When it comes to managing cholesterol there are a few things that we are often told by our health care professionals; reduce your intake of cheese and eat more fish.

But, the types of dietary changes we want to make depend a lot on our blood results, and the types of cholesterol that are high or low. For instance, if you have high LDL (lousy) cholesterol then we want to focus on increasing vegetables and reducing saturated fats. But if you have low HDL (healthy) cholesterol then we need to focus on getting enough healthy fats, particularly Omega 3’s. So, before you go launching into drastic changes to your foods, get a baseline measure of your cholesterol. That way you can make the most targeted adjustments to your food intake and you’ll also be able to see the results of those changes with a follow up test. The Healthy Eating Hub practitioners can refer you for cholesterol tests to get the information you need.

Why Omega 3’s?

Let’s imagine that you’ve gotten a referral from The Healthy Eating Hub team for a cholesterol test and your HDL (healthy) cholesterol is a bit low. Now what? We want to boost your intake of Omega 3 fatty acids. Why? Omega 3’s raise our HDL cholesterol and protect against cardiovascular disease because they have anti-inflammatory effects (reduce inflammation), anti-thrombotic effects (prevents blood clots) and they reduce the build up of fatty plaques in our blood vessels. This is only the tip of the iceburg. Omega 3’s are also related to good brain health and improved immune function. Pretty magical right?

But how do we actually increase our intake of Omega 3’s ?

Here are the top 6 best ways to meet your Omega 3 needs:

1. Chia Seeds

A nutrition ‘buzz food’, chia seeds are rich in Omega 3 and just 1 tablespoon a day will meet your recommended dietary intake. Chia seeds are also high in fibre, antioxidants, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. Here are some great ways to get your Omega 3’s easily from chia seeds.

  • Sprinkle them over your breakfast cereal or porridge.
  • Add them to a salad or salad dressing.
  • Pop them in curries, stews or casseroles (they will help to thicken the sauce and you won’t even notice they’re there).
  • Pour some into a smoothie like our Choc, Coconut and Chia Smoothie recipe.
  • Add them to something sweet like our Chia Bliss Balls recipe.

2. Sardines

Out of all the oily fish varieties, sardines are the richest source of long-chain Omega 3’s. While they don’t excite many people there are some really nice ways of including sardines without having to eat them straight out of the can. Try these out:

  • Finely chop them and spread them thinly on a toasted sandwich.
  • Blend a few in with your tomato pasta sauce for a salty kick.
  • Add them to a marinara mix and sauté it all up with garlic, cherry tomatoes, chilli and olive oil. They are perfect with pasta.

3. Flaxseed

Flaxseed or linseeds are good sources of Omega 3 and have been shown to have many health benefits, including the improvement of abdominal obesity status. You can add some flaxseeds in your meals in all sorts of ways:

  • Sprinkle them to your breakfast cereal (especially great with muesli).
  • Stir them through yoghurt.
  • Try using flaxseed oil in salad dressings and in cooking.

4. Walnuts

These tasty little nuts are also a great way to increase your Omega 3 intake. Even including small amounts across the week helps to accumulate your Omega 3 intake.

  • Finely blend them in the food processor and add them to baked goods like our Blood Orange and Poppy Seed Muffins.
  • Make up little snack bags with walnuts, flaxseed and dried fruit for a handy, healthy snack.
  • Add them to a fresh salad for a bit of crunch.

5. Salmon

Another oily fish, salmon is another great way to boost your Omega 3 intake. Including fish a few times each fortnight is a great way to vary up your diet and meet your Omega 3 needs. Try these recipes at home:

6. Supplement

If you are not a nut, seed or fish person you may want to look into a daily Omega 3 supplement to ensure sufficient intake of this essential fat. Book in a Dietitian or Registered Nutritionist appointment and ask them what type of supplement is best for you.

If you’re not sure whether increasing Omega 3’s is going to help you, come in and chat with The Healthy Eating Hub team. We can look at your diet, lifestyle and refer you for the right blood test to make the most relevant changes to your health.

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