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This has become a daily conversation. As a Massage Therapist for almost 20 years, I increasingly work on people who struggle with weight loss, chronic pain, and other conditions who resign themselves to thinking that that is just how they are supposed to feel "at their age".
IT'S NOT OK TO JUST FEEL OK ALL OF THE TIME!
Inflammation is the root cause of many conditions. The proper balance of Omega-3 rich foods is a vital first step to reversing the harmful effects of inflammation overload throughout the body. Omega-3 fatty acids produce hormones that help reduce inflammation throughout the body. Omega-6 fatty acids produce hormones that help the body create inflammation for the very necessary healing response to injury or illness. Unfortunately, the typical modern diet is inundated with Omega-6 as it is found in almost every processed food on the grocery store shelf (and don't think that just because you bought your protein bar at the "health food store" that it must be healthy. We will get into that conversation another day.) This overload of Omega-6 in our diet alters the delicate balance of the essential fatty acids to the point we produce more inflammation than our bodies can handle.
The ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 in our diet (depending on the source of information) should be roughly 1:2. So, our daily intake of Anti-Inflammatory Omega-3 should be almost even with the Pro-Inflammatory Omega-6's. The modern Western diet has a ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 of nearly 1:20. This has the devastating effects of creating metabolic syndromes and inflammatory diseases that are reaching epidemic levels in our modern society*.
We do not naturally produce Omega-3 in the body, so we need to add more to our diet, while reducing our intake of the pro-inflammatory Omega-6 foods. Although my friends with a more aggressive approach may disagree, I usually suggest that people start by removing one form of Omega-6 from their diet and adding one form of Omega-3. The goal is to create new habits that will stay with you for the rest of your life and not make you crazy in the process. The best place to start is with a high quality Omega-3 supplement. My favorite is Nordic Natural's Ultimate Omega, a fish oil based product for the omnivore. And for the vegetarian or vegan they have Algae Omega that has both DHA and EPA forms of Omega-3. The non-marine sources of Omega-3, like Walnuts, Chia and Flax, are great to get in your diet but it is very difficult to consume enough to effectively impact the inflammatory process. These foods contain the ALA form of Omega-3 which has to be converted in our body to DHA and EPA.
Adding Omega 3 to our diet is the easy part. The hard part will be whittling away at our Omega-6 intake. The main sources of Omega-6 (Linoleic Acid) in our diet are vegetable oils. They are very prevalent in processed foods. Reading labels is key. Soybean oil and Canola oil are NOT your friends! The exception is the amazing coconut oil (we will definitely have a talk about this soon) and the Omega-9 rich avocado oil and olive oil.
Please keep me posted on your progress!
For even more information about the connection of inflammation and the balance Omega fatty acids, check out Conquering ANY Disease: The Ultimate High-Phytochemical Food Healing System, written by Jeff Primack.
May Heath and Happiness be Yours,
Truly,
Shannon Reissman, LMT
Advanced Food-Based Healing Instructor
*Danaei G, et al. The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors. PLoS Med 2009;6(4)
