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Posts Tagged ‘flaxseed’

A new year provides an opportunity to look at your health and to decide how well you are doing in terms of your eating habits. Instead of starting this year off being negative and looking at the habits you should not be doing or the foods you should not be eating, why not turn the tables and focus upon the foods you want to start adding to your daily meals?

Adding superfoods to your diet plan is always an excellent way to spruce up your health and to give you more of the antioxidants you need to stay healthy and strong.

If you do not know what a superfood is then here is a quick explanation of it. Superfoods are foods that contain compounds that have been found through medical studies to prevent the onset of disease. They are also capable of optimizing your overall level of health and well-being. Superfoods are fabulous and health enhancing!

Here are two delicious superfoods to think about adding eating more of to your diet in the coming year:

Eggs:

Many years ago eggs were blamed for contributing to high cholesterol levels and we were told that we should limit the number of eggs we ate per week. With time has come knowledge and we now know that it is saturated fats and trans fats that raise cholesterol levels and that eggs are not such villains after all.

Eggs are a superfood that you need to make sure you eat regularly to improve your health. Eggs are very high in protein – most of it in the white and not the yoke – and provide up to seven grams per serving. This helps to make you feel full and it also helps to break down fat in your body. If you have no cholesterol problems whatsoever then eating six to eight eggs per week (omega-3 free range eggs are best) is perfectly fine. However if you are looking for ways to reduce fat in your diet then eat only the egg whites.

Greek Yogurt:

If you have always found yogurt kind of a blah food then you have not been introduced to Greek yogurt yet! This type of yogurt is creamy and tastes more like an appetizing dessert. In fact for non-yogurt lovers you may not even realize that you are eating yogurt because it tastes so darn good!

Greek yogurt is high in protein, full of probiotics and is low in fat. It is also very thick in its consistency which gives it the creamy taste. What makes Greek yogurt different from regular yogurt is an extra straining process it is put through that gets rid of the liquid that it is common to see resting on top of regular yogurt. The fact that Greek yogurt does not have this liquid means that it is thicker and is also more concentrated in regards to the amount of protein and calcium that it contains. Consuming one half cup will provide you with 18 grams of protein and 50 percent of the daily dietary requirement for the mineral calcium.

Add berries to your yogurt for breakfast and any time of the day. Mix in some flaxseed powder, some wheat germ or some granola. Adding a tiny amount of honey to fat-free Greek yogurt can also give it an extra special taste!

Becca

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Flaxseed is a healthy super food that was first used by the ancient Egyptians, both to eat as well as to improve their level of health.

Flaxseed (also sometimes written as flax seed) is a healthy type of super food that is used for its seeds as well as the oil it contains. Both flaxseed and flaxseed oil (which is sometimes referred to as linseed oil) are very rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs).These are required for the healthy functioning of the body. Essential fatty acids protect the cells and help to keep harmful substances at bay. The body does not produce essential fatty acids on its own and therefore needs to get them from a food source. This is where flaxseed comes into play.

Omega-3’s and Omega-6 Fatty Acids

The body needs omega fatty acids to be healthy and there are two groups of these- the omega-3 fatty acids and the omega-6 fatty acids. There needs to be a healthy balance between these two for good health, although researchers say that two to four times more omega-6 fatty acids are needed in relation to omega-3 fatty acids. A severe imbalance of the two could lead to a variety of inflammatory disorders.

Flaxseed oil is made up of an omega-3 fatty acid known as alpha-linolenic acid, which helps to lower cholesterol and is good for the cardiovascular system. Flaxseed is also composed of an omega-6 fatty acid known as linoleic acid. Omega-3 is readily found in fish such as salmon and tuna while omega-6 is plentiful in vegetable oils.

Flaxseed is also rich in a substance called lignans (or lignins) which are excellent at keeping many kinds of cancers at bay, as well as fighting viruses and bacterial infections. Flaxseed in its powder form provides the body with an extra dose of fiber which is beneficial for the digestive system. Lignan consumption is especially important for women as it decreases the presence of too much estrogen in the body and by so doing, reduces the chance that breast cancer will develop.

Benefits of Flaxseed

Flaxseed has a number of different benefits for the body. These include:

•    Reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood
•    Controls high blood pressure
•    Protects against heart disease
•    Treats inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
•    Reduces discomfort for those suffering from gallstones, hemorrhoids and constipation
•    Reduces the swelling and inflammation associated with fibrocystic breasts, gout or lupus
•    Beneficial for arthritis sufferers as it reduces tenderness in joints and early morning stiffness
•    Improves a person’s level of mobility
•    Encourages the development of fingernails, toenails and hair
•    Beneficial for a variety of skin disorders such as acne, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis and sunburn

Flaxseed truly is a wonder food as it has even more benefits for health. Flaxseed is beneficial for those who suffer from Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Flaxseed reduces damage to the nerves due to these diseases, as well as tingling and numbness.

Flaxseed contains high quantities of vitamins B1 and B2, vitamin C, vitamin E, carotene, iron and zinc, and smaller but no less valuable quantities of the minerals calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Please be aware that ground flaxseed and flaxseed powder is easier for the body to digest than are flaxseeds in their more natural form.

Flaxseed is a healthy super food that can provide an extra boast of vitality to your diet. If you have not introduced this super food to your life then it is about time you did!

To learn more about flaxseed please visit these websites:

http://www.healthcastle.com/flax.shtml
http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/flaxseed.htm
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/flaxseed/D313_herbs.pdf

Becca

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