Fish oil in my opinion is the secret to long term health care. It's the magic pill, really. Fish oil contains two vital Omega 3 fats: DHA and EPA. EPA is vital to life, it's a potent anti-inflammatory, and even blocks "angiogenesis." (prevents the growth of new blood vessels: a mechanism necessary to spread cancer.) This Omega 3 battles all the silent inflammation going on in our bodies potentially causing all sorts of diseases, sickness and depression. DHA however, is an Omega 3 that is essential to fetal brain development and normal cognitive funtions throughout life. A balanced intake of both EPA and DHA will effectively reduce the inflammation caused by the unhealthy Omega 6's like grains, sunflower oil, peanut oil, etc. In the end, we can reduce the probability of cancer, autoimmunity, insulin resistances, neurodegeneration and infertility by making fish oil apart of our daily regime.
Taking fish oil is very subjective however. It depends on you and what your goals are. Some individuals definitely suffer from great amounts of silent inflammation and may have to start taking an aggressive amount immediately. But the general rule of thumb is .25-.5g of fish oil per every 10 lbs of BW.
There are both liquid and gel tablets out there. A few brands that I recommend are "Carlsons," "Nordic Natural" and "Barleans."
Here's a pretty fascinating story that the "Silent Inflammation" author, Barry Sears helped make happen.
CBN.com –
The recent return home of the only survivor of the Sago mine disaster,
Randall McCloy, is being touted as a medical miracle. However the
primary reason for this miracle is the use of high-dose fish oil* by his neurosurgeon, Dr. Julian Bailes.
Soon upon admitting Randall McCloy, who was suffering
from heart, kidney, liver, and brain failure, Dr. Bailes contacted Dr.
Barry Sears, president of Zone Labs Inc. Dr. Bailes had been
following Dr. Sears’ work for several years. Dr. Sears immediately sent
out a large supply of OmegaRx, an ultra-refined EPA/DHA concentrate
manufactured by Zone Labs Inc. The rest is history as Randall
returned home in less than four months after the mining disaster.
The question remains: How does OmegaRx work? Dr. Sears
points out that both EPA and DHA are required to rescue the brain (not
to mention the other extensive organ damage that Randall had) from lack
of oxygen. EPA is necessary to reduce the inflammation that comes
from oxygen deprivation, whereas DHA is required to provide the
building blocks to support new neural growth. Either one by itself
would have been insufficient. Furthermore, one needs high
concentrations of both in such trauma situations.
The amount of OmegaRx that Randall was receiving (and
continues to take) contained 15 grams per day of EPA and DHA. Although a
seemingly extraordinarily high dose, Randall’s blood levels of these
fatty acids were constantly monitored to maintain them within a
therapeutic zone that Dr. Sears has found to maximize the reduction of
systemic inflammation without compromising the body’s ability to fight
infection.
The implications of Randall McCloy’s remarkable
recovery have widespread medical importance, not only for brain trauma
patients, but also for any patient with neurological disorders.
Harvard Medical School has shown that high-dose fish oil has
significant benefits in treating bipolar depression, and Dr. Sears has
completed a recent study showing that the same levels of fish oil used
by Dr. Bailes in treating Randall McCloy also significantly improve
children with ADHD. Maybe this is why your grandmother called fish oil
“brain food”. I guess you could call OmegaRx “super brain food”.
Part One: The Sago Mine Survivor Miracle
So at the end of the day.....TAKE YOUR FISH OIL!
Coach D
I can do this! I have been taking fish oil for over a year now :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome Faby! So like we talked about this morning, decrease your fruit intake, add a little more fat in there and no carbs post workout...just protein. See how that works. :-)
DeleteIt is not okay to put fruit in the post-workout protein shake? I don't like the taste without it!
DeleteDesiree, the choice to add carbs to a post-WOD shake really depends on the individual. I typically do not because there is a possibility that the body will shut down it's fat burning process in favor of the fructose as soon as it enters the system. After you read through a number of medical journals and studies, it can become downright confusing...do I add carbs or not...not I add fat or not. There really is no one definitive answer as it depends on the individual and what they can tolerate in some ways. If you're doing fine with the added fruit, stick with it. If you're trying to shed a few extra points, trying ditching it.
DeleteI've been trying to take my fish oil. I'm just forgetful :)
ReplyDeleteDon
Set it out in plain view on the counter so you remember to take it in the morning and again in the evening. Or maybe even by your toothpaste so you remember to take your oil before brushing your teeth :)
DeleteIve been pretty religious about taking my fish oil right before bedtime, my roommate even has a daily checkoff list for the both of us and programmed in my phone so I won't forget. I started taking it since this challenge, but not sure if I am feeling any affects yet.
ReplyDeleteAwesome way to keep things organized and in check, Cheryl!
DeleteBeen taking fish oil for over a year. I can tell the difference, especially when I am sore. I upped my fish oil intake for a week following straining my back on a DL and doing Murph.
ReplyDeleteI've been taking fish oil for a few months now, but was only taking 1pill, 10g, a day until the nutrition challenge started. I now take the recommended dosage everyday.
ReplyDeletewhen flaxseed oil is paleo and also considered omega-3, then why aren't we encouraged to take this on top of or in place of fish oil??
ReplyDelete