What are the Best Sources of Fatty Acids

Well here is my last say on fatty acids, at least for now.

So where else can you get your essential fatty acids from? (Remember those of you who do not eat well, who are on a few medications (especially any reflux med), over 50, and highly stressed may have to supplement in order to get the correct amount of fatty acids.

Wild fatty cold water fish is the best source. Salmon is the best, followed by herring, sardines, mackerel, tuna, bluefish, cod, flounder, shrimp, or krill (a shrimp-like fish  although usually found in supplemental form). You certainly can supplement with quality fish oil (tested for purity and Mercury levels) like Nordic Naturals, Carlson Labs or Spectrum  if you can’t tolerate eating fish. High quality flax oil is high in fatty acids (the seeds are mostly fiber so it is not recommended as the best way to obtain sufficient amounts of the oil). You can take flax in its real oil form or purchase in capsules. Make sure you keep it refrigerated, oil and/or seeds, as it renders it rancid and useless and maybe even harmful).

Other good sources include walnuts, almonds, other nuts, dark green leafy vegetables, greens, lean meats grass fed), and eggs (cage free). Hemp is also gaining popularity as a good source of the 3’s.

For those who complain about “burping the oil up” after consumption, try freezing the capsules or get a formula that contains lipase (a fat enzyme for its digestion; DO NOT take if you have ulcers) to help you digest it better.

Why we are Deficient in Fatty Acids and How Much do we Need?

It doesn't seem fair that we have to frequently supplement our foods when we should be able just to eat the real food and get enough but it's a reality. (Check out this Prevention article as to how this evolved with the fatty acid issue)

The problem involves an imbalance. This can cause many hormonal and chemical problems. It is estimated that about 90% of the American population is lacking in omega-3 because we consume so many processed foods and grains that are grown with omega-6 sources. Some authorities suggest approximately 10%-20% of our total caloric diet should consist of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Other researchers say we should have at least a 1:1 balance and still others suggest a 3:1(omega-3's to omega-6's).

So how much do we need exactly? This depends on numerous factors. In my own studies at Bauman College, it was suggested to consume 1,000-2,000 milligrams daily of omega-3’s for maintenance levels. Individuals with severe heart problems or other major health issues may need more, but this should be clearly monitored by doctors. We do know men need more, and certainly stress and disease affect how much we require. Note though, by consuming too many bad fats (and the 6's) increase the need for the omega-3’s. Eating three to four ounces of wild (not farm raised) salmon two times a week would constitute a sufficient amount of omega-3’s, unless one was eating an overabundance of omega-6’s from processed foods and/or consuming more grain (instead of grass fed animals) which would contain higher levels of omega-6.

Thursday I will elaborate more on where we obtain better quality omega-3 sources besides fish and how to take them so you don’t “burp” them up (a most common complaint I get from people who attempt to take them).

The List goes on for Essential Fatty Acids

Are you still with me on the fatty acids? I hope you are because there are just soooooo many functions these oils do for our bodies! I'm not letting up!

Who would think they play a crucial role in the digestive tract. They influence the structure of the cells lining the intestinal tract, as well as the "villi" in the gut, through which the absorption of nutrients takes place by increasing the thickness and surface area of the digestive-absorptive cells that make up the insides of our intestines. This results in improved digestion, better absorption of nutrients, less absorption of allergens, and overall better health. When you are in better health you can diet and exercise effectively without being so tired.

Other continuing studies are finding that compounds in essential fatty acids can block tumor formation in animals, and test-tube studies have documented that omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells.

And new moms listen up! Fatty acids are the most abundant fat in breast milk vital to infants because of their ability to nourish a child’s growing brain and eye development. Omega-3 fat is important for connecting brain cells to each other and making sure brain signals transmission gets through adequately, especially with smaller children and infants.

Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids have alosd been linked to an increase in dementia, mood changes, memory loss, and visual problems. In a Swedish study, elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease were found to have lower levels of the omegas than healthy older people. Studies done at Purdue University showed that children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had lower levels of these essential fatty acids.

A diet low in essential fatty acids could result in skin problems such as dandruff, eczema, splitting nails, and dull, brittle hair.

In fact, according to Michael Murray, ND and Joseph Pizzorno, ND well-known and respected Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine, related that research indicates that over 60 health conditions may benefit from EFA supplementation. and I've only touched on a few this week alone.

I'll give a break for a few days and then go into why so many people are deficient in these oils and how to determine your individual needs for them..

More on the Omega Oils

There are more crucial functions which involve these important fatty acids. I’m not done yet so I hope you’ll stick this week out with me. For example, how’s your eyesight? In your eye, fatty acids cells are found abundantly in the retina, which is vital for sight. 

Do you get sick more often than you think you should? Proper amounts of essential fatty acids assist the immune system and act as an immune shield from germs and microbes. Your body also needs fat to absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A and D, both invaluable to the immune system. How can you follow a healthy food plan when all you can think about is comfort food when you are sick or just lacking energy?  

