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:

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

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.

www.liveleantv.com