February 2009
Monthly Archive
Monthly Archive
Posted by Michael Byrd on Feb 28 2009 | Tagged as: Fish Oil
Bipolar disease is a mysterious and sometimes deadly disorder that causes severe mood swings and erratic behavior when it is not controlled. While the disorder does not actually attack the physical body, the ramifications for a patient with untreated bipolar disorder are severe, and range from serious, self-inflicted injuries to suicide, as well as an inability to interact with others in a safe, productive manner. However, many of the medicines used to treat bipolarity also have serious side effects and can tranquilize someone to the point where they feel as though they are barely hanging on. As a result, many people with bipolar disorder struggle with the decision whether to medicate or try to control things on their own. Fortunately, there may be a happy medium at last. Studies have shown that bipolar disorder is linked to omega 3 deficiencies (Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 2005 vol. 5, no. 1, 31-8). By taking a simple, daily fish oil supplement, people with bipolar disorder may be able to seriously reduce the severity and frequency of mood swings and depression.
Posted by Michael Byrd on Feb 27 2009 | Tagged as: Fish Oil
To most people, a diet is just a hassle. They are no fun, make you hungry all the time, and usually involve an unpleasant amount of exercise. Of course, it all pays off when you are frolicking on the beach in that teeny tiny bikini or baring your midriff with that new pair of skinny jeans.
However, in reality, no two diets are quite the same, and it is important to your dieting success and your continued good health that you select a diet that fits your needs and will keep you healthy while you knock off the pounds.
Here are three ways to evaluate a diet to determine if it will work for you:
1. Count the calories.
While dieting does involve cutting calorie consumption, you need to still be getting enough calories to make it through the day. Generally, diets that require you to consume less than a thousand calories per day are temporary changes rather than permanent ones, since the average adult needs between 1000 and 1500 calories to stay healthy, alert and energetic. If your diet permanently puts you on a diet that is under 800 calories a day, then this is not a good lifestyle change and you need to factor in how you will come off the diet once the weight is lost.
2. Check out the menu.
While dieting can involve unpleasant habit changes, it also has to be a feasible undertaking for you. If you are going to go on an all-lettuce-all-the-time diet and you hate salads, then it is not likely that you will be able to stick to that diet without falling off the wagon for more than a few days. Make sure that the diet you choose is manageable for you so that you do not just give up before you’ve accomplished your goals.
3. Does it look fishy?
Many diets recommend that you eat lean fish like tilapia. However, even diets that allow salmon or mackerel, fatty fish that are high in fish oil, generally limit your servings to one a day, and those servings are generally smaller than the size of your fist. As a result, nearly all diets necessitate that you take an additional fish oil supplement. This is because fish oil is high in omega 3, a vitally important nutrient that your body needs to operate but cannot manufacture on its own. Omega 3 plays a major role in heart health, memory soundness and prevention of inflammations that can cause everything from migraines to joint soreness to cancer.
The fact of the matter is that even if you eat fish every day, it’s unlikely that you are getting the requisite amounts of omega 3 necessary to help your heart and mind stay healthy. Instead of “going mermaid,” consider taking a daily omega 3 salmon oil supplement instead. You should pick a supplement made from natural salmon raised in the Arctic Circle rather than on farms, and your supplement should be free from potentially toxic fish like tuna and mackerel, which can contain heavy metals due to the polluted waters in which they swim.
To learn more about a healthy omega 3 supplement that will work with any diet, visit http://www.omega-3.us.
Posted by Michael Byrd on Feb 26 2009 | Tagged as: Fish Oil
Literally tens of thousands of children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) each year. While there are many medicines designed to help these children maintain focus, concentrate and perform well in school, often concerned parents are not amenable to medicating their children into submission.Many of the medicines commonly prescribed for these disorders come with serious potential side effects that can permanently alter your child’s internal system. Fortunately, there may be another answer. Recent studies show that children who take a daily omega 3 fish oil supplement demonstrate a marked and nearly overnight increase in their ability to concentrate (International Review of Psychiatry 2006). To prevent your child from inadvertently absorbing toxins found in many fish, always make sure that any fish oil supplement taken by your children is certified toxin-free by the American College of Toxicology or the World Health Organization.