Then there’s the big issue with inflammation. One of their biggest functions is for making prostaglandins in your body. Prostaglandins are hormones that regulate activities in your body including inflammation, pain and swelling.  They contain natural anti-inflammatory compounds that may even relieve the symptoms of arthritis and autoimmune diseases. Many people eat in response to pain not realizing the very foods they are eating may be the causing more inflammation in their bodies.

Fatty acids have amazing cardiovascular benefits as well – they regulate blood pressure and are natural blood thinners that prevent blood clots that can lead to heart attack and stroke. Check with your doctor if you are already on blood thinners before you decide on fish oil instead.

Even drug companies are trying to convince us that their fish oil products in medicine form is superior to many quality health food store brands. Nortic Naturals fish oil is a superior fish oil product and less costly.

Reasons to Eat Fish for Fatty Acids

The other day I started discussing Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and how important they are for the body. In terms of weight loss and numerous other functions which are all interrelated. They literally help make hormones so the body can communicate with its numerous activities. If your body doesn’t have the right foods how can it work at its best?

The other day I mentioned how every single cell in your body needs essential fatty acids to function in our body. Are you feeling a little unstable with your nerves lately? For starters, fatty acids in your nerve cells maintain the nervous system, which is the communication center for your entire body. Think how anxiety can promote emotional eating among other things!


Have you ever heard of the term “fat head?” There’s a reason for it. Our human brain is made up of about 60% fat, so it needs essential fatty acids for adequate and effective cognitive functioning. How do you manage to focus on healthy eating if you are unfocused or not feeling positive about life? I’m not saying these things will cure behavioral problems but it can go along way with focus and attitude.

And did you know there are studies going on linking belly fat to lack of fish oil? All this is just the tip of the ice berg. More and more to come this week.

What you May not know about Fatty Acids

This week I am going to devote five blogs exclusively to essential fatty (omega 3's and 6's) acids because they are not given credit for all the things they accomplish in the body. Even the FDA has not recognized their full importance to the body. (Shame on them!)

 Did you know that fatty acids were originally considered Vitamin F when they were first discovered in 1923? Later, they were classified as fats.  Now, finally, they are getting their due respect as therapeutic nutrients for the body from respected health authorities.

Our bodies don’t manufacture fatty acids naturally, so we need to obtain them from healthy foods, (or good quality fish oil supplements) which is why they are called essential fatty acids. Every single cell in our bodies is made from this source of fat.  There are 20 different types of fatty acids, but they are all derived from these two basic fatty acids called alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) and alpha-linoleic acid (omega-6).

So what do these fats do for us?  A better question might be: What don’t they do for us?  More coming on all this week. If you must go out and buy them right now, Nordic Naturals and Carlson Labs are a few of many superior brands available and tested for purity.

Ways to Plan

This week I have been discussing the importance of planning so I thought I'd share a few a few of my own personal ways of planning. So here are a few:

1. I plan both my lunches and dinners two days at a time. That leaves me with just a few menus to deal with. From there I write out my grocery list and shop accordingly, always once a week, no matter what!  (It's gotten so easy over the years I can almost do it in my head although I still write it out to refer to during the week.) It if you want to just plan four days at a time make your planning two times a week the priority.

2. I make my meals as simple, yet tasty as I can.
3. I keep a list of my recipes/plans in a convenient binder in a special spot in the kitchen.
4. I periodically add to my list for variety.
5. I always have a back-up plan, or "Plan B."

Again readers, share, share and share your great ideas with us. Even non-dieters get into these ruts about what to have for lunch and dinner...and that's one more excuse to go out to eat and eat too much of something else simply because we get bored with our own food choices.

Do you plan for success?" - 2

 Monday I mentioned that planning for success was really about a change of perspective. Today the emphasis will be the habit aspect of it because in the end it all amounts to what habits you develop towards your health.

Think back to that the first day of school as a kid.... You might have felt uncomfortable, confused, and a little ackward in that situation. But after a month or so the new environment was no longer an issue. Things became a regular habit and matter of course. It's no different with lifestyle change.

You just can't lose sight that it takes time, planning and a little effort  for something to become a healthy habit. Start with planning something for just a few days at a time and make them really simple. There are a million websites developed for this very thing. Use Google to find those great low calorie,  and even low carb recipes. You'll find more than what you want. Or simply ask your slim healthy friends what their favorite recipes are! How hard is that?

Readers please feel free to share some of your quick and simple ideas for healthy meals and snacks!

Do you plan for success? - 1

Working part time in a doctor's office I was recently asked point blank, "What is one of the biggest mistakes a dieter makes?"

The answer is really quite simple. It boils down to  planning ahead. I don't know who said this but it's a quote I use frequently and then chuckle as I hear my patients say they hear me saying it back to them in their heads at home, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

This may sound like an amazing feat considering any person's given hectic lifestyle but the first thing you have to do to change your general attitude about it. It's really not this monstrous job you have to do every week contrary to how you may think about it. It's merely something new and different to you so it may feel like one more thing to add to your already busy life. More on this Thursday.

Readers what are your thoughts on this subject?

