We’ve been singing the praises of fish oil for years now. That’s because fish oil provides certain fats that are sorely lacking in the average diet: the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. In fact, if you’re not going out of your way to get omega-3 fatty acids, you are almost certainly not getting enough. Our bodies synthesize about one trillion new cells every day. Each cell requires the right kinds of fats for its cell membrane. If you aren’t getting enough omega-3s in your diet, you are creating malfunctioning cell membranes and hence malfunctioning cells. Over time, this will have disastrous effects, especially in the brain (which is mostly fat) and nervous system. Now it seems that fish oil may take some of the pain out of nicotine withdrawal. Israeli researchers asked 48 smokers who were not trying to quit to take capsules containing 2,710 milligrams of EPA and 2,040 milligrams of DHA daily or a placebo for one month. At the end of the month, nicotine cravings were down sub…

A friend of ours recently took an over-the-counter medication for intestinal gas. The results were amazing, and not in a good way. Although she got minor relief, it was followed by a splitting headache, and that night she had horrible, violent nightmares. While we were still musing about the power of what we ingest to affect the body-mind, we noticed the cover of the new issue of The Intelligent Optimist. It announcedan article within on “Why taking supplements leads to enlightenment.” While we’ve noticed being happier and more clear-minded since cleaning up our diet and adopting a program of high-quality supplements, we were especially intrigued that this article’s author is a modern-day shaman. While he has academic credentials, Alberto Villoldo, PhD, reports spending thirty years in the high Andes and the Amazon, training with master shamans. Yet, as we read his article, we found him recommending a similar diet and many of the same supplements Beyond Health recommends. Alth…