| Answer: | Not all fats are created equal. There are fats that kill, sure, but there are also fats that heal, and omega-3 fats are essential nutrients. They are vital throughout your body - your brain contains large amounts and needs them to function properly, they reduce inflammation, thin your blood, lubricate skin and joints, help in the making of hormones, and are in fact a part of every cell in your body. While seeds and oils like flax and hemp are good sources, the best are cold-water fish like mackerel, herring and sardines, as well as salmon (either organically farmed or wild - not ordinary farmed salmon, as this can have high levels of contaminants). Fresh tuna needs to be sourced carefully and eaten rarely, as it can have a high mercury content.
The problem is that many people don' t get nearly enough omega-3 fats. The average person today gets a sixth of the amount found in the diet of those in
1850, partly due to food choices, but mainly due to food processing that tends to remove or damage it.
Boosting your level of omega-3s by eating a minimum of three portions of oily fish every week can improve skin conditions, boost mental clarity, reduce your risk of heart disease and aid inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, asthma, eczema, allergies and hay fever, and can actually help you burn stored fat more ef6ciently.
If you' re on a no fat/low fat diet and suffer from allergies, hay fever, dry skin or hair, cracked lips, poor memory or concentration, excessive thirst, or joint problems, chances are you need more omega-3s.
Try supplementing fish oil; you' ll need 400mg a day of both DHA and EPA, the omega-3s so many of us are deficient in. |
