Just what are these omega-3s that the news and food product labels are full of? Omega 3s are essential fatty acids, which means our bodies need them but cannot make them so we have to get them from our diet. There are three different omega-3s: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA exists in leafy greens and plant-based oils (especially flaxseed, olive, soy, and canola), as well as walnuts and soybeans. EPA and DHA are found only in microscopic ocean algae and the fish that eat them, particularly fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, anchovies, halibut, herring, striped sea bass, and tuna (albacore).
If we only receive ALA from plant sources, our body can manufacture EPA and DHA from the ALA, but the process is not efficient, and can be further disrupted by the intake of another group of essential fatty acids called omega-6s, which are often present in large amounts in plant-based oils. In Western diets, people consume roughly 10 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. This is in part why the American Heart Association has recommended specific doses of EPA and DHA.
Extensive research has shown that the intake of EPA and DHA has profound health benefits. The most conclusive scientific evidence shows that DHA and EPA in the form of dietary fish or fish oil supplements lowers triglycerides, reduces the risk of death, heart attack, dangerous abnormal heart rhythms, and strokes in people with known cardiovascular disease, slows the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques (”hardening of the arteries”), and lowers blood pressure slightly.
Multiple studies show arthritis patients see improvements in morning stiffness and joint tenderness with the regular intake of fish oil supplements. Several large studies report that dietary omega-3 fatty acids or fish oil may reduce the risk of developing breast, colon, or prostate cancer. Preliminary studies indicate taking fish oil may reduce the growth of colon cancer cells. There is some evidence supporting the use of omega-3 fatty acids in treating depression, including childhood depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disease. Many other benefits appear linked to EPA and DHA, and are being investigated.
So what are the drawbacks? In very large doses omega-3s may cause increased bleeding, but this is at levels high above the 3 grams/day considered safe. Some worry about eating fish itself or fish oil supplements because of the risk of contamination. The National Institute of Health (NIH) suggests oil supplements are usually safe because heavy metals selectively bind with protein in the fish flesh rather than accumulate in the oil. An independent test in 2006 of 44 fish oils on the US market found that all of the products passed safety standards for potential contaminants. For healthy individuals, NIH and the American Heart Association consider two servings of fatty fish a week safe and desirable.
So along with your fruits and veggies, consider increasing your omega-3 intake, and particularly EPA and DHA. Consult your doctor before taking omega-3s to treat any disease. And look for more on ratios of omega-3s to omega-6s in a future issue.
- Rebecca Taggart
Rebecca Taggart is a San Francisco yoga instructor.
If you love juice, try making your own from fresh fruit. There are many juicers available, from simple spoon, silent motorized models, and extractors, to sleek retro chrome presses that look cool on the counter. Valencia oranges are the best juice oranges, but all are good. To juice, the fruit should be room temperature; roll it on the counter (good job for a kid) first to soften it a bit. The juice of two oranges makes about one four-ounce glass of the genuine article. And the container is 100% compostable!
Pranayama is simply defined as lengthened inhalations followed by lengthened exhalations. In his book “Light on Pranayama”, 
Maybe it’s the rain, or the cold, or the winter light, but at this time of year those Calgon-take-me-away-moments seem nearer. One of the best for me was a few winters back: at a small restaurant I was helping my twin toddlers and my young son, who was wearing his favorite stuffed green parrot wrapped on his arm, to use the restroom. The room was small. My son handed me the parrot because – well, you can’t use the restroom with a parrot looking over your shoulder – and was now washing his hands. The twins were squirming like fish. As I tried to manage one and then the other in each arm, and then wash their hands while “Hey, stop opening the door” and “Don’t fill the back of your sister’s pants with air from the hand dryer,” I leaned over and, in the slowest of slow motion, with little helpless plastic parrot eyes looking up at me whispering “Why?,” the parrot, my son’s constant pirate companion, slipped from my hands into the depths of Davey Jones’ porcelain commode. There was a muted splash and then a moment of shocked awe. Kids were frozen in place, one was wrapped in toilet paper, another had washed and dried her hands, but her clothes were soaked. My son just stared in horror. All three opened their mouths and sucked in air to power the loudest cries of horror that the 10’ x 6’ restroom had ever known. Trudging home in the rain, parrot finally blown dry but forever changed, kids red faced and still crying as passersby asked if they were alright, I wanted nothing but to be taken away. I’m sure the kids felt the same way. Winter and just the complexity of life can often fray our nerves. But whatever triggers stress for you, remember this: get your Folic Acid, it may make you happier.![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=649ebcd1-a160-4a5f-b6ec-454122f83f46)
The obvious response to all this information is to increase your vitamin D intake, at least in the winter. But that isn’t quite as simple as it sounds. Our skin naturally manufactures adequate vitamin D for us, so long as the sunlight is sufficiently strong and we bare some skin. But in winter the sun is too weak north of latitude 34°, roughly a line between Los Angeles and South Carolina. For up to six months a year most of us cannot manufacture our own D because we spend most outdoor time covered up, in sunlight too weak to produce the vitamin.
