The essential oils found in fish oil, DHA and EPA are vitally important to every aspect of your health due to the fact that they make up every cell membrane in your body. Without them, the cell walls will be weak and cells will easily be damaged by processes in your body. When cell membranes are weak, things that are supposed to stay inside the cells like nutrients get out, and things that are supposed to stay out of the cell, like wastes and toxins, get in.

For that reason, essential fats found in fish oil play a role in correcting MANY symptoms of ill health and in keeping you in a state of optimal health. Just to name a few things, essential fats are vital for proper brain function and memory, eyesight, healthy skin, blood sugar regulation, athletic performance, healthy joints, and even healthy weight regulation.

Buyer beware though, not all fish oils are created equal. The vast majority of fish oils you will find at retailers are rancid due to the delicate nature of fish oils. That is VERY bad, because not only is a rancid fish oil not going to provide the nutrients you need, it can actually be HARMFUL due to the oxidation of the oils. You can tell when a fish oil is rancid if it tastes or smells fishy or bitter.I recommend liquid fish oil, but if you are taking a capsule, break one open and check it for rancidity by tasting and smelling it. Fish oil needs to be refridgerated after it is opened and used up within six weeks as well.

One caution with fish oil is that is will make your blood less sticky and reduce clotting time. That is actually a good thing for most people, but if you are already on blood thinners, talk to your doctor and have them adjust your medication accordingly. Also, if you are scheduled for surgery or going into dangerous situations with a possibility of bleeding (military depolyment for example) you should stop your fish oil two weeks prior.

How much do I take?

1 tablespoon, twice per day is a great dose for most healthy adults. If you train hard or fat loss is a goal, you can safely take much more. This Fish Oil Calculator from Whole Nine is a great tool to figure out how much you should take. You will have to copy and paste this link to get there. http://whole9life.com/fish-oil/

When do I take it?

Ideally you will take your fish oil morning and night, with meals that contain some other healthy fats. Avoid taking it directly before or after working out if weight loss is a goal, simply because fats slow digestion. Please do not assume that means fish oil will impede fat loss, because it will not, it actually speeds fat burning when you take it at the right time.

My fish oil of choice is Progessive OmegEssential. Copy and paste this link into your browser to check it out

http://www.progressivenutritional.com/#/men-omegessential-overview