A little slow getting up this morning. We didn’t get to bed until after 9:30 so I added 20 minutes to the alarm clock, making me a little late this morning (hence the late post!). In retrospect, I’m SOOOOO glad I didn’t drink last night. It was great not waking up with wine in my veins.
Breakfast #1
The usual, toast with Smart Balance and jam…
Workout
30 minutes stairmaster, 15 ET, just a little stretching. I did weights yesterday and my abs are still a little sore from Monday so I didn’t want to do them, and my legs just weren’t up for it. So cardio only it was. 420 kcal burned.
Omega-3’s
As you might know from yesterday, I’m reading Dr. Andrew Weil’s book Eating Well for Optimum Health on the lightrail. One of his big points is the horrible ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 essential fatty acids in the American diet. I did not realize that polyunsaturated fats were actually not quite as desirable as I once thought. I thought saturated and of course, trans-fats, were the ones to avoid, but according to Dr. Weil, Americans get WAYYY more polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) than we need in our diets and an abundance of omega-6 from PUFA actually inhibits omega-3s from doing their job. So to make a long story short, I’m trying to remember to eat my omega-3’s, so I added ground flax to my oatmeal along with the walnuts. I like flax a lot, but I don’t love it so I need to remember to add it for nutritional purposes!
Omega-3
- Flax and flax oil
- Hemp seeds
- Herring, Mackerel, Salmon, Sardines, and fish oil
- Soybeans
- Walnuts and walnut oil
Omega-6
- Peanut oil
- Safflower oil
- Sesame oil
- Sunflower oil
- Meat
- Corn oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Grapeseed oil
One thing I learned during my nutrition class this fall was that on days when I had flax seeds I was meeting my omega-3 recommended goal and on days when I didn’t have flax I was way under. Just shows what a fabulous source of omega-3 ground flax is!!
NOTE: Whole flax seeds, which are about the size of sesame seeds, are indigestible by the body so we must ground flax to make the omega-3’s bioavailable. I have been buying the flax pre-ground and keeping it in a tupperware in the fridge, but I don’t eat it fast enough and it can oxidize if it gets too old. Dr. Weil recommends just grinding a little bit at a time, so I think once we’re out of this batch we’ll use our coffee grinder to grind a half cup or so at a time and use it for a few weeks. Seems more practical than grinding it every. single. day.
Breakfast #2
Oatmeal!!! With pear, walnuts, PB and flax.
Another great latte:
Breakfast calories:450.
With toast: 560.
Today
I’ve got a walk planned at lunch, tuna salad, and a new tilapia recipe invention for dinner. Can’t wait!
Patricia says
Hey Kath!!
Quick question… how many calories are in a serving of ground flax??
Kath says
Flax seed meal, which is the ground up kind, is 35 kcal for a tbsp. Seems like a lot, but just think of the benefits!
Aimee says
I'm new to your blog thanks to lots of people that also read Eat Like Me! I love it already! BUUUUT I have a quick question, I saw that you have the Polar 4 HR monitor…is the strap noticeable under your clothes? Would it be seen under a fitted workout tank or is it pretty small?
Also, does it calculate when you lift weights too, or just during cardio?
THANKS AND KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!
Tiffany says
Hey Aimee- I know you were asking Kath, but I thought I would also share. I went out and got the Polar 4 after hearing Kath talk about it- and love it!! The strap is not noticeable- it fits right under the elastic of a sports bra and is about that same width. Although I don't just wear the tanks with built in bras, I don't think it would show.
Once you start the "exercise mode" it is a continuos reading of heart rate and calorie count so it will calculate no matter what you are doing. It really is a great watch/heart monitor.
Genie says
Hi Kath,
After lunch I almost always crave salt and usually end up eating pretzels that I am not "hungry" for but am simply craving. Do you have any idea if there is something missing in my diet that causes me to crave salt so much, or else do you have advice as to how to get rid of this terrible habit of reaching for salt even after I have eaten a full meal?
Thanks so much,
Genie
Justy2003 says
Hi, Kath!
I put flaxseed in my oatmeal every morning and when I first put it in I couldn't even really tell because I mix it all up in the oatmeal. Not sure if you just leave yours on top (like in the pic), but if you don't like the taste of the flax, try mixing it into the oatmeal and you may not taste it so much.
Elle says
Great job at the office party! Lobster lollipops…yummmm.
I had no idea about the Omega 3/6 interaction…thanks for educating us! I try to get flax in sometimes but I was NEVER grinding it so that's a great tip to know. I just wish it was a little lower in calories. Is 1 Tbs enough to meet Omega 3 requirements? Because 2 Tbs is like a whole snack's worth of calories for very little bulk…
Kath says
Aimee
Thanks for the nice compliments to the blog! Tiffany said it well – the strap fits perfectly under a sports bra. It's pretty flat so I doubt you'd even feel it or see it once it's on. Now if you go sports bra less in a t-shirt….maybe you could see it, but who goes without a bra to the gym! Thanks Tiffany for answering the question!
