Flaxmatters.com Blog

Flaxseed Has a Lot of Heart Because it Takes Care of Ours

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:33:27 +0000

Flaxseed has a lot of heart because it takes care of ours. Just two tablespoons of ground flax a day does the trick. But what is it about flax that makes it so beneficial for our hearts to begin with? One word: Fiber. There are two types of fibers: Soluble and Insoluble. They both are assets to our daily diets, but it’s the soluble fiber that works as the cheerleaders for our hearts. Flaxseed is LOADED with soluble fibers, it knows just what we need and you can bake with it, or cook with or just add it as is to the food that is already prepared.

The soluble ingredient in flax has been proven to lower cholesterol levels. And I think I told you last week that having high cholesterol is no good. The clogging of the arteries is what can give us heart attacks. Soluble fiber also helps regulate blood sugar for people with Diabetes. But fiber in general does more than help our hearts. It helps with constipation, hemorrhoids and Diverticulosis (That is a condition of the colon. And a diet with adequate fiber produces stool that is bulky and can move easily through the colon. If a diet is low in fiber, the colon must exert more pressure than usual to move small, hard stool. A low-fiber diet also can increase the time stool remains in the bowel, adding to the high pressure). That definitely doesn’t sound like anything I would want to go through. So try to eat your recommended 25 grams of fiber a day to avoid the avoidable.

Did You Know?

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:33:18 +0000

Did you know?

That 1/3 of cancer deaths in humans and canines are preventable with just a change of diet? I didn’t know that either and I didn’t really believe it when I heard it. It is switching to a more natural diet that does the trick. This was researched by Institute of Food Technologists in Chicago Illinois. One a quick side note, one has to wonder why all of this research is going on everywhere but California. I guess it’s just because we don’t hear about it that much. Back to the issue… it seems almost strange that such a simple solution could help something as deadly as cancer. Why haven’t more people read the memo?

Here is the deal: You have to limit the number of snacks with omega-6 content that you eat every day. This includes meats and vegetable oils. I know I know, I’m a carnivore too but cancer is way too serious to indulge. The omega-6 fatty acids are important in your health, but with an equal balance to omega-3 foods like fish, walnuts, flax. Inflammation and blood clotting are just a couple of the effects of too much omega-6’s. Unfortunately as Americans, this is what most of our diets consist of.

This is even apparent in the treats we give to our dogs. And inflammation and blood clotting is just as serious for them as it is for us. I know some human food isn’t good for dogs, but you can help them by changing their snacks to begin with, and then just making sure they get regular exercise and maintain a good healthy weight (which differs depending on the dog of course).

Too much fat and too much sugar only aid cancer cells. Put down the cookie, pick up some granola, and go take your dog for a walk.

High Cholesterol?

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:36:06 +0000

Do you know what cholesterol is? It’s fat. Do you know what it does to your body? Well if you don’t I’ll tell you. When excess cholesterol enters your bloodstream it causes small microscopic tears in the inner most wall of an artery. It then enters the artery wall and accumulates on the inside and causes the artery to bulge. This is where the term “blocked arteries” come from. And if this happens near the heart, one can be highly susceptible to heart attacks. This is why people with high cholesterol need to be very careful with their health. One of the tragedies of life is that the things that taste the best are usually the things that are bad for us in excess. Macaroni and cheese, steak and eggs, cake or ice cream…yup it’s a sad truth. But if you are a seafood eater, then you’re in luck because although it contains cholesterol, but also the protective polyunsaturated fats that cause the liver to produce less harmful cholesterol and more protective HDL cholesterol.

So if you want to lower your cholesterol levels, no desert for you! Just kidding, that would just be cruel. Just take some flaxseed. It can lower cholesterol levels, trust me. A lot of health problems stem from having too high cholesterol levels and a professor at Iowa State University did a test that proved having 3 teaspoons of flaxseed lignans daily can really get the job done. So you can eat your ice cream, and have your Mac and Cheese, but keep in mind, without eating healthy, that heart attack is just around the corner.

Kick the Chemicals and Go Natural

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:05:38 +0000

A large number of people in the world can get by with taking pain killers for a headache. But sometimes it gets to the point of extreme pain because we’ve waited so long to take care of it, or it just automatically starts off bad. In both cases nausea and vomiting during a migraine attack can seriously interfere with the effectiveness of oral medications like Tylenol. Oral medications are a good choice for people who have tension-type headache, migraine without nausea and vomiting, or migraine attacks that come on slowly.

