Omega3-related stories
Flaxseed Benefits: Eat This Superfood to Improve Your Daily Diet
Health, Healthy Eating, Dear Healthy Foodie
I've had a few questions from readers about flaxseeds recently, so I thought I'd do another post on them. One reader wanted to know what lignans are as they are often mentioned on packaging for flaxseeds and flaxseed oil. Another wanted to know why some flaxseed brands claim to have B6 while others don't, and likewise, some manufacturers advertise iron and others don't. And finally, one reader wanted to know whether it was a better idea to consume the whole flaxseed or just the flaxseed oil. I'll get to all these questions below as well as give a little more info on these power-packed little seeds.Flaxseeds, while originally used for little more than horse feed and birdseed, have risen to prominence in the last decade and are now often referred to as a superfood. Part of the reason for this is that new studies are continually discovering the amazing health properties of the seeds. But in large part, the popularity of flaxseeds is due to the discovery that they are extremely high in the omega-3 fat alpha linolenic acid (ALA).
Omega-3 fats, along with omega-6 fats, are essential, meaning they need to part of your diet and cannot be created from other components in the body. The reason flax has become so valued in health fields is that its high ratio of omega-3 fats to omega-6 fats makes it the perfect remedy to the North American diet, which is far too high in omega-6 (containing anywhere from 14 to 25 times more omega-6 than omega-3) due to the preponderance of sunflower oil, soybean oil and corn oil.
This imbalance leads to inflammation in the body along with a host of health problems such as heart disease, arthritis, cancer and depression. The inflammatory effect of over-consuming omega-6 also suppresses the body's immune system.
Four Ways to Sabotage Your Efforts to Get in Shape
Advice, Health, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Ask a Fitness Expert
We all have our personal reasons for exercising and most of us do it because we want to look and feel great. This is because, as you've all heard, exercise is one of the best ways to improve your overall health. Unfortunately, there are many things we can do that sabotage our efforts to get in shape and here are the top four I run across all the time.1. Working out too much
Over-exercising will do more harm than good, especially when it becomes a compulsion. If your exercise routine lasts longer than two hours more than five days a week, you are over-exercising. While exercise is good for your body, too much has the reverse effect. Muscles do not grow while you are working out; they grow while you are resting. Muscular training stresses and damages the muscles slightly, and then your body reacts by building up the muscles in order to handle the extra work and stress. A period of 48 hours is recommended to obtain adequate rest and fuel to repair the muscles. For cardiovascular exercise, a rest period of a minimum of 24 hours is recommended to obtain adequate rest and fuel to prepare for the next workout. And every week, your body requires one to two days of complete and total rest, less than that is sabotage!
Ephedra for Weight Loss: A Really Bad Idea
Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy
Ephedra is an herb. It comes from a plant. It's a natural substance. Since it's natural, it should be just fine to take, right?
Wrong.
Hemlock, mercury, lead and asbestos are also natural, and you wouldn't ingest them. OK, ephedra certainly isn't as toxic as those, but it sure isn't good for you, and there are plenty of reasons not to take it.
But why bring this up? Wasn't ephedra banned?
Yes, in the United States. The FDA banned the sale of all ephedra-containing supplements in 2004 after accumulating evidence about its adverse effects, including a number of deaths. However, you can still find it in Canada. If you're not in Canada, there's always the Internet.
I actually discovered this by accident. The only supplements I take are omega 3 and vitamin D, and I get those at a grocery store. However, for the first time ever I wandered into a bodybuilding supplement store to see what was on the shelves to better understand what active people were taking in an effort to build muscle, lose weight, and boost performance. I don't want to take any of these things, but I do like to write about them.
Holy cow. The place sure had a lot of protein powder in it.
It also had ephedra, with a label affixed that said "For Nasal Decongestion."
What. The. Hell?
I said to the shopkeeper, "I thought that stuff was illegal."
Find out what the shopkeeper said after the jump.
Detox Daily With Flaxseed Tea
Health, Healthy Eating, Eat This
I get a lot of questions from people wondering what things they can do on a daily basis that will have an overall beneficial effect on their health. They may not be ready to make major changes in their lives, or more specifically their diets, but nonetheless are concerned about their health and want to start with small changes.In addition to recommending a mug of lemon and water in the morning as a quick way to alkalize and detoxify, I also tell people about flaxseed tea. These are a couple of the simplest and most effective habits you can cultivate for subtle health improvements. They aren't weight loss miracles or a way to cure diabetes, but they do make subtle changes that lead toward a positive state of health when combined with a clean diet and a healthy outlook.
