I like this idea of video blogging for the healthyfurs group

Thanks for the input!

Very nice. I really liked this. Thanks for all the useful information ^_^

I'm more than happy to inform. ^^

I take omegas everyday l3

*double thumbs up* And also Vitamin D? :D

Indeed! and b6, and a bunch of others <3 !

Should you ever feel curious about additional supplements to take, send me a PM of what you are taking now and what you are thinking about taking to improve any certain area.

I will most def. do this! :D

I'm working on a review of my personal favorite supplement right now. :) So stay tuned. ^^

Thanks for the vid! It was very informative!

*happy tailwag* You are most welcome!

omegas rock!

I want to applaud you for this blog! This really hits the nail on the head, or so to speak, as far as the benefits go. I myself suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and rely on Omega 3 to combat the inflammation. This really is an incredibly informative dissertation you've presented. Thank you so much for sharing this.

I'm very happy you found the information useful! Something else to try in conjunction if you are not already is magnesium and turmeric. The magnesium can help your body de-minieralize the deposits built up over time, and turmeric has beneficial inflammation balancing properties.

I've also been taking Magnesium, yes. Other thing I've learned recently (and this is according to Dr. Oz) is that it's better to take any sort of vitamin supplements an hour or so after taking any form of Omega 3 because the oil actually breaks down the vitamins. He had recommend that people taking the supplement or eating it in a food item should wait till it's metabolized into the blood stream already. I take the Omega 3 supplement pills myself every day around 10 or so, just before the afternoon and then take whatever supplements around 13-14. I've personally tried this and found there is some noticeable improvement in my vitamins' performance once I've waited a little while after taking Omega 3.

Very interesting! That is something I was not aware of, and will definitely take into account whenever I give advice in the future to people. And when you take your magnesium, make sure to check the type of bonding it has. Magnesium Oxide only has a 4% absorption rate. Magnesium Citrate is much better, but may cause upset stomach. Magnesium Amino Acid chelates are the best absorbed forms, you just have to take more pills to get the total MG needed.

True, and I hope to use more of it in that case. Although I'm concerned the liver can't handle so many vitamins and minerals at such levels. Will it get processed into the blood stream or evacuated out through the renal system?

The key there is to mimic a natural eating habit with your supplementation. Spread out the doses of vitamins throughout the day into smaller doses to allow your body the easiest time handling them all :)

That's a good point. Hmm, taking them with fatty soluble foods would probably be the best method of working around overprocessing vitamins.

I like this format. Keep up the good work :)

Thanks for the feedback. With how easy this was, compared to the last journals, I really don't want to go back.

great!

Superb!

I would like to throw my vote in that future updates be provided via video blog as well, as I'm sure it's easier on you and it certainly provides a more direct way to learn about whatever topic is at hand(paw?).

In regards to the information you've posted, I've got to admit that I am no health guru, I don't know as much as I'd like to, and I am.......


.....a fatty (but not an acid). <insert appropriately shocked gasps here>

In trying to change my lifestyle to be conducive to better health, I have taken to absorbing as much information on the subject as I can, in the hopes that it will spur some change, and I feel obligated to inform you of something I've come across that contradicts your advice to supplement omega-3, or at least slightly disagrees with it.

Have you ever heard of a documentary by the name of Forks Over Knives? I found it recently via Netflix, watched it, and was taken by it enough to buy the book and chew through it as well (no pun intended). Said book spoke of omega-3, and what it had to say seems to relate well to what you mention of the body preferentially breaking down omega-6. The publication advised not supplementing omega-3, because it stated that the diet they purported - a diet comprised of as much whole foods as you can get your hands on and as little meat and dairy as possible - would allow your body to adjust imbalances in the two nutrients, allowing it to resume normal levels and negate the need for a supplement. Here, I'll just quote the damn book:

"There are two essential fatty acids, meaning you must consume them in foods--omega-3 and omega-6. Humans have historically consumed a diet with a ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids ranging from 1:1 to 1:4. In recent years, as consumption of animal foods and polyunsaturated vegetable oils (in processed foods) has increased, this ratio has changed dramatically: The range is now about 1:25 to 1:30. As a result, many health-care professionals are suggesting that people take omega-3 supplements such as fish oil or increase their consumption of fish to correct this imbalance. But supplements cause side effects, and fish oil is not a great option because it contains cholesterol, saturated fat, and often mercury and other toxins. (There are also negative ecological implications of eating fish--see page 38). The better option is to eat a well-structured, plant-based diet, which reduces the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids and negates the need to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids."

Normally, I'd be willing to dismiss this as so much vegetarian hooplah, but I have to admit, the science-lover in me cannot disregard the massive bodies of evidence they are bringing to the table. It doesn't stink of bad science, not as far as I can tell (though it can get a little preachy), so I want to know your thoughts on the subject. What is your perspective? Do you believe that correcting the imbalance of the two nutrients through diet would, in fact, mean supplementation was unnecessary? Sound like a crock? Give it to me straight, boss!

Absolutely I agree. If you could manage to keep track of every gram of fat you consume on a daily basis, and the ratios contained of omega 3 to 6.

The reason I did not go into too much detail on the changes to diet is relevant to how much a person is willing to change. Which is easier? 1: A person continues how they are, but adds in 2 or 3 supplements into their diet, or 2: A person foregoes almost all modern pre-prepared foods, preparing their foods from scratch as well as monitoring which meats, grains, fruits, and liquids contain the correct ratio of needed fats.

The cost and time involved are rather large in option #2, but the according health benefits are also very large. But the sacrifice and change required to do that is lifestyle changing. But by promoting option #1 as I do in this blog, it's taking a baby step towards being a much healthier person. And it is much more likely to be a successful change in someone's life by starting small, than changing everything at once. I more than anything do not want to scare someone who thinks 'I'm doing okay, but maybe I'll try this one thing, and see what happens' by instead telling them they need to change every aspect of their lifestyle.

So in summary, no 'supplement' is ever needed if you eat a perfect diet, live an energetic and healthy lifestyle, and are never exposed to excess toxic chemicals. Supplements are just that, things added in to support weak areas in how people live. But each person has to choose which are going to be most beneficial to them. I am passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and I took the path to where I am now one small step at a time.

Thank you very much for the stimulating question. I hope I was able to convey my reasoning behind the way I presented the material. If you have anything else you would like to ask, or bring to my attention, please do! The only way I can learn more is to always be open to others.

Orion~

sometime I open a can a sardines and just eat them strait up,
maybe its because I'm a catfurry buutttt its good stuff

Definitely a good way to get your Omega 3s and vitamin D. And sardines are one of the lower mercury fish, so you can have a can almost every day if you wanted to. :)

Omega-3s are awesome! thanks for the video. :)

what about Omega 9s?

Omega 9s are only conditionally essential. So long as you have Omega 3 and 6 in your diet, your body has the ability to make them. Not to say that eating them is bad, just not as beneficial as 3s in general.

ah ok. cause the bottle I had had both 3s 6s and 9s as a combo.