What’s all this stuff about fish oil?
Time for the penultimate part of my diet & nutrition tips and advice
Are you eating anything that is a good source of omega-3 each day?
Most of you should know that omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid. But, don’t fear! NOT ALL FATS ARE BAD!
Quick look on fats
Contrary to the popular media, not all fats are bad. In fact, many of them are essential. A zero fat or a very low fat diet is actually extremely harmful to your health in the long term!
Saturated animal fats are the ones that are generally solid at room temperature. These are the ones that if consumed regularly in high amounts can increase the risk of heart disease, some cancers and strokes. They are often found in meat and dairy products.
“Good” fats (containing the omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids) play important roles in many functions of the body that promote health and wellbeing. These fats maintain skin and hair health; they store and transport fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. They also protect cell walls, control inflammation and support immune health.
So where do I get these “good” fats from?
The human body is unable to manufacture the essential fats that contain omega-3. Therefore, we need to obtain them in our diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish such as salmon, trout, sardines, mackerel, herring and tuna.
So why do so many people not eat enough foods containing omega-3 fatty acids?
Many people avoid eating oily fish such as mackerel, tuna steaks or salmon for a number of reasons. These include vegetarianism, not liking the taste of fish or even the fear of food poisoning from cooking fish. This can result in their diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids.
If I exercise, train and compete often, are omega-3 fatty acids important for me?
- Research has found that omega-3 fatty acids are popular for their ability to improve endothelial (blood vessel) function and increase provision of energy from fat, while sparing glucose/glycogen.
- Additionally, they have been found to lead to a reduction in the inflammatory response to exercise, decreases delayed-onset muscle soreness, increase the rate of recovery, and reduce the risk for infection due to immunodeficiency.
- Fish oil supplementation has been associated with improving cognitive abilities including reaction time, decision making, and stabilizing mood.
- Fish oil can reduce heart rate during rest and exercise implying a more efficient heart. This effect is perhaps because of direct effects on electrophysiological function of the heart.
- Fish oil likely improves the blood flow through skeletal muscle specifically, thereby having a direct effect on exercise performance.
Source: Peoples et al., (2008) & Mickleborough (2013).
So what’s your strategy to getting sufficient omega-3 fatty acids into my diet?
- I try to eat fish a couple of times a week. Certain meals only require basic cooking skills such as pan frying a tuna steak. This is a great way to introduce oily fish into an persons diet.
- I also snack on simple things like those little tins of mackerel or sardines you find in the supermarket. Mix these up with a nice salad or even have them on a cheeky slice of toast. (I’d recommend having some chewing gum or a mint afterwards though!)
- Another thing would be including more spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, walnuts, flaxseed, and kidney beans to my snacks and meals.
- But, if you are struggling to get these foods into your diet you can supplement. It’s been found that approximately 1-2 g of fish oil per day, with a ratio of 2:1 EPA:DHA, can improve cardiovascular function and exercise performance. Most studies have shown that this regimen reduces exercise-induced muscle soreness and many have shown a lowering of blood pressure and improved blood flow during exercise.
- I have recommended supplementation to several of my clients and I myself take Krill Oil daily in order to ensure I am getting my dose of omega-3 fatty acids. Both Krill Oil and Omega-3 from Reflex Nutrition are available on my website at 20% off the RRP.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MY DISCOUNTED RANGE of high-quality supplements from Reflex Nutrition
Until next time,
Joe Bullen MSc ASCC CSCS
If you’re wired to the Net you can order the medication discretely internet shooping to overcome order levitra online sexual dysfunctionality, you can take Gold Max capsules to help enhance your performance in bed. Another initiative designed for women with cardiovascular disease should tadalafil vs cialis discuss their sexual problems with the concerned medical practitioner to find an alternative remedy for impotence. If you wanted to try Maca for yourself, you can install legitimate spyware protection software that can spot these programs and delete them from your hard drive. cialis tadalafil 5mg It also offers cheap online cialis control over your ejaculate to last longer in bed.
