With all the hype about fat-free foods, you may find it hard to believe that fats are actually essential to your health, but they are! Fats are necessary for our bodies to function properly. But not all fats are equal. Omega-3 fatty acids are the healthy fats that are hard to come by. They are essential fats, which means that the body must get them from food because it can’t make them. Foods containing Omega-3s include fish, vegetable oils, nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds, flaxseed oil, and leafy vegetables.

The list of benefits of omega-3 oils is a long one, indeed: Stronger hearts, calmer and smarter brains, healthier pregnancies, smarter and healthier babies, successful children, slimmer bodies, smoother skin, improved vision, stronger bones, less inflammation, stronger immune systems, faster wound healing and slowed aging. To hear an audio on The Power of Omega-3s by clinical nutritionist, Jim McAfee, go to healthspiritlife.com/media/audios/.

Sadly, due to widespread deficiencies in the American diet resulting from the way we process our food and our poor food choices, it is virtually impossible to get enough omega-3s in our diet and it has become necessary to supplement. There are literally thousands of research papers on the benefits of fish oil supplementation.

NeoLife’s Salmon Oil Plus is an excellent choice, delivering standardized amounts of all eight omega-3 fatty acids (most fish oil supplements only have two) in ultra-high potency. It has an advanced technology called “molecular differentiation”, which reduces burping and fish odor, and is screened for over 200 potential contaminants with an allowable detection limit of ZERO, making it the most pure product on the market.

Both EPA and DHA deliver significant benefits for the heart. “Omega-3 oils decrease the stickiness of blood platelets, dra­matically reduce triglyceride levels, decrease the thickness of the blood, decrease the tendency to form clots, and increase the health of arterial walls.”¹

While omega-3s are especially important for the development of babies’ brains during pregnancy, these oils are vital for brain function at any age. “They have been shown to increase test scores of students who supplement, decrease the risk of postpartum depression, improve mood by upregulating se­rotonin, relieve bipolar symptoms, decrease the aggressiveness and irritability associated with stress, improve dyslexia and attention defi­cit, protect the brain from alcohol damage, improve concentration, increase the speed with which we are able to think, improve learning, preserve mental functioning into old age, and decrease the risk of Al­zheimer’s and dementia as we age.”²

In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Canadian researchers found that infant girls whose mothers received DHA supplements from their fourth month of pregnancy until delivery were less likely to have below-average visual acuity at 2 months of age than infant girls whose mothers did not receive the omega-3 supplements.

Several studies indicate omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent degeneration and dry eye syndrome in adults. They may also assist in proper drainage of intraocular fluid from the eye, decreasing the risk of high eye pressure and glaucoma.

Research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may be helpful in the body’s ability to respond to leptin, a key hormone involved in obesity that is responsible for signaling the body that we are full and need to stop eating. There are other factors important for proper leptin function, such as adequate sleep, exercise and a low intake of sugar. Sugar is a major cause of leptin surges, contributing to leptin resistance and weight gain.³

EPA plays a major role in pre­venting some of the complications of autoimmune diseases. Omega-3 oils have also been shown to benefit Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Interestingly, a study published in 1998 found that mice on a fish oil diet lived twice as long as normal, producing half the normal levels of harmful auto-antibodies as they aged and manifesting lower than normal inflammation. They had no kidney disease, which typically affects this breed of mice and low blood cholesterol levels.⁴ “Fish oil is the only nu­trient of which I am aware that has been shown in an actual study to prolong life as effectively as fasting.”⁵

It is clear that supplementing the diet with omega-3 fatty acids offers great promise for people of all ages. They benefit the whole body, literally from head to toe!

¹Harris, William S., and Connor, William, “The Ef­fect of Salmon Oil upon plasma lipids, lipopro­teins, and triglyceride clearance, Transactions of the Association of American Physicians, xciii, 1980, 148-155.

² Carper, Jean, Your Miracle Brain, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2000, 82-104.

