I bought a bottle of flaxseed oil yesterday at the organic market near my apartment. I’ve been reading about the health benefits of flax for years, but this is the first time I’ve ever purchased any. The bottles came in two different sizes; the larger one that I bought has 34 servings (1 tablespoon per serving) and cost $13.50. That’s technically only $0.34 per serving, though. Flax has been given a glowing recommendation by health experts; it’s very rich in omega-3 fatty acids (the “good” fat), and it’s always on those lists of “best of” foods that I see.
You can buy flaxseed in seed form, but the oil is more concentrated. They say you can mix the oil in with salad dressing, add it to food or drink, or you can just take it by itself. I had already eaten by the time I bought it yesterday, so I wasn’t fazed—I just drank the tablespoon by itself. It wasn’t bad. The flavor was slightly nutty.
This is the reason why I never bought flaxseed oil in the past, even though I knew it was good for me: each tablespoon of flax oil has 125 calories. I was—and still am—calorie conscious, so I would look at the 125 calories in 1 little tablespoon of oil and compare it to the 125 calories in, say, 16 ounces of broccoli. (And then I would say to myself, “I’d rather have the broccoli.”) I’m not proud to admit that I decided not to take something that would have such an obvious health benefit because of that reason, but it’s true. Now that I’ve started consuming more things that are good for me, I realize this hang-up was—is—stupid.
Whether or not these changes are making any internal improvements, eating this way makes me feel better psychologically. I actually like searching for ingredients and trying new foods. Maybe, in the past, I just wasn’t searching for the right ones.
3 Comments
I mixed the flaxseed oil in with my oatmeal this morning…delicious!
Your comment, LOL! Speaking about oatmeal, try mixing dried apricots with it. Tim LOVES it
It’s funny how we both are changing things in our nutrition habits. All of Tim’s food is organic. And since he gets it, we eat it more too. And I have to say, it tastes a lot better than regular vegetables & fruit. Here organic foods are quite expensive. How’s that in your country?
I’ve been adding flax seeds to my cereal for a couple months now. Not that I can tell the difference, but it makes me feel all good and healthy to be adding omega-3 acids and fiber.