flax seeds

Flaxseeds are not taking any flack. Even though the omega-3 fatty acids found in flaxseeds might not be as easy for your body to utilize as the omega-3s from fish and fish oil, there are still plenty of reasons to eat flaxseeds.

There are a couple of reasons that this little seed can help with weight loss and one big reason is fiber. Flaxseeds are a good mix of insoluble and soluble fiber, which combined help to aid digestion and contribute to a sensation of fullness post meal. If you prefer flaxseed oil, it ranks highest on the satiety scale as well and it promotes fat burning not fat storage.

To check out the health reasons to eat flax just read more

I could talk your ear off about omega-3 fatty acids, but hopefully you know by now that they are super beneficial to the body. They increase HDL (good cholesterol), decrease triglycerides, prevent irregular heart beats, and prevent blood clot formation. Omega-3s are the fats you should love because they also reduce inflammation throughout the body.

Last week when I posted about which fish are both high in omega-3s and low in mercury, I received a lot of comments from folks that just don't like eating fish. So here is a list of foods high in omega-3s.

• Flax seed and Flax seed oil: Uncle Sam breakfast cereal contains whole flax seeds and it is high in fiber, which means there are multiple reasons to eat it for breakfast. Flax seed oil can be used in salad dressing or on toast as a butter alternative. Calorie wise you get the most bang for your buck with flax seeds - 95 calories of flax seeds provide over 100 percent of the Daily Recommended Intake of omega-3s.
• Walnuts: Raw walnuts are a great treat, tossed into a green salad or your morning oatmeal. 2 ounces of walnuts contain 5.2 grams of omega-3s. Plus you can use walnut oil - it is great in salad dressing or on toast.
• Soybeans - 1 cup of cooked soybeans contains just over 1 gram of omega-3s. While that is not a lot, I say every little bit counts. Cook up some for your dinner veggie tonight...they are also great to munch on while you're cooking.
• Canola oil also contains omega 3s and can be used at high temperatures so it is great for baking and cooking.

Fit's Tip: The current dietary recommendation is to eat 7 - 11 grams of omega-3s a day. So plan your meals and snacks ahead of time so you can eat all you need of this fat. Remember, just because it is a good thing doesn't mean you should go overboard. Fat is still fat, even if it is good for you.

Nuts! Fish!? Seeds?!? Omega 3s can cause some culinary confusion. If you're looking to get more of them in your diet here's a few simple ways:

• Walnut Oil: I use this in salad dressings regularly using equal parts walnut oil to olive oil. Then I add a little white wine vinegar and some Dijon mustard. Plus, I throw some toasted walnuts onto the salad. Be sure to refrigerate your oil after you open it.

• Flax seeds: My favorite way to sneak flax seeds into my diet is Uncle Sam Cereal. It is simply toasted whole wheat flakes and flax seeds. Taste wise the cereal would benefit with some added fresh fruit. Plus my kids love it, which I love since the cereal hardly has any sugar in it!
• Canola Oil: Canola oil is great to cook with and is the best oil when making a stir fry. It tastes much lighter than olive oil which makes it suitable for baking as well.

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