The Omega 3 marketing deception

More and more, people are realizing the importance of Omega 3 essential fatty acids in maintaining optimal health. And that's a good thing, right? Well, sort of. The problem is, the consumer knows just enough about the benefits of omega 3 fats to make him an easy target for the food industry's marketing strategies. You may have noticed more and more products containing omega 3 EFA are lining the shelves in the grocery store. You may have also wondered if those products are worth buying. Here is an excellent article from the mercola website that clears up this confusion.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/20/beware-of-misleading-omega-3-claims.aspx

Stress is everywhere

As I was reflecting on the events of the week, I realized just how easily stress can creep into our lives. It is so easy for the everyday things we do to pile up and become a source of chronic stress. You may not notice it at first, but the little things we do like laundry, dishes, supervising our kid's homework, cooking dinner, getting kids to bed, grocery shopping, meeting deadlines, not to mention the every day pressures of our careers, become the source of our stress. We often pride ourselves on being such good "multi-taskers." The problem is, we often loose sight of our own needs while putting everyone else's needs before our own. Frankly, ladies, it is just in our nature. I am here to tell you that pressures will always be there. Our in-baskets will never be completely empty. We need to find ways to achieve balance in our lives, not just become better jugglers. This is breast cancer awareness month. I cannot help but be disturbed by the latest statistics stating that 1 in 7 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes. I am one of those statistics, and am now a breast cancer survivor. As we all buy our breast cancer awareness t -shirts, mugs, and jewelry to support "finding a cure," shouldn't we be asking ourselves what we can do to prevent cancer from developing in the first place? Does your lifestyle promote health or illness? Can you relate to being overworked and stressed, and to not having any time for yourself? You could make some basic foundational changes in your diet or lifestyle that will add years to your life such as exercising 4-5 times/week or choosing to eat healthier. So what’s stopping you?I know I am able to get through stressful weeks so much better than I used to by continually feeding my body what it needs through good nutrition and supplements. I have a hard time finding time to work out, but I always feel better when I do. A final point to ponder: How can we expect to be there for our kids tomorrow if we do not take care of ourselves today? The best legacy we can leave for our kids is showing them how to live a lifestyle that promotes health. What legacy are you going to leave?


To your health,
Deborah Z. Bain, MD