Rant of the Week: Flax Seeds!

So, I haven't written one of these in two weeks! I meant to and then Wed. would slip by.....any way, I want to write about a new addition to my diet. I've been reading two great books on how to help our bodies promote health and wellness from within. I highly recommend Andrew Weil's Spontaneous Healing and Natural Health, Natural Medicine. Reading these books inspired me to make some really easy and beneficial changes to my diet, including adding flax meal.

I started eating 2 tbsp of flax meal per day beginning on 5.1.2006 I added these seeds to my diet because they are great source of omega-3 fatty acids that may protect against heart attacks by thinning the blood. I'm sure we've all heard about the omega-3s many wonderful properties, mainly promoting heart health. But they also have many other qualities including anti-inflammatory properties, which may benefit people who suffer from arthritis.

An often talked about source of omega-3s is salmon but eating fish 2-3 times per week can be pricey and if you're vegetarian, not an option at all. At a $1.59 a pound (at my local Whole Foods), flax seeds are a much cheaper and vegetarian alternative. I keep a bag of whole seeds in the fridge and grind what I need for a week. I toss 2 tbsp into my oatmeal, yogurt, cereal, every morning. They have a nutty taste and have the additional bonus of being a great source of fiber! In stores, you may see golden and/or brown flax seeds. Both contain equal amounts of omega-3s.

For those interested in getting omega-3s from fish, farm raised salmon generally has less omega-3's than wild salmon. Another good source of omega-3s is mackerel which I love to eat when I have sushi.