By Phillip Tomlinson
NY Personal Trainer

“There you go again.”

 Yes, this was a dagger to the heart if you were on the other side of those words from Ronald Reagan.  But politics aside, while it’s a sure bet you’re interested in protecting your heart, the chances are you may not be doing as good a job as you think.  And, well…

There you go again.

 Yup, the likely scenario is that you may be going there again and again – having too much of a good thing until, well, it becomes a bad thing.  It’s called omega oil and, with a heart-healthy adjustment, you can avoid throwing a monkey wrench into your best efforts.

 For sure, omega fatty acids are good for us, but there’s a wrinkle and it’s no ordinary one.  It turns out, the western diet – awash in too much omega 6 – mainly in the form of processed foods loaded with refined oils – has been wreaking havoc on our health.

For some perspective, studies suggest that omega 3s and 6s – known as essential fatty acids   because our bodies can’t produce them – protect against, Alzheimer’s, type II diabetes, brain degeneration and heart disease among other maladies.

Omega 6 fatty acids tend to increase blood clotting and cell proliferation as well as inflammation.  And, if that red light is going off, it should.  Although inflammation is a necessary component of the body’s immune response, too much omega 6 means too much inflammation.

The result?  Eventually, the very things we’re trying to protect ourselves against: Diabetes, coronary heart disease, obesity, arthritis and, well, you get the idea.

Many scientists believe that before processed foods became such daily staples, our omega 3 and 6 consumption were about equal.

Today, they conclude, the omega 6:3 imbalance is anywhere from 20 to 50:1 – a far cry from the suggested 1:1 to 5:1 ratio.

The fix?  Make the following adjustments to your diet:

• ·     Avoid processed foods, since they are the main sources of primary refined fats like canola, soy and corn oils, margarine and shortening.
• ·     Consume lots of cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, bluefish mackerel and cod – all rich in omega 3.
• ·     Consume unprocessed oils like extra virgin olive oil.
• ·     Eat meats from grazing animals and eggs from free-ranging chickens.

 And, as for omega 3 supplementation, many experts believe nothing is as potent as a 500-milligram capsule of krill oil.