It's hard for me to eat sardines. I ate loads when I was pregnant and now....I have a bit of a block. But, I do very much enjoy this recipe. I think it's the tang from the pickle & all the fresh herbs. Plus it is super rich in calcium - and as a perimenopausal woman, I want to be taking as much of calcium in from dietary - not supplementation sources.
Studies show that when we take in calcium through our diet (via foods like yoghurt, sardines & broccoli) - this calcium is absorbed at a slow & steady pace by the body.
BUT -- when we take a high dose calcium supplement - we get a big spike of calcium in the blood. And this calcium gets deposited into our soft tissue, like our arteries & organs, rather than our bones & teeth.
That's partly why there are many studies that show that calcium supplementation increases the risk of heart attacks & kidney stones.
I highly encourage you listen to Chris Kresser's short review of calcium supplementation for the full low-down & references to these studies.
And if you have a parent or if you yourself are on calcium supplementation - give yourself the benefit of a critical review of your supplementation practices.
One of the big benefits of being a Metabolic Balance coach is I've been able to study the relationship between blood work & nutrition.
The Metabolic Balance nutritional program is based on the client's blood panel and that panel always includes markers for Total Calcium, a full cholesterol panel & an inflammation marker called C-Reactive Protein. If I see that for example, Total Calcium, LDL cholesterol and C-Reactive Protein are all HIGH -- that combo signals risk of cardiovascular inflammation, which we can then address using both nutritional and supplementation means.
Moreover, helping you understand the relationship between these markers can help YOU have a better conversation with your doctor.
Information is power - book in your free 15min discovery call today.
Here’s the RECIPE for HERBY CREAMY SARDINES!
Ingredients
1 tin sustainably sourced sardines
1⁄2 tspn grainy or dijon mustard
1 large pickle
1 tspn mayonnaise
1 tbsp roughly chopped chives or 1 spring onion
1 handful roughly chopped parsley or coriander or both!
Method
Put all ingredients in a blender & whizz until smooth.
You can use this for sandwiches or on top of a big green salad.
I also like to use this as a topping for cucumber boats. I cut a cucumber lengthwise, scoop out the flesh & spoon this mix on top.
Dill is also a nice herb to use and frankly, the more the merrier.
ENJOY!!!
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Cristina Tahoces is a nutritional therapist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice, a global online wellness business that helps leaders be more physically & mentally resilient to stress. She shared her nutritional approach on the TEDx stage in 2017 as part of the TED Women’s Global Conference. She is a sought-after expert speaker & panelist on burnout, women’s post-natal wellness & metabolic health.