This makes EFA's an important part of your diet. Other sources
of these fats are fish and nuts. Flax seed oils is the form in
which the oil was extracted from the seed. Omega-3 fatty acids
which contain the majority of flax seed health benefits are
very susceptible to heat.
You can either buy the seeds just like that, or you can buy the
flax supplements in pill form. Whatever you fell more
comfortable with.
The types of fats present in the brain influence its structure
and function. How well your mind works depends, in the long
run, on what you eat.
In one study men with prostate cancer who ate an ounce of
ground flaxseeds (almost three tablespoons) a day as part of a
very-low-fat diet were able to slow the progress of their
cancers between the time they were diagnosed and the time of
surgery.
Achieving Optimum Health
"Optimum health is not just the absence of disease but the
presence of wellness in mental, emotional, physical, spiritual
and social areas. Some would also include financial health."
Introduction
Optimum health is essential at all levels, from the individual
to the society we live in to the environment around us. We have
to start thinking of wealth not just in terms of possession of
money and properties but also the possession of mental,
emotional, physical, social and spiritual well-being.
Mental Health
The truth is mind is the forerunner of all states.
With a proper mindset, a poor man can still be happy.
Conversely, if the mindset is not right, no matter how much
material possessions you may have, you may still be a very
unhappy person. Thus, Gandhi said, "The world has enough for
everyone's needs, but not enough for even a single person's
greed." So a healthy mind is one that possesses a mindset that
can lead to happiness and contentment with self and the world
around us. It provides clarity of thoughts, good insight and
the ability to see things through an unbiased mind.
To be able to see things through an unbiased mind is no small
feat. It is extremely difficult to note or observe the
unfolding of events and phenomena without judging. We
habitually associate emotions or feelings to events, and allow
such emotions to direct our actions. Our likes for certain
things and dislikes for others are closely associated with our
emotions.
Emotional Health
It is our emotions that lead us to act impulsively at times.
Thus a high level of self-awareness in this area is extremely
useful. In fact, it is essential to our well-being. After all,
things and relationships that may take us years to build can be
destroyed in a moment of anger.
There are positive and negative emotions. Positive emotions
such as love, compassion and joy should be cultivated, while
negative emotions such as fear, anger and hate need to be
eradicated. When asked about this, a wise sage of India once
illustrated with a story: An old man said to his grandson,
"Boy, I have two tigers caged within me. One is love and
compassion. The other is fear and anger."
The young boy asked, "Which one will win, grandfather?
The old man replied, "The one I feed."
At times, it may seem that we have no control over our
emotions. This is not true. The truth is how well we manage our
emotions depends on how aware we are of our emotions,
particularly on the arising of our emotions. The earlier we are
able to note the arising of our emotions, we better we can
manage them.
More and more researches are showing that our well-being is
closely linked to our emotional and mental health. Our body's
immune system is generally enhanced by positive mental outlook
and emotion. Conversely, it is depressed by negative mental and
emotional states. Thus, stress, worry, anger and fear are some
states that may lead to physical illnesses such as
hypertension, cardiac diseases, peptic ulcers, depression and a
host of other ailments.
Physical Health
To maintain an optimum physical well-being, therefore, requires
us to focus not only on our body but also our mind and emotions.
Flaxseed has recently gained attention in the area of
cardiovascular disease primarily because it is the richest
known source of both alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and the
phytoestrogen, lignans, as well as being a good source of
soluble fiber. Diets high in lignans can lead to a lower chance
of getting colon, prostate, and breast cancer. Flax is 100 times
richer in lignan than most whole grains.
The lignan constituents of flaxseed (not flaxseed oil)
possesses in vitro anti-oxidant and possible estrogen receptor
agonist/antagonist properties, prompting theories of efficacy
for the treatment of breast cancer.
Flax seeds contain vitamin E and B. The seeds are also rich in
zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, nickel, calcium and many other
essential minerals.
But that should come as no big surprise, since any highly
unsaturated oil will do that, particularly if substituted for
saturated fats.
On a physical level, our body can be kept healthy through
adequate sleep and rest, proper nutrition, regular exercises
and a healthy environment that is free from pollution.
Spiritual Health
Throughout the ages, wise men have consistently informed and
taught us that we are essentially spiritual beings. Although
medical science has not been able to reveal to us our spiritual
nature, there are many indirect evidence that we would be
foolish to ignore. Stories from people who had gone through a
near death experience (NDE), or dying people with heightened
nearing death awareness, or simply a cure from an 'incurable'
disease all suggest that there is more to life than just the
physical state.
Major religions of the world all based their teachings on the
belief that we are essentially spiritual beings. According to
these teachings, our physical existence is secondary.
While it may be true that we should focus our life more on our
spiritual nature than our physical nature, it would be
difficult for the majority of people to do so, at least not
immediately. Things cannot change overnight. Mindset, however,
can, and that is perhaps the best place to start.
Financial Health
However, on a more mundane level, most people are still stuck
on how to survive from day to day, where to get the next cheque
to pay for the house installment, so on and so forth.
Practically, therefore, we need to look into ways to achieve a
financial state that would theoretically free us from the
constrain of 'forced' work. This is where the concept of
financial freedom is so attractive. According to this concept,
one should strive for a state where we have one or more than
one source of income that can be generated passively, that is,
even when we don't work.
This is what Robert Kiyosaki termed as 'passive income'.
According to him, passive income can only be achieved by
becoming an investor or a business owner, not a sole proprietor
or an employee. To become an investor or a business owner, you
must spend the time and money to acquire financial
intelligence. Unlike IQ or EQ, you can acquire financial
intelligence through self education.
To get a financial health check-up, consult an accountant, a
banker or a financial planner you can trust. Healthy
Relationship
"No man is an island, entire by itself."
As a medical doctor, I am in a unique position to confront and
comfort dying patients. One of the most important thing that I
have observed is that dying people do not ask about their money
or possessions. Instead, they focus their remaining energy and
strength on trying to heal wounded relationships. It is as
though there is an inherent need to get a proper closure to a
relationship.
Thus, forming and cultivating a healthy relationship is
important for our well-being. Unfortunately, this is something
we often ignored until it is too late. If there is any
forgiving to be done, or the need to be forgiven, leaving
things to the last minutes may end up with an unfulfilled
desire for a closure.
Knowing this now, shouldn't we spend more time and effort in
improving our relationship with our loved ones, especially with
our parents, spouse, children and siblings? Flaxseeds also
contain omega-6 fatty acids in the form of linoleic acid;
omega-6s are the same healthy fats found in vegetable oils.
Avoid or limit these oils. Omega-3, meanwhile, is typically
found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, and fish. However, flax seed
oil is the best oil where Omega-3 and Omega-6 are balanced. Flax
Seed muffins pregents Cancer? Find Flax Seed Recipe today!
Omega-3 for health!
Essential fatty acids are further metabolized into hormone-like
substances in the cell known as prostaglandins. Prostaglandins
are involved in the regulation of many important physiological
functions.
Randomized clinical trials have shown that omega-3 fatty acid
supplements can reduce cardiovascular events (death, non-fatal
heart attacks, non-fatal strokes). They can also slow the
progression of atherosclerosis in coronary patients.
The seeds and oil of the flax plant contain substances which
promote good health.
About The Author: Why is Flaxseed called the Miracle Food? More
at http://www.flaxseed
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