I don't take a lot of vitamins but always take this

I love a good green juice and enjoy taking healthy “shots” but when it comes to vitamins you may be surprised to know I take relatively few. If I can get a nutrient via food in a reasonable manner, that’s what I prefer. Some nutrients are difficult to get via diet and that’s why Evening Primrose Oil is one of my dailies.

Evening Primrose Oil contains a few types of fat,  the one it is known for is GLA (black currant seed and borage are in the same category) It’s a good (anti-inflammatory) omega 6, I know, I know it’s confusing. The important thing to note is that in many people the conversion to GLA is lower than others

Evening primrose is used for:

Skin: for conditions such as eczema and psoriasis but also for dry, itchy skin. Interestingly GLAs are found in breast milk and it’s been suggested that infant eczema seen after switching to formula may be because it lacks GLAs (please don’t ask me about EPO and infants).

Hair and nail health: EPO can slow hair loss (more so in women for some reason) and improve hair texture.

PMS symptoms- women with PMS symptoms often have imbalance of fatty acids and low (or undetectable) levels of GLAs.

Weight- in addition to GLA, Evening primrose oil (EPO) also has type of fat  (linoleic) found in safflower sunflower seeds that is linked to body fat loss.

I take the capsules from Barleans (1300mg total) 2/day but for serious skin conditions it’s suggested to double this amount.  These are organic EPO which isn’t easy to find. It’s suggested to take EPO (and most supplements) with food. Be patient though, it can take 8 weeks to really see a difference although I have to say in my first month taking EPO I noticed dry skin (backs of arms) and hormonal symptoms (pain/cramps) better. I think some studies that have concluded EPO wasn’t effective simply because the study duration wasn’t long enough. You can get GLAS from a couple of foods such as oats and spirulina…while spirulina in in my cabinet; it’s hard to consume enough. I don't know if everyone should rush out and start EPO but if one or more of the items listed above (skin, PMS) need addressing it's worth a try and can make a big difference.

Have you heard of EPO? Do you take vitamins? What are your dailies? 

Cholesterol Composite

Ask a few people what foods to eat to lower cholesterol and you’ll probably get answers such as oat bran or red wine. These are perfectly reasonable answers. Yet how much is adding a little bran or soy or Shiraz really going to do if your cholesterol is concerning? Not all that much. There was a plan I had heard about a few years ago called The Portfolio Diet. This was a regime developed in Canada aiming to lower cholesterol. The creators of this plan put together a host of foods with cholesterol lowering properties. The results were astounding and published in multiple medical journals. Participants who followed this regime closely lowered cholesterol levels by 20 percent. The catch? Their plan is not for everyone, it is verges on veganism. It is also fairly high in soy and missing certain ingredients I feel would benefit those trying to lower their cholesterol or avoid going on cholesterol meds. So while I love the concept of a portfolio of foods, I have my own portfolio or “cholesterol composite.”

When Blisstree asked me for 25 cholesterol lowering tips I was reminded of this multipronged approach. Truth be told, I narrowed it down to 26 but could’ve given them 50 tips because when it comes to your arteries and your cholesterol-lowering foods, the more (foods) the merrier…or should I say the more blissful?

Click here for my 26 cholesterol ways to lower cholesterol including alcohol
How is your cholesterol? What foods have you heard help lower it? Any surprises on the 26 tips list?