Did you know that there is one golf Super Food that can help reduce those aches and pains, manage those emotional outbursts, and improve your focus? And that is only a little of what it can do for you. While a number of foods can help you perform well in golf, there is no golf super food better than Omega 3 Fats.
Golf Super Food: Omega 3 fats
The best omega-3’s are found in fish. Fish have long been regarded as “brain food” because of their high content of omega-3 fatty acids.
The American Heart Association has long recommended that all Americans consume fish twice per week. They base this recommendation on evidence that says a diet high in fish is associated with improved heart health and reduced risk for heart-related problems.
Omega-3’s have already been found to reduce inflammation, elevate and even emotions, lesson attention deficit disorders, and improve memory. Now a study cited in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition further confirms omega-3’s as super food for golf.
They report, it was found, that omega-3’s stand out as a food to not only improve your brains’ performance but also to preserve your brain function as you age! You boomers especially have to appreciate that.
If that’s not enough, it has long been shown to reduce allergies, improve pms, enhance eye and skin health too.
All of these attributes make Omega-3 oils the golf super food!
Tips for Getting Your Omega 3’s
Eat a good quality serving of fish twice per week.
Before you run out and buy your servings of fish, take a moment to look at this list. It was compiled by Oceans Alive, an Environmental Defense Oceans program that works to find constructive solutions to the most critical problems facing the world’s marine environments. This list identifies the current best sources of fish for getting the best quality omega-3 fatty acids with the least environmental contaminants… and which are the most environmental friendly.
Tuck this current list of good fish in your travel bag or glove box. When shopping or eating out (as many competitive golfers tend to do) request one of the fish on this list:
Anchovies- Arctic char (farmed)
- Catfish (U.S. farmed)
- Caviar (U.S. farmed)
- Clams (farmed)
- Crab – Dungeness, snow (Canada), stone
- Crawfish (U.S.)
- Halibut – Pacific (Alaska)
- Herring – Atlantic (U.S., Canada)
- Mackerel – Atlantic
- Mahimahi (U.S. Atlantic)
- Mussels (farmed)
- Oysters (farmed)
- Sablefish/black cod (Alaska)
- Salmon – wild (Alaska), canned pink/sockeye
- Sardines
- Scallops – bay (farmed)
- Shrimp – northern (Canada), Oregon pink, U.S. farmed
- Spot prawns
- Striped bass (farmed)
- Sturgeon (U.S. farmed)
- Tilapia (U.S.)
The current list of fish to avoid includes because of toxins or environmental reasons:
- Caviar (wild)
- Chilean seabass/toothfish
- Cod – Atlantic
- Grouper
- Halibut – Atlantic
- Marlin
- Monkfish/goosefish
- Orange roughy
- Rockfish/rock cod (Pacific)
- Salmon – Atlantic (farmed)
- Shark
- Shrimp/prawns (imported)
- Skate
- Snapper
- Sturgeon (wild)
- Swordfish (imported)
- Tilefish
- Tuna – bluefin
Alternatives to Eating Fish
While fish is the golf super food, there are alternatives for getting your omega-3’s.
You can also get good omega-3’s from other foods as well but the concentrations are much lower.
These include:
- Flax oil or seeds
- Walnuts (or walnut oil)
- Pumpkin seeds
- Grass fed beef
- Eggs from cage free grazing hens
Try slipping these foods into your diet whenever possible.
Golf Super Food Supplements
And you can get your omega-3’s from a good quality supplement. The challenge here is finding fish oil supplements that are:
- Fresh (they spoil easily)
- Free of contaminants and toxic metals (like mercury)
- Portable enough to handle trips on the road without access to continuous refrigeration.
For quality & purity you cannot go wrong with Carlsons Fish Oils. The Lemon Flavored Carlsons is our players favorite (tastes like a lemon-drop!). Keep in mind you will want to keep it refrigerated.
For convenience some prefer a pill. Carlson’s also makes a great fish oil capsule. Even with the capsules, you will want to keep them in a cool, dry place to prevent spoiling. We suggest that when you travel, you take only what you will need on the road.
So there you have it, a golf Super food and great ways to get it. Great golf requires more than just a great swing, and even a golfer with a great swing and mental game during competition can struggle without proper nutrition. Make sure you continue to eat right and maintain a well-rounded approach.
