Fish Oils & Why you need to eat Fat
With the exception of coconut oil, most vegetable-based oils are not exactly a good addition to your daily diet. For a healthier happier and leaner life, the type of fats you incorporate have a profound impact on your overall health. Quite simply, fats essentially make up the wall around our cells so that they can communicate and ingest nutrients. A diet that is comprised of trans fats, vegetable oils or rancid (burned) oils make these normal tasks less efficient, so to speak, and therefore detrimental to your health, energy and fat loss goals.
But which fats?
One of the main issues seen in the nutrition of the general public is the overwhelming ratio of omega 6 fats to omega 3 fats, with omega 6 fats for most people being derived from vegetable oils. The negative consequences of a high omega 6 to omega 3 fats ration is high blood inflammation leading to impaired health.
The good fats
Although there are a number of omega 3 fatty acids available, the best sources are from fish oils. These amazing oils are broken into DHA and EPA, both of which are absolutely essential to brain health, lower inflammation and even to help aid your exercise recovery and fat burning abilities. Omega 3’s from flax have also garnished some popularity over the years, but have little to no comparison in the body’s ability to use them effectively.
When and how to include fats in my diet
Fish oils are best taken with meals to aid absorption. The optimal intake is roughly 2 grams per day, with our latest product launch available here, our new high quality fish oil.
Omega 3- Supplementation for health and weight loss
Being overweight or obese (a chronic disease) means the body is constantly in an inflamed state, due to the adipose tissue (fat tissue) becoming swollen (hence the beer belly, big hips and big bum) and producing TNF IL6 which generate PRO inflammatory cytokines (these are the guys that make you feel ill).
Engorged fat cells release more inflammatory proteins in our body than normal fat cells do. That means the more overweight you are, the more inflammation your body produces. As a result, this leads to more pain and more degenerative conditions such as; fibromyalgia, autoimmune conditions, arthritis, migraines and various forms of cancer.
Dr. Nigel Plummer of Cultech Ltd. reports that depression is linked to inflammation and toxins crossing the blood brain barrier. Inflammation in the blood vessels causes an increase in the incidence of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attack and strokes. In light of this information, it is often the fact that those with a tendency to carry more weight often have a much higher risk of certain diseases. So, how do we combat this epidemic, lose weight and consequently reduce the size of fat cells?
Well, we need to firstly detox, by removing all the harmful toxins, in so far as possible, from your diet and surroundings.
DHA: An Omega-3 fatty acid which is important for healthy brain function and cardio protection.
EPA: An Omega-3 fatty acid which helps regulate the pro-inflammatory effects of Omega-6 fats, helping reduce the pain of several age-related diseases such as arthritis.
Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation
Fish oil plus gamma linolenic acid (GLA) increases the body’s production of good eicosanoids (Anti-Inflammotaries). Therefore taking Omega 3 will help in the reduction of cytokines, which in turn regulates the production of arachidonic acid. This will regulate the heart rhythm, reduce inflammation and will enhance the release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland, thus increasing your lean muscle mass.
The Omega-3 fatty acid-rich oils have also been shown in hundreds of studies to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
They aid the body to turn inflammatory reactions ‘off’ when they are no longer needed, therefore strengthening and restoring the inflamed body.
Note: The quality of your Omega 3 supplement is paramount in your pursuit of health. In the manufacture of our very own Omega 3 Fish Oil, we have produced the highest quality fish oil supplement available on the current market. Its extremely high level of EPA (1050mg) and DHA (750mg) (approximately twice found in the best cod liver oils) are combined with no detectable fishy odour or strong taste. This supplement is now available both in the gym and in our online store.