Fabulous Flax - The Rich Nutrients In Flax

Flax oil and flax (also known as linseed) seeds have become rediscovered as genuine health nutrients. They unquestionably deserve being admitted in any top-ten listing of nutrients that are healthy. Flax isn't a brand-new nutrient. It is in reality among the older and, maybe, among the groundbreaking "wellness foods," cherished due to its therapeutic attributes throughout the Romanist Empire. Flax was among innovative medications employed by Hippocrates.

Flax may be nicknamed the "unnoticed oil." It has been diminished due to oil makers having discovered wholesome oils to be less rewarding from a profit point of view. The selfsame nutriments that flax generates in nutritional advantages - crucial fatty acids - likewise afford it a poor shelf life, causing it to be costlier to develop, ship, and store on shelves.

However, those who are nutritional experts recognize the need to keep ranking flax high up on the list of essential foods. Due to the bustle of technological fields of study confirming the wellness benefits of omega-3s, flax oil has progressed from the icebox of "wellness food enthusiasts" to a position of scientific reputability.

A tablespoonful of flax oil or 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal should become a daily habit. In addition to being the most beneficial origin of omega 3's, flax oil is an effective source of omega-6 fatty acid, or linolic acid (LA). Safflower, sunflower, and sesame oils are more outstanding sources of omega 6 fatty acids however, they don't incorporate any omega-3 fatty acids. Flax oil comprises 45 to 60 percent of the omega-3 fatty acid alphalinolenic acid (ALA).

Along with wholesome fats, flax seeds carry additional nutriments which make consuming the entire seed superior instead of eating only the distilled oil:

1. Flax seeds are comprised of high caliber protein.

2. Flax seeds are abundant in water-soluble fiber. The combining of the oil and the fiber causes flaxseeds to be an ideal laxative.

3. Flax seeds bear vitamins B-1, E, carotene, B-2, and C. These seeds also incorporate zinc, iron, as well as trace quantities of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, carotene, and vitamin E, two nutriments that assist the metabolic process from the oil.

4. Flax seeds carry more than a hundredfold additional phytonutrient, called lignin, than any of its most proximate contenders, like wheat berry bran, rye, millet, buckwheat, oats, and soy. Lignins have gotten more press due to potential anti-cancer attributes, particularly in regard to breast and colon cancer. Lignins appear to kick excessive estrogen hormones from the body, thereby abbreviating the relative incidence of estrogen-linked cancers, like breast cancer.

In addition to anti-tumor properties, lignins also look to deliver antibacterial, antifungal agents, and antiviral agents. Linseeds, because they comprise some protein, vitamins and minerals, fiber, and lignins, they are more nourishing than their oils. Even so, for useful intentions, many consumers favor utilizing the oil for its omega-3s and not being forced to hassle with crunching the seeds.

However nutritionally speaking, it's worthy of the bother to mill new linseeds (like in a coffee grinder) and scatter them as a flavoring with cereals, salads, or blend them into biscuits and muffins.

While purchasing seeds, make certain they are intact, not split; breaking the open brings out the inside seed to the light and warmth and diminishes the nutritionary rate. Or, purchase pre-ground linseeds, accessible as flaxseed meal. Just one ounce of linseed meal (about 4 tbsp.) will generate approximately 8 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

3 Amazing Recipes That Avocado Fans Will Love

Gone are the days that avocados are consumed as is or is used mainly as an ingredient for guacamole. Today, you can see this healthy fruit being used in soups, salads and even sandwiches. Avocados contain plenty of healthy fats, fiber, vitamins B6, E and K as well as minerals such as copper and potassium. They're good for cardiovascular support, blood sugar regulation, prevention of inflammation and may other health benefits.

Here are 3 delicious avocado recipes that are worth a try:

Tasty Herbed Avocado Dip

What you need:

• 1 large avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped seeded cucumber
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Photo: Citnutritionally.com

In a blender or food processor, mix together avocado, garlic, cucumber, lemon juice and sour cream. Pulse until ingredients are well blended then transfer mixture into a bowl. Season with cilantro, mint, red pepper, salt and black pepper. Stir until mixture is creamy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve - can be used as a dipping sauce or a sandwich dressing.

Chicken Soup with Avocado and Lime

What you need:

• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 jalapeno peppers, sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 6-inch corn tortillas, julienned and baked
• 1 cup thin strips of boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Photo: Womenfitness.net

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat then cook onion, garlic, jalapeno until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato, chicken broth, chicken strips, lime juice, salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes. When chicken is cooked, stir in avocado and cilantro and heat through. Transfer to soup bowls and top with tortilla strips before serving.

