Olwen Anderson's Blog

Some of the heels I see are truly shocking - cracked, red, looking really uncomfortable. I sometimes think my clients are very aware of how their heels look; because they immediately launch into an explanation: "I wear sandals"; "I like to walk barefoot" and so on. Some people immediately move to reassure me: "Its OK Olwen, I pull out the power tools and sand my heels down once a month!"

So why am I checking out your heels during your consultation? Well, because its a great indicator of your essential fatty acid status. We should all be eating a diet high in omega-3 oils from seafood, seeds and nuts; and relatively few omega-6 oils from saturated and other animal fats. Our western diet can be all too skewed in the wrong direction; heavy on omega-6 oils with omega-3 oils sometimes non-existent. The resulting imbalance affects your skin, making it drier and less flexible. For some reason, the heels of your feet are where its most evident.

If your essential fatty acid (omega 3) status is perfect, your heels are as soft as the palms of your hands, just a little thicker. 

Now I know that you've looked at your own heels, and decided whether you need more omega-3 oils and less omega-6 oils. How do you make the change?

- Eat seafood almost every day. A variety of seafood is best, from all levels of the ocean food chain. Wild salmon and wild tuna, along with other oily fish like mackerel and herring are exceptionally high in omega-3 oils; but enjoy white fleshed fish as well.

- By choosing to eat more seafood you are automatically eating less animal meats, which means a better essential fatty acid status for you.

- Walnuts and flaxseed (linseed) are also high in omega-3 oils. A handful of mixed seeds and nuts is a great addition to your diet as a snack.

- You can take omega-3 oil supplements if you prefer.

It takes several months for heels to improve even after you've changed your diet, so be patient. Take a photo of your heels now as a record, so you can look back in six months and see how much you've improved. And start using the electric sander for what its designed for - sanding wood instead!

I always ask my new clients to bring all their existing supplements and medications to their first consultation, so I know exactly what they’re taking. Sometimes a new client will proudly present a mega-sized tub of fish oils, commenting on just what a great deal it was – so cheap!

Well friends, sometimes it was indeed a great deal, and sometimes….well…..maybe not.  I’d like to give you some information to help you avoid buying a dud tub next time you are shopping for a fish oil supplement.

Your first test when assessing whether that tub on special is worth buying is to look at the quantity of fatty acids. The therapeutic ingredients you want out of a fish oil supplement are the essential fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexanenoic acid, EPA and DHA for short. A high quality fish oil supplement will have around 300mg of EPA and 200mg of DHA per capsule. Most ‘over the counter’ fish oil supplements have far less than this, which means that you have to consume more capsules to get the same therapeutic effect.

The second test is to look for an antioxidant included with the fish oil to prevent them going off. Its usually vitamin E or rosemary oil. Rancid oils add to the oxidative stress burden your body already has to carry, so fresh oils are particularly important.

The last test? Unscrew the lid and take a deep breath. If your capsules smell ‘fishy’ they’re probably rancid – gone ‘off’. Take them back to the shop or throw them out.

Now you know what to look for when you’re shopping for your next tub of fish oils – or see your local clinical naturopath who can sell you the highest quality fish oil supplements.