Welcome to Diet and Fitness and Radio, a podcast brought to you by Diet.com. This is your fit, fun, and fabulous host, Lady Diet, reporting live from sunny Hollywood, California. Today I’ll be dishing out the goods on getting more heart-healthy omega-3s into your diet!

Ok, so we’ve been hearing a lot about Omega-3s and their health benefits. But what exactly are Omega-3 fatty acids and why are they so important to us?

Study after study has confirmed that omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat found primarily in fish, are believed to lower the risk of heart disease, boost immunity, and reduce inflammation of the arteries. Research also suggests they may reduce the risk of diabetes, lower blood pressure and reduce chance of arthritis. Omega-3s are also found in plant sources, especially flaxseed oil, canola oil, walnuts and some vegetables.

The American Heart Association recommends eating a variety of fatty fish at least twice a week, such as salmon or tuna. Scientists have decided that Americans don't come close to getting their omega-3 requirement.

So here are 10 great ideas for adding omega-3s to your everyday diet:

• You can sprinkle ground flaxseeds in smoothies, rice pilaf, salads, cereal, oatmeal or yogurt.
• Try replacing ground flaxseed for 10-15% of the flour in muffins, breads and pancakes.
• Grab a small handful of walnuts for a snack or sprinkle toasted walnuts on your green or fruit salad.
• You can use walnut oil or flaxseed oil in homemade salad dressing.
• Order tofu stir-fry the next time you eat Chinese or Thai food.
• Use edamame (which are green soybeans) in place of other beans in your next salad or enjoy steamed edamame as a snack.
• Try one new recipe a week using fatty fish, or top your salad with salmon or tuna.
• Order salmon instead of steak the next time you dine at a steak house.
• Stir-fry using a small amount of canola oil.
• Go veggie a couple of times per week and use tofu or other soy products as your protein source.