HEALTHY LIVING RESULTS

The EU (European Union) recently recommended pregnant and nursing women take daily omega 3 DHA fatty acid supplements.

The EU committee of more than 50 nutritional experts from the Perinatal Lipid Nutrition Group (PeriLip) and Early Nutrition Programming (EARNEST) unanimously agreed pregnant and nursing mothers should supplement their diets with 200 mgs/day of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) - a long chain omega 3 fatty acid found primarily in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and tongol tuna/

The committee, with the support of seven international scientific organizations, made its recommendation based on two major points:

One - The committee revealed that pregnant and nursing women in western cultures don’t eat sufficient amounts of fatty fish; it is generally recommended that we consume two servings omega 3 DHA for a healthy pregnancy. The committee also discovered the average DHA intake of pregnant and lactating women in the U.S was less than 18 % of the recommended daily amount and only 2 % of these women meet their daily needs of DHA. Since your baby gets its nutrition from its mother, if the mother is not getting enough of the fish oil then is the developing baby in the womb or the nursing baby is not getting enough either.

Two - Studies also uncovered that pregnant women who ingested the recommended daily dosage of omega 3 DHA have much healthier pregnancies as well as deliver babies that are full term and have higher birth weight then mothers who did not take the recommended daily dosage. In addition, additional studies revealed that the benefits of the omega 3 DHA extend beyond birth as well. When babies received the recommended amount of omega 3 fish oil, especially DHA before birth have optimal brain and eye development and motor, thinking and language skills. In addition, the study revealed a decrease risk of developing problems later on such as asthma, juvenile diabetes and ADD/ADHD.

Professor Berthold Koletxco, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Munich, stated, “We reviewed a wealth of evidence on the benefits of DHA omega 3 and hope our findings will offer guidance for healthcare professionals on the optimum DHA omega 3 intake during pregnancy and nursing.”

In addition, professor Koletzco also shared, “We also hope that new and expectant mothers will be able to use this specific information to ensure that they are getting enough DHA omega 3 to gain the nutritional benefits throughout their pregnancy and during nursing.”

EU recommends getting the majority of your omega 3 fish oil from sources like salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and tuna as they have the richest sources of omega 3 fatty acids. It is also important to note that there are no negative side effects to consuming more than the recommended amount of 3 fish oil is 200 mgs/day of omega 3 DHA.

As far as fish toxicity is concerned, most experts agree that as long as pregnant and nursing women (and everyone else as well) avoid eating large predator fish such as shark and swordfish, two or three servings a week of one of the above fatty fish is perfectly safe. In fact, a recent Harvard University School of Public Health study concluded that fish oil health benefits far outweigh any threat of toxicity by as much as 500 to one. In other words, toxicity is not a threat.

So if you’re pregnant, nursing or even just thinking about it and want to have a smart, healthy baby, start eating more fatty fish and taking omega 3 fish oil supplements ASAP. Your baby will be glad you did.

Through the history people, scientists, traditional and homeopathic medicine have “blamed” fish oil for many different health benefits. Some of them turned out to be just a myth but others - like being a source of Omega-3 acids - are widely accepted and today fish oil is prescribed to patients that have Omega-3 fatty acids deficit.

It is a known fact that great health problems can occur from an unbalanced diet, and the lack of Omega-3 essential fatty acids makes no exception to the case. On the contrary, Rheumatoid Arthritis, breast or prostate cancer, heart disease, strokes, psoriasis and depression can be caused by a low Omega-e factors intake, and can also be prevented or controlled after being administered an Omega-3 dietary supplement, in the form of fish oil (or other Omega-3 supplements on the market).

There have been quite a few researches made in the past decades and all have proven that fish oil is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Even though there are (or can be) some side effects to taking fish oil, the benefits definitely prevail.

The main reason that our western diet and cuisine is short on Omega-3 fatty acids is the fact that we do not eat a lot of sea food. Fish, shellfish, seaweed are all sources of these fatty acids. On the other hand our nutrition is rich with the other, not so good type of fatty acids - Omega-6. So until we improve our way of cooking and eating it is wise to take some sort of supplements that will introduce enough Omega-3 in our system.

The Omega-3 essential fatty acids contained in fish oil can help prevent coronary heart disease, Crohns disease, strokes, prostate and colon cancer, kidney malfunctions, lupus. It will also help prevent arteriosclerosis, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest by normalizing the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and maintaining a good cholesterol balance.

Another disease where fish oil can be helpful is the prevention of the onset of schizophrenia. Especially if fish oil is included in the diet of young patients that have only shown the first signs of schizophrenia it seems that fish oil helps control this disease or even reverse the symptoms. Studies on this matter have not been fully confirmed yet.

Fish oils seems to work well in cases of mental illnesses. Another condition where fish oil has confirmed beneficial effects is depression. This is especially the case when depression itself is triggered by the Omega-3 fatty acids deficit.

Fish oil has many benefic effects which have been recognized by medical communities worldwide. Even though it is not the all miracle cure that some have deemed it to be in an attempt to extort money from the unsuspecting sufferers looking for a cure for their ailments, fish oil can be a very effective dietary supplement that can help you preserve your good health.

