So I've taken on a personal challenge for the month of September and that is to try to incorporate ground flaxseed into my diet more often. Why would I try to find ways to include this relatively boring ingredient? Glad you asked...
Ground Flaxseed is brimming with health benefits: most notably it's high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, and fiber. (See above nutritional info from whfoods.com)
Omega-3 fatty acids effect cellular functions involved in ensuring a normal heart rate and coronary blood flow (i.e.- help to keep your heart healthy and your arteries clean!). Omega-3s can also help alleviate some forms of inflammation such as arthritis and joint pain.
Lignans are a form of phytochemical that has increasingly been linked with reduced risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and reduced hair loss (to name a few).
Fiber: everyone is trying to get more fiber in their diets. Food manufacturers have been quick to pick up on this trend and now you can even get fiber-fortified fake sugar, thank you Splenda. But guess what- this is COMPLETELY unnecessary! 2 tbsps of ground flaxseed delivers almost 20% of your RDA for fiber. Aside from assisting in keeping things moving through your digestive tract, fiber can also help lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Two diseases which are all too prevalent in the US.
Clearly ground flaxseed is amazing with a multitude of health benefits and there really are a few easy ways to incorporate this into your diet. With it's slight nutty flavor it can add a great contrast to any number of foods!
- Add to a cup of yogurt (you can even add it to ice cream!)
- Add to the Brussels Sprouts recipe below!
- Throw some into the next muffins, cookies, pancakes, etc that you make
- Throw some on top of soup...Doesn't alter the flavor but you still get the benefits!
- Add into scrambled eggs
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