Portion Control Shortcuts

We all know that in order to lose weight we have to exercise, eat less and consume more fruits and veggies right? But even if we do all that we still need one more element to that equation and that’s portion control. On an earlier blog that I did I pointed out “Measure Up Bowls” as a way monitoring portions: http://blog.nutritiondata.com/dieting_weight_loss_blog/2010/04/the-last-couple-of-weeks-i-had-discussed-portion-sizes-for-valog.  But now to add to the competition is what they call the “Perfect Plate,” at slimware.com. They are cute little yellow plates with a floral design of sunflowers. You pile your veggies over a large sunflower and place your protein over the smallest sunflower. Your medium sunflower is for a moderate portion of your grains. The amounts may not be enough for you big guys but for women they seem pretty appropriate.

A Variation on Carb Cravings

Would you believe that many carbohydrate cravings are actually caused by consuming too many carbs to begin with? That may seem rather odd but it’s actually a term in some medical circles as carb intolerance or even metabolic syndrome. It means that your body has developed an  intolerance to a specific amount of carbohydrates, usually caused by consuming too many carbs in the first place! The amount of carbs you tolerate without gaining weight and start craving carbs is your own personal level of tolerance usually.

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I work part time in a medical bariatric weight loss clinic and I see many cravings virtually disappear as the excess amounts of carbs vanish in the diet (and probably by adding healthier foods back into the diet).  Every person is unique in how they personally respond to carbohydrates. Some can easily get by on 40%-50% total carbohydrate intake and others should be even more limited, especially when trying to lose weight.

 So, readers what are your thoughts on how many carbs you need to consume, to lose or to maintain?

Did you Get Off Track?

So how did you do over the holiday weekend with your food? It's always a challenge resisting food and maintaining motivation whether it's a regular weekend or a holiday event. Food is well, just everywhere and everyone is seemingly eating more than they should. So how do you battle the bulge yourself?

But understanding your challenges and then being proactive is the answer to your weight loss woes especially after a lapse.

Before you can do any of this though is that you have to first and foremost forgive yourself no matter how you ate. You will never be a success  unless you do. All you can do from this point on on is to go forward; learn and I mean really learn from your mistakes,  then make the commitment to change what you did, and start again. Numerous people fail hundreds of times before they finally succeed......so can you. Just make sure this time is the last time.

On the Lighter Side of Nutrition

I’m sure many of you have gotten this email like me but it still makes me laugh so I’ll share it for those that may not have ever received it. We all take our diets too seriously much of the time anyway.  So now magine going to this doctor and asking her or him a few health and nutrition questions.  Remember some of this might seem to actually make sense, but resist the temptation to believe it!

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?

A: Heart good only for so many beats, and that’s it... Don't waste time on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up heart  will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of  your car by driving faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. What are these? Vegetables. So, steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to the system. Need grain? Eat chicken.  And a pork chop can give you the 100% recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all... Wine is  made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine. That means they take water out of fruity part;  and you get even more wellness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: If you have body and you have fat, ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, ratio is two to one, etc...

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: I  cannot think of single one, sorry. My philosophy: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU ARE NOT LISTENING!!! ..... Foods fried are made from frying them in vegetable oil. How can getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it gets bigger. You should only do sit-ups if want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: You crazy? HELLO ..... Cocoa beans! Vegetable!!! Cocoa beans are the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming good for figure, explain the size of  whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! "Round" is shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. The good news is is that the least processed good dark chocolate actually is good for you, just watch how much you are eating because it's still high in calories.

Your Declaration of Freedom

All social events revolve around food. This holiday weekend is no different. It comes with all the same and familiar temptations as any other social eating event.  But this Fourth of July consider what freedom from food compulsion really means to you.

Declare your own personal form of freedom.  Problem solve your food challenges (read my previous blogs from mid-June) and then take genuine responsibility for your actions. Consider this quote regardless of what it takes to be truly free:

"FREEDOM MEANS RESPONSIBILITY"

Freedom is the right to live as you wish.
If you wish to free yourself from enslavement,
you must choose freedom and the responsibility it entails.
There's a price for every freedom,
something to be given up for every liberty.
It's up to you to weigh the price you must pay
for each of your freedoms.
And everything you want has a price.
Freedom is the opportunity to make decisions.
It's the capacity to take a hand in your own development.
Freedom is the right to choose.
It's the right to create for yourself the alternatives of choice.
No one is free who is not master of himself.
You are free to do whatever you like.
You need only face the consequences of your actions.

Copyright 2008 www.yourdailymotivation.com
Reproduce freely but maintain Copyright notice

A Nutitional Pet Peeve

There are so many things at the grocery store that have become my pet peeves I just don’t know which one bothers me the most. Most people unfortunately believe what a label says on a package.  For example, what does the term "natural" mean when you see it on a food label?

The normal consumer might consider the term "natural" a good thing, but honestly what does “natural” mean on a food label? Peanuts are natural but they can kill people who have severe allergies to them. Wheat is natural and may cause intestinal havoc for people who are gluten sensitive. The bottom line is you want to know what’s really in this food and how it can help or hurt you. The FDA certainly hasn’t helped the public here. The lesson here is to eat real unprocessed food as much as posssible so you know what you are really eating.

Readers what are your label reading pet peeves?