You've heard about the good fats and the bad fats, saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Can't keep them straight, between what you're supposed to eat and what you can? Unfortunately, many people who are dieting eliminate all fats altogether, which is as unhealthy as what they were previously putting into their body.

We're here to help you make sense of one variety - the Omega-3 fatty acids, which offer immeasurable health benefits. Doctors and scientists are still only scratching the surface of the power of Omega-3. Including more of this essential nutrient in your diet will award you better health. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fats are the healthy kind of fat that should be part of your regular diet.

Many of those who suffer from inflammation due to their arthritis, asthma, allergies or a number of other diseases have reaped the benefit of Omega-3 fatty acids, a known anti-inflammatory.

Scientists and doctors are finding new uses for Omega-3 all the time. The American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish at least twice a week because of the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids for cardiovascular disease. Ongoing research points that Omega-3 may help combat autism, low birth rate and psychological disorders, to name a few.

Other areas of study on the effects of Omega-3 include, but are not limited to:

Diabetes, Menstrual cramps, Asthma, Burns, and High cholesterol

Unfortunately our Western diet just doesn't include enough of this essential nutrient. Good sources of this essential fatty acid come primarily from certain kinds of seafood, like salmon, albacore tuna, herring and shellfish. Flax is the next best source of Omega-3, an alternative for vegetarians. While our body can convert flax into these types of acid, seafood is recommended over it. Since scientists and doctors have praised the fatty acid, many different types of foods are now enriched with Omega-3, from bread to yogurt to baby food, to just name a few. Again, while they do contain the nutrient, it's best to take it straight from the source.

It is advisable to talk to your physician before taking any supplement.

By: Andrew Wroblewski
For additional information on the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids, please visit Omega Daily.

A group gym exercise method in which endurance exercises (those that increase endurance and stamina) are combined with strength exercises (those that develop the size and strength of skeletal muscles) is known as circuit training.

In circuit training, stations are positioned around the facility, with each one focusing on a different exercise -- sit-ups, pushups, resistance training, weight training, and others. Participating individuals are assigned to each station for mini-workouts of 8-20 repetitions each, and rotate to the next station with little or no rest in between those 15-45 second turns.

This goes on until all stations have been tackled by a participant (one complete circuit) or until a pre-specified time period.

The program may consist of exercise machines, calisthenics, elastic resistance, hand-held weights, or a combination of any of these. Between each station, a 30-second to 3-minute aerobics workout is squeezed in to improve the participant's cardiorespiratory endurance.

This program was developed in 1953 by G.T. Anderson and R.E. Morgan in London and originally comprised 9-12 stations. Today, any number of stations can be employed, according to the circuit's design.

This type of workout is preferred by those who want to get an intensive strength and resistance training because the in-between rests are eliminated to take the participant to her maximum target heart rate as well as her maximum physical effort.

Others turn to circuit training simply for the variety.

If you've been solely on the treadmill for months, or have never tried anything other than the stepper, then circuit training can definitely keep you from getting bored with exercising.

Dr. Len Kravitz, a researcher at the University of Mexico and Program Coordinator of Exercise Science, believes that "variety" of the stimulus to muscle is important, and that if these stimuli are not regularly changed, the benefits gained in muscular or strength endurance will eventually plateau.

What are the advantages of circuit training?

Circuit training is flexible.If you've got time constraints, a total-body workout can be finished in roughly 10 minutes. If more time is available, you can finish up to four circuits, which would total about 45 minutes.

Circuit training is challenging and can be psychologically rewarding.A study on unfit female college students concluded that those who were involved in circuit training improved in several aspects of body image more than those who only trained aerobically (Anshel, et al., Journal of Sport Behavior, 2006).
Circuit training involves a very quick pace that is great for fat-burning.

Circuit training can be fashioned to whatever fitness level you're at -- whether you're an expert or beginner, you can work out at an intensity that suits you.

Circuit training can be done either at your home or in the gym.

By: M Jamal
Mohamed Jamal is founder of FunLadyFitness.com a simple take on women fitness, tips and downloadable special reports that could enhance your next workout.
Visit http://funladyfitness.com/ to download the latest special reports and tips.

If a little is good, more must be better, right?

Unfortunately too many people believe this when it comes to taking dietary supplements. Some vitamins and minerals are actually harmful when taken at high dosages.

Take selenium for example. Selenium functions as an antioxidant in the body, working with vitamin E and thyroid hormone. The daily requirement for adults is 55ug per day, however toxicity can develop with intakes over 400ug per day. Toxicity symptoms include loss and brittleness of nails and hair, irritability, fatigue, nervous system disorders and garlic breath odor.

You can also add increasing the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes to the list if results of a recently published study prove to be accurate. I'll spare you all the details of the study (however if you are interested, click here), but essentially what these researchers found was that long term doses of 200ug per day of selenium raised a person's chances of developing Type 2 diabetes.

As in any research, care must be taken at interpreting results. One study alone does not prove the relationship, however it is safe to say these results are interesting and will no doubt spur further research.

So what is the significance of all this for you? You may be thinking this doesn't even apply to you because you don't regularly take selenium supplements. I suggest you take a look at any multivitamins you take routinely, some contain selenium so you actually may be getting more than you think you are.

Do you really need supplemental selenium? In my opinion, no.

Selenium is found in soil, and thus vegetables and other plants grown in most areas of the country provide adequate sources of dietary selenium. Even in areas that have low soil selenium levels, a large variety of foods from other areas of the country are available that provide selenium. Seafood and organ meats are also good sources of selenium. Deficiencies are relatively rare in the US.

By: Sue Roberts
Sue Roberts, MPH MS RD/CN is a certified nutritionist and registered dietitian.
Get a copy of her FREE ebook, "The Secrets about Weight Loss Supplements: What You Need to Know" at http://www.YourOnlineNutritionist.com.

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Comment from Stan on August 24, 2007
Just became aware of the possible dangers of selenium supplementation yesterday, and I'm now very concerned. I take a prostate "complex" supplement, which includes (among other things like saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, etc.) selenium - 200 micrograms - daily.

And, just as you caution, I checked my multivitamin, and sure enough, it contains the same amount. So, I'm getting twice as much as I thought I was (and, to be honest, I hadn't really thought much about it, because I wasn't aware before yesterday that there was any real danger. And I'm a guy who takes a lot of supplements, but is VERY diligent about monitoring what's in them and how much I take.)

I believe the prostate complex has done me quite a bit of good. (BTW, I'll turn 50 this year.) Nightime urination has decreased significantly, the urge to "go" all the time has also greatly diminished, and my annual physical exam reveals a normal, healthy prostate (according to my PSA test and "digital" exam.)

So, my questions are these: Should I stop taking the prostate supplement AND the multivitamin I was taking? There is, of course, a myriad of choices in multivitamins, and I have another in my "inventory" - albeit just a few tablets - with a much lower selenium content. Is it safe to continue taking the prostate complex, but switch to a multi with little or no selenium? What's a guy to do?!?!

Lastly, you use an abbreviation in your article with which I'm not familiar - is it "ug" - ? Is this the same thing as "mcg," i.e., microgram(s)? And, do I assume correctly that 1000 micrograms = one (1) milligram?

Thank you very much in advance for your response.

Comment to Stan on August 25, 2007
From: Editor - Fitness - Diet And Exercise.

Dear Stan: We can not provide actual medical advice in this blog, However I suggest that you speak with your Doctor. I will say that if it were I, I would not take any multiple vitamins that contain selenium. Your Doctor may however, know of reasons that you in your situation need more selenium.