Some of the best “heart healthy” foods are fatty fish such as samon, herring, lake trout and anchovies.  These fatty fish contain omega-3 fatty acids which are good for preventing and fighting heart disease,  maintaining a low blood pressure, helping to prevent dementia, increasing immunities and easing arthritis.  They are also high in protein and lower in calories.  But recently, many people have stopped eating fish because of concerns about mercury and other toxins.  Just how safe is it to eat fish?

Well, according to Newsweek magazine, two new studies bring a positive answer to that question.  Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the National Academy of Sciences have both arrived at the same conclusion. The benefits  from eating fish outweigh the risks from the small amounts of mercury and other toxins that can be found in them.

One thing to note is that the levels of mercury vary from species to species.  The larger the fish, the larger amount of contaminants it might contain.  This is because the larger fish are higher on the food chain and have eaten the smaller fish who already have traces of mercury in them.  (Unfortunately, industrial pollution is to blame for most of the mercury that is contaminating the fish.)  So your best bet is to eat smaller fish such as salmon, anchovies, cod, flounder, and pollack (the fish that is usually used to make “faux crabmeat”) and shellfish such as scallops.

Also, try to eat fish that are from the wild as opposed to being farm-raised. 

An interesting side note (per AARP’s interview with Donald Hensrud, M.D., a nutritional specialist with the Mayo Clinic) is that older persons, whose brains and nervous systems are fully developed, can tolerate higher amounts of mercury than children. Of course, pregnant women should also be careful not to eat fish with the potential for high mercury levels. 

For a list of Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, go here: http://tinyurl.com/m7uhzb

The American Heart Association recommends consuming at least two servings of fish (especially those that contain omega-3 fatty acids) per week.  To keep the meal low in saturated fats, avoid frying them or adding rich buttery sauces.

Almost every country and culture in the world celebrates the New Year, although it is not celebrated at the same time of year in every culture.  They also seem to have certain foods that they partake of on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day in order to bring them good luck in the new year.  Let’s take a look at a few of them.

In the southern parts of the United States, black-eyed-peas are eaten in order to bring prosperity throughout the new year, and are often combined with collard greens (and often ham hocks or hog  jowls). The black-eyed-peas represent “eating coins” and thus gaining wealth.  The collard greens are representative of money (as are kale and cabbage).  At many southern New Year’s celebrations, you will find a dish caled Hoppin’ John which is made from black-eyed-peas, ham hock, rice and other ingredients.  Sometimes a shiny dime is placed in the dish and whoever receives it on their plate gets an extra helping of good luck. 

In many parts of the United States, ham is served.  The hog symbolizes prosperity throughout other parts of the world, as well.   Part of this is because as pigs root for food, they are always “rooting forward” symbolizing progress.  In Italy, the fatty parts of the hog are served too, symbolizing fattening of the wallets.  The pig is also used as a good luck food in Austria but comes in the form of little pink pig cookies. 

In Asia, long noodles play a part in the New Year’s celebration as a food that symbolizes long life, but the noodle must not be broken before it is entirely in the consumer’s mouth.  For the Chinese, oranges and tangerines are also consumed as foods to ring in their new year.   A recent explanation has it that the words “luck” and “wealth” in Chinese sound much like the English words “orange” and “tangerine” respectively.   Dumplings are also eaten because they are said to resemble nuggets of gold.

Another green leafy vegetable, cabbage, is said to bring luck and good fortune to the Germans (in the form of sauerkraut) and the Irish because it is green and resembles paper money.

In Italy, lentils are thought to be of good fortune for the new year because of there resemblence to coins or gold nuggets.

Pomegrates are consumed at the new year as a symbol of abundance and fertility in Turkey and other Mediterranean countries.

In north America, Asia AND Europe, fish is often a “good luck” food representing “moving ahead” into the new year because fish swim forward.  Eating fish is also associated with abundance because fish swim in schools.  Perhaps this is why our family always had poached salmon with dill sauce on New Year’s Day.

Several countries serve round or ring-shaped cakes as part of their New Year’s celebration as they represent having come full circle.  In Greece, there is the Vassilopita (often containing a hidden coin); in Italy, they have panetonne; in Mexico, the Rosca de Reyes and in Holland, the donut-like Ollie Bollen. 

Long ago, I had a small catering company and was called to deliver a special tray to an Iranian family who was celebrating their New Year (in March, the first day of spring).  The tray consisted of gold foil wrapped coins, apple, garlic, a nut candy and colored eggs making up a grouping that consisted of seven edible things that began with the letter “S” (in Persian language). This tray was to be placed on the dinner table or next to an additional non-edible display as a symbol of sweetness, love, prosperity, health, beauty, purity, opulence, patience and actually a few other hopes.

Some traditions arise out of natural circumstances.  In Spain, 12 grapes are eaten at midnight,  1 for each strike of the clock or 1 for each month passed symbolizing the coming of a “sweet” year.  This tradition is said to have begun around 1909 when there was a surplus of grapes in the Alicante region of Spain.

In some cultures, rice is also a part of the New Year tradition.  In the Scandanavian countries, a sweet rice dish is served containing a hidden almond.  Whoever received the almond was said to have good luck throughout the coming year.  (It’s surprising to me that with all these hidden coins and nuts that no one choked!  My mother actually used to wrap coins in waxed paper and hide them in my birthday cakes! )

When I had New Year’s Day parties at my house, we had a fortune cake…..I wrapped little paper fortunes around a fancy toothpick, covered the edge with foil and then stuck them into the cake.  Each person chose a fortune with their slice of cake. 

If you have the opportunity, ask your aging loved one(s) if there were any “good luck” foods served to them in their childhood during New Year’s celebrations.  You might be surprised.