What are flax seeds good for? 10 flax seeds health benefits
Flax seeds are often found in vegetarian dishes, because these seeds are one of the highest, non-animal, natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Thought to be one of the world first ever superfoods, flax seeds, sometimes are called linseeds; flax seeds have a big range of different health and nutritional benefits and here are just ten of them:
1. They can provide protection against cancer
Flax seeds are a rich source of a group of chemicals known as lignans, which are known to help protect the body from cancer. Studies on animals have shown that lignans can reduce the growth of abnormal cells in tumours.
2. They are a good source of fibre
Flax seeds are a good source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre, which helps to reduce cholesterol in the blood and regulate blood sugar levels. You can add the seeds to breakfast cereals, salads and smoothies to give yourself an extra boost of fibre in your diet.
3. Flax seeds are high in anti-oxidants
The lignans in flax seeds also act as an effective antioxidant, which protects the cells of the body from damage from free radicals. This helps to slow down the signs of ageing and helps to balance the hormones in the body.
4. They are gluten free
Flax seeds are often used as a replacement for other grains in cooking and baking because they are 100% gluten free. This is of great use to those people who suffer from Celiac disease or have a gluten-sensitivity.
5. Flax seeds promote a healthy digestive system
As well as being high in fibre, which is good for the digestive system, flax seeds also contain ALA, which stands for α-Linolenic acid, an omega-3 that can help to protect the limning of the digestive tract. Tests have shown that eating flax seeds can be beneficial to those suffering from digestive ailments, such as Crohn’s disease.
6. Reduces blood pressure
According to research, regular consumption of flax seed or flax seed oil can significantly reduce blood pressure in people suffering from hypertension. In a test, Greek researchers found that a group of middle aged men who had hypertension experienced a dramatic drop in their blood pressure when they consumed flax seed oil.
7. Flax seeds can be a help to menopausal women
The lignans found in flax seeds can have great benefits for menopausal women. It has been found that, in some cases, flax seed can be used as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy, because the seeds have estrogenic properties.
8. They can help you lose weight
A study that was published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that flax seeds can help you to lose weight. If you add just a couple of teaspoons of flax seeds to a salad or to a bowl of soup, then the seeds will fill you up more and so you will eat fewer calories, overall.
9. Flax seeds lower cholesterol
Eating flax seeds can naturally reduce the levels of cholesterol in your blood. The soluble fibre that is found in the seeds traps the cholesterol and fat in the digestive system, before it is absorbed by the body.
10. They are good for your skin and hair
A couple of teaspoons of flax seed, added to your diet can have great benefits for the hair and skin. The healthy fats and B-vitamins contained in the seeds nourish the skin and hair and can help reduce flakiness and dryness in the skin and scalp.
Do you know some other health benefits of flax seeds?
Stay happy and healthy!
10 Simple ways to make your life easier and your heart happier
Oh, for the simple life! Many of us yearn for a simpler life, yet so few of us do anything about it. Instead, we pile on the pressures and work ourselves into a spin, trying to do the impossibly long list of things that we set ourselves and leaving no time at all for the simple pleasures in life. Modern life isn’t complicated, we just make it that way, so read these ten simple ways of making your life easier and you will find a lot more happiness in your heart too:
1. Don’t buy what you can’t afford
One of the biggest causes of stress and complications in our lives is our finances. Day in and day out we are tempted by advertisements for cheap or free credit, and we are enticed into buying things that we can’t afford. You can make your life a heck of a lot easier by saving money for the things that you want, rather than going for the ‘buy now pay later’ option.
2. De-clutter your home and make it a pleasant place to be
Keeping your home tidy and putting things back where they came from will make your life a lot easier. Applying a bit of organisation to home life and keeping things tidy will stop you from losing things and avoid you having to do things at the last minute.
3. Slim down your commitments
Check out your daily schedule and ask yourself what really needs to be done. Prioritise the tasks and don’t worry, if some of less important ones don’t get done. One thing that should always be on your list is getting some time for yourself and your loved ones, so if that’s not there, you need to ditch something else and make sure it is.
4. Set yourself reasonable goals
Life is a continuous work in progress, so don’t expect to get everything done today. Learn to accept that, if something can’t be done today, then it can’t be done, and don’t let other people push you into doing things. Make sure that you don’t promise the impossible, to yourself or other people, and life will be a lot easier.
5. Focus on results
Being busy won’t provide you with a fulfilling day, but getting things done well will do. Take a good look at the jobs you have to do and ask yourself, if they are really necessary and what you will achieve by doing them. If you always clean the car on Friday, whether it needs it or not, then why have you always cleaned the car on a Friday?
6. Stop worrying about the things you can’t change
Do something about the things that you can control and don’t fret about the ones you can’t. Sometimes bad things happen that you can do nothing about, so if you focus your thoughts on the things that you can change, you will be a lot happier.
7. Stop seeking perfection
Life is not perfect, we are not perfect and the things that we do don’t need to be perfect either. Think of it like you would of an examination. Is it better to pass an examination with a B grade or is it better to fail completely, because you spent too long on the first question, trying to make it perfect?
