Top 5 Omega-3 Rich Foods
Posted by Unknown in Dry Fruits and Nuts, Eggs, Fish Oil, Linseed and Flax, Omega 3, Seafood on Friday, 25 January 2013
Are you
looking for an improvement in mood, the condition of your hair and
protection against heart disease? If so, omega-3 fats are the perfect
option for you!
By Dr. Joey Shulman
Christian Post Contributor
This article was brought to you by Truestar Health: The World's Most Comprehensive Nutrition, Fitness & Healthy Lifestyle Resource
Are you looking
for an improvement in mood, the condition of your hair and protection
against heart disease? If so, omega-3 fats are the perfect option for
you! In fact, omega-3 fats are essential fats that should be included in
everyone’s diet daily.
What are Omega-3 Fats?
Omega-3 fats
are polyunsaturated fats that have been shown to provide enormous health
benefits including protection against heart disease, anti-inflammatory
properties and attention and behavioural improvements in children.
Unfortunately, most North Americans are chronically deficient in these
“good” fats. While the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is
approximately 1:1, most of us have an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 20:1
or 30:1.
Omega-3 fats
are called essential fats because they cannot be produced by the body
and must be obtained from the diet. The top five food sources rich in
omega-3 fats include:
Cold-Water Fish –
Cold-water fish sources such as salmon and tuna are a wonderful source
of omega-3, protein, selenium and vitamin D. However, the safety of
eating fish has recently come under investigation due to rising toxicity
levels. In terms of tuna, one of the most highly eaten fish sources,
the concern lies with the amount of mercury present in the fish. It is
estimated that mercury levels in the environment have increased three to
five times in the past century due to industrial operations such as
pulp and paper processing, burning garbage and fossil fuels, mining
operations and releases from dental offices. Mercury is an element that
is toxic in all its forms.
Salmon has
shown an increase in chemical pollutants called PCBs which have been
linked to an increase in cancer rates. In short, in order to reap the
omega-3 benefits from eating cold-water fish and to keep toxicity levels
low, choose lower mercury canned tuna instead of higher mercury white
tuna and purchase Wild Atlantic salmon instead of farmed salmon. Other
“safer” fish also include pollock, halibut, tilapia and shrimp. Eat a
maximum of 12 ounces of fish sources per week (two meals). Stay away
from shark, swordfish, ling mackerel or tilefish because they contain
high levels of mercury.
Ground Flaxseeds or Flaxseed Oil - Flaxseeds
and flaxseed oil are a good source of omega-3 fats. Whole flaxseeds can
be purchased at most bulk food or health food stores. The outer husk of
flaxseed is very hard and difficult to crack when chewing so flaxseeds
should be ground in a coffee grinder, food processor or blender in order
for the body to digest them when eaten. If not, whole flaxseeds will
pass right through the body undigested and we will not gain any of their
nutritional advantage. By grinding flaxseeds, our bodies will also
benefit from their fiber, essential oils and lignans (beneficial plant
chemicals) qualities. Similar to grinding coffee, flaxseeds should be
ground fine for best palatability. To ensure freshness after grinding,
store your flaxseeds in an airtight, dark container. Once ground, add
flaxseeds to your morning cereal, salads, juice, protein shakes or just
eat them plain. Ground flaxseeds stay fresh and safe to eat for 90 days.
Flaxseed oil can be used in salad dressings and stays fresh in the
fridge for three months.
Omega-3 Eggs - Omega-3
eggs are similar in look, taste, storage qualities and cooking
versatility as normal eggs. The only difference between omega-3 eggs and
normal eggs is that omega-3 eggs are produced by chickens that have
been fed with alfalfa, corn, soybean and flaxseeds. As mentioned above,
flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fats which has
been shown to be beneficial to human health. In fact, an average-sized
omega-3 egg contains approximately 320 mg of omega-3 while a regular egg
contains approximately 63 mg of omega-3.
Nuts – Almonds,
walnuts, cashews and pecans are wonderful crunchy additions to salads,
yogurts, stir-fry or are delicious and nutritious on their own. Walnuts
are especially high in precious omega-3 fats. In fact, ¼ cup of walnuts
contains 2.3 grams of omega-3 fats, approximately 91% of the daily value
needed for omega-3 essential fats. Walnuts are also a rich source of
monounsaturated fat, an important fat necessary in improving
cardiovascular health.
Fish Oils –
Although not technically a food, fish oil is one of the best ways to
ensure you are getting a sufficient amount of omega-3 into your daily
diet. Fish oils are especially beneficial as supplements considering
dietary restrictions and recommendations of 12 ounces of fish per week.
Even by including all the above omega-3 rich foods into the diet, it is
still difficult to reach the necessary two to three grams of omega-3
daily requirements. When purchasing fish oils, make sure they are
distilled and enteric-coated for maximum absorption and low-level
toxicity
