FitSugar

Add Flaxseed Oil to Everyday Food

Heather Dale — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:31:04 PDT

Flaxseed oil is a great way to get your daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are beneficial for us because they are good for our hearts and our mood, they may lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and can help with menstrual cramps. Flaxseed is high in alpha linolenic acid (ALA), a type of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acid, similar to those found in fish such as salmon.

It's key to have a good balance of both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in your daily diet. Unfortunately, the typical American diet tends to contains more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids, and researchers believe that this may be a significant factor in the rising rates of inflammatory diseases in the United States.

Flaxseed oil can be added to everyday dishes and snacks like salad dressing, steamed vegetables, potatoes, and rice. Since you can't really taste it, you can also use it in the morning in fruit smoothies or oatmeal - just don't go overboard! Also, never use flaxseed oil while cooking and store it in the fridge since heat destroys its nutritional goodness.

DIY Spa Treatment: Good Smellin' Fall Cranberry Apple Mask

BellaSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:00:00 PDT

I love the cool weather smells of the season, and what can be more warm and enticing than cranberries and apples? The combo is also, incidentally, an excellent exfoliant for dry Fall skin, and I've got a DIY recipe featuring these two ingredients, to give you the best of both worlds. For a divinely scented kitchen and naturally glowing skin, check out this easy, three-ingredient mask from Narine Nikogosian's new beauty home remedy book Return to Beauty ($25), due out next month. To get the directions, just read more.

You Asked: For Omega-3s - Flaxseed Oil or Fish Oil?

FitSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:00:00 PDT

Dear Fit,
I never eat fish, so I worry about getting enough omega-3s. Before I start taking supplements, I wanted to know which is the better choice, flaxseed oil or fish oil capsules?
-Unsure About Omegas

I'm glad you're focusing on getting enough omega-3s, since this essential fatty acid is so beneficial to our health. These fats have anti-inflammatory and mood-stabilizing properties, can relieve chronic pain, have been found to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke, and can lower cholesterol. To find out which capsules are the better choice,

In order to answer this question, we need to go over the three types of omega-3s:

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA): Necessary for physical and mental health, this type is found primarily in fish and fish oil.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): Especially important to your body and necessary for various bodily functions involving your brain, blood vessels, and immune system. It's found in shellfish, fish, and fish oil.

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA): This is the only omega-3 found in plants like flaxseeds, canola, soy, hemp seed, walnuts, and enhanced foods. When you consume ALA, your body converts it into EPA and then eventually into DHA.

Fish oil capsules contain both EPA and DHA, and flaxseed oil capsules contain ALA. Even though our bodies convert ALA into DHA and EPA, it's more beneficial to your body to consume EPA and DHA directly. If you have nothing against eating fish products, I'd opt for the fish oil capsules and look for the USP seal when shopping for supplements. One dose will only fulfill about half of your RDI of omega-3s though, so think about getting the rest from foods such as fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts.

Omega-3 Competition: Fish Oil vs. Flaxseed Oil

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:30:00 PDT

We've all heard about how omega-3s are so important for our health. These fats have anti-inflammatory and mood stabilizing properties, and they have been found to reduce the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and can lower cholesterol.

They can be found in fish (mostly oily, cold water fish like salmon, tuna, herring, and sardines), flaxseeds, omega-3 enhanced foods, walnuts, and lamb. Since many people are a little concerned about the mercury levels in fish, taking fish oil capsules is an option. Another popular option is flaxseed oil. In the omega-3 competition which oil is the victor? To find out

For starters there are three kinds of omega-3s relevant to the question. They are:

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA): Necessary for physical and mental health. Found primarily in fish and fish oil.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): Especially important to your body and necessary for various bodily functions involving your brain, blood vessels, and immune system. They are also found in shellfish, fish, fish oil, and enhanced foods (like baby formula).

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA): This is the only omega-3 found in plants like flaxseeds, canola, soy, hemp seed, English walnuts, and enhanced foods. When you consume ALA, your body converts it into EPA and then eventually into DHA.

Pregnant women and infants need DHA for proper brain and nervous system development, since their bodies can't usually get enough of it from foods that contain ALA. Adults can benefit from all three omega-3s since they each have heart-protecting properties. It's uncertain though whether ALA has as many health benefits as the other two, since the benefits of EPA and DHA have been studied more. It also isn't known if the health benefits of flaxseed oil come from the ALA, or from the two omega-3s (EPA and DHA) derived from it. So for now, it would seem that fish oil capsules are better sources of omega-3s. If you like flaxseed oil, I wouldn't give up on it, but you might consider fish oil too.

Should I Be Eating Flaxseed or Flaxseed Oil?

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:00:00 PST

Have you heard that omega-3 fatty acids are something you should be getting everyday? If not, let me tell you that they're good for your heart, your mood, they may lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and can help with menstrual cramps.

A good source of omega-3s is fatty fish, but if you're a vegetarian or are worried about the mercury levels, flaxseeds are a great way to get this essential fatty acid. They're high in alpha linolenic acid (ALA), a type of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acid, similar to those found in fish such as salmon.