Today seems to be the day when I can get some extra work done, mainly because it’s so quiet around here! My wife has gone out to do one of her many projects, and cats are not clawing at me for attention. This type of household serenity is very rare, so I’m making the most of it.

Taking advantage of the quiet, I just finished reading a really interesting article from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, published in 2007. The article comes to some extremely attention-grabbing conclusions.

One of the conclusions shown in the article is that the people who were involved in the study, upon which the article is based, were able to lose weight with a moderate amount of exercise while taking fish oil. The subjects also gained muscle mass and showed a tremendous change in their risk factors for cardiac disease.

The people who took fish oil, but did not do any exercise, did not lose weight and those who took sunflower oil had the same results.

The weight loss group took between 3 and 6 grams of fish oil per day. Now, normally less would suffice for most people, but I suspect the folks in this study had fairly significant weight problems, and would need more than the average bear.

In an article which reviewed the study, the author points out a few other things, which are exactly what I’ve been saying.

1. Be sure to think about how you are spending your hard-earned money. You need to buy a superior product: one that is high-grade, molecularly-distilled and is certified to contain no contaminants or PCBs.

2. The fish oil product that you have chosen should not taste fishy. A sure sign of an inferior product is “fish burps.” If you are experiencing fish burps, then you are not taking the type of product that you should be taking — one that has an enteric coating. This coating ensures that the softgel will not dissolve before it has reached the intestines.

3. Flaxseed oil is simply not as effective as fish oil. In order to get the same benefits as fish oil, you would need to take 6 times the amount of flaxseed oil — that is, 12 grams of flaxseed oil, as compared to merely 2 pharmaceutical-grade fish oil softgels. And flaxseed oil is likely to send you to the bathroom much more often than you would like.

If synergy for weight loss is your goal, the combination of high-potency, pharamceutical-grade fish oil with an enteric coating, in addition to healthy food and moderate exercise is the way to go.

I received three video clips from a friend of mine yesterday, one showcasing Meghan McCain’s appearance on the talk show “The View.” At first, I could not remember exactly who she was, but then it dawned on me.

She’s the daughter of Senator John McCain, and as such, considers herself fairly important to the future of the Republican Party. Others disagree, and her appearance on “The View” was used to promote her political point of view, which is “moderate republicanism” (whatever THAT means).

McCain got into a scrum with Ann Coulter, basically telling her where she could put her message (where the moon don’t shine). Coulter parried back, and then Laura Ingraham, a talk radio host, joined in the battle, on the side of Coulter. Insults were hurled, and McCain said Ingraham called her “plus sized” (a euphemism, if ever I heard one).

Now I’ve listened to Ingraham before, and I think she was trying to score two points with one shot, with the insult of McCain. I think she meant McCain’s criticism of Coulter was off the mark, and she meant that McCain was a big fat a$$ (as in donkey.) But I could be wrong, and either way, after watching the video of “The View,” I’m more inclined to think that Ingraham and Coulter came off as brighter, wittier, and more fun.

McCain looked as though she fit right in with Joy Behar, Sherrie Whoever, and Whoopie (and that ain’t a good thing). Jay Leno had already called the sneering Behar “fat,” among other things, on his show a few weeks back. McCain, with her own sneer and sense of entitlement, told all who could hear that they could kiss her fat a$$ (just like Tyra Banks, who was starting to look like Oprah Jr.).

Looking back at her father’s campaign last fall, I have to say that I don’t remember Meghan McCain at all. But it now seems that she believes that the successful future of the Republican Party is her responsibility. Take a look at her blog and you’ll see what I mean. And after viewing the clip from “The View” we can safely say that she is like her father in at least one way: her temper.

If she is thinking of running for her father’s seat in Arizona anytime in the near future, I would strongly advise her to stock up on some fish oil.

My suggestion that Ms. McCain take fish oil has to do with recent behavioral studies that show fish oil can be very beneficial for the mind, with some studies pinpointing that fish oil can be helpful in decreasing occurrences of anger or violence in those that take the supplement.

There have been a few studies in Britain that showed that young adults who were prone to “hooliganism” and were given fish oil showed a marked improvement in the reduction of their destructive behavior.

What I am suggesting is that maybe the young Miss McCain might not have been so quick to drop the hammer and insults, had she been taking Dr. Bill’s Powerhouse Omega Formula. It’s just possible that the omega-3 fatty acids might have facilitated a better choice of response. Clearer, more precise thought processes…are just one of the many benefits enjoyed by those who take pharmaceutical grade fish oil, on a daily basis. That’s one reason why I do, myself.

One thing I must add: I don’t believe it is a good idea to call oneself “young, fat, and proud of it”, whether you are Meghan McCain or Tyra Banks. I would be willing to bet good money that after proclaiming on national television that their critics could kiss their fat a%$ they went on a diet. And I think that’s part of the problem.

If they just followed my advice: good food, moderate consistent exercise, proper rest, and a daily dose of pharmaceutical grade fish oil, things might go a little better for them. And their behind wouldn’t be on the frontburner.