Tuesday Tips - Omega 6

10 Easy Ways to Reduce Omega-6s

Very simply, we must decrease our consumption of omega-6 oils. Snacking on seeds, edamame, and whole foods is still healthy. But cut back on processed foods, which are high in omega-6-laden seed oils. At home,cook with oils and fats with a healthy balance of omega-6s to omega-3s. A few oil seeds--canola and flax, for instance-- have a very favorable ratio of the two families of essential fats, and they can be used by themselves (canola) or in combination with other oils (flax) to change the balance of omega-3s to omega-6s. Mix flax and canola with any of the other seed oils (corn, safflower, etc.) to produce a healthy blend. If you're curious about olive oil, it's still fine to use, as it's not high in omega-3 or omega-6s; it's fairly neutral. Other steps:

1. Replace processed cereal with cereal or oatmeal that contains flaxseed.

2. Make your own salad dressing with a mix of canola and olive oil.

3. Eat less fast food because it's all very high in omega-6 seed oils.

4. Look for potato chips that are fried in canola oil rather than cottonseed, soy, safflower, or sunflower oil.

5. Substitute walnuts for other nuts when you can because they're a seed that's high in omega-3s.

6. Make your own baked goods, replacing half the butter with canola oil.

7. Check food labels to avoid hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils.

8. Avoid omega supplements that contain both omega-3s and omega-6s. You'll see these labeled with terms like Complete Omega.

9. Choose grass-fed pork, chicken, beef, or bison whenever you can.

10. Avoid farmed fish because they are often fed corn and soy.

Read why you should reduce Omega-6s here!