Good Day Everyone! Hope you all are feeling fantastic and are full of Vitamin B, lol. Today I am going to introduce Round 2 of what I felt helped to cushion my brain and make my belly smile again, which led right back to a happy brain. My next few blogs will be about Omega 3’s, Probiotics and a Gluten Free Lifestyle.
I must say so far I truly find that when I take my Vitamin B complex, update…which has now been increased to 2 in the morning, I feel like my brain is not as angry with me. I actually feel like it is happily suspended in its cerebrospinal fluid like layer, which is better then it feeling like I have my ninja friends back in doing their acrobatic sword routine. I ask my family sometimes if they ever felt their brain at all, because there is hardly a day that I don’t. To them it sounds funny, but to me I can only wish to go through a day not feeling that it is aching somehow. I have somewhat achieved this by replenishing my vitamins and minerals and increasing the vitamins and minerals that I need for my brain and body to repair itself to the best of its ability.
“Replenishing” is my basic daily kale based vitamin that gives my body a booster everyday and “Increasing” is increasing what I need to help reduce my health ailments on top of my daily vitamin… we need both. This is where I think we sometimes fall short.
In order to keep moving on this path of healing, I had introduced Omega 3’s for brain, heart and circulatory health. It took a couple of tries to get an Omega 3 that I didn’t taste a “fish like flavor” off of throughout the day, and I sort of jump back and forth between a couple types, just because of availability. In the beginning I specifically took “Omega 3”, any brand, but now I have found “Krill” gives a better quality of omega 3 with no after taste. It is a few more dollars, but for me to not taste fish oil, is worth it.
I take my fish oil at night before I go to bed, I just feel like it helps me more that way. I have no evidence of this other then how my body feels, but I feel like I get a better sleep and that I am not loosing the best of the oil with other meals and snacks. This could have no bearing on how the omega 3 actually reacts in a human body but for some reason, I feel better taking mine at night before bed. I take it with my probiotic as well, which I will get into next time and ohhhh boy was that one a find!!!
So…back to Omega 3.
There is a lot of miss information out there on the Omega’s. There are compounds of Omega 3,6,9 and or Omega 3,6 and Omega’s on there own. In a quick synopsis basically Omega 3 is the fish oil we need to be replenishing, our bodies actually have a storage of Omega 6 already built up and lasts for 6-12 months. (Take Deep Breath)…continue… Our bodies cannot make Omega 3 or Omega 6 but we do make Omega 9, so by getting what we need of Omega 6 and Omega 9 from our diets, nutritionists find that that is enough for the body, and that we should increase our Omega 3’s because the more Omega 6 we eat, the more it actually depletes our Omega 3’s. (Wow I believe that last sentence would earn me the nutritional run on sentence of the month award).
The name omega just means oils mainly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and the number’s 3, 6, and 9 are where a carbon “double bond” is located in that chain. For instance omega 3, the double bond is located in the n-3 position on the end of the omega chain and omega 6 has its double bond in its 6th position and so on. They share in some sources and benefits, but they also have individual characteristics as well.
OMEGA 3
There are two types of fatty acids found within Omega 3 they are; ALA or alpha-linolenic acid and EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid. EPA can be found mainly in fatty cold water fish oils such as; mackerel, salmon, herring, tuna and trout and ALA can be found in plant based oils such as soybean and canola oils, flaxseed and walnuts. In supplements you will see both fatty acids listed on the labels. Omega 3’s helps to decrease levels of bad cholesterol and decrease the risks of heart disease, stroke and cancer. It is known to help increase brain and eye health and development and prevent Alzheimers disease.
OMEGA 6
Omega 6 fatty acids are; LA or linoleic acids found in plant based oils; peanut, canola, corn and sunflower oils, GLA or gamma-linolenic acid so far found in evening primrose oil as a supplement and AA or arachidonic acid found in poultry, eggs and red meat. Most Omega 6 we as a world consume, is in over consumption of vegetable oils. Omega 6 builds up quickly in our bodies and leads to heart disease and asthama, cancer, inflammation in soft tissue and joints leading to arthritis, depression and mental illnesses. We can see this especially in countries which are just now taking on our western fast food eating habits. Scientists and doctors see staggering results of increased heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, respiratory illness and other alarming health ailments on the rise in these nations who used to have 0-5% health ailments before fast foods and now are at a staggering 60+% increase of these deathly illnesses.
Omega 6 is meant to be healthy and good for our bodies but it is getting a bad rap due to the rate of concumption since 1950. We need to decrease the omega 6 in take because we see how our bodies carry the excess load of it and it is killing this nation.
OMEGA 9
Omega 9 fatty acid is known as Oleic acid and is mostly found in nuts, fruits, and again in some plant based oils. Omega 9 oils are a healthier oil to choose because it is a monounsaturated fat which has been shown to reduce heart disease and diabetes. When choosing cooking oils try to choose an Omega 9 oil instead of partially hydrogenated cooking oils that can harm your heart health. The omega 9 oils would be olive oil, some canola oils, safflower and sunflower oils and some peanut oils. You need to be label wise when choosing your oils, not all oils are the same even of the same family. Read the labels and google the brands to find what type of fatty acid it is rich in first.
You can also find omega 9 in olives and avacados, and nuts such as; cashews, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, almonds and macadamia nuts, (preferably unsalted and or uncoated in anything then its natural God given wrapper).
In conclusion,
I don’t want to frighten anyone away from Omega 6, we need Omega 6 in our bodies and we cannot make it ourselves but we do not need it in the massive way it is offered to us. Omega 9 we can usually get what we need through our foods and by choosing better cooking oils to become heart healthier.
Omega 3 seems to be the star of the show here. Studies and academic officials are trying to get the word out to reduce our omega 6 and increase our omega 3 for all the incredible heart and brain health it offers to us. What helps our hearts helps our brain and what helps our brain helps our hearts, it’s a natural win..win.
I do feel the difference in my whole body by increasing my Omega 3 to a supplement as well as to what I get in my food. Taking the Krill Oil, the Vitamin B complex capsule (which is an oil based gel capsule), along with my Magnesium Citrate, I truly feel has contributed to my increase in whole body health. My brain has benefited immensely from these simple natural remedies, and I feel it right throughout my whole system. My skin feels better, my body feels warmer from a circulatory measure, I feel nourished, I feel happier and have less pain and inflammation including in my joints. I have a life again because of these supplements.
I can’t help but reiterate that if you are on prescription medications you should also be on a vitamin supplement. If you are not on prescription medications you should still be on a vitamin supplement. As we go about our daily lives we use the vitamins and minerals that we ingest and everyday we need to fill the tank back up again. It’s a daily regime.
Well that’s my info on the Family of Omega’s. Treat Omega 6 like the relative you only see at weddings and funerals and not your family member you call every day like your Mom or Dad…Mom’s and Dad’s are Omega 3’s, and your omega 9… well I guess that could be your in-laws…choose wisely to get the good ones…lol!
Have A Great Day!
HAPPY HEALING!!!