Thursday, July 1, 2010

Day 42 - Benefits of Flaxseed

Getting a good balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the diet is important. Read The University of Maryland Medical Center article here. According to Web MD, flaxseed is a good source for omega-3 fats. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s. Buy milled or ground flaxseed which can be found in the flour or grain aisle. Whole flaxseed will pass through the intestinal tract undigested so make sure it is either milled or ground. Stir in a couple of tablespoons with your food (i.e. yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, casserole or stew). By storing it in the freezer, it will prevent the loss of nutritional potency. Flax is high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. One ounce of flax provides 32% of the USDA’s reference daily intake of fiber. Read more about the benefits of Flaxseed on the Flax Health web site Flax Health web site

I munched on too many carrots today. They seem to be something I get fed up with easily. I had quite a good balance though with whole grain toast for breakfast, chicken and veggie soup (I'm still drinking it cold), water melon, carrots, celery, yogurt with pineapple. My pedometer was at around 6,000 steps, but while I was mowing the lawn (my choice of exercise for today) it fell off and reset itself. I'm guessing that with all the running around I've done this evening in addition to yard work I probably reached 10,000 steps by the end of the day.