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5 Reasons to Love (Good) Fat

by goldsgym

If you skimp on healthy fats — omega-3s in fish, supplements, and some plant and dairy products — you’re missing out on a great way to help prevent a host of common problems. Here’s a quick look at how good these fats really are, and the best ways to work them into your life.

1. Fight those aches

How omega-3s help:

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found that nearly two-thirds of patients suffering from chronic neck and back pain stopped needing anti-inflammatory pain pills after taking fish-oil pills for 20 to 30 days. The key may be omega-3s’ ability to fight inflammation.

How to get them:

You don’t necessarily have to take the pills. Cold-water ocean fish (salmon, mackerel, herring) and lake trout are the best sources of anti-inflammatory omega-3s.

Health.com: 5 Quick Ways to Stop Back Pain

2. Stay slim

How omega-3s help:

Mood swings can lead to bring-on-the-brownies moments that sabotage your efforts to lose weight. Omega-3s may help by stabilizing your moods, researchers say.

How to get them:

Try a high-quality omega-3 supplement for 30 days. If you don’t notice a difference, increase your dosage.

3. Have more “up” days

How omega-3s help:

Another form of omega-3s known as DHA makes up 25% of your body’s brain fat and manages the production and flow of the feel-good chemical serotonin. People who battle depression seem to be DHA-deficient.

How to get them:

Researchers believe a DHA supplement may be a gentler (and ultimately more effective) alternative to antidepressants. But don’t count on just any supplement available at a drugstore or on the Web. Here’s a list of omega-3 supplements judged in independent tests to be fresh and free of contaminants, and to have the amount of good fats listed on the label.

4. Breathe easier

How omega-3s help:

Omega-3s may help reduce the inflammation associated with asthma. In a recent Indiana University study, patients taking fish-oil supplements were better at controlling exercise-triggered symptoms than people taking a placebo or just eating a normal diet were.

How to get them:

A supplement is your best bet.

Health.com: 7 Surprising Triggers of Lung Trouble

5. Keep your heart healthy

How omega-3s help:

In addition to fighting inflammation, omega-3s may lower blood pressure and reduce clotting. And they may help fight diabetes too, because diabetes has a strong inflammatory component. Omega-3s also help cells lower blood sugar, a key to avoiding diabetes, researchers say.

How to get them:

Eat plant foods like flax, walnuts, spinach, arugula, avocados, and canola oil, and soy products like full-fat tofu and edamame. They have a form of omega-3s called ALA that may help prevent heart disease, according to Harvard Medical School scientists. Also eat cold-water fish twice a week. And if you like eggs, shop for brands like Eggland’s Best that contain high levels of omega-3s. Bon appétit.

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What started out in 1965 as a small gym in Venice Beach, California has since become the most well-known and traditional fitness company in the world – Gold’s Gym. Over the last 55 years, Gold’s Gym has developed into a global brand with over 600 locations spanning 6 continents. Bodybuilding greats such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno and Franco Columbu worked out at the original Gold’s Gym, which went on to become the most legendary gym in the world. In the fitness industry, the brand enjoys cult status and universal appeal with 96% aided brand awareness. In 2020, the RSG Group acquired Gold’s Gym and integrated the brand into its portfolio, making it the global leader in the fitness sector.

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