Flaxseed tea is easy to prepare and has lot of health benefits. It's not the tastiest thing in the world, but the flavour is mild and inoffensive and it doesn't take long to cultivate a taste for it. Simply steep one teaspoon of ground flaxseeds in one cup of water (or two teaspoons in two cups). That's it. You can also add a little cinnamon for flavour and blood sugar regulation. Or, you can add ground flaxseeds to your existing favourite tea
Coping with Cramps, Positions to Avoid and More
Each morning, we dish out a few links we love. Not sure what the deal is with these Omega 3s everyone is always talking about? Here's the scoop on them -- and some reasons why you need them.
Be careful in the bedroom -- while regular sex is good for the body and soul, some positions can be bad for your health!
Ladies, tired of cramps? Yes, they're a pain in the you-know-what (literally), but here are some tips for coping with cramps in a more productive way.
It's true, women really do let themselves go when they get married -- studies show they're always a bit heavier than their unmarried counterparts.
Malls aren't just for shopping anymore -- The mall-walking fitness craze is not slowing down.
Prevent Heart Disease: 8 Easy Steps
Dr. Richard Beliveau and Dr. Denis Gingras are the authors of Eating Well, Living Well, translated by Valentina Baslyk along with their bestselling books Foods That Fight Cancer and Cooking With Foods That Fight Cancer.For people who are resistant to change, the idea of altering their dietary habits, which is necessary to prevent the development of cardiovascular disease (and all chronic diseases), is often perceived as a restriction, a sort of punishment incompatible with quality of life. According to their thinking, "You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to live to be a hundred," (Woody Allen). However, nothing could be further from the truth! In practice, heart disease prevention means we can enjoy a great variety of delicious foods that will diversify our culinary experiences and bring us extraordinary gastronomic pleasure.
Fruits and vegetables – Plant products are indisputably the foods that have the greatest potential to prevent cardiovascular disease. Not only does abundant consumption of plant foods help to reduce our consumption of foods rich in sugar, saturated fats, and trans fats, but it also allows you to benefit from the many preventive properties associated with the constituents of these exceptional foods.
An impressive number of studies have shown that abundant consumption of plant foods is associated with a reduced risk of coronary disorders. This effect is particularly significant for green vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, etc.), and those rich in vitamin C (green vegetables in general). Specifically, each daily portion of fruits and vegetables reduces by about 4% the risk of coronary diseases, which is an excellent reason to eat these foods as often as possible.
Top 10 Foods to Keep You Looking Younger
According to UK newspaper the Daily Mail, supermodel Kate Moss was rather horrified at how haggard she appeared in photos of her sunbathing on a yacht in Saint Tropez. We don't know if the photos are real or if the story is true, but apparently, in an effort to turn back the clock, she has recently started the "10 years younger" diet plan. Of course, no diet can turn back the clock entirely but given that you are what you eat, the right foods can certainly help you age more gracefully.
Here are our top 10 picks:
Food: Wild Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Helps: Keep skin firm and preserve elasticity
How?: Omega-3 fatty acids contain valuable oils that help impede wrinkles and moisturize dry aging skin. Omega-3 helps improve the structure of the skin, calming inflammation and protecting collagen Alan Logan a naturopathic doctor and author of The Clear Skin Diet (Cumberland, 2008) told Chatelaine magazine.
Food: Spinach
Helps: Keep eyes sparkling and clear
How? Years of exposure to harmful sunlight can damage the retina of your eyes. Karen Ansel, a registered dietitian notes that spinach is high in zeaxanthin and lutein, nutrients that are essential for the retina. These nutrients absorb harmful sun light preventing it from causing long term damage. Spinach also contains vitamin K which is excellent for the bones.
Not All Omega 3's Are Created Equal
Health, Healthy Eating, Eat This
While many of us understand that we need omega-3 fats for our personal nutrition, few of us understand this much deeper than choosing the "omega-3 enriched" choices of processed foods.The term omega-3 actually refers to a specific type of polyunsaturated fat which the body cannot create itself and therefore must source from food. However, there are many types of these omega-3 fatty acids.
Important omega-3 fatty acids include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), all of which are nutritionally essential for humans and serve unique purposes in our bodies.
ALA comes from vegetable sources including nuts and seeds, grains, legumes and some fruits and vegetables. It is also found in non-vegetarian sources like eggs, dairy products and meats.
EPA and DHA are a little more difficult to find, however. EPA and DHA are found almost exclusively in marine sources like deep ocean fish, seafood and algaes including spirulina, chlorella or microalgaes, the latter of which are often consumed as dietary supplements. These two fatty acids can also be found in grass-fed cattle and eggs if the chickens are allowed to scavenge for their natural diet, which includes insects, however these are rare unless specifically sourced from specialized vendors here in North America.
Walnuts Found Effective in Reducing Breast Cancer
Health, Healthy Eating, Eat This
Natural News is reporting on research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's 100th Annual Meeting in Denver, which strongly suggests walnuts can reduce the risk of breast cancer.
