Home ยป Blueberry BBQ Salmon + Endometriosis “Diet”

Blueberry BBQ Salmon + Endometriosis “Diet”

I have made a concerted effort to include more omega 3’s in our diet. While I have 1 gram omega 3 fish oils in my freezer, I hate to take them. Fish oils are horse pills that often present ill side effects for many people. Point being, I would much rather intake my recommended dose of omega 3’s from food versus supplement.

So what is recommended? Two servings of fatty fish per week. For most, this would be in the form of salmon. Wild-caught preferably. And while I adore grilled and baked salmon, I always welcome an unexpected, tasty twist.

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Blueberry BBQ Salmon from How Sweet It Is

10 oz wild Alaskan salmon filet
salt and pepper, to season
1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp organic ketchup
1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Season salmon with salt and pepper and place on a parchment-line baking sheet, skin side down.

Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add blueberries. Heat until the begin to bubble and burst, about 10 minutes, then mash with a fork. Add in ketchup, both vinegars, brown sugar, onion and garlic powder, ground mustard and worcestershire sauce. Whisk well to combine and break up blueberries and turn the heat up to medium. Heat until mixture bubbles, stirring every few minutes, then turn heat back down to low. Cook for 10-12 minutes, whisking every few minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the salmon for 10-12 minutes or until opaque and cooked through. Serve blueberry sauce over the salmon. Yield: 2 servings.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 306 calories; 14 g. fat; 88 mg. cholesterol;  252 mg. sodium; 15.5 g. carbohydrate; 0.6 g. fiber; 31 g. protein

Result: So unique and it just…works! We loved the freshness of summer in this dish, and obviously the healthy omega 3’s and antioxidant-packed blueberries. Feel free to grill the salmon vs. baking…it just happened to be pouring rain the night I made this and I had to improvise! 🙂

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I think omega 3’s are well-researched in everything from cholesterol-lowering effects to Alzheimer’s and I feel very strongly about their importance in the diet. And on that note, I want to discuss endometriosis and diet. And when I say “diet” I don’t mean weight loss, I am referring to intake and food choices. I have received several emails from readers who suffer from emdometriosis and question whether or not there is any relief to be found from nutrition, and if so, what?

Unfortunately, this is an under-researched area and findings are inconclusive. What I would recommend diet-wise for those who suffer from endometriosis would be the following:

  • A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, preferably fresh, is best.
  • Meats (esp. red meats and cured meats, like ham and bacon) should be limited. A lower meat diet can help relieve some symptoms. Beans, nuts, soy, and other vegetarian sources of protein should be encouraged.
  • Soy and red wine (resveratrol) can help treat endometriosis because of their estrogen-like make up. Peanuts and pistachios also contain resveratrol.
  • Whole grains, flaxseed, legumes, and seedy fruits and vegetables can also mimic hormones to help relieve symptoms
  • Cooked tomatoes (containing concentrated amounts of lycopene — the same compound that helps prevent prostate cancer) can help uterine inflammation
  • Green tea is a proposed source of relief, but as far as I can tell it’s recommended for everything. Can’t hurt to try!
  • And possibly most importantly, omega 3’s — canola oil, olive oil, flaxseed, and fatty fish have the anti-inflammatory affects that can potentially reduce pain related to endometriosis.

I hope this helps answer some questions out there 🙂 Symptoms should be monitored and recorded closely and like most “treatments”, the results will vary from person-to-person. An individual’s “baseline” intake will also be a huge factor in potential relief to be found from the diet and nutrition.

Question: How do you get in your 2 servings of omega 3’s each week?

RD meeting all day and weight management support group tonight – busy but great day ahead 😀 But first, a workout…off I go!

Be well,

Share With Your Friends!

26 Comments

  1. Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg
    June 28, 2011 / 7:11 am

    Love the idea of topping salmon with a berry sauce– yum!

  2. Gina (The Candid RD)
    June 28, 2011 / 7:37 am

    You know my thoughts on omega-3, I’m pretty obsessed. I eat salmon 2-3 times a week (and when I said “I”, I mean it, because Nick surely doesn’t join me!). Actually I saw this recipe on Erin’s blog and thought it sounded wonderful, I would love to try this. As for the pills, I guess I don’t mind taking them, and they don’t give me stomach issues. I take one pill with 930 mg omega-3. So does Nick (score!).

    Great info about endometriosis. I really didn’t know resveratrol had estrogen-like properties.

  3. thehealthyapron
    June 28, 2011 / 7:44 am

    Glad you enjoyed the blueberry salmon and great suggestions for diet with those with endometriosis! I only recently started taking omega 3 supplements and they make me burp…fish. It’s kinda gross so I take one instead of two a day and only 3 times a week if we dont eat any fish (like this week!) BUT! I typically get my omega 3’s from eating salmon 2-3 times a week and incorporating other non-fish sources regularly!

  4. Matt @ The Athlete's Plate
    June 28, 2011 / 8:24 am

    I have definitely been trying to eat more fatty fish, but it’s hard with my budget right now. #unemployed

    I still have it twice though ๐Ÿ˜‰

    • Nicole
      Author
      June 28, 2011 / 9:15 am

      I hear you, brother! It’s a wallet buster!

