November 18: Flaxseed

One of the best ways to get your daily fiber and protein is through that of milled flaxseed. Flax comes in two different varieties: brown and yellow (or golden) and they both have very similar nutritional characteristics. They both have been consumed for thousands of years, but brown flax is used more often to give cattle their fiber, but they each have the same amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. I had always heard of the health benefits associated with flaxseed, but it wasn't until last year when I took a trip to Washington DC that I became a believer.

My aunt from my mother's side of the family has always been somewhat of a black sheep in our family. Just like my mother, she was raised in Indiana by a farmer. Their father grew tobacco, corn, soybeans, and other various vegetables in addition to raising his own cattle to eventually turn into beef. He fed his family the fruits of his labor which meant there was rarely a night that some sort of meat wasn't served for dinner.

According to my aunt, she had mistakenly walked through the wrong door on a trip with her father to the local butcher's place when she saw the look of horror in a cow's eye just as it was about to get slaughtered. She continued to eat what was placed in front of her at home, but when she moved out, she vowed to never eat meat again.

As a little boy that grew up eating meat and dairy, I always thought my aunt was a bid odd for her choices in diet. Whenever she would visit, she would make a trip to the grocery store and buy vegetables I had never heard of to prepare her meals each night. Her trips to see my family were always followed by leftovers of unusual nuts and seeds in the freezer and fresh produce on the counters and in the refrigerator.

When it was my turn to visit her last year, she introduced me to flaxseed. I was intrigued to see what all the fuss was about and this was the perfect opportunity for me to give it a go. She told me that it was recommended to take two tablespoons a day with juice, milk, cereal, fruit, muffins, etc., but I only took one for my first time (I wanted to take it slow so the entire glass of orange juice wouldn't be wasted if I couldn't stand the stuff). To my surprise, I actually kind of liked it. It had a nutty taste to it that almost enhanced the texture of the juice.

Since that morning, I have been hooked on it. Not only are the Omega-3 fatty acids that it provides great for my heart, but they have also done wonders for my skin. I wear sandals a lot so my heels can get a bit chapped and dried out, but since taking my two tablespoons of golden flax a day, my feet (and my elbows) are nice and soft! If you're looking for an easy addition to your diet that has a lot of benefits, I strongly recommend learning more about flaxseed.