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It is important to make omega-3 fatty acids a regular part of your diet for the following reasons:

 They help foetal brain and nerve tissue development.

 They help boost your metabolism, immune system and skeletal system.

 They are good for the brain, helping to elevate your mood and improve memory. They can even help stave off cravings for carbohydrates.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in oily fish such as anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardine and trout. Try to eat such fish three times a week at least. However, because of concerns about mercury and other contaminants in deep-sea fish, pregnant mothers may prefer to buy the fish oil supplement MorDHA, which has been filtered and chilled to remove mercury and other toxins. A vegetarian alternative is to get your omega-3 from oil: hempseed oil, walnut oil, flaxseed oil (also called linseed) or from seeds: pumpkin seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds. The oil or seeds can be sprinkled over foods such as cereal. (Note: Flaxseeds (linseeds) are very hard, therefore either grind them lightly (a coffee grinder is good for this) or soak them overnight.) You need about one large tablespoon of the oil or seeds a day. You can also buy the oil in capsule form. Recommended brands are: Mother Hemp Oil (hempseed oil), flaxseed oil, or Dr Udo’s oils. (For stockists of all sources of Omega-3 supplements see Appendix C, page 312.)

Note: Flaxseed oil is the world’s richest source of omega-3, containing double that of fish oils. The essential fatty acids omega-6 and omega-9 are also beneficial and are often found with omega-3 supplements. The ideal proportion of these oils is 3:(omega-3):2(omega-6):1(omega-9). This perfect combination is found in hempseed oil.