Genie,
I'm not exactly sure what causes salt cravings but my best guess would be habit. I used to have to have sweets after every meal and I after just fighting the craving for a while, I got rid of it. This article I found gives an explanation of salt cravings and some solutions – perhaps it could provide better info:
http://www.greatarticlesformoms.com/Article/WHY-D…
Justy,
I've had oatmeal with it both mixed and on top. I generally like it on top just for the chew. I do like flax, but it's no brown sugar! I just wish I could crunch it rather than mush it! Thanks for the suggestion!
Elle,
As I volume eater, I TOTALLY know what you mean. But flax is SOOOO good for you that I think we just have to add it regardless (for the omega-3s and the fiber, about 3 grams per tablespoon). I generally add about a tbsp, which is about 30-35 kcal, so it's not a huge addition. On my food diaries, that was a significant contribution. According to Whole Foods, 2 tbsp provides 140% of the Daily Value, so I think a 1.5 would be optimal. If you also try to eat walnuts and salmon, you could probably have 1 tbsp and be optimal. Just look at all the benefits!
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspic…
Hope you're well!
K
Aimee says
Thanks Kath and Tiffany both, you've convinced me…It's mine in baby blue 🙂 As soon as Christmas is over!!
Cathy says
Hey Kath- Not sure if you read Shape or not, but I was reading last night and there is an article in there about Omega 3's. There are three different types of Omega 3's, ALA, EPA and DHA, apparently we only get two of these from Flax, Wlanut Oil, etc. and the third (don't remember which one) you can only get from fish. I never knew this! I guess it's something I will eventually learn in school. Who knew!!
Anonymous says
omg. I totally ate whole flax the other day on my yogurt!! I am so inept. Hopefully it will just pass through.
What about canola oil? I have a dressing that I like that has canola oil in it and while the label shows the dressing contains a lot of fat, barely any of it (less than 1 gram) is saturated. So what is the rest? Is it healthy?
Similarly, how many fat grams would you estimate you take in in a day? Did you focus on fat grams when you were trying to lose weight? Or just calories.
I ask because I have started South Beach diet (fad, I know) and although I am keeping it healthy, I feel like i am eating TOO much fat– from nuts and low-fa dairy and olive oil.
Brianne says
You can only get DHA from fish oils, they are known as "Brain" fat. I take cod liver oil daily since I am breastfeeding but really you should take it either way! Canola oil is mostly monounsaturated fat which is good for the heart so don't worry it is good fat. Just thought I'd add the small amount of info I know.
PS I read Living Well a few years ago- it really is a great book. I really enjoy Dr Wiel. He also has a website www.drweil.com that has some good info!
Kath says
Cathy,
From what I understand DHA and EPA are only in fish and fish oil and Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) comes from walnuts, flax, etc. BUT I believe the body can make DHA and EPA from ALA. Here's a short summary I found:
The omega 3 fatty acids can be further categorized according to their structure and biological function. This categorization is done by the number of carbons in the fatty acid or if you like the size or length of the chain of carbons that make up the fatty acid.
Alpha Linolenic acid (LNA or ALA) derived from flax has a shorter carbon chain and is much less biologically important than the longer chain fatty acids EPA and DHA. In fact, when LNA from flax is consumed it has to be converted to EPA and DHA inside the body by adding carbons and making the chain longer. This requires the action of enzymes, the most important of which is an enzyme called delta 6 desaturase. The action of this enzyme determines how much LNA will ultimately be converted to EPA and DHA.
https://www.innatechoice.com/omega3facts.cfm
So it looks like BOTH are very important! Eat your salmon, folks!
Anon,
Here's what Dr. Weil says about Canola.
"Canola oil is neutral flavored, widely available and heavily promoted as a healthy, monounsaturated fat, but I consider it a distant runner-up to olive oil and use it rarely."
So I guess it's good, but not the best!?
I don't really pay attention to fat at all. If you're eating whole, unprocessed foods, eat meat only on occasion and don't eat full-fat dairy, you have nothing to worry about.
Brianne
I'd like to read more of his books and will write Living Well down! Thanks for the DHA advice too!
Angela says
I just stumbled on this post, and better late than never I suppose! Here in Canada, there has been extensive research on the benefits of seal oil as opposed to fish oils. Tons of research show that it is more beneficial for humans to consume seal oil over fish oil and it helps better restore the Omega 3/6 imbalance. I’m just now reading the book on this research and it’s called “Omega 3” by Dr. Cosmos Ho. They make the seal oil capsules in Newfoundland, but I do not believe they are available in the U.S. There’s too much cross-border controversy I believe is the reason. The benefits of seal oil apparently far surpass the benefits of flax!