Ground flax seed for Omega 3's

gwensmamma06 · January 2012

I have been trying to get more Omega 3 in my diet. I started taking Carlson's fish oil by the teaspoon. Then when I went to buy another bottle and they raised the price $20, no joke, I decided I needed to find another source. I have read that walnuts and flax are excellent sources, besides fish. A lot cheaper too. The only thing that kind of sucked with walnuts is they have soo many calories. I can't eat them everyday. Only 1/4 cup has 200 cals! I just bought some ground organic flax seed and made a smoothie this morning with 2 tbl flax, 1 cup blueberries, 1 banana, and 1/2 cup milk. It was so delish! The best part is the flax seed only has 60 calories and 2400mg omega 3's. I would have to double my dose of fish oil to get that amount. I swear taking omega 3's have helped with my depression. I have been taking them since May of last year. I wanted to share this because I am sure there are other people who have been trying to increase their omega 3's with supplements. Another quick note, herring is a good source for omega 3's and something wonderful about herring is they do not store mercury in their bodies. Alright carry on folks! Have a great day!

Mustlovepugs11 · January 2012

Hello, I just wanted to add that Chia seeds are also good! I have been taking these since December and I am still on the same bag and it only cost $10.00. People take them for many different reasons, I take it because I believe it helps with my blood sugar. You should google it to get more information.

gwensmamma06 · January 2012

I saw those last night when I was buying the flax! I haven't heard of them before that, are they good? I need to look em up, I like the idea of getting multiple sources of Omega 3's. It is nice to mix up the routine a little. Are they low calorie?

Mustlovepugs11 · January 2012

1 tbsp is 60 calories. Not too bad I guess. When I first started them the texture bothered me. At that time I was also mixing it with oatmeal so that may have been why. I now mix them in a bottle of water sometimes mixed with Crystal lite and I actually enjoy it. I have even mixed them with scrambled eggs and you don't even notice them but it is a little unappetizing looking so I have only done that twice.

gwensmamma06 · January 2012

Woah mix it in crystal light? I am gonna have to check them out. They are a little higher in cals than flax but still way less than walnuts

Thanks for the heads up!

UponThisRock · January 2012

Flax seeds are not a good replacement for fish oil. There are 3 types of Omega 3 fats: ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA is pretty easy to get, it can be found in foods like flax seeds and walnuts. EPA and DHA on the other hand, are not so easy to get. It's pretty much only available in fatty fish. The body can convert ALA to EPA and DHA somewhat, but the conversion rate is very poor.

carrie_eggo · January 2012

Flax seeds are not a good replacement for fish oil. There are 3 types of Omega 3 fats: ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA is pretty easy to get, it can be found in foods like flax seeds and walnuts. EPA and DHA on the other hand, are not so easy to get. It's pretty much only available in fatty fish. The body can convert ALA to EPA and DHA somewhat, but the conversion rate is very poor.

^this

servilia · January 2012

Flax seeds are not a good replacement for fish oil. There are 3 types of Omega 3 fats: ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA is pretty easy to get, it can be found in foods like flax seeds and walnuts. EPA and DHA on the other hand, are not so easy to get. It's pretty much only available in fatty fish. The body can convert ALA to EPA and DHA somewhat, but the conversion rate is very poor.

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Also, nuts are not a good source for omega 3s because they're much higher in omega 6s than 3s. If you do some reading on the omegas, you'll see that the important thing is to get a good RATIO of omega 6 to omega 3. Most people get way more omega 6 than omega 3 already, so it's not a good idea to supplement omega 3 with food that's way higher in omega 6.

gwensmamma06 · January 2012

I eat fish at least 3 times a week. Are you guys suggesting I don't bother with walnuts or flax? Also not all fish supplements are created equally, the good ones are quite expensive too. I know about the whole omega 6 overload in the American diet, but what can I do to balance it out and get adequate omega 3??

issyfit · January 2012

I like to mix ground flax seeds in my oatmeal. They are pretty cheap at Costco if you don't mind a huge container.

servilia · January 2012

I eat fish at least 3 times a week. Are you guys suggesting I don't bother with walnuts or flax? Also not all fish supplements are created equally, the good ones are quite expensive too. I know about the whole omega 6 overload in the American diet, but what can I do to balance it out and get adequate omega 3??

Hmm I wouldn't say don't bother. They still have other nutrition that's good.. I still eat nuts for example. But when my goal is to get DHA/EPA (rather than just ALA which is hard to convert to these two), I go for fish oil or fish.

gwensmamma06 · January 2012

What supplements do you use for fish oil? I really like the Carlson's fish oil, it is like $34 for a 500 ml bottle on Amazon.com. It lasts me about 3 months, I guess I better not be a tight wad and buy some more lol

servilia · January 2012

I use Carlson's lemon flavoured

I paid 32$ for the 500ml bottle but like you said it lasts so long.. so it comes out to a little over 10$ per month, so a little more than 2$ per week. I think it's worth it

gwensmamma06 · January 2012

I use Carlson's lemon flavoured I paid 32$ for the 500ml bottle but like you said it lasts so long.. so it comes out to a little over 10$ per month, so a little more than 2$ per week. I think it's worth it

Alright, I am gonna have to order some tomorrow

Thanks for all the insight guys, I really do appreciate it!

Ground flax seed for Omega 3's

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