I spent more than half of my adult life in third world countries shopping at open markets and not able to enjoy the luxury of an air conditioned supermarket in which to shop.

When I would return to the States for an occasional visit, I was so impressed with the long, clean aisles of the extravaganza called the American supermarket. Entire rows of assorted styles of potato chips! I thought I was in heaven.

You may have heard that it takes twice as much broccoli today to get the same amount of nutrition as when JFK was President. An apple today has lost 40% of its nutritional value since the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show.

America's orchards have been scientifically engineered to produce apples that can be maintained for year round sale. There is nothing wrong with having apples in season or out, but it's important to know if an apple a day can keep the doctor away any more.

My nickname is "Omega-3 man." I am really big on Omega-3s as being a nutrient that saved me from heart disease. I take a lot of high octane omega-3s to keep my triglycerides in check and to keep my blood "silky" and free flowing in my arteries.

So a good friend asked me, "Why don't you just eat salmon?" Excellent question! I like salmon. It tastes great. I just don't know how to cook. But there is another problem.

Most salmon sold in America is farm raised. This home grown salmon is fed mixtures of the cheapest available "feed" in order to contain costs. This mixture and the environment of these farms expose the salmon to PCBs. This is an oily substance that is no longer manufactured in the United States but it is still a major environmental risk.

Wild salmon in the North Atlantic and Alaska however feed on phyto-plankton. Plankton is the true source of omega-3s. Those wild salmon are actually little factories that turn the excellent nutrients of plankton into EPA and DHA, the stuff that does my heart, my brain and my joints so much good.

Raw fish oil means nothing unless you know where the fish grew up. That fish oil you buy in bulk for a few bucks for a 1000 capsules could contain PCBs and other heavy metal toxins and very little omega-3s if any.

Here's a little secret: The 1000mgs in a fish oil capsule will naturally contain 180 mgs or 18% of EPA and 120 mgs or 12% DHA, if it is wild from the North Atlantic. The EPA is for your arteries and your heart, DHA for your brain and retinas. Both work together as a anti-inflammatory for your joints and a lot of people enjoy relief from skin problems by ingesting omega-3s.

There are processes in place in sophisticated laboratories where the fish oil can be molecularly distilled. The results of which can provide up to 66% Omega-3s and the remaining 34% of the raw fish parts can be disposed of and replaced with a natural preserving agent such as rosemary extract and vitamin E, which not only preserves the goodness but provides some anti-oxidant benefits also.

This can't be done on the cheap. So don't shop on price when looking for omega-3s!

Read the label, know the source and make wise decisions about what kind of omega-3s your take.

You can do this at home: The "acid" test: There is a simple way to find out if your omega-3 is pure. Just put a capsule in the freezer overnight. In the morning, cut the capsule open. If you have a clear runny liquid, you have a pure product. If it's milky white with solids, then you are swallowing a product that is not pure. Those solids are not omega-3s.

So now you know why I don't eat salmon. I just don't know how to cook. If you buy salmon, make sure it's wild. Live long, live strong.