What's the Big Deal with Omegas?
Let’s talk Omegas! As we all know, whether we want to admit it or not, our diets play a very large role in how our bodies are able to fight our autoimmune and chronic illnesses. You will never hear me talk about “good” food or “bad” food, because I do not believe in associating shame with food. I also really love donuts and tacos and don’t ever want to be made to feel any sort of guilt about the foods I eat and I don’t ever want anyone else to either. If you ever hear me refer to a food as “bad” I’m referring to how it makes me feel when I eat it, not that the food itself is a bad food. However, there are foods that are more apt to aid our bodies in healing itself, and I think that it’s SO SO SO important to incorporate those foods into our daily diets.
I’ve talked about fiber in the past, and today I’m going to talk about Omegas and basically how they have like, superpowers that make you feel amazing when you are supplying your body with enough of them! Now, anyone and everyone can find Omega and Omega-3 vitamins and pop those each day, but as someone who has enough pills to pop for my multiple illnesses, I just don’t wanna do that. (There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting this fatty acid in supplement or pill form if that's your preference, I just prefer the food method!)
So why Omegas? Omegas are clinically proven to combat inflammation in the body, aid in brain function (brain fog, anyone?!), improving mood and helping with mood disorders, stabilizing blood sugar and lowering blood pressure, and helping with skin issues among many other benefits – wow! And the best thing – they are SUPER EASY to fit into your diet every single day without a pill! And I’m totally not knocking the supplement pills, I just don’t like having to swallow more pills in a day then necessary.
Now I suffer from a host of food allergies, and go figure my food allergies are all the foods naturally highest in Omega-3’s – Walnuts, Salmon or Cod liver oils, and Mackerel fish. These foods and oils have hella-high amounts of Omega-3’s and most of the supplements you see on shelves are derived from these. My favorite way to get my Omegas is through seeds – Chia, Flax and Hemp seeds specifically!
Here is a breakdown:
Chia seeds – 1 tablespoon is 61% of your daily value!
Flax seeds – 1 tablespoon is 39% of your daily value!
Hemp seeds – 1 tablespoon is 25% of your daily value!
The best thing about these seeds is that they can essentially be added to almost anything you already eat without you even noticing! You can sprinkle them on your toast, throw them into a smoothie or juice, toss them into a sauce, etc. I like to add them to my overnight oats and get a full dose of my daily Omegas first thing in the morning! And if you’re an oatmeal fan, here’s my favorite way to make my overnight oats:
Spoonie-Strength Overnight Omega Oats!
1/3 c. dry oats (I like steel cut, but use your preference)
2/3 c. soy or nut milk of your choice
1 Tblsp Chia Seeds
1 Tblsp Flax/Hemp seed blend
Small handful Blueberries
Small handful Raspberries
Splash Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon and Nutmeg to your taste
Splash of pure maple syrup
Add all ingredients to a seal-able container and mix until all dry and wet ingredients are incorporated. Store in refrigerator overnight and enjoy in the morning!
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4030645/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12480795
