My Favorite Super Food of the Week: Flaxseed

MILLED FLAXSEED

Flaxseed is a great source of omega 3 which is a wonderful natural force to fight inflammation in the body.  Getting rid of inflammation is a key component in your fibromyalgia recovery plan.

Flaxseed is also high in antioxidants and both soluble and insoluble fiber.  It is a simple and delicious way to increase the amount of good things you put into your body each day. 

You can buy whole flaxseed and grind the seeds yourself in a coffee grinder.  Flaxseed has to be ground to release the nutrients.  If you eat whole flaxseed, it will just pass right through your system without giving you any of the super nutritional qualities of the seed.  If you choose to grind the seeds yourself, grind only the amount you plan to use immediately. You can store whole flaxseed in a pretty jar on your kitchen counter for six months or longer.

There is another option.  You can purchase milled flaxseed that has already been ground for you.  If you buy milled flaxseed, be sure to store it in an airtight opaque container in the refrigerator once the package is opened.  It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for six to eight weeks.   Flaxseed has a nutty pleasant taste.  If you notice a rancid or bitter smell or taste, you need to throw the milled flaxseed away. 

If you are not used to eating a lot of fiber, be sure to start out slowly with just a teaspoon or so at a time.  I eat between one teaspoon and three tablespoons of flaxseed almost every day.

You can add flaxseed to many things you eat.  Mix it with yogurt and granola.  Add a couple of tablespoons to pancake, cookie and muffin recipes.  Sprinkle it over cooked oatmeal and add the super fruit blueberries to power start your day.  

Continue to remove processed foods from your diet and add whole nutritious foods that  promote recovery from fibromyalgia.

Hooray for Antioxidants!

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In my quest to improve my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue symptoms I had already gotten the harmful chemicals out of my food and environment and started putting helpful things into my diet.

It didn't take me long to become a huge fan of foods with antioxidants.  Oxidation is what happens to iron when it is exposed to the air and develops rust.  In our bodies the rust equivalent is known as free radicals.  They are created when we use oxygen.  If the air we breathe is polluted by chemicals from industrial waste, cigarette smoke, cleaning products, and other chemicals in our environment then the damage to our cells from free radicals gets worse.

Fortunately, there are many foods which are loaded with antioxidants.  These foods not only help prevent destruction to our cells from free radicals, they also help repair damage that is already there.  Foods loaded with antioxidants help prevent disease, repair damaged cells, and boost our immune systems.  

If you Google the terms antioxidant foods or super foods, a whole lot of different lists will pop up. There are many delicious foods for you to choose from.  If you have trouble remembering all the different foods on the lists, just think colorfully.  Usually the foods with the deepest, richest colors have the most antioxidants.

My Favorite Fifteen

Almonds - plain with no salt

Apples - try to find organic ones

Beans - especially black and dark red

Berries - blueberries are my favorite

Broccoli - steamed is delicious and nutritious 

Carrots - eat them raw in salads

Grapes - red and dark purple

Green and red peppers - try them in fajitas

Oranges - the easy peel, no seed variety are a fun snack

Raisins - eat by the handful

Sweet Potatoes - eat instead of white potatoes

Tea green or black - drink several cups a day

Tomatoes - very versatile raw or cooked

Walnuts - sprinkle on cereal and yogurt

Yogurt - Greek yogurt has more protein than regular

By the time I got to this step in my journey, my fibromyalgia pain was vastly improved.  I still had occasional flareups which were especially severe when the weather changed or if I did too much in one day.  My chronic fatigue symptoms were still quite debilitating.  It was depressing to be so tired all the time.  I kept on praying that God would show me new possibilities for coping and recovery.