Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids found in Fish Oil

Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are extremely important to the overall health of our minds and bodies. Over the last few years there have been numerous health benefits proven and presumed related to the consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids, most crucially that of improved cardiovascular health. Consumption of dietary fish or fish oil supplements can lower triglycerides—a certain type of blood fat—and increase “good” cholesterol, while slightly thinning the blood. All of these factors help reduce the risk of heart attack. Indeed, on September 8, 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave “qualified health claim” status to EPA and DHA n−3 fatty acids – Omega 3 fatty acids – stating that “supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of [Omega 3 fatty acids] may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.” Additionally, consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids tends to reduce inflammation and health risks associated with inflammation such as Heart disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, psoriasis, Alzheimer’s and, obviously, arthritis – all of which are characterized by increased levels of pro-inflammatory markers. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil reduce inflammation by preventing production of pro-inflammatory signaling molecules.

New Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Vitamin Department

Minami Nutrition has an excellent line of fish oils that are highly concentrated, meaning the recommended dose is just one a day. Not only does that make it more convenient, it’s also very cost effective. This brand distills its oils at a very low temperature, with no chemical solvents and no oxygen exposure, making for a very pure, fresh product that has no fishy aftertaste. An added benefit is the fact that these come in a small softgel, so they are easier to swallow than many other fish oils.

Or have you tried Barleans’ Omega Swirls? These are truly delicious source of Omega 3’s. Sometimes, it can be hard to take your fish oils or flax oils etc. Not these. They are a smooth, creamy, sweet treat that’s sweetened with xylitol, not sugar! Even my picky eaters at home love them. They come in a variety of options, including:

● Berry flax, borage and plant DHA oil

● Orange fish and plant DHA oil

● Lemon Fish Oil

● Strawberry Flax Oil

Further health benefits of fish oil…

Fish oil has also been shown to be beneficial to pregnant women and the unborn child. It is recommended that a pregnant woman have 900 mg of fish oil per day, which is equivalent to a serving of salmon per day. The benefits to the unborn child are numerous and include: a healthier brain with increased intelligence; good nervous system development; better eyesight from retina formation; fewer behavioral problems after birth; and better sleeping patterns as a new born. The mother also receives benefits from her consumption of fish oil. These benefits include: a lower chance of developing preeclampsia; a decreased chance of preterm labor; and a greatly reduced incidence of breast cancer. With benefits such as those, all pregnant women should adhere to the recommended daily dosage of fish oil and thus increase her odds of delivering a happy and healthy child. The reason fish oil is so beneficial to the unborn child is because 70% of a newborn’s brain, retina and nervous system are made up of the Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA. Therefore, increasing the amount of these fatty acids present in the mother’s diet, and therefore being given to her unborn child, aides in the child’s development of the brain, retina and nervous system.

We should also note that there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that routine consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil act to prevent mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Omega-3 fatty acids help maintain the proper functioning of dopamine and serotonin signaling systems in the brain. Both dopamine and serotonin levels, and the signaling system of those hormones, are believed to contribute to the occurrence of depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Therefore, Omega-3 fatty acids may help to regulate those hormones and lessen the symptoms of these severe mental illnesses.

Mother’s day may have come and gone for the year but the celebration of mothers and motherhood knows no beginning or end.

Showing one’s appreciation with a beautiful bouquet of flowers or a rejuvenating day at the spa are always great ways to go however another option to be considered is a gift that nurtures Mom’s health. Think about all the times she took care of your health. Probably more times than you know! So, with that in mind, here are some gift ideas that most mothers would truly appreciate.

I suspect most pregnant women would agree that the celebration of motherhood should begin even before the child is born. A great gift idea for someone with a little bun in the oven might be to put together a basket of items needed only during pregnancy, such as prenatal vitamins, a morning sickness remedy, a good omega-3 / DHA supplement, a cream for reducing pregnant belly stretch marks and a favorite healthy snack for late night cravings. This is the kind of gift that says you care and want the lovely mother to be to feel pampered.