Avocado-Strawberry Green Salad

What you need:

• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 10 strawberries, sliced
• 2 cups torn salad greens
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons honey

Photo: Maxandlulacook.com

Combine avocado, strawberry, salad greens and pecans in a bowl. To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, sugar, lemon juice, cider vinegar and honey in a separate bowl and drizzle the mixture over salad. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Whether you're a fan of avocados or not, you'll definitely enjoy these delicious avocado recipes!

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

4 Tasty Metabolism & Energy Boosting Foods

When it comes to boosting your metabolism and energy levels, there are a handful of foods that you should be eating on a daily basis that help you look and perform better along with giving you more energy and a speedier metabolism for faster weight loss.

The following foods are rich in energy boosting nutrients and contain antioxidants that help speed up workout recovery and fight off and prevent illness and disease.

If you are suffering from low energy levels and have a slow metabolism, start eating these foods on a daily basis to get the most benefit from them. You do not have to eat all of these foods every day, but eating most of them daily is the best way to go.

So without further ado, here are four outstanding and tasty foods to eat often for more energy and a higher metabolism.

1. Berries

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are all awesome fruits that boost your metabolism and energy levels. You see, most fruits are high in natural sugars which can slow down and prevent fat loss.

However, unlike most fruits, berries are very low in natural sugar which makes them perfect to eat anytime. Berries are loaded with antioxidants, fiber and plant nutrients called phytonutrients, which help increase energy levels by improving your cellular health.

To get the most health benefits from berries, eat a fruit bowl consisting of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries several times a week. This combo packs a powerful antioxidant punch which strengthens your immune system and helps speed up your metabolism and increases your energy levels.

Mixing berries into low-fat or no-fat Greek yogurt makes for a tasty snack or breakfast. Always put fresh berries into your yogurt instead of buying yogurt that already has fruit in it.

Flavored yogurt or yogurt with fruit contains far too much adder sugar and too little fruit, which means you will not get the energy and health benefits that you get from eating fresh berries.

As berries absorb a lot of pesticides, I highly recommend that you spend an extra dollar or two and go with organic berries as they do not contain any harmful pesticides.

2. Walnuts

Walnuts are my go to food for boosting energy levels anytime of day. Walnuts are an excellent source of Vitamin E, fiber and ALA, an omega-3 fat essential for healthy hair, skin and nails. They are also very low in carbohydrates which means you can snack on them at any time of day.

Although Walnuts are high in fat, the fat is mostly from monounsaturated fat, which is a good fat that does not damage your arteries or cause inflammation, which is the leading cause of heart disease.

For best results, snack on a small handful of Walnuts in between meals, 60-90 minutes before bed, or anytime you need an energy boost. Walnuts make a good pair with fresh fruit and dried fruit, just be sure to limit your fruit intake as most foods are high in natural sugar which can interfere with weight loss.

3. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes far superior to white potatoes when it comes to nutrients and fiber. Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse as they are loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C and dietary fiber and several other important nutrients.

Most people tend to prefer the taste of sweet potatoes to regular potatoes as they are sweet and can be eaten with many different foods for both lunch and dinner.

Eat sweet potatoes with lean meats and fibrous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, tomatoes, spinach and other raw veggies several times a week.

The complex carbohydrates in sweet potatoes give you sustained energy without the crash you would get from other foods high in carbohydrates, especially sugar.

4. Coconut oil

Coconut oil is a true Superfood and has countless health benefits along with boosting your metabolism and energy levels so you can power through your workouts.

Coconut oil contains a high amount of unique fats called medium chain triglycerides. These fats are considered fat burning fats and can speed up the burning of body fat quite considerably.

Coconut oil can be used for cooking, as a sauce or dressing, and in smoothies and shakes. For a tasty and quick energy-boosting snack, I like to spread one tablespoon of coconut oil on a whole grain rice cake, then spread almond butter over it and top it with the raspberries or blueberries and sprinkle it with cinnamon.

This absolutely delicious snack contains healthy fats and antioxidants along with fiber and plant nutrients which increase energy during workouts and protect the immune system from exercise induced stress.

Coconut oil can be eaten and consumed in many different ways and with many different foods, don't be afraid to experiment and find the best way for you to eat coconut oil.

