If you’re female, you’ve probably been on a diet at some point in your life. Sadly, they never seem to work. If they did, we would all have been on one diet in our lives. Many women have no idea how dieting affects the brain or how important fat is to the brain. Let’s put it this way: your brain is comprised of 80% fat. When you lose too much fat from dieting, you also lose part of your brain.
One of the most important aspects of nutrition and health is optimal Omega 3 intake. There is much talk about the importance of Omega 3s, but few people realize the reasons or understand how crucial they are for our health. Here are a few reasons why you should be concerned about getting enough Omega 3:
-Omega 3s can not be manufactured by our body. If we don’t ingest them through food or supplements, we won’t get them at all.
-Omega 3s support joint and cardiovascular health and also tend to have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body. Degenerative diseases begin with inflammation at the cellular level.
-Omega 3s are comprised of two components: DHA and EPA. DHA is the part that is so crucial for healthy mood. Pregnancy tends to demand higher levels of DHA, and most women end up highly DHA deficient after birth. DHA deficiency is correlated with postpartum depression
-Fat loss tends to occur first in the brain. Women who lose too much weight (as in eating disorders or other malnourishment) tend to develop difficulties with concentration, attention, and memory if the weight loss is extreme.
-Dry skin tends to be a sign of Omega 3 deficiency.
-Children with higher levels of DHA in their diets tend to have a higher IQ. Supplementing with DHA tends to support brain and eye development and help with absorption of nutrients.
-Whereas the body can not manufacture Omega 3, it can manufacture Omega 6. It is generally not the best idea to supplement with an Omega 3-6-9 supplement and is better to choose a simple Omega 3.
-Ground or milled flax seed is an excellent source of Omega 3, but the body has to convert this type of Omega 3 to DHA. It usually doesn’t have trouble doing so unless under extreme stress, in which case salmon or other fatty fish would be a better source.
-The body can not process whole flax seeds. They are simply passed through the body. These are not a source of DHA.
-The best source of DHA is salmon, tuna, or other fatty fish. Avocado is generally a good source of Omega 3 as well. Most people don’t eat enough of these foods or just don’t like them, in which case a supplement is best.
That’s all from Boca Raton today, folks. Remember to take rotate your Omega 3s between fish oil and krill oil on occasion, too. It helps to switch it up every now and then. Ciao for now!
