#19 Think of the fishes
Or, how can we stay healthy while thinking of the fishes. In the last of our mini health series we're talking about Omega 3 oils.
We are all reminded that having sufficient Omega 3 in your diet is great for health—reducing risk of heart disease, circulatory problems and improving brain health. Eating Omega 3 oils is overall a great way to help you live a long and healthy life.
Many Omega 3 supplements are extracted from fish, or from krill. And our insatiable demand for fish based products is causing catastrophic harm to our oceans, the lungs of our planet. If we want a long and healthy life, it's best to look after the fish so they can look after us.
Nuts and seeds including walnuts, chia seed and linseed and other fish-free sources can give us all the Omegas we need, without the harm. For more detail, read on.
What's the krill all about?
Krill may be small and live the other side of the world from us, but we should look after them. Right now, millions of tons of krill are being pulled out of Antarctic waters every year—much of it going straight to fish oil production. Krill is what the whales eat. By removing their food source we cause unknown harm to whale populations.
The whales have had a tough time
Not everyone cares about whales, but we should. There's a thing called the 'whale pump' where the movement of whales to and from deep water distributes nutrients and keeps surrounding ocean life healthy. This whale pump is also thought to play a role in managing ocean temperatures maintaining stable climate and weather patterns. Without the whales driving this process, whole systems collapse.
So why are we catching the krill anyway?
Simple. Because we've run out of fish to catch. We caught the big fish, and when we ran out of big fish we caught the little fish. Now we're running out of little fish, so we catch the little critters instead. It's a desperate turn of events.
There are better choices
- A varied diet with plenty of vegetables and nuts will normally give the body everything it needs. Most of us don't need supplements anyway.
- Daily portions of walnuts, linseed or chia seed is a great, low impact way to increase your Omega 3 intake.
- Eating fish twice a week can be recommended—if you do this, choose your fish wisely and know how they're caught.
- If you prefer to take a supplement, look at vegan algae-based supplements. Algae after all is what the fish eat to get their own Omega 3s,
It's a long journey
The more we act, the more we share, the more we have a movement towards a healthier, safer, more prosperous future for us all.