There you have it, incorporate the above four foods into your diet on a weekly basis and you will notice a nice increase in energy along with a higher metabolism, leading to better workouts and better results.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Frozen Can Be Fresher Than Fresh - Great Tips For Getting Your 'Five A Day'

This morning I was talking to a client about getting more fruit and vegetables into their diet. We agreed that one problem is that fresh food goes off so quickly. Even when you buy plenty of fresh produce all your good intentions can be wasted if it's all gone off by the time to get round to eating it.

I then came home from the session and started making my breakfast. I went to the freezer and got out the blueberries and the raspberries, defrosted them in the microwave and mixed them with my yogurt and muesli.... perfect! At least one of my five a day eaten with breakfast with no worries of gone off fruit.

Frozen fruit and vegetables offer us an incredible opportunity to get a good range of fruit and vegetables into our diets. Frozen fruit and vegetables are picked and frozen at their peak quality meaning many of the minerals and nutrients are preserved better than when they come from the supermarket shelf.

We can also get an amazing variety of frozen products. Fruits as diverse as blackberries, raspberries, apples, blueberries, mango and mixed summer fruits. Vegetables ranging from peas, beans, spinach, carrots, peppers as well as stir fry and casserole mixes. You can even find herbs and spices down the freezer isle. We can eat fruit and vegetables that aren't currently in season without worrying how many air-miles they have travelled from the field to our plate. This also means that we can get a great range of colours onto our plates - which means a great range of vitamins and minerals.

Did you know that 20,000 kg of peas can be frozen in just one hour? Meaning that farms can work round the clock through the 6-8 weeks of the pea harvest with very little waste.

It can take up to 14 days for fresh fruit and vegetables to reach the shop floor once they have been harvested, transported, sorted and transported again to their point of sale. All this means that valuable minerals and nutrients are lost.

Another benefit for the busy cook is that frozen fruit and vegetables require little or no preparation. You can also use as much or as little as you want, putting the bag back in the freezer for next time, which means very little is wasted.

I wouldn't advocate a diet based solely around frozen produce - I am a big fan of eating fresh food that is in season - but at the same time don't forget the freezer in your efforts to consume your "five a day". Frozen can sometimes actually be fresher than fresh!

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Healthy Eating - Snacks For The Whole Family

Anytime you change the way you eat it will take some encouragement and some preparation but you will find success by having a partner to got through the process with you. When you involve your entire household in the new healthy eating plan you are twice as likely to stick with it and have great progress. For healthy eating snacks for the whole family you can all enjoy the new diet and be getting healthier by the day together.

Snacks that the whole family will enjoy could be in many variations. You must think creatively and plan to prepare snacks for the entire day and not just limit them to one portion of the day or for one special event. 

Create fun snacks that are easy for little ones to eat such as finger snacks like vegetables cut up like celery or carrots with a fun dipping sauce for the kids to enjoy. The whole family will enjoy apples cut up with all natural, organic peanut butter to dip the slices into. 

Baked potatoes are also good snacks that you can slice up and place cheese on top of that is low fat or non fat cheese and even vegetables on top as well. 

Organic yogurts are always nutritious and kids and adults alike enjoy eating them when they are combined with chopped up fruits inside. This creates a healthy snack that is tasty and it fills you up for quite some time.

Soups that are made fresh at home are also enjoyed throughout the winter or just on a rainy day when the kids may really be seeking an activity to engage in such as helping create the soups. 

Just about every child enjoys Popsicles, and they should not be left out of the healthy snack plan for the entire family. You can create your own fruit pops in the freezer with a few Popsicle sticks and blending up your family's favorite fruits. You simply pour the mixture into the freezing trays and allow them to mold and in a few hours you have created an all natural healthy snack for everyone to enjoy on a hot summer day. 

Get your family involved in deciding which snacks they may be willing to try and with all of the input you can receive from everyone you can create a fun family menu for the entire week together! Allow the kids to help with creating all the snacks they would like to take with them for school lunches and for any sporting events and practices as well.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Top 10 Health Benefits Of Goji Berries

Have you ever wondered how these little red berries can change your life? Well, goji berries are one of the most nutritionally rich foods on the planet. They are grown on a vine-like bush only in the shade. Goji berries differ in colors from pale yellow, sun-fire orange and deep red. The two main types of goji berries are Asian and American. The only difference between them is their history. The Asian goji berries have been grown for thousands of years by Chinese, Mongolian and Tibetans, whereas the American goji berries originated from the South-West dessert of the United States which was used for survival when no water was found. 

