Fish Oil and Weight Loss: What is the connection?

Benefits of Fish Oil for Fitness and Health

When the words oils and fats are mentioned, health-conscious individuals tend to run for cover. What they fail to realize is that there are good fats and bad fats. Complete avoidance of intake of oils and fats would actually be detrimental – rather than beneficial – to their health.

The Truth about Fish Oil
Essential fatty acids must always be part of our daily diet – without them, we take one step closer to our deaths. Essential fatty acids are divided into two families: omega-6 EFAs and omega-3 EFAS.

Although there are only very slight differences to distinguish the two groups of essential fatty acids from each other, studies have revealed that too much intake of omega-6 EFAs can lead to inflammation, blood clotting and tumor growth. The good news, however, is that the opposite is true for omega-3 EFAs. Omega-6 EFAs can be found in vegetable oils while omega-3 EFAs can be found in fish oils among other foods.

Omega-6 vs. Omega-3
Physicians and scientists are of the same opinion that the cause behind increasing cases of heart disease, hypertension or high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, premature aging and certain kinds of cancer is none other than an imbalanced intake of omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs.

As mentioned earlier on, omega-6 EFAs can be found in vegetable oils. This includes but is not limited to corn oil and soy oil, both of which contains high amounts of linoleic acid. Omega-3 EFAs on the other hand can be found also in marine plankton and walnut and flaxseed oils. It should be significant to take note that fatty fish and fish oils contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), fatty acids that have been observed to provide many benefits to the human body. In the early 1970’s, a study on Greenland Eskimos have revealed that one of the major reasons why they rarely suffer from heart diseases is because of their high-fat diet (mainly composed of fish).

The two essential fatty acids, EPA and DHA, are also helpful in preventing atherosclerosis, heart attacks, depression and various forms of cancer. Fish oil supplemented food have also proven to be useful in treating illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, Raynaud’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Other Benefits of Fish Oil
There are a lot more illnesses and situations in which intake of fish oil has proven to be significantly beneficial.

Making the Heart Healthier
The heart is inarguably one of the most important parts of our body and having an unhealthy heart means having to suffer a rather limited lifespan. Naturally, it’s in our best interests to keep our hearts happy and healthy and one way of doing that is eating food that contains fish oil.

In Athens, Greece, for instance, a study was made to show if there was a direct relationship between high fish diet and inflammation of blood vessels. The results revealed that those who ate more fish than the others had a lower level of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, factors that are commonly used to measure likelihood of blood vessel inflammation. These benefits remained even when the various risks associated with high fish diet were taken into account.

Fish to Become Thin
In Perth, Australia, a study had revealed that fish consumption can be used against hypertension and obesity. Researchers of the UWA (University of Western Australia) have discovered that a weight-loss diet which includes a regular amount of fish consumption can be quite effective in reducing blood pressure and improving glucose tolerance.

Fish Oil to Combat Asthma
People suffering from respiratory problems like asthma tend to be perceived as unfit and unhealthy. They should now be pleased to learn that certain studies have revealed the benefits of fish oil for asthma-burdened-individuals. Statistics show that approximately 20 to 25% of children today suffer one form of asthma or another at a certain point in their lives. And certain evidence reveals a regular diet of food with high linoleic acid content as the reason behind it.

Researchers of UW (University of Wyoming) conducted a study by subjecting a number of children to a high-fish diet while others continued with their regular diet. Results revealed that the participants who ate more fish were less prone to asthma attacks and were able to breathe more easily as well.

Consult Your Nutritionist Now
Nothing is good when consumed or used excessively but complete avoidance of a particular food type is equally harmful as well. Ask your nutritionist for the right amount of fish intake for your age and health status.

Birth Control and Hair Loss

If the title of this post made your heart skip a beat...then we are on the same page. :-)

I have been on this natural journey for quite some time now. Maybe about 6-8 months ago I swtiched from Ortho Evra (the hormonal patch) to Loestrin (birth control pill). Well immediately I experienced side effects. As with most other methods of birth control that I have used, I experienced break through bleeding. In addition, I also became very moody and at times even depressed. I noticed over time that I went up a cup size and I also started to spread in my hip area. The man was LOVING this...but I was giving it the side eye. Well the bleeding stopped only to be replaced with terrible cramps. The increased "boobage" and "hippage" turned into all over weight...and although my stomach remained pretty much flat, I went from a 6-8 to a 10-12. Well I still tried to hang in there with it because an unplanned pregnancy would be worse.

Well I have experienced increased shedding for atleast the past 6 months. I initially went to weaves in an effort to discourage any further shedding and just leave my hair alone altogether. Well it was not until recently when I took my6 last weave down and I noticed how thin my hair had become. I then took to the internet to research the effects of weave on the hair. I could not understand how after years of wearing weaves, I was experiencing such thinning. My research did not yield many results.

