Hello! I've been zoning for oh about 6 months now. I haven't noticed a huge difference, but my energy level is up and my workout recovery time is better.

I have a ? about the fish oil, which I currently do not take. Do you take it once/day or spread it out through the day? Does it affect your daily blocks of fat? I know there are a couple kinds, does it matter which you take?

Sorry to ask questions I'm sure have been asked before, but I would appreciate some guidance!

Hi Fay!

Great progress!

Yes, fish oil is taken once a day; no need to spread it out. The time of day you take it is up to you. Omega Rx is a good place to begin. Eico Rx is another option. Eico Pro is formulated for serious athletes only. Fish oil is considered supplemental and is not typically counted toward your fat blocks. If you chose to stir the liquid fish oil bu teh spoonful into a smoothie or other food, you could consider it to be the fat blocks if you prefer.

Fay,

Generally, you can take your fish oil at any time of the day, all at once. There is no problem if you prefer to take it in split doses, either.

I used to take mine in split doses because I don't have a gallbadder anymore and I have had difficulty metabolizing fat. But, now I blend it into my smoothie, and it goes down just fine, no problems digesting it.

Sue,

Is there a good resource for me to look-up on how much fish oil I would need. I'm fairly active. I run about 3 times/week and crossfit on a 3 and 1 schedule.

Many years ago I use to supplement with cod liver oil, so I'm sure taking the fish oil straight won't really bother me. The cod oil was SO GROSS! I'd take 1 T every morning...ewwww! Even the orange flavor they added didn't help.

I have mostly lived on a low-fat diet my whole life and have reamined fairly lean. However, after starting CrossFit in July I picked up on the Zone and it's made a difference in my workouts. Adding the fat into my diet made me really nervous at first, but I think it's what has probably given me more energy!

Thanks for your help.

Fay, you can pick up a copy of Barry Sear's newest book, Toxic Fat. There are recommendations for dosage in there. I believe you can also get dosing information on this site, under the Omega-3 tab.

Not surprising that you have made a difference in your workouts. Getting energy from fat stores is actually a more efficient way!

You're welcome Fay!

A very good resource is Appendix E, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Fish Oil But Were Afraid to Ask", found on pages 269 -280 of TOXIC FAT, written by Barry Sears. The book was released a few months ago and includes the most up to date fish oil info. There's additional info in Appendix D fo the same book that would probably give you more insight into which fish oil you'd like to try.

You're most likely require a dose of 1 teaspoon or 4 capsules of Omega Rx or Eico Rx.

Glad you've been able to enhance your energy levels. Yes, the right types of fat used correctly makes a big difference in how we feel.

Fay, according to the Anti-Inflammation Zone book, this is what Dr. Sears recommends:

No existing chronic disease - 2.5 grams per day (4 capsules)
Existing obesity, heart disease or type II diabestes - 5 grams per day
Existing screaming pain (chronic pain) - 7.5 grams per day
Existing neurological conditions - greater than 10 grams per day

Note: this is the dosage amount using Zone Lab's fish oil. It is more concentrated than the fish oils in the health food stores. From other posts I have read in the past, it appeared you would have to take at least twice the amount of fish oil that is sold in the health food stores to come somewhat close to the concentration in Zone Lab's fish oil.

Hope this helps!

Hi Karen!

Thanks for posting the fish oil dosage level details. A note to everyone, those numbers refer to the grams of combined EPA and DHA.

You're on the right track re concentration, but amount and concentrationn are two different things. Here's some more info about it. Dr Sears recommends a fish oil with a 60% concentration of EPA and DHA. This means 60% of the fish oil must be composed of EPA and DHA. For example, there are 600 mg of EPA and DHA combined (400mg of EPA plus 200mg of DHA) in 1 gram (1000mg) of Zone Labs fish oils. This is a 60% concentration (600 is 60% of 1000). If you take a fish oil with lesser concentration, say a fish oil with a 30% concentration, you will need to take more of that fish oil , as you mentioned, to get the amount of EPA and DHA, but taking more will not change the concentration of the fish oil. It will still be a fish oil with a 30% concentration no matter how much of it you take. The problem with the lesser concentrated fish oils on the market (less then the 60% concentration that Dr. Sears recommends) is that they are less refined and contain more contamination than an ultra-refined fish oil with a 60% concentration. This makes them unsafe to ingest in larger doses because they contain higher levles of heavy metals and chemical pollutants. For this reason, Dr. Sears has cautioned not to take more than 1 gram (1000mg) a day of a lesser grade fish oil. Taking 1 gram a day of a leser concentrated fish oil will not let you approach even the basic maintenance dose of EPA and DHA that Dr. Sears recommends (the maintenance dose is 2.5 grams of combined EPA and DHA daily).