There are many benefits of goji berries. Here are some of them:

1. Longevity and Healthy Hormones. According to researches, the seventy year old person produces only one-tenth of the amount of the Human Growth Hormone generated by the twenty year old person. This causes the body to have lower energy levels and wastage. To feel, look and function like a youthful person, you need to boost the natural production of the growth hormone. This superfood has been identified as "the longevity fruit" which is filled with a variety of nutrients. These nutrients will help you to live a longer and healthier life. Goji berries help your body to achieve this in three ways:

• They are high in sesquiterpenoids which are filled with anti-inflammatory properties.
• They stimulate the pituitary and pineal glands which increase the glandular production of the Human Growth Hormone (HGH).
• They are rich in l-arginine and l-glutamine which works together to boost the HGH to revitalize your appearance and metabolism.

2. Enhancing Libido and Sexual Function. Goji berries are known for strong sexual tonic in Asia. Goji berries improve your stamina levels, mood and wellbeing, while decreasing the impact of stress on your body. These benefits lead to a much healthier life. Goji berries will help your HGH production and raise the testosterone levels to ensure healthier sex life.

3. Improving Vision. Goji berries contain the highest concentration of eyesight improving antioxidants, namely zeaxanthin and lutein. Zeaxanthin and lutein protect the eyes from the damage of the free radicals that attacks your eyes every day. They also heal the membranes of your eyes keeping them youthful and healthy. These two key antioxidants are concentrated at the center of the retina and protect your eyes from the following diseases:

• Cataracts
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Loss of sight
• Eye aging problems.

4. Antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your DNA from the damage of free radicals and radiation. If your DNA is damaged, it's easier for every imaginable illness to enter your body, as well as increase the aging process. Your body is equipped to repair itself, but if your body gets faced with too many free radicals, it becomes overwhelmed and the result is the premature death of healthy cells. This can be the cause of a variety of diseases, such as a cancer. The goji berry is filled with carotenoid antioxidants which are natural sources of fat soluble antioxidant pigments.

5. Immune System Booster. Goji berries are rich in Vitamin C and Zinc. Both of these vitamins protect the body against diseases and help in recovery. They also protect the cells in your body and boost your immune system through these three main components:

• Polysaccharides which protect the cells from generic mutation.
• Beta-carotene which enhances the thymus gland function and increases the stimulation action on your immune system to prevent any viral infection.
• Mineral germanium which fights off any cancer properties, such as liver cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, testicular cancer and uterine cancer.

6. Hydration. Proper hydration is a very important aspect for your overall health. If your body isn't hydrated you become dehydrated and your body doesn't have enough water to absorb to function normally. You lose water when you breathe, when you go to the bathroom and through your sweat. You don't have to drink water only. You can consume this superfood for hydration as well. This fresh superfood grows in rich, alkaline alluvial soils which contain a big amount of hydrogen needed for hydration.

7. Supporting Brain and Neurological Health. Goji berries help our bodies with the production of choline. The choline is an essential nutrient that fights off free radical damage, narrows the arteries that delivers oxygen to the brain cells which can cause Alzheimer's disease and neurological degeneration.

8. Supporting Cardiovascular Health. Goji berry holds the key to fight off the main cause of most heart diseases, mainly oxidized cholesterol. Cholesterol becomes more dangerous when it is oxidized as a result of free radicals. This is when the blood fats clench to the artery walls with calcium forming nanobacteria to form plagues. An enzyme called Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) acts as a defense mechanism against cholesterol and may prevent cholesterol from oxidizing. Goji berries can increase your SOD to decrease your cholesterol levels.

9. Keeping Vital Organs Healthy. They keep our vital organs healthy through balancing blood sugar levels and increasing the digestive system, skin and liver function. They're also filled with phytonutrients which enhance the ability to detoxify and guard the liver against any damage from carcinogens and hepatitis virus. These phytonutrients include betaine, polysaccharides and antioxidant pigments. The liver gets cleaned by betaine. This reduces the toxic amino acids in the cardiovascular system. Goji berry tea can be used for the treatment of diabetes and all types of digestive problems, as well as the recovery of ulcers and a spastic colon. Goji berries also contain fatty acids which can stimulate collagen production to ensure moisture resulting in a youthful skin.

10. Improving Sleep. Goji berries contain Thiamine and Magnesium - two main nutrients needed for a healthy sleep. Thiamin improves your mood and energy levels, while magnesium improves the quality of sleep by shortening the time it takes to fall asleep.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com