Essential Fatty Acids
Does anyone have…
Chicken skin Depression
Dry skin Unruly hair
Dandruff Increased thirst
Eczema Frequent Urination
Cracked painful feet Allergies
What do all these disorders and more have in common?
A lack of essential fatty acids.
What got us here? One thing is the Low fat diet…
In affluent countries, the average adult gets 40% of their diet from Fat.
What happens when people go on low fat diets:
Obesity increases
Foggy
Dopey
Depressed
Low fat creates problems in the brain.
We should get 40% of our diet from essential fatty acid foods.
And 4-6% from saturated fats.
If you go on a low fat diet be sure you are working with a counselor to ensure you are getting
enough unsaturated fatty acids.
A Balance of omega 3, 6, & 9.
Dangers of low fat diets
In children – there is a negative response in the brain
Pregnant or trying – leads to toxemia, premature delivery, neurological defects, growth
problems, behavioral disorders
Weight loss – you lose weight but will usually gain weight back plus more.
Vegetarians – usually out of balance in Omega 3, 6, & 9
Meat and potato person – usually lacks in peak performance in brain function
For optimal behavior & mood function – there must be a balance.
Let’s talk about some of the foods that block and inhibit brain function & performance.
Or as my Zach my 7 year old says, “Transfatty acids, bad for your brain.”
French fries candy
Potato chips corn chips
Cookies cake
Mayo shortening
Salad dressing margarine
Donuts chicken nuggets
Tortilla chips puffed cheese snacks
Fried foods burgers
Ice cream cheese
Anything that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
Through studies at Northwestern college Dr. Michael Schmidt, an applied biochemistry and clinical Nutritionist has shown that a balance or imbalance attributes to the following…
Depression postpartum depression
OCD problems w/MS patients
Winter Blues fears & phobias
Chronic fatigue attention problems
Hyperactivity violence & aggression
Schizophrenia stress response
Mood swings behavioral problems
In addition his study also shows –
Cultures eating lots of fish (cold water fish being high
in EFA) show little or no depression problems.
In Japan there is approximately 1% depression.
In areas of Japan where fishing communities abound,
psychiatrists could find no one depressed.
However, in Europe and North American countries
where many do not eat fish, depression is 10X higher
than anywhere else in the world!
In addition, Dr. E.A. Mitchell and his colleagues studied ADD & ADHD in children. They found consistently low levels of Omega 3 & 6--the 2 key brain fats.
Hyperactive children were shown to have higher levels of Omega 6 and lower levels of Omega 3.
When Omega 6 is higher than Omega 3, there is lower brain function.
Dr. Mitchell also showed that breast-fed children are less likely to have ADHD due to high content of EFA in the milk.
Many times I’ve heard of people binding spirits of depression or saying it runs in my family. Maybe it runs in the recipe book!
Maybe what we’re putting in our mouth is the culprit.
We need to consider our ways …
What do we do?
Stop eating the things that deplete EFA.
Supplement with these to promote clear thinking and to alleviate the occasional blues of every day life:
EFA
Brain Sharpener*
Creations Bounty*
Puncture the Brain Sharpener Gel cap and put it into juice – it’s easy to give to kids
Foods that show high EFA:
Eggs
Quiche
Salmon
Salmon patties
Nuts
Anchovies
Green leafy veggies
Albacore tuna
Wheat germ
Pumpkin seeds
* Valerie Saxion, N. D. earned her Doctorate in Naturopathy from Clayton College in 2000. She is not a medical doctor and neither her statements, recommendations, nor the products mentioned are intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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