For years we have been told to stay clear of fats. They make you fat! They raise Cholesterol! They are bad for your heart.
And we have believed these stories to our peril. Instead, we have started to consume much more sugar than we used to and the obesity rate increased roughly at the same time as this advice (far be it for me to say these instances are related). Spooky eh!
The list of things we should and shouldn’t eat can be endless…
Confusing…
And just far too time-consuming to actually do.
One thing I work on and focus on is to get enough Omega 3 in my diet.
Have you heard of it? I hope so. It plays such an important role in how your body functions and your battle against fat loss.
Here are 5 reasons why you should focus attention on including Omega 3’s into your diet.
#1 IT WILL HELP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Your immune system is vitally important. Have you ever had a period where you seemed to pick up every cold and disease that was around? Especially if you have kids or work with kids.
This stops you from training properly, it affects your mood and even the decisions you make with your food choices. This can spiral if continued over a prolonged period of time.
Ever felt like this?
Omega 3 fatty acids help to build your immune system and combat such circumstances.
Omega 3’s have also been suggested to fight certain autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s, Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Sick of getting the colds from the kids or want to look for an effective method of combating your autoimmune disease? Then try adding Omega 3 into your diet and see what happens.
#2 YOU WILL SLEEP BETTER AND LOOK BETTER
Sleep is the most underrated method of recovery and beauty treatment out there. Your body recuperates, regenerates cells and repairs damaged muscle tissue whilst you dream sweet things during the silent hours.
A great night’s sleep will, therefore, make you look better, feel better, will aid in fat loss and performance. Your skin and hair will look and feel better and it will improve focus, energy and therefore your moods.
Omega 3 naturally helps to boost your natural levels of melatonin and sleep apnea.
This is a fancy way of saying you will have a better night’s sleep, have better looking and feeling skin and hair. Just think how much you spend on skin and hair care products when your body can do it all for you…if you feed it the right data.
People say that you need 7-9 hours of sleep but there is little point trying for this much if it is broken and poor sleep.
If you are struggling to sleep properly then Omega 3 may just help to naturally boost the quality of your sleep.
And you can be well on your way to amazing nights of cozy, deep sleep.
#3 OMEGA 3 FATS CAN HELP TO BURN FAT
This is the important one right!
Omega 3 has been suggested to raise the levels of HDL Cholesterol (the healthy type – yes there is a good type of Cholesterol). This then helps the body to function in the process of burning fatty acids as fuel more effectively.
Of course, this has to be combined as part of a well-balanced diet. This goes without saying, but ensuring you get in Omega 3’s will aid this process and make the journey that much more fluid.
#4 LOWER THE RISK OF HEART-RELATED DISEASES
I have previously mentioned that Omega 3’s help to boost your levels of HDL (good cholesterol). This helps to reduce high blood pressure, prevents blood clots and reduces the buildup of plaque in the arteries.
Omega 3’s reduces inflammation too, but this is a separate topic altogether.
It is well-known that heart disease and stroke are common incidents within the western world and combined they account for the most deaths for both men and women.
Links have been associated with our typical western diet…which happens to be getting worse by the way.
An interesting find is that fish eating diets, high in Omega 3 have been found to show lower levels of heart-related diseases…and the evidence is mounting year after year.
Fish oils seem to be the key factor in this…so start eating your fatty fish.
#5 HELPS FIGHT ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND MOOD DISORDERS
So many people today suffer from some form of mood disorder. Those that have will understand how this can severely impact on your energy and lust for life. This can affect your job, your relationships amongst many other things.
Tests including Omega 3 fish oils have shown to suggest a 40% decrease in symptoms amongst both men and women. This is to do with the nutrient content of the brain. One study suggested that Omega 3 was as effective as Prozac.
So there we have it. 5 good reasons why you should get Omega 3 fatty acids into your diet.
So where do they come from?
Naturally, omega 3 can be found in various food types but the highest quality is contained in fatty fish such as Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines etc. You can also find them in Flaxseed, Walnuts etc but the quality is nowhere near as good in these food types.
The issue with fatty fish is their calorie content if trying to maintain a calorie deficit. Not to mention the smell and the messy preparation.
So what if you don’t like fish or don’t have time to prepare this stuff?
Well, you can always aim to take fish oil capsules. These are small, convenient capsules that you can supplement your first meal of the day. Be wary however as not all fish oil capsules were created equally.
Many supplement companies out there work on maximum profit and will put substandard ingredients in their products in order to get as much return as possible.
SO WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
When looking at Omega 3 supplements, you are checking out their EPA and DHA quantities. You are looking at 500mg EPA and 250mg DHA per capsule.
HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU TAKE?
Substandard fish oil companies will recommend you take 10-15 capsules a day. This is due to their lower quality and that they want you to buy more from them.
Ideally, you want to aim for between 1500-2000mg of EPA and 750-1000mg of DHA per day.
That’s around 2-3 portions of Salmon per week or 3-4 quality capsules per day.
Personally, my wife hates the smell of fish so it’s a no go in our house. I get round it by supplementing with a product called GOOD FATS FORMULA from LEANGREENS.
This caters for my Omega 3 needs.
You now know 5 good reasons why you should be including Omega 3 fatty acids into your diet.
The question now is…
What are you doing about it?
