Flax Seeds...

Maybe you've noticed by now that many of the foods I use or make contain flax seeds. Why? Because even though they are tiny, they are a nutritional powerhouse of sorts. Flax seeds are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, B vitamins, magnesium, manganese and most importantlyOmega-3 fatty acids. I talked a lot about Omega-3's last week as part of the brain food post, but I want to expand on this a bit more. There is increasing evidence that Omega-3 fatty acids fight against inflammation in our bodies. Inflammation in our bodies can lead to a variety of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and even some cancers. All in all these little seeds pack quite a punch and they are low on the glycemic index scale meaning they have a much lower effect on insulin levels than most grains.

I typically buy whole flax seeds and use a blender to grind them so they are fresh when I add them to my recipes (doing this maximizes the nutritional value). However, on occasion I will buy flax meal which are flax seeds ground into a flour like substance just to save some time in the kitchen. Some foods I buy on a regular basis contain flax including the Joseph's lavash bread wraps, Joseph's tortillas, Joseph's pita pockets, Trader Joe's Flax Seed taco chips, etc... I also add ground flax seeds to most of my muffin recipes, waffles, pancakes, smoothies...you name it! Flax seeds are a staple around here because they are so easy to use and they provide a payload of nutrients!

Today's lunch includes: cheese & onion quesadillas on Joseph's flax seed tortillas, salad with ranch dressing, strawberries/kiwi, Trader Joe's flax seed taco chips, brownie