8. Go to bed on time and set the boundaries for work, rest and play
You’re a grown up, so you can to bed when you like, right? Wrong! Staying up half the night to finish one project will only make you tired to complete the projects you have on for tomorrow. You won’t be able to get those other projects done as effectively, so guess what? You’ll have to work late tomorrow too. Set the boundaries for work, rest and play, and keep life simple.
9. Don’t be afraid to quit
All the great motivational speakers will tell you that the winners don’t quit, but does that mean that all the winners are happy? If something in your life is causing you too much stress and making you unhappy, then what’s the point? Holding your hands up and saying: ‘I can’t do it’, can be a sign of strength, banging your head needlessly against a brick wall is the sign of weakness.
10. Do the things that you love
If you are doing something that you enjoy, then that thing is easy. Try applying that to everything that you do, including your job and other things that take up your time. Don’t do a job you hate, just because the money is good or someone expects you to do it, do the things that make you happy, then life will be easy.
Do you have some other tips on how to make your life easier and your heart happier?
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
10 Fabulous beauty tips for dry skin
Your skin feels dry, itchy and flaky when the skin is either not producing enough sebum or it is unable to retain its moisture. Dry skin can be caused by a number of things. It can be hereditary, it can be caused by some types of medication, it can be caused by pollution and by a poor diet. Whatever the cause, dry skin can be more than a nuisance and, in very bad cases, your skin can crack and bleed. To soothe and heal dry skin, you may need a different approach at different times of year, as the moisture levels in the air change, so here are ten different approaches to help you with dry skin:
1. Try using natural oils and homemade face masks for dry skin
Off-the-shelf moisturisers are fine, but they can be a bit heavy, clog up the pores in your skin and they can be very expensive. Natural oils, such as sweet almond oil, sesame oil, olive oil and coconut oil are far closer in composition to your own oils, than commercial moisturises and so will be absorbed quickly and are far less likely to clog up the pores.
Here are some of the very efficient homemade face masks for dry skin:
Face mask 1: Mix half of ripe avocado with a teaspoon of avocado oil and a teaspoon of sesame oil. Apply it to your clean face, leave it on for about 5-10 minutes before washing off.
Face mask 2: Mix one egg yolk with a tablespoon of sweet almond oil and a teaspoon of honey, apply to your face and wash off after 5-10 minutes.
Face mask 3: Mix one tablespoon of plain oatmeal with 2-3 tablespoons of slightly warmed up milk and wait until the oats get soft, then add a teaspoon of olive oil or coconut oil and apply to your clean face for 5-10 minutes, and then, wash off with lukewarm water.
You can do one of the above face masks once or twice a week and you will see how your skin will become nourished, soft and glowing.
(Make sure you are not allergic to the ingredients of these face masks.)
2. Protect your skin
Sunlight can be one of the causes of dry skin. You can prevent the sun from drying out your skin by always wearing sunscreen, all year round, wearing a hat during especially in sunny weather. In the cooler months, wearing loose fitting, layered clothing for warmth will help to prevent overheating and sweating, which can dry out and irritate your skin too.
3. Use only gentle cleansers
Use a gentle, soap-less cleanser when you shower and avoid using harsh antibacterial or deodorising soaps and shower gels, as these will dry out your skin. Cleansers that contain ceramides can also be useful. Ceramides are fatty molecules that are found in the outer barrier of your skin, which help to hold moisture in.
4. Shower with warm water, not hot
When you shower, have the temperature set at warm, not hot and don’t spend too long in the shower. A long, hot shower will strip all the natural oils from your skin and leave your skin feeling even dryer. Experts recommend that you should only spend 5-10 minutes in the shower or bath.
5. Use a humidifier
It’s not just the sun that can dry out your skin, the cool, dry air in the winter will do it as well. Central heating is the biggest culprit, as that also dries out the air, so use a humidifier in your bedroom, especially during the summer and winter months and you should notice the difference in your skin.
6. Feed your skin from the inside out
What you eat also has a direct impact on your skin, so be sure that you are eating a healthy and balanced diet. Choose foods that are high in essential fatty acids (especially Omega-3 and Omega-6), such as oily fish, and also look to increase the amount of magnesium, beta-carotene and Vitamin C in your diet.
7. Gentle exfoliation
Exfoliation is important and it can help to remove the dead skin cells and the flakiness from dry skin. Be gentle to dry skin though, as it is likely to be more sensitive and use a natural exfoliator, such as a mixture of olive oil and softened oatmeal, so that you get both the gentle exfoliation and the moisturising effect of the oil, at the same time.
8. Use pure Shea butter
One of the best remedies for very dry skin is Shea butter. Be careful of what you buy, though, some products that contain Shea butter also contain many other ingredients as well, so look for 100% pure Shea butter, as this will be the most effective and the gentlest in your skin.
9. Avoid anti-ageing creams
Some anti-ageing products can be extremely irritating to dry skin and will definitely make the problem worse. If you are using anti-ageing creams, make sure that they don’t contain retinoid or AHAs, as these are the worse ingredients for people with dry skin.
10. If all else fails, see a dermatologist
If nothing else works and you have extremely dry skin, then it might be time to see a dermatologist. It may be that you have a treatable skin condition, like eczema that can be treated with prescribed medication.
What are your favorite beauty tips for dry skin? Feel free to share them in the comment section below.