³Winnicki, M., et al., Fish-rich diet, leptin, and body mass, Circulation, July 2002; 106(3):289-91.

⁴“No-fault fat: More praise for fish oil, Science News, October 8, 1988.

⁵McAfee, Jim, “Omega-3 Breakthrough”, Image Awareness Wellness Institute, May 4, 2006, Volume 2: Issue 5.

Studies have shown that both food allergies and environmental pollution are increasing in the United States. There are some things you can do to reduce the severity of allergies.

Control your environment. Use an air purification system and keep the environment free of dust, mold, and chemicals.

Drink filtered water. Researchers from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology found that pesticides in tap water could be causing the recent rise in food allergies. Dr. Elina Jerschow, M.D., M.Sc., ACAAI fellow and allergist, explains, “Our research shows that high levels of dichlorophenol-containing pesticides can possibly weaken food tolerance in some people, causing food allergy. This chemical is commonly found in pesticides used by farmers and consumer insect and weed control products, as well as tap water.”

Carefully control your diet. Food intolerances may affect as much as 80% of the population. There are eight common allergens that account for most food allergy reactions: cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. According to one study, chocolate is the most common cause of a runny nose.

Avoid pesticides and GMOs. Buy organic whenever possible.

Take high quality supplements. Build up the health and activity of your mucosal barriers with generous water intake, herbal supports, and adequate vitamin A. Taking a small amount of NeoLife water miscible Vitamin A in a glass of warm water first thing in the morning promotes optimal functioning of the mucosal barrier. NeoLife Resp-Eleven supports the functioning of the upper respiratory tract. NeoLife Herbal Respiratory Formula provides support for the lungs and lower respiratory tract. It contains nettle leaf, which is known to positively effect hormone chemistry and hay fever.

Adrenal support is imperative. Exhausted adrenals predispose a person to allergies. Dr. John Tintera says, “I’m an endocrinologist. In more than twenty years of a busy practice with thousands of patients, I’ve yet to work with an allergic person whose troubles weren’t basically due to his poorly functioning adrenals, or who wasn’t relieved of all his allergic woes when his adrenals were put into proper working order.” Avoid excessive intake of refined carbs and caffeine containing beverages.

Long term supplementation with NeoLife Tre-en-en can be very beneficial to those who suffer from allergies. According to Dr. Jeffrey Bland, “The nature of the fatty acids within the phospholipid bilayer determines the physiochemical properties of membranes… including hormone responsiveness.” Tre-en-en consists of the high quality fats and oils found in wheat, rice and soybeans which are critical for optimal health and, very unfortunately, have been removed from our food supply in order to promote shelf life. In one study rats supplemented with Tre-en-en showed a 175% boost in adrenal function.

Control the inflammatory process with fish oil and antioxidant supplementation. Supplementation with fish oil has been shown to be the best means of reducing inflammation and decreasing levels of arachidonic acid – like throwing a wet blanket on a raging fire. Due to the widespread contamination of fish with heavy metals and toxins, supplementation with fish oil is superior to consuming fish. NeoLife Salmon Oil has been tested for over 200 toxins, with a tolerance of zero. It purity and potency are unsurpassed with the studies to back it up.

The immune system is responsible for removing allergens and microbial invaders with powerful free radicals. When the diet is deficient in antioxidants serious problems can arise. Carotenoids are the most powerful of all antioxidants in enabling the body to cope with these allergens and microbial invaders. NeoLife Carotenoid Complex is the first and only whole-food carotenoid supplement proven by USDA researchers to boost immune capacity by 37% in just 20 days. It also reduced oxidative damage to cells by 44%.

These measures address basic nutritional deficiencies that contribute to allergic reactions and food sensitivities, while prescription medications are like putting a Band-Aid on your symptoms. If you would like to order or find out more about the products mentioned above, please contact me at 951-440-4553 or go to www.neolifeclub.com/HealthSpiritLife.