I know. I know. It’s been on your mind for awhile, you heard you should be taking it, but may be unsure as to why…

So here it is…

The Omega 3 Effect

The special fats in fish, called Omega-3 fatty acids, lower the level of unhealthy fats in the body by influencing enzymes that synthesize fat and increase fat burning in the liver.

That’s right, Omega 3’s especially in fish oils increase fat breakdown in our cells. This means that more fat is burned to do the same daily activities. (Like bootcamp)…

So that sounds pretty much like what we all want right?

How about a Bootcamp Case Study… I spoke with one of our members the other day who is looking great and leaner than ever! She’s been having 8g (8 fish oils each day!)(Also combined with regular exercise and healthy nutrition).

Furthermore, a study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007, showed that supplementing with fish oil reduced body fat independent of exercise. Not only is fish oil beneficial for fat loss, but also for immune function, reducing inflammation, decreasing blood pressure, and reducing the risk for many other diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Still not convinced why you should be taking fish oils?

95% of the population is deficient in Omega 3’s. Are you one of them? Chances are this is true.

Now try this.

The case for fish oils vs. inflammation by Precision Nutrition…

“In a case study, a 33 year old male client with chronic inflammation presented with a very low diet in omega 3’s. It was suggested that he supplement with a fish oil product which is a source of omega 3’s. He took 3 fish oil capsules each day for a total intake of 3 grams. In addition to increasing meal frequency from 2-3 meals to 4-5 per day, with vegetable intake increasing from 2-3 servings to 5-6 servings per day.

After about 1 month of religiously using the supplement and making some other moderate changes to his food intake, he was disappointed to note that his pain barely had improved. Since the authors (Precision Nutrition), had tested the anti-inflammatory benefits of omega 3’s repeatedly, and they’ve always produced a noticeable effect, they decided to take a look at his diet again. This time they looked at the ratio or omega 3 to omega 6. It turns out he was using a lot of products which contained omega 6’s such as corn oil, sunflower seeds, and margarine. Each of these foods is very high in the pro-inflammatory omega 6 fats (cause inflammation). Analysis of this individual’s daily intake revealed an omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of 20:1. This means that he was getting 20 times as many inflammatory 6’s as he was getting anti-inflammatory omega 3’s. Experts typically recommend an ideal omega 6 to omega 3 ration of anywhere to 1:1 to 4:1. No wonder he was having problems with inflammation! They fixed his ratios by having him cook with omega 3 rich olive oil (for medium to low temps), and coconut oil (for high temps). Ate more omega 3 containing hemp seeds and walnuts and increased his intake to 6 grams of fish oils per day.

When the client reported back in 4 weeks, he described a massive reduction in pain and inflammation, an increase in weekly running mileage, and a host of other benefits including an improvement in recovery after workouts, a clearer complexion, and more stamina. This is a man who was developing nagging injuries bordering on a debilitating almost constant pain in his lower legs.”

Fish oils… A nice low calorie way to obtain healthy fats in your diet. Look at it this way. You could eat 300 calories of nuts or you could have 6 fish oils at approximately 9 calories each for 36 calories and get the omega 3’s you need. Every cell in our body is covered by a layer of fat. Your body requires this fat for your cells to operate efficiently. Our cells are our bodies. They regulate our hormones, our metabolism. We need these fats in our diets so that our cells can operate optimally.

To summarize:

Omega 6 causes inflammation. Omega 3 reduces inflammation.
So, now that you know that the Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are essentially a fat loss and inflammation silver bullet, let’s find out how we can best use this tool to our advantage.

Take them with food.
If you have a problem with them smelling fishy, or find that they give you fish burps, stick them in the freezer, or better yet, buy ones that are enteric coated.

Aim for 5-12 daily grams of fish oil. In some instances/studies, people have had much more than that.

Split up the dosage throughout the day.
If the pill form is to difficult to take in large quantities, switch to the liquid form and take two (2) tbsp per day. The liquid form absorbs quicker than the pill form.
The quality of the Omega-3 fatty acids you take is very important. Your dosage should have more than 300 DHA and EPA per pill. The brand I use is Weber Naturals (from Costco), it has 600 EPA and 300 DHA per pill.

Here is a picture:

One last thing…

NIH researchers have said that the billions we spend on anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen is money spent to undo the effects of too much omega-6 fat in the diet obtained from plant oils and factory raised animals being fed corn and soy (plant oils containing omega 6).

Now that you know the truth, it’s up to you to do something with it!

Committed to your success,
Josh Saunders
The Bootcamp Effect