Amazing Flax Meal

Flaxseed

Flaxseed was cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 BC. In the 8th century

• Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects.
• new research also suggests significant blood pressure-lowering effects of flaxseed.
• maintaining the heart’s natural rhythm, they may be useful in treating arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and heart failure- normalizing the heartbeat.
• Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.  up to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods. inhibited tumor incidence, growth and spread
• Lignans, diets rich in flaxseed omega-3s help prevent hardening of the arteries and keep plaque from being deposited in the arteries partly by keeping white blood cells from sticking to the blood vessels’ inner linings- reduced by 75%
• Lignans may also have anticarcinogenic activities-protect against cancer  
• Antioxidants- chemicals that can prevent or slow cell damage
• Anti-inflammatory action and illnesses such as Parkinson's disease, asthma, heart attack and stroke by helping block the release of certain pro-inflammatory agents.
• Lower LDL- Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.
• May improve blood sugar and protect against diabetes.
• 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed into cereal, or yogurt twice a day cut hot flashes in half & intensity of their hot flashes dropped by 57%

Use & Storage

Ground only- whole passed through your system undigested.

I keep mine in freezer to protect nutrients longer.

Sprinkle on oatmeal, smoothies, soup, yogurt, toast, pasta, or add ¼ c to muffins or bread.

1 Tablespoon=30 calories

Nutty mild taste

I don’t buy flaxseed oil, it goes rancid quickly.

Flax seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, which happen to be very good for us in their raw, unprocessed form. Unfortunately, the chemical nature of omega 3s render them extremely sensitive to heat, light and air. http://www.webmd.com/diet/benefits-of-flaxseed?page=1

Red Red Wine

Photo: Isante

What's better way to soothe your conscience on a  Monday morning than a post about how great red wine is for you?!

We've got you covered.

Red wine 

Is red wine good for you? In moderation (1-2 glasses per day)

Red Wine Health Benefits...

· Increases cardiovascular function- Reduces heart attack risks

· Reduces heart disease risk by 25-40% (1 glass per day women, 2 for men)

· Raises HDL (good cholesterol)

· High in antioxidants

· Contains Resveratrol- which appears to stop arteries from getting blocked by fat deposits

Vitamin E- Your Fountain of Youth?

Photo by: John Liu


Got some cracks in your armor? Maybe you need more Vitamin E.  These powerful antioxidants are great healing warriors.  

From Your skin, to your blood vessels and every cell in between, they will repair those 'cracks' and boost your bodies health.

What are they?

Vitamin E are antioxidants that protect against damage to cells. There are really 8 kinds of Vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols)

What do they do?

Damaged LDL cells accumulate in blood vessels.

Vitamin E prevents blood from clotting unnecessarily, lowering the risk of stroke or heart attack

It helps skin retain moisture and is often added to sunscreens because it protects the skin against UVB damage.

Builds immune function. (Many women are often deficient in vitamin e. Female problems cause a deficiency of vitamin e and may affect your immune system.)

Anti-Aging

Because Vitamin E repairs and protects your cells, it is awesome at helping your skin, although it goes much deeper than that. Some of us age better than others and don't kid yourself your diet and exercise habits are directly related to it.  (Genetics play a role too.)

Go get it:

- Leafy Vegetables
-Nuts
-Seeds- especially Sunflower Seeds
-Fatty Fish- especially Shrimp & Sardines
-Oils
-Oily Plants- Avocados, Olives, 
-Chili Peppers
-Eggs

Toxicity:

None, "Eat all you want, we'll make more."
You can have 1,000mg a day, that's a lot. (Your daily min req is 14mg)

sources:

Vitamin E from Puritan's Pride

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=111 Plus a great chart of the nutrition content of high Vit E foods!

A great dosing post for many diseases- http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/vitamin-e/dosing/hrb-20060476

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/vitamin-e/dosing/hrb-20060476

You Need Some Fat! No Seriously.

Photo: Jurvetson

Americans have been so conditioned of our fear of fat that we are missing vital protection.  Guess what? Your cells need fat to function. Not saturated fat, not trans-fat, not fractioned fat- They are starving for Omega 3s, poly unsaturated fats and Omega 6s.
Give them...

Olive Oil-

Contains oleocanthal which relieves pain.
Darker oils have more blood clot fighting polyphenol. Go find that pretty green!
Olive oil helps regulate blood pressure.
It reduces chance of breast cancer.

Olives- 

are high in flavinoids.

High in...

Iron

Vit E

Fiber

polyphenols

antioxidants-protecting from heart disease, stroke, impotence & wrinkles.

Photo: Slgckgc

Avocado-

High in:

Vitamin K

Fiber

Vitamin B6

Vitamin C

Folate

Potassium (60% higher than bananas)

Ease Osteoarthritis pain and onset.

(Contain antioxidant monounsaturated oils, essential fatty acids and Vitamin E. Promote cartilage repair in osteoarthritis.)1
High in Lutein (Protects your eyes)

Monounsaturated fats reduce your cholesterol & triglycerides.

Raises your HDL.

High in phytosterols.

1. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1194401/Why-apples-avocados-glass-red-wine-ease-arthritis.html

Sardines-

packed in oil -are high in omega 3s

B12

Selenium

fresh- are high in vitamin D

Protein

Calcium

Protects you from blindness

Lowers your triglycerides.

Now before you turn your nose up... you just need a few good recipes to incorporate this powerhouse into your meal time easily.  No one will be squeamish and they rest of your household will never be the wiser.

I LOVE this recipe and my children will devour it with Ciabatta bread...