Well I was also researching weightloss while on birth control. While researching this subject, I learned that many low estrogen birth control pills often cause the hair to thin. I was both elated and livid! Atleast I now know WHY my hair is coming out. I was upset because it took me this long to find out. So am I correct in assuming that birth control prevents pregnancy because it makes you FAT, BALD and CRAZY?!? Seems that way! LOL

At any rate, I am in another weave install (my third) and I am continuing to care for my hair under the weave. I have also stopped the use of hormonal birth control. In an effort to bounce back for the hair thinning as a result of birth control, I plan to implement new supplements into my diet. My new vitamin regime will be:
Fish Oil
MSM
Biotin
B Complex

When I take this install down I will take a picture and then I will compare it six months from now. Will these supplements help me restore my original thickness? Only time will tell!

Missing my Hair: Still In Sew in!

So I have been weaved up since September and I have MISSED my hair.
When I took my weave down last time, I only wore my hair for about 2 days before I got it reweaved. Although I had two days with my hair, I did not do a length check at all. After wearing that THICK weave...my hair felt SO thin.

I recently discovered that I was losing hair. I could not for the life of me figure out why my hair was shedding so badly. Well I finally figured it out...MEDICATION. I recently switched to a new birth control pill and my body does not seem to agree at all. I will soon post more about the overall affects of different methods of birth control on your body.

At any rate....I liked my weave....not as much as I liked the first one...but I liked it. I used a better brand of hair this time...and I will be saving this hair ro use on a future install.

I have also decided to spend the first 6 months of 2010 in weaves. I am determined to retain some length and reach my hair first and second hair goal in 2010.

At any rate...I am taking my weave down and deep conditioning tonight. I hope that I have something good waiting for me under this weave. In the meantime, here are a few pics of my current do...

Update...Where have I been?

hey chicas!

I have been busy busy busy...but my hair is still in hibernation. I have decided to give my hair a break and some time to grow by wearing sew in's. I have also gotten HOOKED. I got my last install done about 2 weeks ago and I used Halley's Curls Gentle Wave in 16 inches. I have mixed feelings about it.

I have a few pics and I will definitely update to add them later.

I am still natural...and I still do not want a relaxer. I miss my hair at times and I am eager to do a twist and curl, but I was SO discourgaed by all of my setbacks and the lack of growth. When I do decide to take this weave down, I will be weaving back up. However, I plan to straighten and get a trim before I reweave again.

I am taking supplements and using Megatek (mixed with a few other things) under my current weave. The last weave I used nothing.... but I can not chance a setback due to lack of moisture...so I had to "Do what I know is right" LOL

At any rate...I will make an effoprt to update more with pics...because I still read about tons of hair, weight, skin, diet and fashion stuff...

Until later!

Pic of my new Weave

As promised.... I signed in for a sec to share a pic of my current do!

I promise to post better ones later!

Where have I been?

So...I have been MIA for a couple of weeks.

Well for one a chick has been BUSY working 329749328749823 jobs and going to school. It's all good tho because MONEY COMETH! :-)

In regard to my hair....I have given my lovely mane a break and gotten a sew in.
I have a simple sew in with the perimeter and a horseshoe shaped portion in the front left out. I am planning to take this down and get reweaved up in November. Hopefully I can weave it up until sometime in 2010. I am DETERMINED to have long hair come Summer 2010. I will be inching my way to Brastrap August 2010 and Midback by January 2011. Weave....please be my friend.

Pictures to soon follow. :-)

Replacement for My Beloved Kinky Curly Curling Custard

Hello all!

For those of you that follow, you know that I have had a love hate relationship with KCCC lately.
Somtimes KCCC can produce perfect silky spiral curls for me....other times it produces a stringy sticky mess. I recently tried Kinky Curly Curling Custard on my twist out and was quite pleased with the results.

Even before I purchased KCCC, I always got good results with Eco Styler gel with Infusium 21 leave in under it. Well the problem with this was I always ran out of Infusium SUPER fast and it was a chore to keep some in my closet. So I strayed away from this...

Well after reading naturally curly I read about Long Aid Curl Activator and how awesome it was....so I gave it a try. TOTAL bust. My hair felt SUPER greasy...and my curls did not clump at all..

Well recently I was reading on naturally curly that someone puts long aid curl activator on their hair BEFORE EcoStyler Clear. Well I have always used the brown Eco Styler....So I FIRST tried the clear Ecostyler alone....HATED IT.
Next I tried another curl activator under the brown eco gel.....It looks good. I was pleased...

Well yesterday I picked up MORE long aid curl activator and did the following:
Washed in shower with Aussie Moist
Put about .50(two quarters in palm) worth of Aussie MOist in my hair as a leave in...
Then put .75 of Long aid Curl Activator in hair
Pulled .75 of Clear Eco Styler gel thru my hair

Results...
Perfect Ringlets and awesome smelling hair!
It looks REALLY similar to when I first tried KCCC and it is MUCH cheaper. If you like KCCC and need something cheaper or you are out and can not order right away...this combo may work for you.

I will try it a few more times then include some pictures...