The Good Oil
"I know the human being, and fish can co-exist peacefully" - George W. Bush (listen)
At Leftfield, I view supplementation as being largely unnecessary. The priority is whole foods and, in the (unlikely) event that we might be ticking all those boxes - and thereby actually using a supplement to supplement - for most, any further nutritional 'advantages' are negligible at best.
The protein shake next to the weights bench, or the sports drink on the treadmill dashboard are a triumph of marketing only. The consumption of a sports drink while walking (or running) on a treadmill, will have you leaving the gym in a caloric surplus - an outcome I'm yet to see addressed on any supplements poster, and probably not quite what you had in mind.
For the general fitness population - and unless you are getting paid to train, this includes you - in most instances these products are harming, rather than helping any fitness goals.
But there are a few exceptions, and topping that list is fish oil. The benefits of fish oil are widely researched and well documented and what follows is simply a summary of those benefits, some guidelines for your own supplementation, and finally, a great recipe.
Because I actually want you to read this I will be steering clear of the science, but for those interested, further reading suggestions are provided below.
First, a couple of important points.
IMPORTANT
[Fish oil can potentially have adverse effects for those taking blood-thinning medications]
There are endless nutritional protocols and theories and you are free to make your own decisions, but as a Precision Nutrition (PN) certified coach, my suggestions are in accordance with PN guidelines. This is a highly respected and research-driven nutrition coaching company that has to date, coached over 200,000 people to optimum nutrition world-wide, including Olympic level athletes and elite sports teams. In short, they know what they're talking about.
Any nutrition advice in Leftfield 101 is general in nature and assumes your good health. If you are undergoing treatment for any medical condition and/or taking prescription medication, seek advice from the appropriate health professional before making any dietary changes - no matter how insignificant you may believe them to be.
As you know, the purpose of Leftfield 101 is to create positive behaviour change, especially with regards to taking responsibility for ourselves. Ergo, don’t be a dick.
If in any doubt, run it by your GP first.
Although the beneficial omega-3 fats EPA and DHA are prevalent in fish, commercial fish may be contaminated with environmental toxins in varying amounts - particularly mercury. So while it’s fine to get a portion of your requirements by adding fish to your diet, this is one of the rare cases where supplementation really makes sense.
Fish oil has been shown to do the following:
Decrease the risks for heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Increase metabolic rate.
Help reduce fat mass and increase lean mass.
Reduce inflammation in the body.
Reduce pain associated with inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, chronic fatigue, etc.
Improve mood while decreasing symptoms of depression.
Aside from the benefits of omega-3s, there are 2 specific fats found in fish-oil. Originating with algae, DHA and EPA are found in marine animals with salmon the best known source. Studies have shown that these oils can speed your metabolic rate by about 400kcal per day - that’s roughly equivalent to a meal!
How much should I take?
The Precision Nutrition recommendation is to aim for 3-9 grams per day.
For the next 2 weeks take fish-oil capsules, at whichever dosage you feel is most appropriate to you.
Take out your phone, set a reminder to take fish-oil, beginning with your next meal. When you take it, set the reminder again to coincide with the following meal. Then reassess - do you feel better?
When it comes to the development of any habits, it's up to you to scale them as you see fit - to whatever is not just doable, but easy.
[Fish oil can potentially have adverse effects for those taking blood-thinning medications.]
While it does provide a host of benefits, fish oil is not a magical fat-loss pill. However, in combination with the right nutrition and exercise, fish oil supplementation influences several hormones and metabolic pathways which in turn, can have positive effects on body composition.
Vegetarians can gain similar benefits by going straight to the source and supplementing with algae.
[see below for recipe]
Further reading:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-fish-oil
(A fraction of) the science:
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Omega-3 supplementation.
http://w3.unisa.edu.au/researcher/issue/2005march/obesity.asp
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2958879
RECIPE
Preheat oven to 200 degrees
Take 2 fish oil capsules
Turn off oven
Nice work.
No? Okay, okay, this is a recipe published previously in Leftfield101 but it fits the bill perfectly here. Feel free to bitch to me about this, but only if you have made this one already!
ROASTED SPICED SARDINES
10 fresh sardines*, butterflied.
1 red onion finely diced
1 yellow capsicum
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2t dried chilli flakes
2T extravirgin olive oil
2T chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, halved
1t fennel seeds
*Filleting and butterflying sardines can be very fiddly and time consuming and ain't nobody got time for that shit. If you're unable to buy them filleted, you can easily substitute a larger oily fish i.e. mackerel - which you will be able to buy filleted- keep them whole, or just use sardines from a tin. It's still good!
Preheat oven to 200°C. Rinse and dry sardines (unnecessary if using tinned), and place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Combine all remaining ingredients. Spoon over sardines and season, leaving remaining mixture for another day - it will keep in the fridge for a week. Roast for 8-10 minutes or until flesh can be pulled away from the spine. Drizzle with pan juices. Note also that if you are using tinned sardines you can either heat them in oven as above, or just eat them straight away - perfect in summer.
Serve with a green salad and/or slide these little beauties on to slices of toasted sourdough.
Enjoy!
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