I'm five days back into my diet and seem to have made another little faux pas. Today I have swelling and pain again - boo! I think it's either the apple cider vinegar, or the organic smoked salmon.

Organic, but from my research, still toxic??

Before I made a dressing for my beautifully pressure-cooker steamed artichoke, I need to find a substitute for balsamic vinegar after my last experience left me a little inflamed. I had read quite a few different sites yesterday on the effects of apple cider vinegar and they all seemed very pro this type of vinegar on the autoimmune protocol (now I'm wondering if I had been reading 'Doc' sites or just blogs...hmmm?). Now I am having another little look, there appears to be a huge debate over the quality of apple cider vinegar and what effect it can have on you.

I had had a bit of a flare last time I ate organic farmed salmon, but I had forgotten about it. So now I am trying to do a little bit of research, so that it stays in my brain. I must remember not to be lured in by the organic-ness and I remember why I should not be eating farmed fish.

It's all about keeping the Omegas 3 and 6 in balance apparently. Now, there is so much sciencey stuff attached to this and I would love to spend my days immersed in the ever elusive search for the perfect balance of fatty acids in my system, however, I have 'home' stuff to do (and a life that doesn't revolve round me!).

I did do a little research, and as with most things food related, I wish I had never opened the flood gates! I found so many articles on how farmed salmon is ridiculously dangerous for the ecosystem and how the labels for organic fish have much lower restrictions than those on farmed animals. There is quite a comprehensive article on the The World's Healthiest Foods site, explaining all the science behind the imbalance of Omega 3 and 6.

This article about Canadian salmon is interesting, 'Demystifying "organic" farmed salmon: Is there such a thing?' and obviously a little Googling it up produces a plethora of the 'whys', 'whats' and 'wherefores' of eating salmon. An article here gives a bit more background into what we should be eating and steers the topic away from the eco/ethical debate, focussing on the health issue more.

Back to my search for the 'perfect salmon to meet my Omega ratio requirements', I found another little article on "Balancing Omega-3 and Omega-6". It doesn't talk about farmed salmon, but does give an insight into how the imbalance affects people's health.


After trying not to get too sucked in by the whole salmon debate online (and limiting my exposure as to why eating anything that has a pulse makes me a bad person), I have managed to skim the surface of farmed vs wild salmon and the many reasons I shouldn't eat it farmed.

I found a little fact sheet that summed it up with this:

"Don’t eat wild Atlantic salmon and farmed salmon. The Monterey Bay Aquarium in California recommends wild Alaskan salmon as an alternative, while the UK-based Marine Conservation Society suggests organically farmed Atlantic salmon."

With the apple cider vinegar debate still looming, I think a little more eating experimentation will have to occur, before I can make any confirmed conclusions between the salmon and my HS. In the interests of health and general eco-equilibrium of world balance, my conclusion is that I should probably just eat wild alaskan salmon once or twice a year (preferably when I'm near Alaska to minimise my carbon footprint). Perhaps this is my cue to start looking for a wild, line-caught fish oil supplement....