New Chapter has one of our most popular prenatal vitamins, Perfect Prenatal. New Chapter is a great company with a strong dedication to Mother Earth, so it is only fitting to consider New Chapter for a new mom-to-be. New Chapter also make a pure fish oil product called Wholemega Prenatal. Fish oil is something that studies show to be very beneficial to pregnant mothers and developing babies. In addition, we carry several things for morning sickness, products that are helpful right after the baby is born, outrageous snacks, amazing creams and lotions to take care of her skin during pregnancy and so much more. In fact, we carry just about everything you can imagine to put into basket to pamper a soon-to-be mom. Just ask and we’ll be happy to help you.

Of course, once the baby is born, mom deserves to be pampered and taken care of, too, so she can keep up with the daily job of mothering. Not that being a mother isn’t wonderful, because it is, but let’s face it: It can be like running a marathon in high heels! So, keeping that in mind, you could come up with all kinds of healthy gifts for her. Again, you can find things all over the store that she will adore. In the Vitamin Department, you’ll find gifts to keep her strong, healthy and resilient. We carry some great multivitamins such as New Chapter’s Womens Multivitamins, Garden of Life’s Women’s Raw One-a-Day and Vitamin Code, and Megafood Women’s One-a-Day. Any of these would make a great gift!

In addition to a multivitamin, we also carry stress formulas to help her stay calm, protein powders to help her keep up her endurance, calcium to keep her bones strong, greens to keep her healthy and Omega-3 oils to keep her brain firing on all cylinders. You could even make a great basket for her with several supplements, some exotic lotions from the Health and Beauty Department, some wonderful jewelry from the Clothing Department, a bottle of wine and a few delicious truffles from the Deli. What Mom wouldn’t love that? I know I would. (Hint, Hint).

For further inspiration, click here for a great article in the Huffington Post.  Cheers to your New Year’s journey toward better health!

Flowers to the Rescue! Throughout the holiday season, we all look for ways to keep up with engagements and maintain our health and happiness. Despite our best efforts, many of us find our emotional integrity compromised. This usually manifests as a feeling of being rushed, overwhelmed, and even short-tempered. This is where Flower Essences come to the rescue.

Flower Essences are subtle liquid extracts that can be thought of as the holographic image or energetic impression of the plants themselves. They are used to address profound issues of emotional well being, soul development, and the mind-body connection. Said another way, the essences affect us us on a vibrational level. Due to the powerful and gentle way these amazing substances work, they are particularly great for the elderly, children and pets. Sound a little too woo-woo to you? Keep reading.

The essences work on a variety of levels, so the healing potential is great. Are you thinking your relatives drive you nuts? Use beech, which is indicated for accepting other people’s differences. Do you have a lingering feeling of not being good enough? Try buttercup. Buttercup is indicated for souls who judge themselves by conventional standards of achievement and success. Mimulus, which gives courage and confidence to face life’s challenges, is great for timid and shy children. Tired of the yappy and gassy dog? Use chamomile for digestive upset and attention demands. Pink Yarrow is wonderful for those who absorb too much of other peoples’ emotions. Shooting Star helps discovery and includes a wide variety of practical applications.

When looking for a solution to your current emotional conundrum, go for the Flower Essences. If you need a general boost, try Bach’s Rescue Remedy or FES’s Self Heal.  We carry a wonderful book called the Flower Essence Repertory by Patricia Kaminiski and Richard Katz. This book provides extensive and easy to read knowledge about the products. The vast and flexible way that flower essences can be used is well worth the exploration of our internal environment.

Take care and be well this season and beyond!
Cheers to your good health!!
- Caitlyn from the Vitamin Department

Umcka is a homeopathic remedy that’s clinically proven to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of coughs, congestion, sore throats, and sinus infections. Lucky for us, Umcka is 30% off throughout October, so this is a great time to stock up.  Umcka comes in a wide variety of flavors and forms, including tincures, syrups and chewables, so you can easily find a type that works for you and your family!

Another big help in the effort to keep yourself healthy this season is System Well from Nature’s Way. System Well is a multi-system-defense immunity builder. That means it supports several essential aspects of a healthy immune response, including the digestive, respiratory and lymphatic systems, and more.

This is on sale, too, for $9.05, regularly $ 15.09!

Have you heard how amazing Black Elderberry is for fighting off viruses? Nature’s Way’s Sambucus is a virologist-tested form of black elderberry extract.

