Flax Seed Oil!

Okay, in a quest to keep my health in good status I have finally decided to incorporate flax seed oil to my diet.  Me and the fam were visiting GNC last week and I picked up a bag of flax seeds and the clerk suggested I try the vegetarian flax seed oil as opposed to the actual seeds after I inquired about the taste of the flax seeds which he informed me was pretty strong (I interpreted that he meant 'nasty') so I opted to try the oil instead which he described as having a light nutty taste.  I've heard many great things about the health benefits of flax seed oil and after putting it off for years I've decided to give it a try so what I did after doing a little research this am was took a table spoon of the flax seed oil and mixed it with my yogurt.  It actually tastes pretty good! It has a nutty taste just like the clerk said and I don't mind it but if you do than I would say try adding it to a protein shake or a smoothie to really mask it. I tasted the yogurt prior to adding the flax seed oil and then after to see if their would be a major difference but it just added a nutty flavor to the yogurt which was pleasant to me since I like to add granola to my yogurt if I have it on hand so there was a similar taste in granola and flax seed oil when adding it to my yogurt.  I'll keep you posted on my progress but in the meantime here is some helpful information.

What is flax seed oil?

Flax seed oil is derived from the seeds of the flax plant (Linumusitatissimum, L.).  The oil contains both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids which are necessary to maintain good health.  In addition, it also contains another essential fatty acid ALA (alpha linolenic acid) which is converted by the body into the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils (EPA- eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA- docosahexaenoic acid). 

Some Health Benefits of Flax Seed Oil

• Prevents cancer and reduces tumor growth in breasts, prostate and colon
• Promotes cardiovascular health
• Promotes colon health
• Helps reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
• Boosts immunity
• Promotes healthy skin
• May lessen the severity of diabetes by stabilizing blood sugar levels
• Increases metabolic rate

Helpful Facts

• Believed to increase the nutritional value when taken with other foods.  In fact, studies show that mixing flax seed oil with yogurt helps emulsify the oil which improves the body's digestion and metabolism as the essential fatty acids are incorporated into cell membranes
• Be sure to purchase flax seed oil stored in dark bottles as prolonged exposure to light, heat, and air affects the potency and cause it to spoil so refrigerate after opening
• Because of the aforementioned it is not suggested that you do not heat it up or cook with it as it should only be added to cold foods or cooked foods
• Flax seeds are high in protein, fiber, omega 3's, and lignans which are a type of phytoestrogen that may protect against certain forms of cancer

*Check with your doctor before consuming as the component, lignan is known to interfere with certain medications such as muscle relaxers, drugs prescribed to breast cancer patients, and acid reflux medications.  Also, those who are pregant or suffer from any gastrointestinal problems should consult their physician first. Although, it is generally safe for pregnant women to consume the recommended 1 tablespoon of flax seed oil per day just to be safe consult your obgyn.*

Have you had your Vitamin C today?

Hi ladies! I've been nursing a sick child for the past couple of days and low and behold I started to feel like I was coming down with a cold/flu. Whatever it is it's actually not as bad as it could be but I did feel very bad yesterday afternoon into the evening. Well, I started using this product called Emergen-C when I noticed my daughter getting sick because I was going to try and see if she would drink it as well but that was a fail. She noticed the fizz and was immediately turned off...LOL So, I purchased both the Orange flavor and the Acai berry flavor. I've tried the orange flavor before but I didn't like it so I decided to give the acai flavor a try and have the orange on hand for the little one. To my surprise, the acai flavor was actually not bad. I mean it's not like drinking a FANTA grape soda or anything like that but it was tolerable. So, for the past couple of days I've been taking my Emergen-C. All you do is open the packet, pour the Emergen-C powder into a cup and add 4-6oz of water. Then, take it to the head if you'd like ;-) I sip mine...HAHA...Anyway, I wanted to share my experiences as I think it will be of good use for you as we cannot maintain our hauteness without our health being in tip top shape. Right? So far so good for me. I haven't felt an extreme energy boost yet but it will come in due time as I did just start taking it. I take Emergen-C twice a day but the guy in the Vitamin Shoppe told me to take it more frequently when sick. I'm going to try to up my intake to 3-4 times a day if I feel worse later on today. Of course I will fill you in on my progress as I plan to take Emergen-C everyday from here on out. The box says to take it 2-4x a day. One packet mixed with 4-6oz of water.

What is Emergen-C do you ask? Well, it is a vitamin supplement drink consisting of 1,000mg of Vitamin C and other essential vitamins in the form of a powder sold as an energy booster. Emergen-C comes in many flavors including rasberry, lemon-lime, orange, tropical and my favorite acai berry flavor. You can purchase Emergen-C at your nearest convenience store such as Rite-Aid, Target, Walmart or The Vitamin Shoppe. When mixed with water it creates a fizz similar to soda as it contains carbon dioxide so it is reminiscent of drinking a soda without the loads of sugar that soda usually contains. Why is Emergen-C good for you? Well, it contains Electrolytes, 7 B Vitamins, and as I just mentioned more than the recommended daily value of Vitamin C which is extremely important for your overall health as Vitamin C contains L-absorbic acid; an essential nutrient that posses antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help prevent and repair free radical damage to our cells and also improve our immune systems by lowering the risk of cancer and infections. Emergen-C is believed to be all natural as they do not use any artificial coloring or flavoring but I shall look into this more because everything that is said to be natural is not totally 100% natural. Just wanted to put that out there. For more information on Vitamin C and it's benefits you can do a search on Vitamin C and check the official Emergen-C website for more details about this product.