Well, I hate taking pills anyway, especially because the ingredients are always words that I can’t pronounce (like those ice cream commercials with the kids who are trying to read the ingredients). So when I’m in pain I choose natural remedies all the way! Chamomile tea for my stomach aches, flaxseed oil for my joint pains and good ol’ fashioned burning newspaper for an ear ache (ask me about it some other time). Why flax for joint pain? Well studies have shown that omega-3’s can reduce joint stiffness. If it turns out that you’re allergic to flax there are other things that can help with the pain as well, for instance eating green leafy veggies like spinach and broccoli. These both contain vitamins A and C which help with aiding pain. Just doing simple things like this might prevent you from ever reaching for that pill bottle again.

What’s Your Favorite Part of the Day?

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 16:05:13 +0000

If you’re one of those people that think breakfast is the most important part of the day, you’re not wrong. And if you’re one of those people who think the most important meal of the day is lunch, or dinner, you’re not wrong either. All of your meals are important, and even more so depending on the amount of activity you participate in throughout your day. For some people who work the overnight shifts, breakfast might not even be UNTIL lunch time when you might want a cheeseburger instead of pancakes.

The wrong time to eat a good meal is late at night. Studies have shown when you are stagnant for long periods of time you are more apt to add on the pounds. This is what happens when we eat then immediately go to sleep. I know sometimes a busy schedule doesn’t allot for dinner to be eaten before 7pm, but instead of eating a huge steak dinner with mashed potatoes and veggies and a salad, try to make the meal as healthy, light and fat-less as possible.

But if you are a typical morning person, starting your day off right is crucial to the success of its remainder. Enhance your daily stamina by incorporating flax into your meals. Sprinkle it in your pancake mix, or hash browns (yum), even in your yogurt (this has been a favorite thing of mine lately especially with granola). It only takes two teaspoons of flax a day to maintain a healthy balance, so take the step and push yourself towards a healthier lifestyle.

Flax for Pets

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:04:44 +0000

A lot of people today are getting a little more conscious about how they treat their pets. They have always been “man’s best friend” but now they are treated like humans. It is kind of crazy seeing a dog walk around in a dress (and they usually look really unhappy unless they are the Pomeranians because they always look prissy). Clothing aside, pet owners (this includes anyone who has any type of animal that they have to care for, even farm animals) have more often than not wanted to make sure they are pets are healthy so they feed them the good stuff.

Well the good stuff now includes flaxseed. It is not too farfetched, I mean flax is totally organic and running in the wild and I am sure a lot of animals eat the plant it comes from. Many pet food manufacturers include flax as a source of essential fatty acids in their premium pet foods. The flax balances the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid ratio of the food, and promotes healthy skin and coat in pets. The flax also contributes lignans, considered safeguards against tumor formation in pets (nobody wants to be the reason their pet dies from something that could have been prevented either). I bet you these types of pet foods are used a lot in pet shows too. Who doesn’t want their dog, cat or horse to have a beautiful shiny coat for everyone to “oooh” and “aaahhh” at?

Sloppy Joes

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:04:02 +0000

Oh my gosh I LOVE Sloppy Joes! I was introduced to them by my stepdad when I was a little girl and I take the time to enjoy them as often as I can, without getting burnt out on them of course. Here is a recipe that I have tried out since I have been enjoying incorporating flax. I got it from a cookbook by Elaine Magee called ‘The Flax cookbook”. I hope you try it, let me know if you enjoy it.

Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger meat (lean)
½ cup chopped onion (this can be changed because I hate onions so I usually leave them out of the recipe all together)
½ tsp. garlic powder (can substitute minced garlic)
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 tbsp. prepared mustard

½ tsp. pepper

¼ cup ground flaxseed

¾ cup ketchup

2 tbsp. ketchup

½ cup water

Directions:

Take the brown beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic mix it, then cook it over medium heat in large skillet.

Stir in the mustard, ketchup, water, brown sugar and mix thoroughly.

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Add pepper, flax and stir.

Serve over some delicious sesame seed buns (that’s just my preference)

And viola!!!

