Omegas & Essential Fatty Acids

People are starting to realize how important it is to maintain a healthy fat intake with their diet. Years ago, it was accepted that all dietary fat had to be avoided if you didn't want to gain body weight. Nowadays it is understood that this is just not the case.

Essential fatty acids (EFA's) are not produced by the body and must therefore be consumed from an outside source, such as foods or supplements. Omega 3 and 6 are the most common EFA's, with Omega 9 being an important but non-essential fatty acid. However, they all can support your overall health, immunity, and fitness!* Unfortunately, most of us fall short in our essential fatty acid intake daily, so turning to supplemental help is definitely a great option to consider.

There are three main essential fatty acids:

• Omega 3's (essential) - source of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) for cardiovascular and brain health support*
• Omega 6's (essential) - source of Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) to promote cardiovascular, nervous system,and skin health *
• Omega 9's (non-essential) - source of Oleic Acid and Erucic Acid for healthy vascular function*

Keep an eye out, because you can find these ingredients in fish, lamb, walnuts, flaxseed, rapeseed, mustard seed, and wallflower seed!

Not only is fish a good source of protein, but it's also one of the best sources for omega fatty acids. Additionally, EFA products are great because they use flaxseed, borage, sesame seed, and other oils to derive fatty acids. Some of the general health areas fish oil and EFA's can support are:

• Brand and Heart function*
• Nervous system health*
• Immune system health*
• Fat Metabolism*

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) is a naturally occurring fatty acid that is commonly found in foods such as meat and dairy products. Getting enough of this nutrient from sources such as meats and cheeses coincides with an extremely high calorie intake. By taking between 600 and 1000 mg per day of just CLA you may help:

• Improve muscle mass*
• Support body fat reduction*
• Promote a healthy immune system*
• Regulate protein and fat metabolism*

If you're on a low-carb diet and are looking for more energy, using medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) could help! These healthy fats act differently in the body than unhealthy fats, since they are absorbed rapidly and used for energy purposes rather than being stored.* This means that athletes looking for fast absorbing energy and people looking to check their body fat have uses for MCTs. *

Ingredients such as Caprylic acid and Capric Fatty Acid are also derived from MCT for cosmetics and food flavoring. Check out low-calorie, fast-absorbing MCTs to support your fitness goal!

Flaxseed is an excellent way to quickly boost up the fiber content of your diet while also maintaining healthy levels of good fats. Dietary fiber is essential for a number of body functions including healthy digestion and weight control.* Without enough fiber, you can risk having occasional constipation, bloating, and other problems. Apart from being an excellent source of fiber, flaxseed also holds lignans, which contain very powerful antioxidant properties.*

In addition to this, flaxseed is rich in vitamins and minerals such as zinc, iron, vitamin E, carotene, B-vitamins, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, potassium, phosphorus, and manganese. To top things off, flaxseed is also a good source of protein, having 25-30 grams of protein for every 100 grams flaxseed.

Once you've picked out your combination of fatty acid supplements, you need to add them into your diet properly. Taking Omega 3-6-9/EFA products at any point throughout the day is fine. However, some people find that fish oil tends to leave a slightly unpleasant after-taste in the mouth, so they prefer to take this immediately before bed.

You can also try some of the flaxseed-based EFA's as an alternative to fish oil. Remember, EFA products do contain calories, and those calories count towards your total calorie intake for the day.

Use those fatty acids, account for the calories, and keep moving towards your goal!