Coming soon to a CPC near you!

How many of you are currently taking fish oil on a daily basis?  I know that we’ve talked about this before, but if you’re not taking it, you should be.  Nutrition guru Robb Wolf recommends taking a gram of fish oil per 10 pounds of bodyweight – that’s 16 grams per day for a 160-pound CrossFitter.  Although I think that that’s probably a little on the high side unless you are actively training for a competition, 8 – 10 grams per day for that bodyweight would be a great way to supplement your diet.

Here’re some of the benefits of doing so per the National Institute of Health:

• Promotes heart health
  Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health calculated that eating about two grams per week of omega-3 fatty acids (equal to one or two servings of fatty fish) reduces the chances of dying from heart disease by more than one-third. Omega-3 fats protect the heart against the development of erratic cardiac rhythm disturbances, help break up blood clots and lower cholesterol, tryglicerides, LDLs and blood pressure. The fats also increase good HDL cholesterol.
• Protects against cancer
  Studies have found that fish oil can prevent three of the most common forms of cancer: breast, colon and prostate. The fatty acids stop the alteration of a normal healthy cell to that of a cancerous mass and cause the death of some cancer cells. Researchers are currently digging deeper to see how fish oil can play a larger role in cancer survival and prevention.
• Improves mental health
  Researchers at the University of Sheffield have found that fish oil supplements can alleviate the symptoms of depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. On a seemingly related note, a Chinese study of 100 suicide-attempt cases found diets low in fishy meals to be a common factor. Other studies report that depressed patients who take omega-3 fatty acids in addition to prescription antidepressants had a great improvement in symptoms than those who took antidepressants alone.
• Helps prevent degenerative disorders
  Researchers at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans found the presence of omega three fatty acids in the diet prevent proteins from misfolding and forming a gene mutation in degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s. Other recent studies have shown that people who eat a lot of fatty fish score better on memory tests and are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
• Relieves pain and fight arthritis
  There have been many studies promoting improvements in morning stiffness (not what you’re thinking here folks – tb) and joint tenderness with the regular intake of fish oil supplements for up to three months. One study performed at Albany Medical College even suggests that people with rheumatoid arthritis who take fish oil may be able to lower their dose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Improves IQ Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients aren’t the only ones to get a memory boost from fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids. A 2009 study of healthy adults —55 and older—found that those who took a fatty acid supplement for six months had almost double the reduction in errors on a test that measured learning and memory skills compared to those who took a placebo. 

We are now teaming up with Maine Natural Health – Matty Aporta’s (Paradiso CrossFit) company and will be selling their fish oil here at CPC.  We’ve done a lot of research, ingested a lot of crappy fish oil and found that this brand not only tastes good (they have tangerine, mint, lemon, vanilla, chocolate and natural as flavors), but is priced just above Costco – without the chemical alteration and fillers.  This is a great product, Eric and I wouldn’t be carrying it if we didn’t both take it ourselves and believe in the efficacy of it.  We’re going to be placing our first order on Friday, so feel free to post to comments if there’s a particular flavor that you want us to make sure that we have.

Today’s Workout:
”Josh”
21 Overhead Squats (95#/65#)
42 Pull Ups
15 Overhead Squats
30 Pull Ups
9 Overhead Squats
18 Pull Ups