This is the everything-you-need-to-know-to-be-as-healthy-as-possible newsletter, brought to you by Kristy Russ, pharmacist and health consultant. I have close to 20 years experience in helping people improve their health. I specialize in nutritional medicine, which is the secret of "true" preventative medicine. Yes, if I'm successful in getting people to follow my advice, I will put myself out of a job.
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Omega 3's?
Omega 6's?
What's the difference & do you need both?
Can't believe it's the middle of September already! I am in complete denial that summer is over :( That being said, it has been absolutely beautiful here for the last couple of weeks (setting heat records for goodness sakes...) and I am right now outside on my patio soaking up the sun (making some valuable vitamin D) as I write this. So I really can't complain yet...
This e-zine is inspired by a conversation I had this week with one of my patients from the pharmacy. I had recommended a few months ago that she should start taking an omega-3 supplement and she took my advice. When I was talking to her this week, she let me know that her asthma was doing much better (no need to use her rescue inhaler anymore) and her eczema had completely cleared up.
She was obviously grateful, but also amazed that just omega 3 would make such a difference.
I wasn't. I've stopped being amazed at how proper nutrition can turn someone's health around. I've seen it too many times now. I'm just glad she trusted me and took my advice so I could really help her.
So please read this e-zine as a reminder of just how darn important omega 3 fatty acids are for your health and why you need them...
Odds are you've heard about omega-3 fats being good for you. But do you know why and how to get them?
Yes, there ARE some fats that are good for you- even essential for life. They're called Omega-3 & 6 fatty acids. They're actually called "essential" fatty acids because our bodies can't make them- we must get them from our diet.
Here's the problem: We get WAAAAAY too many omega-6's and hardly any omega-3's. That's because Omega-6's are mostly from vegetable oils (present in all the processed foods we eat so much of) and omega-3's are mostly from fish. When was the last time you had fish? Especially that wasn't breaded and deep-fried?
Ideally, we should be getting an omega-6 to 3 ratio of 2:1 to 4:1. The average North American diet is 20:1 to 40:1.
So what?
This ratio imbalance leads to all kinds of health problems: heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, asthma, lupus, depression & other mental illness, accelerated aging, stroke, obesity, arthritis, ADHD, Alzheimer's Disease and more...
That's why it's so important to supplement with omega-3's to bring that ratio closer to ideal.
Here are some of the benefits of omega-3 supplementation:
Decreased Inflammation
This is probably the most important benefit because it's the root of just about every health problem. Basically, omega-6's get changed into pro-inflammatory chemicals and omega-3's get changed into anti-inflammatory chemicals. Both are important, but obviously they need to be balanced out. Chronic inflammation is likely responsible for just about all of our health problems, but definitely most of the common diseases like heart disease, arthritis, asthma (not to mention lots of others). There are lots of studies showing how omega-3 supplementation improves these diseases.
Improved cholesterol levels
Supplementing with omega-3's can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and definitely raises HDL (good) cholesterol. In fact, there was a huge study completed a few years ago that showed that supplementing with omega-3's decreased the amount of deaths from any cause (including heart disease) compared to statins (cholesterol-lowering medication). And of course with zero side effects. So why are statins still the number 1 prescribed medication? - Improved insulin sensitivity (& therefore weight loss)
Remember all the problems I've discussed in many previous e-zines about eating high glycemic meals and becoming insensitive to your insulin. Nuff said. If not, go to the back issues and refresh your memory.
- Improved mental status
Omega-3's are the fats that make up our brain and nerve cells. Therefore I think it's pretty self-explanatory why mental issues like depression, ADHD, Alzheimer's, etc. are improved or avoided with omega-3 supplementation. (That's why fish is called brain food.)
There's lots more benefits (like great skin for example), but those are kind of the main, well-studied ones.
So the bottom line is that you need to supplement with omega-3's to be truly healthy.
BUT WAIT!!!!!!..... don't run out to the store and buy a supplement. You would be doing more harm than good.
Next month I'll tell you the best way to supplement with omega-3's and how to choose a good one that won't end up hurting you.
I know. It seems too difficult, but unfortunately, since supplements aren't regulated, millions of unsuspecting people are actually doing themselves harm.
If you want to start now, click here, and order Biomega. It's the only brand I use and recommend.
Next e-zine, find out why...
Because Laughter Really IS Good Medicine...
The Washington Post has a yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.
And the winners are:
1. Coffee, n. The person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.
3. Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.
6. Negligent, adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.
7. Lymph, v. To walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle, n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle, n. A humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent, n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men
What's New at
Antioxidants-Make-You-Healthy.com
Low Glycemic Diet
Not only is eating a low glycemic diet the healthiest way to eat, it is truly the most effective AND, more importantly, permanent weight loss diet you could ever do.
Check out my new web page
Antioxidant Discussion Forums
Create your very own webpage on my site! (Don't worry- you don't need to know anything about how to do it. If you can type, done!) If you have an interesting story to share or have a comment or question about a topic on the site, you can post it right onto the website. Read about how others have been affected by antioxidants, make a comment on someone else's submission or post your own.
It's fun. It's free. And you don't have to register for anything.
Click here to post your own story, comment or question.
Nutrition News
Here are links to informative and/or interesting news articles on nutrition...
Fish oil could prevent alcohol-related dementia
What are the benefits of ginger?
More research urgently needed on caffeine
What is moderate drinking?
Healthy diet discourages obesity microbes in gut
Comments? Ideas? Feedback? I'd love to hear from you. Just reply to this zine and tell me what you think!
See you next month...
Good Health to You,
Kristy Russ, BScPharm
Pharmacist and Health Consultant
P.S. Give your body the best nutrition possible. You'll not only feel better now, but you'll also have that quality of life in the future that you've always imagined for yourself. Click here to find out more.