The yet to be published research focused on mice who have been bred to develop breast tumors. One group of mice were fed what would, in a human, proportionately equal two ounces of walnuts per day, while the control group were fed no walnuts. It was found that the mice who had the walnuts in their diets delayed breast tumor formation by "at least three weeks", and that mice who continued to eat walnuts regularly showed "a significant decrease in the incidence of breast tumors, the number of glands with a tumor and the size of tumors."
Dear Healthy Foodie: Fish Oil for Seafood Allergy?
Health, Healthy Eating, Dear Healthy Foodie
Dear Healthy Foodie,
Can I take omega-3s derived from fish oil if I have a seafood allergy?I had read on the internet that the fish protein has been removed from fish oil products and it is the fish protein that people react to. I have some at home and am a little scared to try them. Has there been any research done on this?
Sigrun
Hi Sigrun,
Any time there is an allergy involved it is a good idea to talk to the supplement manufacturer. Although what you read on the internet is technically correct, (ie., the only ingredients that should be in your fish oil supplement are the actual fish oils and no fish proteins, which are what cause allergic reactions), you will want to have some sort of assurance.
Dear Healthy Foodie: Best Brain Foods
Health, Healthy Eating, Dear Healthy Foodie
My grandmother used to be as sharp as whip. She always had a sense of wit that was unmatched by her friends and family. But I've noticed as she's been getting older that she's not nearly as bright. She often seems like she's struggling to keep up with the conversation even though her hearing is fine. Is there anything she could be eating that would return her to her previously bright state?
Ella
Best and Worst Foods for Your Brain New
Blueberries have been a popular food in the study of improving brain function and the results have been very promising. Animal studies have found that blueberries may reverse age-related memory loss likely due to their abundance of health-promoting antioxidants. One study found old rats fed a diet rich in blueberries actually grew new neurons. Promising indeed.
lepiaf.geo, Flickr
A few dietary supplements are also helpful in restoring optimal brain function. Phosphatidylserine (PS), is a phospholipid and essential fatty acid which is also an important brain chemical. PS begins to decline in the brain when we pass middle age. Luckily, it is readily available in foods like fish, organ meats like cow brains, chicken hearts and liver, like the liver pate shown in this photo.
iStock
Investigators writing in The Journal of Neuroscience found a diet high in vegetables was beneficial in retarding age-related central nervous system and cognitive behavioral deficits. The body's own production of antioxidants decrease as we age and we can counteract this by increasing our consumption of dietary antioxidants.
Muffet, Flickr
It's a good idea to increase the amount of fresh fruits in the diet as we age to keep antioxidant levels high. The brain may be particularly vulnerable to free radical damage because it is naturally low in antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals. Free radical damage is thought to be a contributing factor to age related decline in motor performance and memory.
Amanda Rudkin, Flickr
For centuries, fish have been known as "brain food." This is no doubt due to the abundance of omega 3 fats found in fish, particularly fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, halibut, albacore tuna and salmon (shown here smoked as part of a delicious breakfast). Fish are high in two important types of omega 3 fats - eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), but it's the latter that's most important for brain health.
Allerina and Glen MacLarty
Recent studies in both the Journal of Neurochemistry and Nature Reviews Neuroscience report that the herb rosemary serves a protective effect against free radical damage in the brain. Rosemary contains an active ingredient, known as carnosic acid (CA), which may be able to protect the brain from stroke and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and dementia.
geishaboy500, Flickr
Almost as important as getting the right foods for brain health is avoiding the wrong foods. It's also important to avoid known neurotoxins like aspartame and MSG. A recent review conducted by scientists from the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo, found that consuming aspartame may inhibit the normal function of enzymes in your brain, and can lead to neurodegeneration and brain lesions.
Bukowsky18
Refined sugar should be on the hit list of anyone looking to preserve their brain function. In addition to contributing to a host of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, dental decay, and suppressed immune system functioning, sugar also messes with your head in a big way. According to the Franklin Institute, your brain needs some sugar to function properly. But too much sugar or refined carbohydrates at one time, however, can actually deprive your brain of glucose – depleting its energy supply and compromising your brain's power to concentrate, remember, and learn.
Uwe Hermann, Flickr
Refined sugar isn't the only white food you should avoid -- refined white rice and pasta should also be nixed in the name of brain health. Their simple carbohydrates are converted to glucose too quickly, causing a spike in your blood sugar levels and impairing your brain function much in the same way that white sugar does.
visualpanic, Flickr
Ask a Doctor: Be Honest, Can I Get Rid of Wrinkles?
Dear Dr. Roizen, Please be honest with me, is there any product out there that will reduce my wrinkles and make me look younger? If there is, please tell me where I can buy it today.
Dr. Roizen: Sure, there are many products that help lose or prevent wrinkles and make you look younger. Those are products that keep your arteries young and keep inflammation away. The best, of course, is the omega 3 fat DHA, which you can get as either fish oil or vegetarian omega 3 DHA. You want 600 mg a day. Vitamin D is also another great one - 1000 IU a day.
