How to balance omega-6 and omega-3

Here’s some tips to balance your omega-6 and omega-3…

Avoid the “industrial vegetable oils” high in omega-6 like the plague — sunflower, safflower, corn, soy, cottonseed, peanut, canola. Good oils/fats low in omega-6 are butter/ghee, coconut oil, olive, avocado, macadamia, beef tallow, duck fat. Please click here if you’re worried about saturated fat.
Don’t overdose on nuts, a handful a day is fine, macadamia nuts are lowest in omega 6 at 0.5 g per ¼ cup so it’s best to have macadamia nuts mostly, next are hazelnuts and cashews at around 2.5 g per ¼ cup, but I also like almonds for their good vitamin E content (4.36 g) and pistachios are okay at 4.1 g. I usually soak a handful of nuts overnight to get rid of enzyme inhibitors, give them a good rinse in the morning and have with breakfast.
Eat about 5-6 oz fish high in omega-3 three times a week. e.g. salmon, sardines, mackerel.
Don’t overdose on chicken, but balance with ruminant meats — beef, lamb and seafood.

Optimizing your omegas is incredibly important so as to prevent chronic inflammation, which is at the roots of so many modern lifestyle diseases.

The ideal ratio is thought to be 2.3:1 omega-6 to -3, and these tips will get you in that ballpark.

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Michael Kinnaird is the author of Happy Guide, the result of a 20 year exploration into what works for health and happiness.

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