This makes approximately 5 servings.

What Life is All About

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:13:59 +0000

I mention flaxseed in every blog post. It’s essential to daily health, but there IS more to life than just flax. I’ve stressed how one’s eating habits can affect your physical activity, even if it’s just doing laundry, so it’s important to eat all of your daily food groups and/or vitamins daily. Regular exercise is also plays a big part in your health. But let’s be real…sometimes we don’t want to exercise. Sometimes we don’t want to eat healthy even knowing how good it is for us. Sometimes we just want to veg out in front of a good movie (or multiple movies), or go to the park and play with our kids, or relax at the beach with a margarita at our side.

Life isn’t just about being healthy, it’s also about being happy and fulfilled (although for some being healthy is a big part of this). It’s even hard for me to stick with a routine because sometimes I just want to hang out at the pool, or spend all day writing or reading. I tell myself “FORGET WORKING OUT!!!” I just want to relax. But see, there isn’t anything wrong with that because I don’t indulge in bad habits, but I do enjoy not caring sometimes. I’m the oldest of 8 and if I dedicated myself to only my work, and my writing, and exercise, I would never spend time with any of them.

Sometimes our routines have to be put aside so that we can allot ourselves time to remember what else life is about. It’s about not missing your baby’s first step because you rushed to the gym before it got too crowded. It’s about watching a beautiful sunset with your husband or wife and not thinking about doing the laundry. It’s about creating art, and living through your imagination.

It’s Not About Sex and Candy…It’s About Sex and Good Food.

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:00:29 +0000

Have you ever heard of the word “aphrodisiac”? The word itself comes from the goddess Aphrodite (the goddess of love). Aphrodisiacs are certain types of foods that are known to stimulate one’s sexual desires because of their effect on your libido. Throughout history aphrodisiacs have been sought out to increase sexual performance, sex drive, and fertility. Here are 10 food ideas for sexual stimulation:

The smell of food is the most powerful aspect for making men feel “in the mood.” This is what vanilla does on the blood flow to the penis.

The chemical in chocolate (linked to relaxation, intoxication, and pleasure) have been found to trigger feelings similar to “falling in love.

One tablespoon of flaxseed every day helps increase testosterone in the body. According to Women’s Health the essential fatty acids are “the major building blocks of all sex hormones.”

MSNBC reported granola is rich in L-Arginine, an amino acid that improves circulation and erectile response. Unfortunately studies haven’t been done on women yet.

Dietitians say red wine or champagne (in moderation) will awaken your libido and actually help keep your arteries open and blood flowing.

The author of Passion Power tells us that raw celery contains the male hormone which acts as a pheromone to trigger female attraction.

Women’s Health Magazine also says Bananas have B vitamins which convert carbohydrates into energy and help your body produce sex hormones.

Fresh ginger root stimulates your circulatory system which in turn increases the blood flow to the genital areas.

Studies found that amino acids in mussels, oysters, and clams induce a rush of sex hormones in the body. Chew shellfish thoroughly because it helps pull out more of these amino acids.

Dieticians say asparagus contains foliate which is necessary for histamine production and histamine is necessary for both males and females to reach orgasm.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:59:43 +0000

I never used to like Bell Peppers. I don’t really know if I ever truly remember eating them as a child but as a young adult I swore that I didn’t care for them. Luckily my boyfriend LOVED them and talked me into trying one of his “famous” stuffed peppers. I was super hesitant at first, but I was more than satisfied in the end. We have this as dinner a few times a month. It’s easy and practically mess free.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef (uncooked)
4 large bell peppers (red, yellow, green or orange. It’s completely up to you)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 c slightly undercooked brown rice
1 med onion (Optional, I cook mine without because I HATE onion)
1 tsp minced garlic
3 tbs oregano
3 tbs basil

1 c breadcrumbs

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350
In non-stick skillet, add onions and garlic. Cook on medium-high about 5 minutes

Add flax to beef and cook thoroughly, drain grease from pan

Add tomatoes, herbs, and rice. Mix well
Split bell peppers lengthwise and remove seeds.
Divide mixture into the pepper halves.
Place in baking dish and cover in foil or wrap individually in foil.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.

If you found that you’ve cooked too many don’t fret, freeze them for a quick reheat dinner.