have 200 milligrams of DHA.  These truffles come in orange, mint, mocha, and ginger.

About Dr. Dave’s Omega-3 Foods

Seattle-based Dr. Dave’s Omega-3 Foods provides a delicious way for people to get their daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids in just one serving.  Dr. Dave’s Mega-O™ Truffles combine delicious, artisan dark chocolate with DHA and EPA, the omega-3 fatty acids necessary for healthy joints and skin, and heart and brain function.  Company founder, David Kiefer, MD, came up with this recipe working with chocolatiers in Seattle, WA, (Chocolati and Theo Chocolates) and Madison, WI (Gail Ambrosius).  Each truffle has a day’s worth of omega-3s, is great-tasting and healthy; these truffles are the perfect guilt-free indulgence. 

Dr. Dave’s Mega-O™ truffles are available for purchase in several Seattle, WA, and Madison, WI, stores, as well as online.  For more information about the company or to place an order, please visit: www.o3foods.com

Dr. Dave's Mega-O mailing list

Yes, it's here! By popular request and technological evolution, I am bringing you an easy way to stay up on Dr. Dave's Mega-O info, receive updates on omega-3 fatty acid research, and have your inbox contain other interesting tidbits. 

How else would you learn that just for two weeks in May we had incredibly tasty and healthy Cayenne-Cinnamon flavored truffles? And, just before that, Chai? Or, the exciting Whole Foods Market launch? My mailing list members will be the first to learn of these developments.

To sign up, merely send an email to me: dave@o3foods.com

You can purchase Dr. Dave's Mega-O at Whole Foods starting this Saturday, May 16

The team leaders and buyers at Whole Foods have an interest in supporting local products, which led to them bringing Dr. Dave's Mega-O chocolates into the Roosevelt Square (Seattle) and Bellevue stores beginning this Saturday, May 16.

Stop by Saturday afternoon from 2-4:30 when Dr. Dave himself will be handing out samples as part of the Roosevelt Square "Loco for Local" festival. It should be an exciting event, with numerous new local products, free samples, and opportunities to learn about health, organic food, and omega-3 fatty acids. I'll see you there!

"Are your truffles round or rectangular?"

Ahh, yes. This is a common question. I have several chocolatiers use my recipe to make the Dr. Dave's Mega-O truffles, and some prefer a classic round shape (as most of the pictures on the website) and others use rectangular molds. You may receive EITHER or BOTH, depending on your order. Just think of it as a surprise, keeping you on the edge of your seat in omega-3 expectation! 

And, the root of this "issue" is my desire to create healthy, delicious chocolates with the lowest carbon footprint possible; I use local chocolatiers for my primary markets, letting them source local ingredients as long as they adhere to my recipe parameters and ensure a daily dose of omega-3s per truffle. This keeps down shipping costs, therefore using less fuel, and supports local businesses around the U.S.

Foodzie, an on-line farmers market

I wanted to announce to all of you about a fantastic website, www. foodzie.com, dedicated to high-quality foods from "small, passionate" growers and producers. I read about them when they were mentioned in the New York Times, and thought it was a great idea, a virtual farmers market to tide us all over until we get to a real farmers market. Since, they decided to list Dr. Dave's Mega-O truffles (thanks, Foodzie!), as well as the amazing Tootski's Toffee that my cousin Susan makes in Madison, Wisconsin. Check them out!

The Economy, again

I guess the economy is on my mind (anybody else?). The Seattle Times yesterday reported about how sweets are still a part of people's lives in the U.S.  We've shed expensive dinners, lavish trips, clothing shopping sprees, and a new car, but bring on the chocolate. This news made me glad on several levels, one of which is because my dark chocolates deliver omega-3's, that all-important nutrient that other entries in this blog have been exploring. My hope that I can help all of us get our daily omega-3's in a delicious way appears to be surviving the economic downturn. If you are interested, I've posted the article's link below:

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008912270_candy24.html

Daily Candy

Thanks to the Daily Candy Seattle (www.dailycandy.com) folks for a witty summary of Dr. Dave's Omega-3 Foods' vision, deliciousness, and omega-3s. Spreading the word of omega-3 health and the options (i.e. dark-chocolate!) that are out there. Thank you!

On that note, with double-digit percentage increases in omega-3  sales each year (with more and more predicted in the years to come), many products are available. For example, this week at the large trade show called Expo West (www.expowest.com), I would estimate that at least 10% of the 2700 vendors had omega-3 products of some type. I saw omega-3 drinks, omega-3 bars, omega-3 powders, omega-3 liquids, you name. Sometimes, it can difficult to determine which is the best, which works, which doesn't work. As I have always said, I recommend sticking to the recommendations for daily doses that come out of research groups and reputable organizations and always count milligrams of DHA and EPA in each serving. And, always ask about the source of omega-3s.

Functional Foods in Japan

The idea of enriching foods with other nutrients, just as I am doing with the omega-3's in chocolate, is not a new idea. It has been tried over the years with such ingredients as vitamin D (milk) and calcium (orange juice), and in many different cultures. The cross-cultural aspect of functional foods in general and chocolate in particular is nicely summarized in a recent segment on Public Radio International's "The World". 

Check out the link: www.theworld.org/?q=node/23644

The are many interesting issues brought up in this interview surrounding the pros/cons of using single ingredients as 'magic bullets' versus relying on the whole foods to provide us optimal health and wellness. Let me know what you think!

Martek Biosciences website helps to locate omega-3 products

As with Dr. Dave's Omega-3 Foods, other companies are trying to help people meet their daily omega-3 requirements. One way to find such companies is on the Martek Biosciences website (consumer.martek.com/findinglifesdha/partnerproducts/). Martek is the only U.S. manufacturer of algae-based DHA, a good way for vegetarians to receive their daily omega-3 fatty acids. Stay tuned for algae oils that provide both DHA and EPA, more similar to what is found in fish and fish oil, and closer to what we need physiologically to fight inflammation, improve cholesterol levels, and support brain development. On a side note, as much as I absolutely support Michael Pollan's approach to food and eating (Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.), omega-3 enhanced foods like Dr. Dave's Mega-O, often referred to as "functional foods", are a convenient way to meet the recommended omega-3 levels and often easier than trying to reach those levels by simply eating the foods that contain omega-3's. Let me know your favorite omega-3 products; I'm always interested in trying delicious creations!