Bagna Cauda

grind 6 cloves of garlic into a paste w/ 1 t good kosher salt

add to 4T grass fed butter to pan on low heat

add 6 anchovies or sardines to pan and smash to paste

once fish has 'melted'

whisk in 1/2 olive oil

+ 1/4 c fresh parsley

Serve with crusty ciabatta slices and dip in this heavenly mix.

A little more about fats...

Did you know saturated fats increase hunger? Unsaturated fats are more satisfying. Probably because your body is getting what it actually needs from them!

Unsaturated fats can improve insulin sensitivity. 

• You are insulin sensitive if a small amount of insulin needs to be secreted to deposit a certain amount of glucose, and insulin resistant if a lot of insulin needs to be secreted to deposit the same amount of glucose.2 Way to protect against and even cure diabetes!

2. http://examine.com/faq/how-do-i-increase-insulin-sensitivity.html

Beneficial Beans

Photo: Stuti Sakhalkar

It's time to give beans another chance! Dry is better, canned is better than none at all (just rinse them well)

Beans are high in protein, fiber, folate, iron, zinc and B1.

Which ones?

Pinto- These beans are very high in folate.

Navy- These beans are among some of the highest in protein.

Limas- These are very high in fiber. They have been shown to lower LDL and raise HDL.  Beans cooked from dry may lessen the growth of colorectal adenomas (the precursor to colon cancer)

Lentils- have 2 times the protein of any vegetable.  They are high in fiber, folate, manganese, B1 and potassium.  They reduce your risk of prostate cancer by 38%!


Better get Googling those bean recipes!

Here is a great (and super easy) recipe for making your own beans in the crock pot.  Make lots and separate them in thin freezer containers to use whenever!

goto http://www.couponcloset.net/how-to-make-canned-beans-in-your-crockpot/#

Beautiful Berries

For being such a sweet treat, berries pack quite a fighting punch!

Some thing to note:

Frozen Berries do not lose anti-oxidants, so stock up when those organic frozen ones are on sale!

They protect you from free radicals. (and therefore cancer too)

Now for the specifics...

Blackberries-

• Blackberries have the highest antioxidant content of all berries (other than Acai)
• They inhibit tumor cells.

Contain

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Folate
• Potassium
• Zinc
• Beta Carotene
• Lutein

Blueberries-

• Wild blueberries have high anti-oxidants so get picking!

Contain

• Vitamin C
• Manganese (hard to find)
• Fiber
• Anthocyanins (protect cells in body from free radical damage.)

Acai Berries-

• Freeze dried are a great source
• Anti-inflamitory
• Artritus relief
• Cox-1 and Cox-2 inhibitors

Contain

• beta-sitosterol
• phytosterol which competes with cholesterol for absorption and lowers LDL.
• Vitamin A
• Potassium
• Vitamin B1, B2, B3
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Magnesium (very important and hard to find)
• Copper
• Zinc
• Phosphorus which protects from Leukemia.

It's overwhelming all the health benefits these berries pack. Go grab a bowl, then get Googling all those 'what on earth?!' words.

Protect Your Heart

You can protect yourself and significantly reduce your risk of heart disease.

Diet (& exercise) can help greatly.

Here are some fighters you want in your corner…



Almonds & Almond Butter
· High in poly & mono-unsaturated fats which sweep LDL into liver when they replace saturated fats.
· Almond Butter- maintains cholesterol levels

Avocado
· High in poly & mono-unsaturated fats which sweep LDL into liver when they replace saturated fats.

Bison
· High in Omega 3 which reduces LDL & raises HDL

Cereals with Vitamin B6 & B12
· Protect blood vessel walls

Fats
· Omega 3 & Omega 6
· Cold or Expeller Pressed

Flaxseeds
· High in omega 3, which keeps cell membranes flexible


Oats
· Rich in antioxidants called phenols which protect against damage to LDL. (Damaged LDL sticks to artery walls)

Olive Oil (Extra Virgin & Cold Pressed)
· Omega 3
· Monounsaturated good fatty acids
· High antioxidant

Parsnips
· High in potassium
· High fiber

Pumpkin Seeds
· High in omega 3, which keeps cell membranes flexible

Red red wine
· Increases cardiovascular function- Reduces heart attack risks
· Reduces heart disease risk by 25-40% (1 glass women 2 men)
· Raises HDL (good cholesterol)
· High in antioxidants
· Contains resvetatrol which appears to stop arteries from getting blocked by fat deposits

Salmon
· Omega 3 which reduces LDL & raises HDL
· Lowers triglycerides
· Protects against heart arrhythmia
· Increases flexibility of arteries
· Regulates blood pressure

Soba Noodles (Japanese Noodles)
· High in Rutin- halts and lowers body fat.
· Buckwheat extract- regulates blood sugar
· (!Watch sodium content of soba noodles!)

Tuna
· High in omega 3, which keeps cell membranes flexible

Quinoa (pronounces keen-wa) grain like rice
· High protein (8grams per cup)
· Magnesium, folate, iron
· fiber

Vegetables- Vivid
· Like Red Peppers, Tomatoes & Carrots- rich in Carotenoids which reduce risk of heart disease. (Add a small amount of ‘good fats’ to increase absorption of Carotenoids)

Vegetables- Green Leafy
· ? High in omega 3, which keeps cell membranes flexible

Walnuts
· High in omega 3, which keeps cell membranes flexible

Whole Grains
· Soluble Fiber- Lowers Cholesterol (LDL) and flushes it.
· Fiber (adding 10g a day reduces risk of heart disease by 17%)
· Fights inflammation
· Increases oxygen delivery during exercise.
·

Resources:
1. Eat This and Live- Don Colbert
2. Runners World