Lick a fish

"Lick a fish"... that's what my husband says when he takes his omega-3 fish oil. Glad we don't have to do that in order to get our daily needs of omega-3 fats in! You'd be glad I'm typing and not talking to you. You probably heard about how important it is to eat enough fatty fish (maybe you've heard twice a week?) or else to supplement with omega-3 fish oil. Or if you're a vegetarian some other source of omega-3 like flax and walnuts. But do you know why? There are so many reasons why you should take it and what the benefits are, but I'll try to explain the basics of it here.

Our ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be around 1:1. In today's diet this often is more like 16:1 or even 20:1. This is due to the over consumption of omega-6 fatty acids (which is very important to overall health too) from corn oil, safflower oil, meat from feedlot animals (fed by a lot of corn). So to get back to the ratio of 1:1 we need to up our omega-3 intake and keep omega-6 down as much as we can. 

Omega-3 fats help to keep our cells more fluid, which increases insulin sensitivity. It helps with cardiovascular function, nervous system function, and immune health. It promotes blood vessel dilation, has anti-inflammatory effects, and helps to decrease pain. It also helps against Alzheimer's disease. What else do I need to say for you to realize the benefits of taking omega-3 fats?

Note:  Make sure you find a omega-3 fish oil that's high in DHA and EPA and is of high quality (so not the cheapest one at walmart). If you ever stop by Lifetime Fitness you can use promo code 123526 for 10% discount.