Foods you should eat more of

Can you have too much of a good thing? Not when it comes to the foods I'll present in this weekly blog. The more frequently you incorporate these into your nutrition plan, the better your results from exercise training will be.

1. Flaxseeds (also known as linseeds)

Flaxseeds contain a fatty acid profile that is most conducive to correcting the omega-3 deficiency that 95% of the population have.

Remember, omega-3 is intermediately involved in the fat mobilization and metabolism process. It doesn't matter how many workouts you do, if you're chronically deficient in omega-3, your ability to burn fat for fuel will always be poor.

Around 100 grams of flaxseeds will provide 35 grams of good oil (essential fats, lecithin and phytosterols), 26 grams of protein and 14 grams of fibre.

Flaxseeds are the richest known source of ligans; molecules with anti- viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties. They are also a rich source of mucilage which is a special kind of fibre that acts as a natural laxative and protects against bowel cancer.

Mucilage also helps stabilize blood glucose levels. Additionally, flaxseeds contain a rich array of minerals, vitamins E and carotene and the energy-activating B-group vitamins. As you can see, flaxseeds are a pretty useful food.

I recommend the consumption of both crushed flaxseeds and taking the oil. Eating flaxseeds is a better choice nutritionally. However, flaxseed oil provides a whopping 11 grams of omega-3 per 20 ml. No other nutritional source will improve your omega-3 ratio as dramatically as flaxseed oil. It is the most effective way to correct an omega-3 deficiency, which most people have. Crushed flaxseeds (flaxseed meal) can be found in most supermarkets. The oil is found in health food stores, it must be kept refrigerated.

Another food you should eat more of, next Monday!

Dr Paul Cribb is an award-winning sports scientist, author, personal trainer and the creator of mp-body.com – the first ever science-based, research-proven, nationally accredited body transformation program. Learn more here.