Go Flax!

This small card is a BIG deal

 

 

It's no secret I am a health nut and love finding new ways to be healthy. My roommate brought me this card home and right away it intrigued me. Flax Seed is the new IT thing! On this small card there is 17 ways Flax Seed is beneficial to everyone and that's huge. Such a small seed can help you in many ways. Flax seeds are high in lignans protein and fiber but what does that even mean....

 

What the heck are lignans?

Lignans are a group of chemical compounds found in plant-based foods such as flax seed. Research is saying flax lignans may have what it takes to prevent pre-cancerous cells to develop as well as slow down the development of cancer cells that are already in place. Lignans can help prevent cancer....and flax seeds contain lignans, so flax seed may be a cure for cancer. That is one giant reason to eat flax seed right there!

 

What is so great about fiber?

Fiber gets rid of your body's garbage. The fiber in flax seed is called soluble fiber meaning it attracts water and slows down digestion. This makes you feel full longer and causes your stomach to not feel like it's running on empty. So when dieting, fiber can be your best friend. Fiber cleans up your cholesterol toxins and gets rid of digestive and cellular debris. This assists in lowering your risk of heart diease and diabetes. Fiber does your body's dirty work and takes care of you. Flax seeds are high in fiber, another great reason to eat them!

 

What could Omega-3 be?

Omega-3 is an essential group of fatty acids for our bodies to function normally. Since our bodies don't produce the type of fatty acids we need, we need to take repsonsibility in consuming them. Omega-3 is known to reduce inflammation whichs assists in preventing inflammatory diseases like heart disease and artritis. Fatty acids are also an important ingredient for your brain's behavior and thought process. Flax seeds are high in Omega-3 and Omega-3 fights disease and helps your brain work. Yet another great reason to eat flax seeds!

 

Gluten is so last season..

Gluten free is the new way to be! Gluten is a protein found in wheat grains, barley, and rye. Many of our favorite foods contain gluten like pizza, pasta, and bread but that doesn't it a good guy. Gluten is known to prevents absorbtion of essential minerals in your body. Gluten can lead to conditions such as celiac disease, migraines, and extreme fatigue. Not to mention put a serious damage on your weight loss goals and make stepping on the scale a little harder. Being gluten-free can improve your cholesterol levels, aid your digestive health and make you an energizer bunny. So integrating gluten free foods into your life only makes perfect sense. Gluten is out of season and flax seed is in!

 

You're hooked now, but how do you eat them?

You can sprinkle the seeds over your morning yogurt, toss some on your salad, or even blend them in with a smoothie. There are also many products now that contain flax seed such as; cereal, bread, granola, and nutrition bars. There are plenty of options for you to start showing your body you appreciate it and don't want it to expire soon, so join the club!

 

Once you go Flax you never go back

 

 

 

 

 

Farrell's Extreme Body Shaping Experience

Do you want to get back into shape but are intimidated by the gym? Or maybe you want to switch up your work out routine. I highly recommend Farrell’s Extreme Body Shaping (FXB). It is truly a life changing experience. I started the 10 week program my sophomore year in college and I am currently still working out at Farrell’s my senior year treating it like my gym membership. It is only a 45 minute class that will change your whole day. They have many class times through out the day to make it easy for you to get your work out in on top of work and class. The classes are 6 days a week altering from kickboxing on Monday-Wednesday-Friday and strength training with resistance bands on Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday.

Farrell’s is not an environment to be intimidated by. The coaches are extremely motivating and want you to get the best work out and feel empowered. No matter what age or athletic ability you are, you won’t feel out of place. Once you start you won’t want to stop. It is hard work and you will sweat your ass off but that’s the point isn’t it? You will be extremely sore and feel muscles you never even knew you had but it is a great feeling of accomplishment. You can truly feel your body getting stronger and you will love the results.

It is a complete body workout. Rather than just going to the gym and doing the elliptical or running, going to Farrell's is like having a personal trainer every day but for a much cheaper price! You learn to work out your entire body and solve problem areas you didn’t even know were possible. You will feel so much better about yourself. I highly encourage anyone and everyone to try it. I promise you wont regret it.

Keeping your body in shape is critical to good health and once you start this program it will become part of your  healthy lifestyle not just a 10 week program. If I don't make it to Farrell's, I feel like my whole day is thrown off and incomplete. It is also an extremely great stress reliever and time to get your mind off things. There is nothing like getting a killer workout in when life is stressing you out, it releases so much tension! Going to Farrell’s is “my” time of day. It is a time when I can go let lose, release some stress, and feel good about myself. This could be you too!

Everyone has to start somewhere and tomorrow is a new day! Take care of your body, you only get one!
Check out some FXB memembers inspiring stories
FXB Blogs

WHEN you do join, I highly reccomend the gloves on the left verse the ones on the right. They are more convenient when doing a variety of different work outs on kickboxing days!

Sandwich Substitutes

Lets start this blog off by breaking bread together. One of my all time favorite things to eat is a yummy sandwich. I wanted to find a clean and healthy way to keep my sandwich addiction without some of the main components having no nutritional value. I wanted to find bread that wasn't loaded with bad carbs, bleached flour, and refined sugar. I have tried many different wheat breads and Rudis organic bakery is my absolute favorite brand. It is lite and refreshing. You can find it at your local Hy-Vee in the health market section. Not only is their bread organic but they offer gluten free products as well as vegan. For all my fellow health-nuts out there I reccomend you check out their website Rudis Organic and explore their products! Good bread is critical for a good sandwich.

After saying goodbye to the bad bread the next step was getting rid of fatty mayonaise. I experimented with hummus and avocado substituting for other sandwich condiments. It was love at first bite. My favorite hummus is the Sabra roasted red pepper flavor. I spread it on one piece of the bread and put avocado on the other. Since avocados are not always in season and tend to go bad really quickly, I buy Wholly Guacamole packets to use instead. You can purchase these packets and hummus at any grocery store.

Switching to these healthy substitutes now doesn't defeat the nutrients of the protein and vegetables I put on my sandwiches. Pairing mayonaise and bleached flour with chicken, spinach, and tomatoes makes about as much sense as getting your car washed in a snow storm, it just doesnt!