Quick Question: What Are Omega-3s and Why Do You Need Them?
↓
Quick Question: What Are Omega-3s and Why Do You Need Them?
If you like a good conspiracy story, you’re going to love this…
↓
Back in the 80s, fitness and diet gurus preached the value of eating fat-free to prevent heart disease and weight gain. (Anybody else remembers Susan Powter?) The era of Snackwells and fat-free cottage cheese was born.
↓
Little did we know, the research they were touting was actually paid for by the sugar industry!1Classic diversion tactic. Grocery aisles full of low-fat/no-fat products flavored with extra sweeteners were soon fueling an obesity epidemic that still goes on today.
↓
Fat is not your enemy. In fact, eating fat is vital to your health! Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to:
- immune function2
- preventing heart disease3
- keeping your brain healthy and active4
- burning fat and building muscle5
- fighting inflammation6
↓
You can get healthy omega-3 fats from a variety of sources, from salmon and avocado to berries and almonds. (Here’s a list of the Top 15 Foods for Omega-3s.)
↓
If you’re not consistently eating fatty, wild-caught fish and a variety of leafy greens and other produce, then I advise taking a high-quality omega-3 supplement. It can help with so much, from weight loss to Alzheimer’s disease and depression.7
↓
In fact, getting plenty of omega-3 fats is a personal cause for me – you can find out why here. Just like all your pastel aerobics leotards and legwarmers, it’s time to leave the myth of low-fat in the 80s where it belongs! Article by JJ Virgin.
Article Sources:
1 http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2548255
2 http://www.kalbemed.com/Portals/6/KOMELIB/GENITO-URINARY%20SYSTEM/Obsgyn/Osfit%20DHA/495.pdf
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4153275/
4 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18072818
5 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3499967/
6 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11883-004-0087-5
7 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18072818