Many people still don't realize the nutritional power of flax seed, and that's unfortunate. However, there are still plenty of people out there that do understand the importance of the nutrients packed in the little seed, but day in and day out they choose not to consume it. Why? I'll tell you why, but first let me remind you of what the big deal is over this tiny seed.

There are two significant nutritional components in flax seed that are detrimental to our health, Omega-3 and fiber. These two components are major disease fighters including some of the big killers such as cancer, strokes, and heart disease. There is no job too large for this little seed. Some of the health benefits that Omega-3 and fiber may offer are: enhancing our immune system; eases inflammatory tissue conditions, including arthritis; great natural laxative because of its high fiber content; studies show that flax seed lowers blood cholesterol levels; reduces threat of blood clots; and helps with weight loss by suppressing the appetite and speeding up the metabolism. And there are more benefits where these came from.

However, the point of this article isn't to listen to a tiny seed boast of how healthy it is for us, but instead to answer the prevailing question: Why? If flax seed has so many health benefits and has so much to offer our bodies, why do people choose not to eat it? It's one thing if you are just learning about the benefits of flax seed, or Omega-3, or fiber, or just plain old eating healthy, but for those who hold the knowledge and do nothing with it, there's no excuse. Ok, I admit, there is the common, and well-accepted complaint that preparing flax seed for consumption is too much work and is inconvenient. But those days have long passed by.

It's simple really! Just put the seed into a grinder, a bean grinder like you would use for your coffee beans, and grind it for about 30-45 seconds. The less you grind it the grittier it will be and the longer you grind it the more powdery it becomes. Then just sprinkle it or mix it in with some of your favorite foods. Some people like to put it into shakes, sport drinks, yogurt, and cereal, while others put their flax seed into more conventional foods like pizza, burgers, salad, and soups.

If you're the kind of person that pushing a button on a grinder takes too much time out of your busy day, there's still good news. You can purchase flax seed that has been ground up; it's just sitting in the package patiently waiting for you. You should look for Cold Milled because that means it was ground under conditions that won't harm the Omega-3 oils (it was ground using no heat and is vacuum sealed to preserve the nutrients). You can also purchase flax seed sprinkles that come in a shaker so it's readily available to put on your favorite foods without any hassle.

I hope you get the picture! Adding flax seed to your diet is no more of an inconvenience than adding more salt, sugar, or pepper would be. Just shake it on! For a healthier diet you can have your cake and eat it to - just add a little flax to it.