This formula is a great tasting natural remedy for children and adults. It combines standardized, Bio-Certified black elderberry extract and natural raspberry flavor.

And if that’s not enough reason it give it a try, you’ll find this 30% off in October, too.

New Chapter seems to make just one unique, wonderful product after the next, and we’re thrilled to introduce their newest offering,  Wholemega Fish Oil!

Wholemega uses only sustainably caught Alaskan salmon, which is among the world’s cleanest sources. Wholemega contains the entire compliment of 16 dfferent omega fatty acids, resuling in a fish oil that is much truer to nature than other products on the market.

We hope you will check it out, because this product is truly different from other fish oils, and we think you’ll be impressed.

Below is a condensed version of the information available about Wholemega found on the company’s website: www.newchapter.com.

• The Omega fatty acids in fish oil offer many health benefits, including nourishment of the heart, kidney, brain and eye tissues.*

• There’s actually a whole family of Omega fatty acids that provide a full spectrum of health benefits – including Omega 3’s, 5, 6’s, 7 and 9’s.

• For optimal health, one should achieve a healthy balance between Omega 6 fatty acids and Omega 3 fatty acids.

• “Purified” fish oils use a chemical process that can destroy the whole Omegas and the naturally occurring antioxidants and vitamins found in nature.

• Only a whole, naturally pure fish oil can deliver all the whole Omegas and the naturally occurring antioxidants and vitamins nature created.

• Wild-caught, naturally pure salmon is nature’s most powerful source of Omega fatty acids.

]]> http://www.boisecoop.com/introducing-wholemega-a-fully-sustainable-fish-oil/feed 0 http://www.boisecoop.com/nordic-naturals-autumn-super-sale http://www.boisecoop.com/nordic-naturals-autumn-super-sale#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:02:07 +0000 aaron http://www.boisecoop.com/?p=2617

Because there are few things we love more than a really great read, we’re excited to introduce you to Yeah Dave’s Guide to Livin’ the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy through Wine, Chocolate and Your iPod Playlist, a brand new book by yoga instructor and all-around good guy, David Romanelli.

Far (so far!) from the preachy and self-congratulatory vibe we’ve come to expect from so many spiritual/self-help tomes, Yeah Dave’s Guide is rolling-on-the-floor funny while still managing to convey a message just about everyone could use: If you’re not “livin’ the moment,” you’ll miss out on the sweetest gifts life has to offer. Dave uses such unexpected themes as bad dance moves, flatulence as a self-defense tactic and a poodle named Schmutzie to simultaneously crack you up and teach you a whole bunch of valuable methods for being fully present in your life.

Whether you’re a dedicated yogini or someone who wouldn’t be caught dead in downward-facing dog pose, you’ll appreciate Dave’s down-to-earth perspective as a regular guy who happens to teach yoga and deals with the same insecurities and triumphs as the rest of us. Both hilarious and profound, Yeah Dave’s Guide is our five-star pick for summer reading.

Check out the video! Yeah Dave’s Guide to Livin’ the Moment:

Chapter 11: Hugging

Stay tuned for info on David Romanelli’s in-store book signing at the Co-op this autumn!

Prepare yourself for flu season!

After months (literally!) of waiting, everyone’s favorite virus-fighting supplement is finally back on our shelves. Formerly known as BlockAid, New Chapter’s Immunity Take Care is quite possibly the most advanced winter-time wellness formula on the market.

This delicious, blueberry-flavored extract of Sambucus nigra (elderberry) has been proven to enter the bloodstream in less than 30 minutes. While many conventional extracts of Elderberry are available, none consistently provides the broad spectrum of herbal constituents available in Immunity Take Care. This breakthrough formula combines nature’s full herbal intelligence with a unique and patent-pending extraction process that guarantees full potency in every lozenge.

Safe and effective for kids and adults, Immunity Take Care can be used at any stage of infection, or as a preventative during the height of cold and flu season. You can bet the entire Co-op Vitamin Department is using it as we head into the chilly months!

Protein Lifetime

Boise Co-op Vitamin Department is proud to carry LifeTime Life’s Basics food supplement, the first plant protein to offer a complete range of amino acids! Come check out this gluten free vegan protein containing hemp, pea, rice and chia seed at our newly remodeled Vitamin Department!