Having enough Omega-3’s in your diet, can make a difference to your mental and physical health and help you loose weight!
The hormones controlled by diet are far more powerful than any drug you’ll ever take. Maintaining hormonal equilibrium within a therapeutic range is essential for controlling inflammation and maximizing cellular rejuvenation by turning “on” and “off’ the flow of genetic information. This is the biochemical key for establishing a life-long strategy for weight control and risk-management of chronic disease.
Decreasing Inflammation
Excess weight gain is caused by inflammation within the fat cell. Left uncontrolled, this inflammation makes it increasingly difficult to stop the accumulation of body fat and reduce excess weight. When fat “goes bad” (becomes inflamed) powerful inflammatory hormones called eicosanoids trigger systemic inflammation throughout the body increasing numerous health risks related to heart, brain and immune function, just like a viral infection. This type of systemic inflammation “Silent Inflammation” because you cannot see it or feel it. Despite our inability to sense its presence, Silent Inflammation significantly increases the risk of chronic health disorders like problems with the heart and blood sugar levels. This explains why cutting calories and increasing exercise alone are not enough. First and foremost, you must control inflammation within the fat cells.
While there isn’t a single drug that can decrease inflammation within the fat cells, the foods you eat can! The reason fat cells become inflamed in the first place is caused by the accumulation of arachadonic acid (AA) as a result of diet especially one rich in refined carbohydrates that stimulate insulin production. Uncontrolled inflammation in the fat cells causes insulin resistance thus making you fatter while increasing inflammation levels throughout the body. Left unchecked, systemic inflammation compromises heart, brain, and immune function plus accelerates pre-mature aging.
Controlling Insulin
By eating the right combination of foods to reduce insulin coupled with adequate levels of Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) that the body cannot make and are seldom found in the average diet, you can better control insulin levels and in turn reduce Silent Inflammation both within fat cells and systemically. EPA decreases the levels of AA that generate the chronic pro-inflammatory responses while DHA stimulates certain genes useful in burning stored body fat at a faster rate. By controlling Silent Inflammation within the fat cells and throughout the body, you can achieve successful weight loss and simultaneously optimize heart, brain and immune function.
The orchestration of the above is essential for weight loss, and the foods you eat are critical to your success for controlling the ideal hormonal balance necessary to decrease inflammation and stabilize insulin. Inflammatory eicosanoids and elevated insulin levels increase as you age and must be normalized to help control this delicate hormonal balance. Every meal and snack determines this balance, good or bad, for the next 4-6 hours each and every day.
Want to learn More?
You can learn even more about Omega-3’s and their importance to your health in the previously published article: “Are you Omega-3 deficient?”http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976879333
