Fishy skin solutions

A lot of female clients seem to think adding fats to their diet is a definite "no-no". Let's break down fats a little bit here.

Too much fat, particularly saturated or trans fats found in fried foods, butter, cookies, cakes and donuts for example, in the diet isn't good. Fats also pack more of a calorie punch per serving (9 calories per gram vs. carb or proteins 4 calories per gram).

While low-fat diets can be beneficial for many clinical reasons like protecting your body against diseases like cancer or heart disease, a diet completely devoid of fat however, can actually backfire on you. While the strongest level of research indicates that omega-3's are most effective at treating high blood pressure, high triglycerides and secondary heart disease, listen up ladies, they may also be effective at helping you keep your hair, skin and nails in tip top shape too.

One type of fat that is particularly important to the health of the inner workings of your body and it's outside appearance are essential fatty acids (EFA's) which include polyunsaturated fats such as linoleic acid (omega-6's) and alpha linolenic acid (omega-3's). The reason we call these fats "essential fatty acids" is because the only way our body can get these fats is through the diet, the body cannot make these fats on their own. Some studies link the use of omega-3's with decreased inflammation. Dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) and eczema may be compounded by a deficiency in these healthy fats.

While these benefits still need more backing from further research, there are plenty of other good reasons to boost your omega-3 intake. Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic overview that I think you will find helpful: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fish-oil/NS_patient-fishoil

Try incorporating these foods into your daily diet for a boost of these healthy fats:
-seeds
-nuts
-vegetable oils (sunflower)
-walnuts (keep this portion to 1 oz)
-avocados
-flaxseed
-green leafy veggies

Two other important omega-3 fats are EPA and DHA. These are primarily found in fish, especially salmon, herring, sardines, tuna and trout. Go for wild vs. farmed fish because they have a higher level of these beneficial fats due to their natural intake in the wild.

Many people take omega-3 fatty acids as a supplement to their diet. If you are interested in doing this, make sure you discuss this with your MD first to make sure their are not drug nutrient interactions or other reasons why omega-3's are not a good fit for you. If you get the ok from your doc, my personal favorite o-3 supplement is Omega Brite. Although you take 3 pills per day with meals, I find that this is the first o-3 supplement that doesn't have the nasty side effects I have experienced with other lower quality ones (e.g. "fish burps").

7-Day Goals: How can you add a little bit of healthy fat into your day today?

~K