Best Foods High In Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acid benefits you need
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m sharing the best foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, as well as omega 3 fatty acids benefits.
You’re probably aware of this already, but if you’re new to Live Lean TV, let me be clear.
Not all dietary fat is bad for you.
In fact, most dietary fat, from natural sources is super healthy for you.
One of the main super fats are omega 3 fatty acids.
Omega 3 fatty acids benefits:
There are many health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids.
They include:
- Improving cardiovascular health, thus reducing the risk of the number 1 killer of humans
- Boosting your metabolism
- Strengthen your immune system and cellular functions
- Improving brain health and mood
- Reducing stress and adrenal fatigue
- Increasing muscle building while decreasing muscle breakdown
- Reducing body fat by improving insulin sensitivity
Sounds like a pretty important nutrient, right?
So let me ask you this.
Do you think you’re getting enough omega 3 fatty acids in your diet?
Most people aren’t.
Including myself.
As I shared in my recent post on the symptoms of hypothyroidism, Jessica and I work with an online naturopathic medical doctor to monitor our blood test results.
Even though I’m eating a good amount of these best foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, my latest blood test results showed I could improve my omega 3 fatty acids to omega 6 fatty acids ratio.
Omega 3 fatty acids to omega 6 fatty acids ratio
Over the past 30 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the ratio of omega 6 fatty acids to omega 3 fatty acids.
This is mainly linked to diet, in particular, the standard American diet, also known as SAD.
Unlike over 30 years ago, today’s standard American diet contains an overwhelming amount of omega 6 fatty acids.
Foods high in inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids:
Foods high in inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids include most processed foods, especially those that contain vegetable oils such as:
- Corn oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Soybean oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Peanut oil
On top of that, the standard American diet does not contain very many of the best foods high in omega 3 fatty acids.
This often leads to the out of balance omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids ratio of 20:1.
For some people who eat nothing but processed food, this omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids ratio can be as high as 50 to 1.
Studies show humans evolved on an omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids ratio that was closer to 2:1 or 1:1.
A study tested 27 healthy humans for 5 weeks, and fed them a diet with foods high in omega 3 fatty acids and a lower intake of omega 6 fatty acids. The results…the key genes that cause inflammation significantly decreased compared to a diet containing today’s typical 30 to 1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3.
Why eating too many omega 6 fatty acids is bad
Although eating some omega 6 fatty acids is needed in your diet, they should come from whole food sources, not processed food.
Research shows that the over consumption of omega 6 fatty acids can lead to inflammation and diseases such as:
- cancer
- diabetes
- heart disease
- obesity
An increase in inflammation in your body harms your cells and tissues.
High levels of inflammation may be linked to an increased risk of:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Crohn’s disease
- Diabetes
- Bowel disease
- and many other serious issues
Omega 3 fatty acids include 3 different kinds of fat:
- EPA
- DHA
- ALA
Best Foods high in omega 3 fatty acids include:
The most talked about foods high in omega 3 fatty acids contain more EPA and DHA.
Foods high in EPA and DHA include cold water fish such as:
- Mackeral
- Anchovies
- Wild salmon
- Sardines
- Tuna
- Herring
- Cod
- Fish oil supplements
Other foods high in omega fatty acids include:
- organic grass fed beef
- organic pork
- grass fed butter
- wild meat like buffalo and elk
- free range organic whole eggs
And yes, it’s important to eat grass fed meat and dairy rather than conventional grain fed meet and dairy.
Grass fed is higher in omega 3 fatty acids, while grain fed is higher in omega 6 fatty acids.
Foods high in the omega 3 fatty acid, ALA, tends to be more plant based:
- chia seeds
- flax seeds
- flax seed oil
- walnuts
- hemp seeds
- almonds
Now if you eat a lot of these foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, my next question is very important.
Are you cooking these foods high in omega 3 fatty acids wrong?
More studies are being done on how the way you cook foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, may affect the content and quality of the omega 3 fat.
For example, omega 3 fatty acids are a polyunsaturated fat.
When you expose omega 3 fatty acids to high heat, like frying, the fatty acids can break down.
This overheating may potentially destroy a good percentage of the EPA and DHA and decrease the amount of omega 3 fatty acids being absorbed by the body.
The healthiest way to cook fish:
When it comes to fish, baking or boiling, as opposed to frying or microwaving, preserves the highest amount of EPA, DHA, and omega 3 fatty acids.
Bottom line on omega 3 fatty acids:
Eat more of these foods high in omega 3 fatty acids and reduce the amount of foods high in omega 6 fatty acids.
For example:
- aim to eat 2-3 servings of wild caught fish like wild salmon
- consume grass fed beef and grass fed butter rather than conventional grain fed
- reduce consumption of vegetable oils and processed foods
- supplement daily with fish oils
By improving your omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, you will help decrease the amount of inflammation in your body and reduce the risk of these inflammatory diseases.
Let us help you consume more omega 3 fatty acids
We get it, adding more fish and other foods high in omega 3 fatty acids may sound boring, but when cooked properly with spices, you can make them delicious.
If you want help with meal plans and recipes that use these foods high in omega 3 fatty acids taste delicious, check out our group coaching platform, Team Live Lean.
You’ll get access to over 200 cooking recipe videos, weekly meal plans, grocery lists, and a new 4 week workout program every month.
Thanks for watching and keep Living.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
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