Fish-and-veggie tale

By Herbert Vego

THIS writer was among the first to go to my favorite fish market yesterday to catch up with the few slices of Blue Marlin still available. Being a regular customer, I asked the vendor for a discount. The inflationary price tag indicated “P650 per kilo”.

“Just between us,” the vendor whispered, agreeing to grant my requested discount.

Blue Marlin is also known locally as “baboy sa dagat” because of its porky fat.

My preference for that kind of fish over beef, chicken or pork meats, which are much cheaper, is somehow ironic. But it’s not without health reasons. I have been fighting a heart condition known as “left ventricular dysfunction” for more than a decade already – the reason why I have shifted to a near-vegetarian diet, which allows me to still eat meat sparingly.

I shared to the fish vendor what my physician had advised me about eating as much fatty fish as I want. Unlike pork and beef, fish has no bad cholesterol that could clog the arteries and trigger stroke or heart attack. Chicken minus skin is healthy, but I am not a chicken fan.

I shared with him what I had read from Google: Greenland Eskimos enjoy lower rates of heart disease than other individuals because they hunt and eat big fishes, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Medical researches since 1970 have supported the heart-healthy benefits of eating fish that could lower blood cholesterol and the risk of blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, fish oil significantly reduces the risk of sudden death.

I eat at least two weekly servings of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, including mackerel, tuna and salmon.

I used to ignore oatmeal until my x-ray showed “atherosclerosis of the aorta.”  Which meant that fatty plaque had partially blocked the flow of blood in the major artery emanating from my heart.

Since then, oatmeal has become my favorite breakfast stuff, along with fresh fruits. Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol. Soluble fiber, which is also found in such foods as kidney beans, mongo sprouts, apples, pears and prunes, appears to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines.

All nuts are high in calories; a handful will suffice. As with any food, eating too much can cause weight gain, and being overweight places us at higher risk of heart disease.

Also, of paramount nutritional value are foods fortified with plant sterols — substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol. Plant sterols, however, don’t appear to affect levels of “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Nor do they interfere with the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins — vitamins A, D, E and K. Therefore, foods fortified with plant sterols are essential for people who actually have high levels of LDL cholesterol.

Thank God, I am alive, still literally kicking at age 72 and looking forward to hitting 73 in 2023.

-oOo-

MORE TREES F0R THE ECO PARK

“Guardians of the Environment” is how they call themselves.

They are a team of MORE Power employees who planted 300 tree saplings at the Global Business Power-Eco Park in Barangay Ingore, Lapaz on November 5, 2022.

That is one of MORE Power’s commitments to environmental stewardship aimed at continuously contributing to the greening initiative of Mayor Jerry Treñas, who believes in the importance of trees in enabling a livable and sustainable community.

Planting trees is essential toward having grown-up trees to ward off the impacts of typhoons, monsoon rains, and landslides.

Earlier in February, MORE Power also conducted tree-planting activities as part of its 3rd Anniversary celebration. One recalls that it was on February 14, 2019 when President Duterte signed the law (Republic Act No. 11212) awarding MORE Power the new congressional franchise to energize the city for the next 25 years.

The company expects to hit its goal of planting 2,000 trees until December 2022. To accomplish this, the “guardians” are continuously monitoring the survival of already-planted saplings.

I remember that in February 2021, MORE Power celebrated its 2^nd anniversary by releasing 731  Lapu Lapu fingerlings at the Iloilo River. That explains why anglers nowadays easily succeed in hooking free fish thereat.

As MORE Power President Roel Z. Castro was telling us, the power firm is committed to care for the Ilonggos and the environment.