Omega 3 founder, Bright Djampa, noticed that food was often left out of discussions surrounding mental health. He founded Omega 3 with the mission of promoting mental health awareness and empowering people to take charge of their mental health through nutrition.
Q: Why did you start Omega 3?
A: I always grew up with a very mental health-conscious family, and I’m very thankful for that. Being in that environment made me realize how privileged I was in that sense and how many people don’t have that. I wanted to provide an avenue for people to take care of themselves proactively. During my studies at the University of Maryland, I found a passion for omega-3 fatty acids and promoting mental health through nutrition.
Q: How did the idea for your business come about?
A: During my first nutritional food class at the University of Maryland, we talked about omega-3 fatty acids. I noticed that most of the discussion surrounding omega-3 was about fish oil. My professor jokingly told me that if I wanted to create something with plant-based omega-3s, I should. A granola bar just made sense—it’s affordable, accessible, and easy to consume daily.
Q: Why do you believe it is important for others to incorporate a more inclusive approach to brain health?
A: We are in a time where people are becoming very aware of our brain health, but it’s important to look at it from all angles and use a more proactive approach. Nutrition is just one of the tools in our toolbox to take care of our brain health.
Q: Why are omega-3 fatty acids important?
A: Omega-3 fatty acids help maintain DHA levels in the brain. Low levels of DHA can cause issues to your brain health and have been linked to depression, anxiety, memory loss, and a whole host of other mental health issues. Since our brains don’t naturally produce this hormone, we have to get it from food. When most people think of omega-3, they think of fish oil or eggs, but I really wanted to be more environmentally friendly and inclusive. That’s why I chose to use chia seed and flaxseed in our products.
Q: What are your favorite brain health self-care routine tips?
A: It’s very important to do a host of things—exercise, eating a nutritious diet, speaking with someone, and really just voicing how you feel. Processing your emotions will allow you to more comfortably deal with your mental health. Recently, meditation and journaling have been helping me a lot. It’s much easier to make sense of your thoughts when you write them down. They just become more coherent on paper.