This year I have been trying to pay a little more attention to my health. I now find myself exercising much more, trying to get a little more sleep, and paying more attention to the things that I eat and drink every day. As part of this effort to live better, I have been trying to incorporate flax seed into my diet because of it’s reported ability to lower cholesterol, stabilize blood pressure, fight off cancer, and other assorted wonders.
Something I discovered is that wanting to eat more flax is not as easy as actually eating more flax. First, it is not something you normally think of as an ingredient, so it takes some intentional effort to include it. Perhaps the biggest barrier for me was simply that it came in a box, which was stored in my pantry — out of sight, out of mind. I needed to make it more accessible to use and more convenient to incorporate into my diet. I needed to make Flax easier.
So how do you make something like flax seed easier to consume. Well, it occurred to me that the spices and seasonings I use most often are salt, pepper, and sugar. Is it because these are my favorites? Nope, they are just the most readily accessible. All 3 of these things have their own special containers, ensuring they are always within arms reach of any meal. So why not create a Flax shaker? That is what I did.
I bought a simple sugar pourer and loaded it up with ground brown flax seed. As a result I find it much easier to incorporate flax into my diet. An example of this is at breakfast, where I typically start the day with some yogurt. Now it just takes 2 seconds to sprinkle a little flax right on top and make my healthy breakfast just a little more healthy. By using the sugar pourer for flax, I have very quickly converted this into a habitual part of my routine. In addition to being highly caffeinated, I am also fully flaxinated. Hopefully, this little switch will make a big difference in my health. Time will tell.
What little tricks and tips do you have to improve your diet?
Fish oil (I know this wouldn’t work in your house) and flax. I love your idea of using a sugar-pourer for flax. The only drawback I’ve seen from using flax was spilling it all over the place when the container breaks open–you solved that. I gotta say that I recommend using the whole flax seed over the ground. I’ve read some things suggesting the whole flax provides more fiber, omega-3 absorption, and colon-cleansing ability than the ground (though I have tried both). I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t try using flaxseed. It tastes good and is simple to use in yogurt, fruit, or baked into breads (or nearly anything for that matter). Love it.
ROAR. This was funny (fully flaxinated), but also brilliant (the small things are the smartest). I let flax seed go bad for the same reason.
Thanks man!
Good to “know” you.
Thanks Kelly! Hope that this little tip keeps the inventory of flax from spoiling and contributes to your health.
Geoff,
I need to do some research on ground v. whole flax. I do know that used in moderation the ground flax is great in pancakes. Use too much and they get really soggy, but used in moderation it makes them nice and moist. Yum! Thanks for the comment G.
Flax seed oil might be a little easier to consume and digest, maybe a dropper full at breakfast.