You know when you discover something, and you just want to share it with your closest friends?
That’s how I feel about my recent personal discovery of just how awesome fish oil is.
If you’ve been into health and wellness at all for a little bit of time, I am sure you’ve heard about fish oil.
You’ve been told you need “Omega 3 fats”, to “eat wild caught fish two times per week,” and that a “fish oil supplement does a body good.”
Similar to hearing just how great 8-cups of water a day is for you…or how 7-8 hours of sleep is ideal…or at least 30-60 minutes of exercise five days per week is a baseline for good health…the facts can easily go in one ear and out the other.
You know it, but consistently putting it into practice is another story.
Such was the case with my fish oil intake.
Sporadic. I would occasionally take an Omega-3 supplement when I thought about it, when it felt like it, or when it was right in front of me—otherwise, it wasn’t a normal part of my daily routine…until most recently.
For about the past two-months now, I have been popping a high-quality fish oil supplement once per day, and I can’t begin to even tell you how much it has made a difference in how I feel, perform, sleep, think and more.
What prompted me to begin using it consistently?
During an intensive nutrition therapy workshop about two months ago, I had the opportunity to learn the functional diagnostic nutrition practice of Lingual Neuro Testing (LNT)–a valuable biofeedback tool that enables myself as a health care provider to determine the usefulness of a nutritional supplement before it is dispensed to a client. LNT accesses the body’s innate ability to discriminate between what it needs, and what it does not need, in order to correct a specific problem–a weak organ or a nutritional deficiency. During the Manual Muscle Testing portion of this test, I was assessed both with and without an Omega-3 Fish Oil supplement in my mouth—and discovered, when the fish oil was in my mouth, my muscles performed TWICE as strong on the test in all positions.
It was crazy to see the difference that the fish oil made in my overall muscular function and energy in that moment—and I decided to give it a whirl on a more consistent basis in my daily routine to put all the ‘claims’ about fish oil to the test.
What I found?
All the ‘claims’ about the fishy product are legit, and consistency with consuming it has made me a believer even more so in the power of nutrition and the small daily choices we make to enhance (or derail) our all around well-being.
Sooo…what exactly could fish oil do for you?
Here are a few things:
Build Muscle & Strength. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) found in fish oil, slow down, and even inhibit, muscle proteolysis, which is the breaking down of muscle proteins. In fact, omega-3 fatty acids actually stimulate muscle protein synthesis (build up of muscle), particularly during the post-workout window when muscle tissues are repairing/rebuilding during recovery and intake of nutrients.
Decrease Inflammation. Inflammation in the body equals disease, delayed recovery, insufficient weight management, illness, constipation, indigestion and more. Fish oil’s anti-inflammatory benefits include: 1.) speeding the detoxification of things you don’t want in your body (waste products, inflammatory biomarkers), 2.) improve cellular health and muscle building, 3.) decrease hormones that cause inflammation, and 4.) help you be lean and feel better.
Boost Metabolism. Omega-3 fats are essential for your cells to run properly. They help balance your blood sugar and speed up your metabolism. In fact, studies, across the boards, over the past decade, have revealed the metabolism-boosting effects of fish oil (ie. Your cellular functions are enhanced and work like they should—your body, your muscles, and cellular processes run like a well-oiled engine, as opposed to an old car). Check out this recent study for instance from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Think Clearly. Your brain needs fatty acids in order to function properly. Think about it—have you ever been on a ‘low fat’ diet…and been lightheaded, hungry (all the time) or get sugar energy rushes, followed by dips when you consume other foods, like low fat carbohydrates? Hence: your brain is not getting the optimal fuel it needs to be more ‘clear minded’—no pun intended. Fats stabilize your overall body chemistry and processes, plus they stick with you longer and help your other nutrients stick with you longer too, since fats take the longest of any foods to digest (allowing you to have more energy and brain power throughout the day).
Be an Energizer Bunny. Fats are the ‘energy powerhouses’ of all the foods we consume. They are the densest source of nutrients, meaning they give you more bang for your buck! That being said, Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil offer your body a great baseline for consistency with that energy—since the foods (and times of day you consume them) vary on a daily basis.
Take home point?
You just gotta try it for yourself to experience the difference!
My favorite product?
Couple this with their Vitamin D (one per day), and you’ve got more power, energy, improved digestion, clearer thinking and a revved metabolism coming your way.