Omega-3 fatty acids have become popular over the past few years as awareness of their health benefits in reducing the risk of heart disease has increased. However, these essential acids also play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development.

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Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids are long-chain, polysaturated fats which are vital to many key processes within our bodies. Hence, they are regarded as essential for our physical well-being. Fish is the main source of omega-3 fatty acids, but they can also be obtained from other seafood including algae and krill, some plants, and nut oils. We get omega-6 fatty acid from foods such as flaxseed (oil, seeds, meal,) hempseed, grapeseed oil, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds (raw,) olives, olive oil, evening primrose oil and borage oil. Refined and hydrogenated versions of these Omega-6 essential oils should be avoided. Others to avoid include corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean and cottonseed oils.

Our bodies are capable of making these essential fats assuming our diet is high in green leafy vegetables, flax, flaxseed oil, canola oil, walnuts and Brazil nuts which all contain Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA). ALA is converted by our bodies into Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which is converted into Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA.) Unfortunately, this process is ineffective and easily affected by processed sugar, vegetable oils, and alcohol.

Our brains are composed of over 60% fat and the neural synapses are composed entirely of DHA. DHA is critical for brain function and learning. During the learning process, the brain forms new neural pathways A child who is not eating a diet with foods high in ALA will not have the ability to form DHA needed by the brain. When this child is actively involved in the learning process, the brain will have to use other fats available in the body. These wrong fats lead the child's neural network to develop slowly become defective and is ultimately inefficient for learning. DHA defienciencies have been associated with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADD/ADHD, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, memory problems, allergies, eczema, depression, heart disease, inflammatory diseases, cancer, and much more.

Research has shown that giving children supplemental essential fatty acids, specifically fish oils with daily DHA intake of around 500 mg, Night Primrose Oil, Flaxseed Oil and Vitamin E oil will greatly improve symptoms associate with essential fatty acid deficiencies and improve learning disabilities.

Have a child who enjoys writing? I bet it is never a problem to get them to sit and write a story or a journal. What do you do with the reluctant writer? Here are some tips to help get your child to enjoy writing.

1. Poetry Swap!

Both you and your child write 5 words on a piece of paper. Now, swap papers and use one another's words to create a silly poem. Adjust the number of words or the topic/theme based on the need to extend or simplify the project for your student.

2. I Remember....

Have your child begin with the statement , "I remember when _____" Then have them write without stopping for three minutes. Remind them not to go back and reread what they've written or edit anything until the time is up. If they finish before time's up?? Begin a new memory.

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Do you have a student who is getting ready to take the SAT test? We have a tutor who can help your child be better prepared to take this test and show them how to achieve the best scores they can get. Call us today to set up your first session. We have package rates for the SAT Test Prep sessions.

Hurry, it's not too late the get a few sessions in before the next SAT Test on March 13, but it's the perfect time to start to prepare for the SAT Test for the May 1st SAT Test date!

February may be short on days but there are so many things to celebrate! We have Washington and Lincoln's Birthdays, Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year (which fall on the same day this year), Mardi Gras, and the entire month is Black History month. It is a great time so sit down with your children and explore why we celebrate these holidays. Also, don't forget to check out timmystutor.com for the latest cartoon about the holidays. Enjoy!