Renew You Challenge

Let’s start this week off right!

Here is your newest weekly challenge (I mean opportunity!) to help set you off on the right foot and in the right direction for bringing health to your week. You could even add it to your calendar.  Join us! 

Fish has long been known as “brain food” because it contains the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both brain-healthy nutrients that must be obtained from the diet. Certain fish contain more heart-healthy omega-3s than others. Be sure you’re eating the right kind. Cold-water oily fish, like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna contain high amounts of omega-3s.

A recent study from the University of Pittsburg found that people who eat baked or broiled fish at least once a week are at decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment (less-severe memory loss that may lead to Alzheimer’s). The decreased risk was associated with increases in grey matter in certain areas of the brain associated with memory—the hippocampus, posterior cingulate, and the orbital frontal cortex.

A previous study, presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in 2009 found that eating baked or boiled fish gave better heart-healthy omega-3 benefits than eating fried, salted or dried fish. So how you cook the fish makes a difference.

One thing I always caution, however, is to be careful of the mercury content of certain fish. Take for example albacore tuna—yes, it contains a lot of omega-3s, but it’s also high in mercury. Not the best option, especially on a regular basis! Sardines and salmon tend to be some of the best sources of omega-3s low in mercury.

If you want to be sure to get the heart healthy omega-3s, but don’t want to eat so much fish, or risk consuming too much mercury, take a high-quality, purified, concentrated fish oil supplement. Look for the International Fish Oils Standard (IFOS) icon to be sure the product is certified to exceed world standards for fish oil purity.

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Here is your newest weekly challenge (I mean, opportunity!) to help set you off on the right foot and in the right direction for bringing health to your week. You could even add it to your calendar. Join us!

With the new release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans comes the recommendation to eat more fish. This is not surprising, as it reflects the recommendations by the American Heart Association. Americans consume about 3 ½ ounces of seafood each week, but are encouraged to more than double that to 8 ounces.

Why the recommendation? Because research shows it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Fish is rich in nutrients, especially omega-3 fatty acids thought to be the main contributor to heart health. Just how much fish to consume has been debated due to the presence of toxins—especially methyl mercury—in certain fish. However, the dietary guidelines say the health benefits of eating a variety of seafood outweigh the risks associated with methyl mercury.

Any more than two servings of fish per week (and it depends on the fish—some are much higher in mercury than others), and you’re better off with a fish oil supplement that has been purified to meet purity standards set by International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS). IFOS standards meet or exceed world standards for purity, potency and freshness of fish oil.

This week, try to eat at least two servings of fish high in omega-3s, like salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring or light canned tuna (not albacore). Can’t stand to eat that much fish, or want to get even more heart healthy omega-3s? Look for a fish oil that is tested by IFOS. Look for the IFOS seal on the box.

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“Renew You” Challenge – Let’s start the year off right with my weekly challenge (I mean, opportunity!) to help set you off on the right foot and in the right direction for bringing health to your week. Join us!

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re trying to eat and live healthier—maybe for a digestive condition, maybe to lose some weight (or both) or maybe because you know that you can maintain good health if you clean up your act!

One of the greatest ways to get big health benefits from the food you eat is to consume a good amount of fruits and vegetables. Government recommendations are four to six servings of fruits and veggies, and many natural health practitioners recommend up to nine servings! But children ages six to 12 only eat 1.43 cups of fruits and veggies per day, teens eat 1.76 cups, and adults only 1.81 cups per day, according to a recent report from the Produce for Better Health Foundation. Our intake is getting better, but it’s still not enough, they say.

I know that it can be difficult to get so many servings of fruits and veggies into a day. One of my favorite ways to do this is by eating a big salad for lunch. I like to prepare a big salad on Sunday that I can portion out to last me all week. That way I don’t get tired of making salad. And I add different toppings each day. Grilled chicken and bell peppers one day. Grilled wild salmon and broccoli the next. Hardboiled eggs and asparagus another day. Garbanzo beans and green beans…you get the picture. Often, just a little olive oil and lemon are all I need to dress the salad.

Not only will you receive an array of phytonutrients from the different veggies you include, but you will boost your fiber intake too (especially if you add beans to the salad).

So this week, prepare a big salad as your base on Sunday. Have the dressing on hand and choose your protein as you go. Bon appétit! Feel free to share your topping ideas in the comments.

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Notable News – I love fish. It’s one of those great sources of lean protein that you can eat and really feel like you’re doing something healthy for your body, but when I heard the results of a recent U.S. Geological Survey, the first word that came to mind was “Yikes!”

USGS experts tested fish from freshwater streams across the entire country, and what did they find? Mercury in every single fish—and a quarter of all those fish contained mercury levels above the recommended limit for safe consumption (0.33 parts per million). Holy mackerel!

What really caught my attention though was that the highest levels of mercury were found in the southeast, where I live. North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana were the states with the highest mercury amounts in their freshwater fish.

But fish is so important in our diets, and studies show that the healthy Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA found in fish oil are highly reduced in the Standard American Diet (SAD), so what do we do when we hear reports like this? Should we eat fish or not? The answer is yes, but we just have to make sure we’re eating the right kinds of fish.  

Smaller, cold-water fish like sardines are best because they don’t stay in the food chain as long as some larger types of fish like grouper. That means they don’t have a very long time to build up large amounts of mercury in their bodies. If you don’t like sardines, try wild salmon, which is high in beneficial Omega-3s and relatively lower in mercury.

Still not convinced? A high-quality fish oil supplement can help you get your Omega-3s without the worry. High-potency, purified fish oils are sourced from smaller fish like anchovies and sardines—just remember to look for a fish oil that uses the International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) certification to ensure freshness, purity and potency.

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Summary: In this video blog I discuss the how many people suffer from Omega 3 Deficiency . What are Omega 3′s? How do you get these healthy Omega oils in your diet? What happens if you don’t have enough? The answer to all these questions and more are in this video. Tune in and find out…

Full Script:

Did you know that Omega-3 Deficiency is a major killer? The sixth biggest killer of Americans according to a new study just released. That’s right – according to the study funded by the CDC and performed by Harvard University there are between 72 to 96 thousand Preventable deaths each year due to Omega-3 deficiency.

Many of us in the natural health field have long been touting the health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. From cardiovascular health to brain health to vision health, the benefits are enormous. Unfortunately most Americans get very little in the Standard American Diet. The best food sources of these fatty acids are fish, especially fish like mackerel, sardines and salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in some seeds and nuts, like flax seed and walnuts. Although your diet has a tremendously powerful effect on your overall health, these are not foods normally included on a lot of Americans dinner plates.

Thankfully, you can purchase these valuable essential Omega-3 fatty acids in supplement form. Renew Life’s Norwegian Gold Critical Omega is the best on the market. It is highly concentrated, enteric coated and burp-free, thanks to Lipase. You can get tremendous health benefits from just one capsule a day. This newly released study just proves that Omega-3 fatty acid intake, whether in the diet or by supplementation, goes well beyond minor health benefits.

It is a matter of life or death.

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