Tuesday, August 20, 2013

{In My Kitchen} Coconut Milk + Flaxseed



Two things on this sunny August afternoon:

1) Have any of y'all ever tried coconut milk? Oh. My. Goodness. It has quickly become my favorite breakfast drink besides coffee. It may or may not also be my favorite drink for afternoon snack.
Recently a friend of mine posted about how delicious coconut milk tastes. I was immediately intrigued. Usually I stick to my organic vitamin D fortified whole milk. I mean, I've tried several "milk substitutes" before. Almond milk- gritty and bitter. Soy milk- oily and tasteless. I was a bit skeptical, but she raved about it so much I decided to take the plunge and purchase a carton. Now it will have a permanent spot on the top shelf in my fridge. And if you want to know what it tastes like before you buy it, I'll tell you.
Coconut milk = Vacation in a glass.
Enough said.



2) Another item that's been in my kitchen recently is flaxseed. That's what you see up there sprinkled on top of my yogurt and strawberries. I've been hearing about the health benefits of flaxseed, so I decided to do some research to find out exactly why I need to eat it on a regular basis. Here's what I discovered:

  • Flaxseeds are rich in lignans (which as far as I can tell have qualities similar to antioxidants), fiber, and Omega 3 fatty acids. Due to these qualities, there are several health benefits associated with flaxseed consumption. Turns out that flaxseed can:
  • Reduce your risk of cancer
  • Prevent heart disease
  • Stabilize blood sugar levels
  • Help weight loss (who doesn't like that, right?)
  • Promote intestinal health
And those are only five reasons out of the eleven or more benefits I found. Sounds like a superfood to me!
I love how easy it is to include in my diet. I can easily add it to yogurt, a smoothie, salad, oatmeal, peanut butter toast, or simply mix it with fresh cut up fruit. And a little bit goes a long way, so for those of you who are like me and on a monthly grocery budget, a $3.00 bag can last a couple of months. Win.

Information about flaxseed from here and here.

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