Interested to see if flaxseed oil will provide the fatty acids you need? Then

While flaxseed oil is a good source of omega-3s, it's better to go for the seeds, since they contain heart healthy fiber and can help keep you regular. Flaxseeds also contain lignan, a type of phytoestrogen (antioxidant), which may play a role in preventing diseases such as breast cancer. So if you have a choice go for the seeds, and if you can, buy ground or milled flaxseeds. They're easier to digest and since whole flaxseeds often pass through your system undigested, your body will be able to reap the health benefits more if the seeds are ground. If you can only find whole flaxseeds, then grind them in a coffee grinder.

Fit's Tips: The daily recommended amount of omega-3s is about 1.1 to 1.6 grams. One tablespoon of ground flaxseed has 1.6 grams, so sprinkle some on your cereal or salad, and you'll be good to go.

One-Minute Slimming Food Tricks That Work

Prevention — Mon, 21 May 2012 04:34:33 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Sarah Robertson, Prevention

Here are successful strategies to cut calories and burn fat that take 60 seconds or less. With about 1,000 waking minutes in every day, you'll find plenty of opportunities to slip these tips into your routine and watch the scale go down. If you've already begun your weight loss, these tricks can maximize your efforts and speed results.

Sip green tea before a walk
The caffeine frees fatty acids so that you burn fat more easily. And the polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) in green tea appear to work with caffeine to increase calorie burn. (If you have high blood pressure, skip this tip.)

Dip your bread
Use olive oil in place of butter. It's healthier and may also help you eat less. In a recent study, dippers ate a total of 52 fewer calories on average than those who used butter.

Seven Reasons Your Diet Isn’t Working

Learn more one-minute diet secrets after the break!

Flaxseed War: Whole vs. Ground vs. Oil

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:27:12 PDT

Flaxseeds are so popular that it seems like they're being added to just about everything from bread to corn chips to cereal. They're high in fiber and a great source of omega-3s (especially if you don't eat fish). You can also buy them separately to add to your own foods, but should you pick up whole flaxseeds, the kind that are ground up, or the oil made from the seeds?

All three forms of flax are best suited for different needs. Whole flaxseeds are good for topping cereal or salads or for baking. You might not like the texture, so that's where ground flaxseeds come in. Stir the powder into your oatmeal, add it to pancake batter, or mix it into your smoothies. Flaxseed oil is great stirred into salad dressings, mixed into yogurt, or drizzled on roasted veggies.

When you look at them nutritionally, there's a pretty big difference. I made a handy little chart, so keep reading to see how they compare.

A Reader Recipe: Chunky Monkey Super Omega-3 Energy Bars

Fit Community — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:07:38 PDT

FitSugar reader For the Love of Fiber offers vegan, gluten-free, and kid-friendly energy bars inspired by the Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream flavor. She shared it with us in our Healthy Recipe group in the Fit Community.

Chunky Monkey Super Omega-3 Energy Bars
Makes 12 bars

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
12 medjool dates, pitted
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup quinoa flakes
½ cup chia seeds
¼ cup milled flaxseed
¼ cup cacao nibs or dark chocolate chunks
1 tbsp. virgin coconut oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

See the full recipe after the break!

A Makeover For Your Grocery List

LilSugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:17:02 PDT

If your child has been diagnosed with a food allergy, you know both cooking at home and dining out can quickly become a challenge. Since healthy eating begins at home, and eating at home begins at the grocery store, we turned to Amie Valpone of The Healthy Apple for some advice on how to stock your pantry for success, whether you're dealing with food allergies or just want to take a cleaner approach to your family's diet. See how Amie, a nutritionist who specializes in clean eating, fills up her own grocery cart, and how you can transform your own to accommodate your family's dietary needs.

"Cleaning" Up Your Grocery List

Essential Condiments

Extra-virgin olive oil
Flaxseed oil
Grape seed oil
Champagne vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Organic Dijon mustard
Organic coarse, seeded mustard
San-J wheat-free tamari soy sauce
Amy's Organic salsa
Sun-dried tomatoes
Hummus (try Tribe, Wild Garden, Sabra, or Cedar's)
Hot sauce (try Cholula or Sriracha)
Miso (white, barley, and red)
Organic lemon juice

Continue reading for what to buy in the gluten-free, dairy-free, and freezer departments.

Going Vegan Could Mean Missing These Key Nutrients

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:41:38 PDT

Not eating animal products means a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and although it can also be used to lose weight, it's important not to skip out on valuable nutrients that often come from meat and dairy.

Vitamin B12
Most women need 2.4 mcg of this vitamin each day. It's essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system as well as healthy blood cells. Found mostly in poultry, beef, fish, and dairy products, this B vitamin has vegan sources as well including fortified cereals, fortified soy milk, kale, spinach, and nutritional yeast.

Iron
The RDI of iron for women is 18 mg, and while animal products contain iron, there are tons of vegan foods high in this mineral as well. The body needs iron to make hemoglobin, which helps carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body, which is why an iron deficiency often causes fatigue. Be sure to include fortified cereal, fortified soy milk, beans such as garbanzos and lentils, tofu, sun-dried tomatoes, potatoes, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and peanuts in your vegan diet.

Keep reading to find out what other nutrients vegan diets might be missing.