Omega 3s for me, please.

We've probably all heard how important it is to consume Omega 3 fatty acids in our diet for lowering triglycerides and blood pressure. Omega-3s are essential fatty acids; we need them for our bodies to work properly. One of their most important benefits is that they seem to have an anti-inflammatory effect. And there are studies, reports WebMD, showing that omega-3 fatty acids may help with other conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and many more.

Are you getting enough in your diet?

According to experts, probably not. And most people you know – your spouse, your toddler, and your mom – probably aren’t either.

 

“Pretty much everybody’s diet is deficient in omega-3s,” says David C. Leopold, MD, director of integrative medical education at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in San Diego. (from WebMD)

What foods, beside wild salmon, contain Omega 3s? Check out Your Omega-3 Family Shopping List.

Early research is showing that infants, children and teens can benefits from Omega-3s for cognitive development, growth, ADHD and asthma (read the article below for more information.)

 

How do you get your child to eat more Omega 3s?

Parents magazine offers some tips:

• Introduce fish to your baby during the first year, to help her develop a taste for it. Then serve it often.
• Be creative: Grill fish on skewers, sauté fish cakes, make fish tacos, or mix it into pasta sauce.
• Buy DHA-fortified milk, soy milk, eggs, and orange juice when possible.
• Get into the habit of cooking with canola, flax, hemp or soy oil.
• Bake chia, hemp or ground flaxseeds into muffins, pancakes and crepes, and sprinkle them over yogurt or cereal.
• Give your bigger children omega-rich walnuts to snack on.

Just like any other important nutrient, mineral or food – don't over do it and don't leave it out. Incorporate omega-3s into a varied, healthy diet.

 

 

Action Item: Seek out ways to incorporate fish into your meals. And keep eating those leafy greens! Check out allrecipes.com for salmon or tuna recipes that interest you.

 

For Further Reading: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Fact Sheet, Omega-3 and Brain Health, and Who Needs Omega-3s?

Superfoods

You've probably run across many lists about "superfoods" but what are they? The word is actually a "marketing term used to describe foods with supposed health benefits" says Wikipedia. Many of the foods though are actually quite super in terms of their high content of antioxidants, vitamins, or other nutrients. And notice that all "superfoods" are natural, not processed, packaged, in a pill or covered in chocolate. Though... dark chocolate might be ok!

Items often on these lists are: kale, walnuts, sweet potatoes, blueberries, yogurt, salmon. If you fill your stomach with these types of foods, there will be no room left - and no need - for foods that don't fuel your body!

Action Item: Start with one super-nutrient-packed food that you are not eating or haven't tried yet and add it to a meal, as a snack or in a smoothie.

For further reading: Eight Superfoods That are Easy to Eat and Superfoods Everyone Needs