Eating fish may not be the best way to get your Omega 3s

Omega 3s are absolutely crucial for our health; they’re called essential fatty acids because they must be obtained through either our diet or supplements and cannot be manufactured in the body. Omega 3 fish oil is beneficial to cardiovascular health, brain function, and joint health. Omega 3s can help to lower cholesterol, boost mood, and reduce inflammation in the body, and have been the subject of countless positive research studies for a long list of ailments over the years.

In the past, if a person ate fish a couple times a week, they would usually think that their omega 3 needs would be covered, though new research is finding that eating fish might not be equal to fish oil supplements.

Unfortunately, most of the fish available to us in the United States are farmed fish, which aren’t as high in omega 3 fatty acids. Additionally, popular fish like tilapia are more concentrated in omega 6 fatty acids than omega 3s. The American diet is very high in omega 6 fatty acids from vegetable oils and other sources, and low in omega 3s. Another popular fish, cod, stores very little omega 3 fatty acids in its flesh, and is often cooked in omega 6 oils.

Another concern, other than the lower omega 3 content of many fish, is the unfortunate impurity of our ocean waters. Many fish are now found with very high levels of mercury, including tuna, swordfish, orange roughy, king mackerel, tilefish, and more. Pregnant women are advised to avoid these fish, but in truth, no amount of mercury or other ocean contaminants are good for us.

In contrast, quality fish oil supplements (not all brands, so be sure to check) are tested to be free of mercury, lead, and other toxic metals. Additionally, omega 3 supplements will list exactly how much EPA and DHA (the beneficial parts of the omega 3 oils) that they contain.

95% of the American population does not consume enough EPA and DHA to benefit heart health, and since the potency of fish oil supplements can vary widely, it’s important to choose a product that is specifically made to have a high potency of EPA and DHA per pill, so you get the best benefit from your fish oil supplements.

A fantastic, high quality fish oil supplement that we recommend is Carlson’s Elite Omega. Carlson is a family owned Illinois company that specializes in wild caught, sustainably sourced fish oils from Norway. Their Elite Omegas have an amazing 1,600mg of omega 3s per serving, and also contain a bit of lemon oil inside their softgels, which can take care of any of the fishiness some people may experience from fish oil supplements.

Our Carlson Elite Omega Fish Oil Supplements will be on sale for 20% off for the month of October, so it’s a great time to give them a try!

Start the Year Fresh with a Whole Body Cleanse!

With the new year upon us, many people strive to begin the new year in a healthier way, and a whole body cleanse is an easy and helpful way to do that. One that we particularly recommend is the Complete Body Cleanse by Nature’s Plus.

Their complete body cleanse is a mix of three products in one kit. An herbal cleansing formula, which has ingredients designed to helps to detoxify the liver, lymphatic system, kidney, blood, and lungs. Next, there is a fiber formula, which helps to bind the released toxins and also works as a whisk to clean out the intestines. Finally, there is a gentle colon cleanse with laxative herbs for nighttime.

Many people are worried about doing a cleanse, particularly the colon cleansing part with laxative herbs because they’re worried that they won’t be able to leave the house because they’ll be in the bathroom all day. Don’t be. A good cleanse like this one by Nature’s Plus that we’re recommending should be gentle, gradually helping to increase the amount of bowel movements you have per day, but not in an excessive or unpleasant way.

A cleanse is a fantastic thing to do a couple times a year, or at least annually. Our modern lives put a big stress on our bodies by the chemicals and toxins we come in contact with every day, whether through our environment, our food and drinks, the medications we take, and even the very air we breathe. Taking time out to cleanse and restore the body’s systems can help to bring the body back into balance.

After doing a cleanse, many people feel lighter and more energized, but I would say that it’s definitely beneficial, even if you don’t feel very different afterwards, it’s a way of knowing that you’re doing what you can to help your body to run right and give it a bit of a break from the constant toxic load that it usually has to deal with (even from the healthiest of us). It’s almost something that can be likened to changing the oil in a car- your car might not ride much different afterward, but its continued maintenance will help it to run longer and better. Well, your body is definitely more important than a car, so make sure to treat it right too!

When doing a cleanse,  you can still eat as you normally would, but choosing a diet full of fresh produce, whole grains, and unprocessed foods will help it to be even more effective. A cleanse will still work if you’re eating McDonald’s every day, but I personally wouldn’t recommend it. ;)

Nature’s Plus Complete Body Cleanse comes in both one and two-week formulas. I would absolutely recommend doing the two week one. It’s only a few more dollars than the one-week formula, and having a second week of cleansing really does help to release more toxins in the body- in my opinion, the second week makes a big difference.

Happy cleansing!

