Omega-3 Fatty Acid to be specific.
Us Wheebles, or WeeWees have spent a lot of time thinking about what we eat, when we eat and in what proportions we eat things. While it is true that not every diet works for every person, there are some things that the body needs that are woefully deficient in the typical American diet. I am highlighting one of my personal favorites, Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
We are bombarded by dietary information every day, so much so that it is hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. For the most part, I use the free lunch method of determining what to pay attention to. If a dietary claim seems too good to be true, it probably is. There is no losing belly fat, targeted weight loss, eating or drinking a tablespoon of anything that will magically let you eat a dozen donuts without paying a caloric penalty.
But Omega-3 Fatty Acids come about as close to a magic pill as one could hope for. But first a little housekeeping
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Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids. They are essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food.
Fat doesn't make you fat and not all fats are built the same. Omega-3 Fatty Acids have been found to help with ADHD, energy, and even Alzheimers. It keeps the blood from getting too "sticky" and forming clots and it is something that most of us don't get enough of in our diet.
The benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments. Some research has even shown that omega-3s can boost the immune system and help protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer's disease.
Web Md
Omega 3s are found in a lot of cold water fish, but if you are not a fish eater or if you are minimizing fish intake due to fears of mercury poisoning (I keep this in mind when I decide how much fish to consume) there are other sources of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. These include:
Flax Seed
Spinach
Cantaloupe
Walnuts
Broccoli
Kidney Beans
Chinese Cabbage
Grape Leaves
Cauliflower
So, how much does a body need for good health? A person needs 6 to 8 grams a week for good health. A 3.5 ounce serving of salmon offers 2.5 grams of Omega 3s, where as a single ounce of walnuts offers the same amount of this oil.
Oh and grass fed beef and chickens raised on a diet of bugs and grasses offer flesh high in Omega 3s, unlike their feedlot cousins touted as "corn fed." I personally distrust a chicken that is listed as "vegetarian" because everyone knows that a chicken will eat just about anything if he is truly a free range chicken. No one told the little guy that he wasn't supposed to chow down on a tasty grub or three
Wiki
I take pills, but you need to be careful with taking Omega-3 pills because most of them come from fish oil, which has the same cautions regarding mercury. Mine is certified to be safe...but if I start getting suddenly stupider or sounding like the mad hatter, you will know what to blame.