Unfortunately there are very few food sources of vitamin D, and the only good natural source is fatty fish. A serving of salmon (about 800 IU) or mackerel (about 400 IU) are good sources. Milk began to be fortified in the 1930s with vitamin D to 
Cod liver oil is naturally high in vitamin D, and was given to children before milk began to be fortified. Today cod liver oil comes in gel supplements or is lemon-flavored, making it much more palatable than during our grandparents’ childhoods. It is taken religiously in Norway and other Scandinavian countries in months with an “r”, when sunlight is weak and days are shorter. Cod liver oil is also high in omega-3s, compounds found to have extensive health benefits. The downside is that many fish oils sold in the US have very high levels of fat-soluble vitamin A, which can be toxic in high doses, unlike the vitamin A our bodies produce from vegetable-produced beta-carotene. Unpurified cod liver oil can have high levels of PCBs and heavy metals. Norwegian-produced oil generally has reduced A and is purified.
Less sunlight also decreases the body’s Vitamin D production. Our skin produces Vitamin D for us in sunlight, but the combination of warm clothes, weaker light, and more indoor time means our vitamin D production drops dramatically in winter. The effects of this decrease are wide-ranging, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and a weakened immune system. Less widely known is the increased risk of acute depression, hyperglycemia, osteoporosis, insulin resistance, hypertension, and heart disease.
Upward Arm Pose: Stand straight in facing your desk with your chest lifted, buttocks dropped towards the floor, and your face relaxed. On an inhalation raise your arms straight overhead with palms facing each other. Breath evenly as you stretch your fingertips up to the ceiling while dropping the buttocks and keeping your ribs in. Relax your face and jaw as you lift up. Hold for 30 seconds. On an exhalation lower your arms.
Supported Hero Pose: Kneel with your back facing your desk (if your back is stiff or quadriceps are tight) or chair. Keep your buttocks drawing firmly down towards the floor as in the first pose and lie back with your shoulder blades and head supported on the desk or chair edge. If this bothers your neck place a book or large file folder under your head. Press your tailbone forward away from the chair/desk to increase the stretch on the front of the thighs. Hold for one minute, then use your hands to push yourself up.
Upward-Facing Dog Pose: Face your desk and place your palms on the edge. Step back until your arms are straight and your feet are under your hips. Now keep your legs straight as you lift your heels and bring your shoulders over your palms and the front of your pelvis close to the desk. Draw your buttocks strongly towards your heels and move the chest forward between your upper arms. Hold twenty seconds while breathing evenly. On an exhalation take your hips back over your heels. Repeat three times, then stay in the final position with feet under hips and arms straight for one minute before standing up.
If you didn’t descend the buttocks enough in these poses you may feel tightness or ache in your lower back. Try the Relaxed Forward Bend: Sit at the front of your chair. Straighten your legs with your heels resting on the floor. Lift your chest as you place your hands on your upper thighs. Slowly slide your hands down your thighs, but only so long as you can keep your chest lifted at the same time. If you are stiff, you will stop somewhere above your knees. This is fine. If you are more flexible, your hands may reach your ankles or even the floor. Remember to breath regularly. Stay in the pose one minute. Keep your legs firm as you slide your hands up your legs and sit up.