Start the New Year Right with a Whole Body Cleanse

January is the start of a fresh new year, and as such is a fantastic time for a whole body cleanse!  Every day our bodies are bombarded by toxins from our environment, cleaning products, medications, and the foods we eat.  Doing a whole body cleanse once or twice a year is a great way to keep your body in tip top shape.

Whole body cleansing kits like those we sell at the store are a combination of supplements which help to aid in detoxification of all the body’s main detoxification pathways, supporting the liver (the body’s main cleansing organ), as well as cleaning out the colon.

Many people find enhanced energy and immunity after a whole body cleanse.  It’s also a good way to begin a diet and exercise program, since being bogged down to toxins can hamper weight loss efforts.

One we especially recommend at Pass Health Foods is Nature’s Plus Complete Body Cleanse- a kit of three different products (all in vegetarian capsules, thankfully).  It’s a certified organic formula that’s both gluten free and vegetarian that includes an herbal cleansing formula, a fiber formula, and then a nighttime colon cleansing formula.  It is taken only in the morning and evening, and while it does increase bowel movements, it is gentle and will not lead to “colon cleansing emergencies” (something I know many people are worried about).

It’s definitely one to try, and is a great way to start 2016!

Product Spotlight: Natural Cleansers

Since Earth Day is this month, I thought I’d write about natural cleansing products, since it’s an easy way to help the environment while going about our daily lives.  Often when people think about being healthier they look to diet and exercise, and those are two crucial areas of our health, but many people don’t realize the dangers of the toxic chemicals they’re exposing themselves to every day through conventional cleaning products.

On Earth Day, air pollution is one of the things we may think of, and ways to change that.  Unfortunately many people don’t think of the air pollution inside their own homes caused by toxic cleaning products.  According to the EPA the levels of indoor air pollution may be two to five times higher (and occasionally more than 100 times higher) than outdoor levels.  This type of air pollution is almost entirely avoidable, and switching to natural cleansers is a big part of that.

Only about 900 of the 10,000 chemicals in use today have been tested by the EPA as possible cancer causing agents.  Another problem is that conventional cleansers do not need to list their ingredients on the labels.  The chemicals in conventional cleaning products are toxic to humans, animals, and the environment.  Here’s a short list of some of the common chemicals used in cleansers (this list was taken from volunteerguide.org):

·         Phosphates, found in dishwasher and laundry detergents, cause algae bloom, which kills fish and aquatic plants, and produces chemicals that are toxic to animals and people who drink the water.

·         Trisodium nitrilotriacetate is a possible carcinogen in laundry detergents. It can disrupt the elimination of metals in wastewater treatment facilities.

·         Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite), available alone and in detergents and other products, is toxic to fish and can bind with organic compounds in water to form organochlorines, which break down slowly in the environment and accumulate in the fatty tissues of wildlife. Chlorine is especially toxic to organisms that live in water and soil.

·         Napthas and mineral spirits, found in furniture polishes, are neurotoxins and considered hazardous waste. Mineral spirits break down very slowly and contaminate air and water.

·         Formaldehyde, an ingredient in furniture polish and various cleaning products, is a potential human carcinogen and a known cancer-causing agent in animals.

·         Phthalates, found in furniture polish, disrupt hormone function and can cause genetic defects in both animals and humans.

·         Ether-type solvents, methylene chloride, butyl cellosive, and petroleum distillates, found in oven cleaners are hazardous waste and can contaminate the air, water, and soil.

·         Sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide, in drain cleaners, can change the pH of water and cause fish kills.

Children are especially susceptible to damage from these toxins, since their brain, organs, respiratory and other systems are not fully developed.  There have even been studies showing damage to developing fetuses when pregnant women are exposed to certain chemicals.

I don’t want to sound alarmist, but rather hope this will make others consider switching to natural, earth friendly cleaning products.  I can’t encourage you enough to make the switch, for your own health and the earth’s as well.  It’s a simple change which can make a lasting difference.

Earth Friendly Product’s  Parsley Plus is one of my favorites.  It smells amazing and is great for kitchens and bathrooms or any hard surface.  You have to smell it to believe how wonderful it is, especially if you’re used to artificial, chemical based cleansers.

Citrasolv is a wonderful all purpose cleaner.  It’s concentrated, so it lasts a long time.  It’s great for removing grease and  all kinds of gunk, adhesive and stains without chemicals.  It’s definitely one to have in your cleaning arsenal.

Earth Friendly Product’s Window Kleener with Lavender is another I always have in my house.  It cleans glass (other surfaces as well) without chemicals and leaves them clean and streak free.  Plus, it doesn’t spray a bunch of chemicals into the air for you to breathe in (unlike conventional glass cleaners).

Another great reason to use natural cleaners is that kids can “help” without you having to worry about toxic chemicals.  I’d never feel comfortable giving my almost three year old a bottle of Windex to spray on the windows to help “clean”, but I feel comfortable with her using a natural window cleaner (with supervision of course) so she can help.