How Much Fish Oil Do You Need?

Fish oil is rich in the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. They are essential fatty acids and belong to a family of nutrients that can also be obtained from other marine sources such as algae, krill and calamari.  EPA and DHA are polyunsaturated fats (good fats) as contrasted to saturated fats that increase the risk of heart disease.  The body can manufacture only limited amounts of EPA and DHA therefore it is necessary to supplement your body's production with nutrients from your diet..

Omega-3 fatty acids have a number of potentially healthy effects such as reducing triglyceride levels, raising levels of HDL (good cholesterol), Possibly "thinning the blood", slowing the progression of atherosclerosis and decreasing inflammation in the body.

Omega-3 fatty acids need to be differentiated from omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are also essential fatty acids. They are found in almost all of the processed foods that we eat especially foods that have have had oils from sunflowers, corn, soybean and cottonseed.  Omega-6 fatty acids are also essential for healthy body functioning, but the problem with the typical western diet is that the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is unhealthy.

Why is this a problem? The reason is that omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory. Omega-6 fatty acids are inflammatory. Historically  before the onset of mass produced processed foods the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio that our ancestors lived with was about 4:1. Going back even further in time our ancestors who were hunter gatherers had a ratio of about 1:1. Even today the Inuits who eat a diet high in seafood have a ratio of 1:4 and the healthy mediterranean diet has a ratio of about 3:1.

Many of us who eat a typical American diet have a ratio of 16:1 or even higher. This imbalance between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids is one of the reasons for the high incidence of heart disease, auto-immune disease and cancer in our western civilization. In subsequent blogs we will discuss the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and give our recommendations.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Should You Exercise part 1

What if we were to tell you that we could write a prescription that would make you feel better, curb your appetite, help you lose weight, reduce stress and anxiety, help you sleep better, improve your self-image, increase your confidence, increase your sex drive, decrese your risk of having a heart attack or developing cancer, and slow down every aspect of the aging process?

You might say too good to be true. We understnd this kind of skepticism because we hear it all the time. The truth is that such a magic prescription does exist. This prescription will do more for you than any fad diet, herbal remedy, or any other single health aid to improve your overall sense of wellness. This magic prescription is exercise.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Coffee Good or Bad

Coffee is the world's most popular beverage. Is it good or bad for your health? In the past coffee was blamed for many illnesses including high blood pressure, bone loss, fibrocystic breasts and pancreatic cancer. In fact I lost two friends within a few years with pancreatic cancer. They were both physicians and both consumed many cups of coffee a day. For that reason I markedly decreased my coffee consumption.

Early research linking coffee to health problems has been pretty much refuted by newer and better studies. Now we are at the other end of the spectrum where claims are made that coffee is actually healthful. How can it be?

Coffee contains many natural chemicals such as polyphenols. These are potent antioxidants. Coffee also contains caffeine, a natural stimulant. Caffeine is psychoactive and stimulates the central nervous system. Thus it improves reaction time, alertness and helps you wake up in the morning. There have also been studies linking coffee consumption to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, to a lower incidence of colon cancer, to a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease and to a longer life expectancy.

The bottom line in all of this is that there is no health reason to deprive yourself of coffee, but please do not drink it because it might be good for you. It is too soon to jump to that assumption.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net