Why we all need Omega 3 & Alpha Lipoic Acid - forever.
In my adolescence, my mother had decided to insist that I had bipolar or was manic depressive due to my emotional mood swings & reactions. She claimed it ran in the family, with her sister having clear symptoms since her own adolescence (but also never diagnosed professionally.) My mother never recommended I be tested & insisted that I never take pharmaceutical anti-depressants (bless her for this one thing.)
What she did insist on was high levels & consistent taking of multivitamins with the specific addition of Omega 3. She told me that the most common symptoms of malnutrition (low vitamin & mineral levels) were anxiety & depression.
Despite my mother's tendency for misinformation sharing - this one happens to be true & backed up by multiple reputable studies, now being common nutritional & mental health knowledge.
During my first pregnancy my midwife, after mentioning a rather low or cloudy mood development, reminded me that Omega 3 was nature's anti-depressant & needs to be taken slightly over the recommended daily dose for the positive mental health & cognitive benefits.
During my certification training for Nutrition Coaching I learned that the North American diet often has Omega 6 & 9 in doses 10 to 20 times more than our Omega 3 intake. But our bodies operate best when 3, 6 & 9 are represented in balance in our bodies (a 1:1:1 ratio.)
I have personally noticed a low mood over take me, with no environmental reasoning, only to analyze my life conditions & realize I haven't been taking my Omega 3 supplements for a number of days. As I begin taking them again I experience both an increase in positive mood as well as higher levels of mental clarity.
Although many biohackers argue for a extremely well sourced fish oil - I find the benefits I'm looking for with a normal Jameson's brand from Costco, Amazon or local drug/grocery store. I often choose one that requires me to take 3-4 capsules a day to spread out the dose & take just above the daily recommendation (take 4 when 3 is recommended,) rather than a single pill dosage & taking 2 times the daily recommended amount.
As much as I love fish & seafood - there is no way my lifestyle & diet can accommodate 'eating' the amount of seafood required to get the daily amount of Omega 3 I wish to consume to see the mental health benefits.
Now, the second supplement is a little more off the beaten path.
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA.)
ALA is found in dark green veggies & organ meats - but in trace amounts.
What does it do? Let me tell you:
kills free radicals, this means it's an antioxidant. That's not very interesting. It's more interesting when I explain that oxidative stress is the scientific way to explain aging. That's right - oxidative stress is what causes the 'symptoms' of getting old. So let's make this clear: ALA contributes to slowing down aging; that means feeling old, looking old & experiencing the 'common effects' of aging - from wrinkles to bone density.
It lowers blood sugar levels. With diabetes being one of the top health crisis we are facing in North America, learning to manage our glucose levels is hugely important. It does this in 2 ways
It directs the provokes glucose & nutrient delivery towards our muscles
Which also prevents the glucose from piling up & being stored as fat
Again - in lay terms: it increases muscular development & health & decreases fat accumulation.
Although the understanding of 'why' exactly was not established - during a testing of intravenous delivery, ALA cured liver disease in 75 out of 79 patients.
There is some research that is describing the use of ALA in diabetics that experience numbness & tingling in their limbs due to poor circulation - to reverse this symptom due to reversing the diabetic condition. But for those who have poor circulation return in their extremities diagnosed as Raynaud's Syndrome which cites multiple possible causes from stress to poor circulation to autoimmune diseases - this is a potential supplement to test.**
**(from personal experience of having symptoms that qualify as Raynaud's - when in Ketosis & not experiencing glucose spikes, my tinkling & numb morning finger tip symptoms completely disappear & return when I drop out of Ketosis. I experience some alleviation with regular ALA daily dosing at 900 mg when on a slow carb nutrition regime.)
WHATEVER alpha lipoic acid is doing - I want it. I want it forever. Even better, there doesn't seem to be an overdose amount. The 'feeling' of taking ALA is almost non-existent. When I take it in unison with the Tim Ferriss PAGG - awesome. But when I'm not on the PAGG stack, ALA has become just a daily maintenance supplement along with my Omega 3.
I'm playing the long game. If I'm slowing the aging process and staying in a good mood while I do it - the answer is "I am all in."
If you would like to start building your Core Resiliency Skills contact Coach Julia today. You will learn how to Thrive beyond your damage, become a Transitional Character, break abuse cycles in your family cycle & build the core resiliency skills most often missed when being raised in a low nurture environment.
Julia is a Holistic Health Consultant, holding a Double Diploma in Community Support & Addictions Work, is a Certified Transformation Specialist, Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach & a Lvl 2 Reiki Practitioner. She specializes in Trauma Informed Practice & Resiliency Coaching. PrettyAggressiveRecovery@gmail.comÂ
Comments