When it comes to weight loss, and your wellbeing, not all fats are created equal. Some fats are essential to maintain your wellness, even though you cannot manufacture them in your body. These are known as omega 3s and account for a whole family of polyunsaturated fatty acids, derived from alpha-linolenic acid or ALA. ALA can be converted into other omega 3s that you may have heard of, such as DHA and EPA, but ultimately omega 3 must be obtained from your diet.
Nature’s richest source of omega 3s is Oily Fish. According to comprehensive research, consuming fish that’s rich in oil is very important for the health of your heart. You can also find sources of omega 3s in flaxseed oil, walnuts and vegetable oils including rape and Soya. However these omega 3s may not have the quite same benefits as those in oily fish. These benefits may include a reduced blood pressure, and incidents of clotting, which therefore leads to less of a risk to thrombosis and heart disease. It’s also important for the brain and eye development of babies during pregnancy.
So how do you get it into your diet? Fresh tuna, along with salmon, sardines and mackerel, is a great source of omega 3 that you should have once a week. However, tinned tuna in unfortunately not in this list as tuna’s omega 3 content is lost during the canning process. Try grilling sardines and having them with fresh tomato salsa made of chopped tomatoes, chopped red onions, chopped parsley all mixed with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, some sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. You could also baste salmon with a little teriyaki sauce during cooking, though salmon is great on its own, or whiz some smoked mackerel in a food processor along with some low fat crème fraiche, a squeeze of lemon juice and a spoonful of horseradish sauce to make a delicious pate. For an amazing snack, choose anchovies that are marinated in oil and vinegar from Spain and Italy, and vegetarians can try adding toasted walnuts to a mixed salad with a vinaigrette made from flaxseed oil, wholegrain mustard and balsamic vinegar.
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