Jack Prime asked:


Fish Oil supplements such as Cod Liver Oil, together with Omega-3s and Essential Fatty Acids are extremely popular at the moment for their health benefits and their usage in improving the symptoms of many different diseases and disorders.

However, many of these same benefits can also be received from eating oily fish such as mackerel and herring. Oily fish are the richest source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids so we should make them a regular part of our diet.

Compared to Mediterranean diets, where fresh fish are regularly caught from their shores as well as being surrounded by olive groves, fruit trees and vegetable harvests, we typically do not include a good intake of oily fish in our diets.

Studies have shown that Mediterranean’ s, like the Eskimos who survive on large amounts of fish and marine animal

s, have far lower rates of heart disease, eczema and psoriasis and better levels of general health compared to other Western countries.

A diet rich in essential fatty acids in the form of fish and vegetable oils, together with fresh, unrefined fish, fruit and vegetables is responsible for good health and well being. These foods are abundant in rural areas of France, Greece, Italy and Spain and scientists believe it is the combination of these natural foods which accounts for the good health of these nations.

Other nations, such as our own, tend to favour meat over fish with meat containing higher levels of saturated fat which, in large quantities, will increase the depositing of cholesterol in the arteries, raising the risk of heart attacks and thrombosis. Moving to a diet rich in fresh fish, fruit and vegetables and low in animal fats reduces or eliminates this risk substantially.

Buying or selecting fresh fish can be difficult in our supermarkets and shops as not all fish contain the essential fatty acids which are so beneficial to our health. Pre-packed foods and ready-made meals containing fish just wont provide the benefits of fresh fish. It is worth the effort to visit a large supermarket or fishmonger who will have a much larger selection of fish which contain the fats we need.

A range of Oily Fish which provides the Omega-3s so beneficial to our health include;

Anchovies Bass Carp Cod Haddock Halibut Herring Lake trout Mackerel Mullet Rainbow trout Red snapper Salmon Sardines Sole Sprats Squid Swordfish Tuna

Note that Tuna should be bought fresh and not tinned, as the fish oil is commonly drained off and replaced with refined vegetable oils.

The best way to gain the benefits of oily fish is to eat the fish raw and if you are a fan of Japanese cuisine, you should enjoy this Sushi style food. If you are unable to eat raw fish or just don’t like eating fish in this manner the next best method is to bake your fish before eating it as this will preserve the Essential Fatty Acids in the fish more effectively than grilling or frying.

By making fresh oily fish a regular part of your diet you will be improving your health and reaping the benefits of the Omega-3s and Essential Fatty Acids they contain.

Alison Grimston asked:


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The systems in animals are accustomed to raw food and use it effectively for maintaining good health and well-being. In this way, in the wild animals live long and healthy lives. However, in our homes, we tend to give our dogs and cats cooked food or processed food bought from supermarkets. They may affect their natural vitality and immune systems and make our pets prone to infections, allergies and other diseases. Raw food diets for dogs and cats are generally advantageous in terms of the nutritional support they provide to the body, promoting the immune system and making it strong enough to fight off diseases.

Studies have revealed that commercially processed foods lack several vital nutrients; this c an m

ake a dog hypersensitive and extremely susceptible to allergies. Moreover, consumption of too the quantity of grains that these processed foods contain can also be harmful for the dog’s teeth. In one particular study carried out with 900 cats over 10 years, it was found that the rate of degeneration was higher in cats that were not fed on raw foods than cats fed on raw foods. Cats fed on two-thirds raw meat and one-third raw milk with little cod liver oil diets were found to do better than cats that had processed food of identical calorific value. The study also revealed that cats fed on cooked food were at higher risk of heart problems, thyroid complications, vision problems, infections of kidneys, liver, testes and bladder and even paralysis and meningitis. Irritation and sexual displeasure were also some of the symptoms that the cats fed on cooked foods displayed.

Many owners are afraid to put their dogs and cats on raw food from the fear of contracting infections by the pets from parasites, salmonella and harmful bacteria that raw foods may contain. However, such thoughts are reasonably misplaced, as dogs and cats have short alimentary tract with strong acidic environment that ‘kills’ these harmful organisms and prevent their proliferation in the body. Owners can also add Fulvic acid to the raw food diet of dogs and cats; this acid is an excellent neutralizer of toxins and can drastically cut down the risk of food poisoning.

Raw food diets for dogs and cats can have several choices and may include raw meat such as chicken, pig feet, beef heart, raw vegetables including sea vegetables, raw eggs, chia seeds, coconut oil, raw garlic, grounded or pureed raw carrots and other greens and nutrients. The bones in the meat are excellent source of dietary calcium that dogs and cats require abundantly for good health and vitality.