The Studio (MDR) Superfood Saturday's: Flaxseeds

For this week's Superfood Saturday on The Studio (MDR) blog, we're favoring the flaxseed.  Similar to the chia seed we posted about last week, we love the health benefits and versatility of the flaxseed. Wellness experts and media alike are calling this the new wonder food for its ability to help fight everything from heart disease and diabetes to breast cancer.  WebMD also reports that, although flaxseed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its healthy reputation primarily to three ingredients:

Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.

Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75-800 times more lignans than other plant foods.

Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.

Tips for Incorporating Flaxseed's Into Your Diet:

• Drink plenty of water. There is so much soluble fiber in flax that it is important to drink plenty of water when eating flax products, otherwise constipation may result.
• Remember to start slowly if you aren’t used to a high-fiber diet.
• If you purchase the whole seeds, you need to grind them up to get the benefit.
• Flax is often used as an egg substitute in baked goods for people who can’t or choose not to eat eggs. This is because of the soluble fiber, which adds structure to the food.
• About 2/3 to 3/4 cup of flax seed yields 1 cup of flax meal. With my grinder, it’s 3/4 cup, and my recipes reflect this.

Flax Recipes and Serving Suggestions:

• Raw or toasted: Sprinkle over cottage cheese, ricotta, yogurt, breakfast cereal; put in shakes (thickens them somewhat)
• Cooked in a hot cereal: For example, try Hot Flax Peanut Butter Cereal or Hot Pumpkin Cereal

• Cooked into other foods: For example, meatloaf, meatballs, or casseroles.

Have you ever tried flaxseeds? Want to share your own recipe? Leave a comment here or chime in via our community on Facebook--http://www.facebook.com/thestuidomdr Also, we'd love to get your input. Which superfood should we feature for next Saturday? Let us know.

Weight Loss Success Stories From The Studio (MDR): Meet Transformer Lindsay Hallam

If you are feeling a little discouraged about your New Years resolution, you may want to read this story.

When Lindsay Hallam started working out at The Studio (MDR) she had a very big goal: To reduce her body fat by 10 percent and drop 50 pounds. Difficult to accomplish? Sure. But impossible, NO. Not with an exercise routine inclusive of yoga and classes at one of LA's most popular and highly respected fitness studios in Marina Del Rey. Lindsay knew it was time to get busy sweating and start SPX-ing.

"Before discovering SPX, I was really unhappy, insecure, and uncomfortable in my own skin," she says. "I started at 172 pounds and I set milestone goals to lose 10 pounds at a time. Over the course of eight months, I reduced my body fat from 33 percent to 23 percent and have lost 48 pounds."

Were there challenges? Of course. "I struggle with patience," Lindsay said. "When I set my mind to do something, I want to get it done immediately." But she knew that in order to lose her weight and body fat the healthy way, she had to do it slowly.

"I just showed up. Jessi, and Mary gave me what I needed to do the rest." Lindsay also incorporated some pretty big lifestyle changes that helped her transform.

# 1 -- Alcohol. "I decided I wanted to trade the six-pack in my hand for one on my stomach," says Lindsay. "I used to have several drinks a night throughout the week; now I just have one or two drinks every now and then.

# 2 -- Cooking. "I used to skip breakfast and eat out for lunch and dinner. Now, I make just about every meal I consume. I eat fresh and organic as much as possible and while I don't count calories, carbs, sugar, etc., I make an effort to keep them low. I also think it's important not to deprive myself. So, if I have a craving for something, I get it. I just don't do it all the time."

#3 -- Consistency. "The major pitfall I encountered through all of my failed attempts at losing weight in the past is that when I skipped a workout or ate something unhealthy, I would beat myself up and just sink back to my old ways. It became much easier to reach my goals once fitness and healthy foods became a part of my daily lifestyle, instead of a diet-of-the-moment."

If you are second guessing that New Years resolution and your commitment to achieving it, let Lindsay be an example of the rewards that commitment and patience will yield. And if that's not enough, you can use The Studio (MDR)'s mantra for extra encouragement: "Look It+Feel It+Live It."