Students Of Success

phat (f t) adj. Slang phat•ter, phat•test Excellent; first-rate: phat fashion; a phat rapper.

Want to increase your overall health and energy level? Interested in preventing heart disease, cancer, depression, and Alzheimer’s? Or perhaps you’d like to treat rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, or Raynaud’s disease?

If you answered yes to any of these, then get fat!

No, I don’t mean “get fat” as in “get bigger!” I mean stop thinking that all fat is bad for you, and start including healthy “phat” fats in your diet!

Healthy fats, more commonly called “omega-3s,” are essential fats - “essential” means that, unlike many other fats, your body cannot create omega-3s. In other words, you have to eat them if you want to be healthy!

Excellent Fats?

So what makes these omega-3 fats so phat? Read on!

• Omega-3 fats actually give you energy! Yes it’s true - they help produce energy from food sources and move it throughout your systems.
• They govern proper brain development and your overall mental state.
• These essential fats help transfer oxygen from your lungs to your cells, a critical process indeed!
• Omega-3s shorten the time tired muscles need to recover from exercise.
• They help your body create hormones.

Need more? Omega-3s have been found to:

• Help create smooth, velvety skin (who doesn’t want that?!);
• Increase stamina and vitality;
• Speed up the healing process;
• Increase feelings of calmness;
• Decrease inflammation; and
• Decrease blood pressure.

And if you’re still not convinced, omega-3s also:

• Decrease pain and swelling associated with arthritis;
• Reverse PMS and decrease water retention;
• Kill malaria (you never know when you are going to take a trip to the Congo!) and
• Treat bacterial infections.

Where O’ Where Can I Find This Wonderful Fat?

Hopefully one or more of these benefits have convinced you to get fat. So where can one find these awesome omega-3s? Here are just a few excellent sources:

• Flax seeds
• Walnuts
• Chinook Salmon and Halibut
• Scallops and Shrimp
• Brussels Sprouts
• Tofu
• Summer and Winter Squashes
• Soybeans
• Collard Greens
• Kale

With A Little Help from My Friends

Although omega 3s truly are amazing, they do need some help in performing all these incredible feats. To get the most from your omega 3s, be sure to eat foods that are also rich in vitamins E, C, B3, B6, and beta carotene, as well as magnesium and zinc. Best bets? Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are the way to go!

One More Thing - Omega-3 Has a Cousin

The other essential fat your body needs is omega-6, commonly found in meats and vegetable oils. Most Americans have a lot of omega-6 and just a little omega-3 in their bodies. The important thing is to have both in your diet. Once you’ve caught up on your omega-3s (the quickest way is to take 1 to 3 teaspoons of fish or flaxseed oil daily for several months), balance your intake of high omega- 6 and omega-3 containing foods accordingly and supplement as needed. For most people, this means increasing intake of omega-3 on a regular basis.

So what are you waiting for? Get fat!

Julia Kalish is a Certified Nutritionist and Health Coach, specializing in women’s nutrition. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Yale University. Julia is the founder and Director of Inner Voice Nutrition, LLC, and has trained at both the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and American Health Science University. Julia is certified by the National Institute for Nutritional Education and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She is the expert Nutrition Coach for Unlimited Growth Potential, a national coaching firm for women. You may reach Julia at julia@innervoicenutrition.com, and visit her site at http://www.innervoicenutrition.com

The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.