  5. Faith
    June 28, 2011 / 8:28 am

    Mike and I try to eat salmon a couple nights a week too, so I’m always looking for new ways to make it! This looks delicious with the sweet/tart flavor of the blueberries!

    A couple of other great sources of omega 3s that I love are walnuts and flaxseeds…delicious!

    • Nicole
      Author
      June 28, 2011 / 9:15 am

      Me, too! I almost exclusively use walnuts because of the omega 3 content ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Liz
    June 28, 2011 / 8:52 am

    I love salmon! My husband takes fish oil. He had to search around to find one that didn’t cause fish burps – eww! I should probably add it to my nightly vitamin routine.

  7. Josie
    June 28, 2011 / 9:01 am

    I bookmarked this recipe too, but hadn’t gotten around to trying it yet. Since we seem to have similar tastes, I’m really excited to make it now, knowing that you loved it!

    • Nicole
      Author
      June 28, 2011 / 9:14 am

      We really do have verrry similar tastes ๐Ÿ™‚ I’ve always loved your recipes!

  8. Grace@ FoodFitnessFreshair
    June 28, 2011 / 9:04 am

    Interesting. I think there’s ways that nutrition can at least aid nearly everything. Food and diet is directly linked to so many areas of how we feel in life. I’m curious, what are some of the side effects that affect people from fish oil pills?

    I used to take them, but I much prefer to have salmon in my diet. I’ve never had it with blueberry! It’s good with mango though, so I assume blueberry is a great, seasonal twist!

    • Nicole
      Author
      June 28, 2011 / 9:14 am

      Lots! Bad breath, belching, fishy-tasting belches, GI upset, nausea, vomiting, etc. Ick ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Michelle
    June 28, 2011 / 9:09 am

    Love the pic of the salmon with the berries! I was wondering why you keep the fish oil in the freezer. I try and take mine at night, but was wondering if keeping them in the freezer helps with the side effects.

    • Nicole
      Author
      June 28, 2011 / 9:12 am

      Keeping them frozen helps them to get into intestine before melting which helps with side effects of foul belches, fishy tastes, bad breath, etc.

      • Michelle
        June 28, 2011 / 6:18 pm

        Thanks, I’m going to try this!

  10. Amy B @ Second City Randomness
    June 28, 2011 / 9:28 am

    I used to be better about adding flax into things to help with my omega-3 intake. Now I just forget a lot of the time. But it’s ok when I do- fish (especially salmon) is one of my favorite things to order when out to eat. ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. Anne Marie@New Weigh of Life
    June 28, 2011 / 10:20 am

    I’m horrible at getting Omega 3’s in my diet mostly because I can’t cook fish ahead of time (which is a huge timesave for me during the week). I definitely need to work on this!

  12. Leah @ Why Deprive?
    June 28, 2011 / 11:42 am

    I dont like fish, so I worry about getting my Omega 3s. I have a bottle of fish oil in my fridge and I try and take some every day. I keep it right beside the water so its impossible for me to forget about it. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Thanks for posting the endometriosis diet. Its funny though, I heard the opposite about soy. I guess it just depends on the person?

    • Nicole
      Author
      June 28, 2011 / 9:27 pm

      Somewhat. But the soy from food sources is not absorbed in the same way as that from supplements. So soy supplements should be avoided, but not necessarily soy and soy-containing foods (within moderation).

  13. Kortney
    June 28, 2011 / 12:08 pm

    Curious to hear about your sources/reasonings behind the soy in-take? Estrogen is terrible for my endo and soy only makes it worse – I can feel it inflame when I’ve had soy products. The less estrogen in my body, the better!!! Dinner, however, looks amazingly delicious!!!

    • Nicole
      Author
      June 28, 2011 / 9:26 pm

      Kortney, I had the same thought. I have the privilege (and I do mean privilege!) of having a great compound pharmacists as a contact and business partner to answer all of my complimentary and alternative nutrition questions ๐Ÿ™‚ While soy supplements are to be avoided, the estrogen-like effects of soy foods are usually not an issue in those with endometriosis. Great question, though…I was under the same impression before talking to my brilliant buddy ๐Ÿ™‚

  14. Kristen (swanky dietitian)
    June 28, 2011 / 12:15 pm

    I love how many fruit sauces I’ve been seeing. Just can’t get enough of the combo of savory and sweet. I need to give salmon another try. I wasn’t the biggest fan of it last time I had it. Sad I know.

  15. Roz
    June 28, 2011 / 2:51 pm

    Oh fun! I made the blueberry sauce (found it on Erin’s site) and we had it on basa just this past weekend. The recipe is such a keeper!!!! Hope your busy day was a good one Nicole!!

  16. Sarah
    June 28, 2011 / 10:08 pm

    Fish oil sounds like a nasty medicine given to English children in a Dicken’s novel even though I know people take it today! I much prefer to get my omega 3s from salmon (must try this recipe) and flaxseed. I also have a vegetarian supplement that I purchased at Whole Foods that gets the omega 3s from algae so no fishy after taste.

  17. Cara
    July 17, 2011 / 9:54 pm

    Can you believe I’m still catching up on my google-reading from vacation? This sounds amazing – hope we still have some fresh local blueberries next week so I can make it!

  18. Pingback: Grilled Salmon and Potatoes with Quick Tomato Chutney | Prevention RD

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