by Melissa Paris
Omega-3 and Omega-6 are both types of essential fatty acids that our bodies can’t produce on their own, meaning we need to obtain them either through diet or supplements. You can get your Omega-3 from the fat of cold water fish like tuna, cod liver, herring, mackerel, salmon and sardines. Omega-6s come from sunflower seeds, seed oils, corn, sesame seeds, nuts, meat and dairy products. I personally like to take Omega-3 fish oil supplements because our ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 averages from 20:1 to 50:1!! Both are good for you, but both have different roles in the body and I can’t stress enough about the importance of getting a BALANCED intake of both. How do you get Omega-3 into your diet?
The Omega-3s have anti-inflammatory benefits and help prevent heart disease, while Omega-6s lower blood cholesterol and support the skin. If you consume more Omega-6s, an unbalanced diet may result in a wide range of health conditions including cardiovascular, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases. It also doesn’t help when we stuff our faces with junk food, and by junk food I mean food processing and increased consumption of both saturated and trans fats… Don’t be too discouraged though! If you make small efforts and changes to your diet, it’s very easy to get a proper balance of Omegas. It’s mainly about reducing your consumption of junk food and getting proper amounts of certain foods.
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