Healthy Food Choices for Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are macronutrients found in fish and flaxseed oils. Try these tips for buying foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids in this healthy shopping video.

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Helps cholesterol levels
Fish is best dietary source
Flaxseed oil, walnuts, soybeans also sources
Supplements may help

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Michelle Cooper has been a registered dietician for more than 10 years. She currently works for the state of North Carolina for the New Hanover County School District in the Child Nutrition Department as the supervising registered dietician on staff. She specializes in child nutrition, child fitness and overall child health. She enjoys her job because it allows her to be a pivotal piece of child development.

MICHELLE COOPER: Next, we are going to talk about omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help those--help people to have a healthy heart and those that are at risk for cardiovascular disease by lowering their bad cholesterol and helping to elevate their good cholesterol, therefore putting them at a lower risk for further damage to their heart. The best dietary source of omega-3's happens to be fish, mostly cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines. However, you can find a form of omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed oil, in walnuts and in soybeans. What they are recommending is that most Americans get about two to three servings of fish a week to meet their omega-3 fatty acid needs. However, this may not be possible for everybody, so you can supplement with an omega-3 fatty acids supplement, such as the one that you see here or a cod liver oil supplement. It is always better to eat your food to get your omega-3 fatty acids from dietary. But if you can't, it is okay to supplement, especially if you have the okay with your physician to do so. So remember, you need omega-3's. And the best source of omega-3's are your fatty fishes and some of your vegetables like flaxseeds, soybeans and walnuts. You need to have about two to three servings a week. And if you can not always meet that, you can take a supplement that may meet your needs.

Healthy Food Choices for Omega 3 Fatty Acids Video

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