So in my quest to eat healthier, I've been thinking about essentials aside from my usual intake of supplements. I take vitamins (women's multivitamin, A, B6, B12, folic acid, C, D, E, zinc, calcium) but one nutrient that I know is difficult to incorporate into a diet are omega-3 fatty acids, or EFA (essential fatty acids).
Admittedly I don't consume a lot of fish - maybe once a week, if even. But I have come to learn that cod, which I like, and halibut, which I love, don't have as much omega-3's as salmon, so I've learned to hold my nose and take it. But I know I'm not eating enough.
Is flax seed the answer? Not so much, according to what I found out...but it sure can't hurt.
Omega-3's can be found in flax seed, but eating milled/ground flax seed may not provide you with an adequate amount or even any of the omega-3's that help lower your risk of heart disease and are vital to every cell in your body.
Darn it, if I'm eating the flax seed, or even drinking it, and it contains omega-3's, why wouldn't that suffice? It's simple science, really, but hard for me to swallow. Just because you ingest flax seed doesn't mean you'll get the omega-3's.
Your body may not be able to convert the EFA's from flax seed, and there are two main reasons - age and genetics. Ok, I'm going to get a bit sciency for a minute, but I promise it won't hurt.
There is a parent molecule in Omega-3 called ALA, or alpha linoleic acid, which your body may not be able to convert into the two omega-3 fatty acids that are crucial to health - EPA and DHA.
You can ingest as much flax seed as you want, but chances are your body isn't going to get near the amount it needs, and there's really no way to tell.
So what do you do? Keep the flax seed coming and hope for the best, or chuck it altogether and go the salmon route?
Your best bet is to increase your salmon (or other choice of fish) intake to ensure that you're getting the recommended amount (1000 mg) of omega-3's, but it sure doesn't hurt to include flax seed into your diet just in case. It makes for a healthier alternative to some of the more regular things you might find in your kitchen.
I recently discovered Good Karma Flax Milk. Sounds delish, right? Lol, yeah, my mom had the same reaction - I believe it was "Yeech". I don't drink milk because I have a slight allergy to dairy (including ice cream, which is a bummer) and it makes me all phlegmy and wheezy. I have long used Silk on my shredded wheat cereal, which is a soy milk and it's not too bad...sometimes it has a thicker, creamier consistency than I like, but since it's usually paired with cereal it's not a deal breaker.
Flax Milk has a higher nutritional value than Silk and other soy milks, coconut milk and rice milk. Aside from the omega-3 bonus, there are only 25 calories per serving (1 cup), low sodium, and only 1g of carbs. It's not too thick, has a mild taste, and a long shelf life (around two months). It's also dairy/gluten/lactose/soy free, so if you've got allergies you might want to check it out.
In the picture I've included a box of the flax seed I use in my cereal and sometimes on my egg-white & spinach omelets for variety. It adds a nice crunch, has only 30 calories per Tbsp and no sodium or sugar. It's also a non-GMO, or genetically modified product, which if you've done your research you'll know is ideal. Oh, the Flax Milk is non-GMO verified also. Bonus!
So there you go. That's my personal take on the omega-3 conundrum. I'll leave you with a little nutritional treat...if you're a child of the 80's like me, you'll recognize this fellow. Gotta love the perm...
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