Editor's Note: We read this great article from our friends at ShapeFit.com and we thought we would pass it along. It has some helpful info about the importance of flaxseed.

From cereals and porridges to muffins and breads, flaxseed is a featured supplement that occupies the health section of all grocery stores and, probably, your home. Is it a newly invented miracle food or a money making fad? Research reveals the many healthful benefits of Flaxseed oil which has shown to reduce inflammation, lower blood cholesterol, minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, preventing the clotting of blood platelets, fight depression, reduce muscle and joint pain, protect your eyes from age-related diseases, improve complexity of skin, hair and nails, increase palatability of foods and facilitate digestion.

The flax plant is an ancient crop originating in Mesopotamia more than 4000 years ago. Also known as Linseed, the plant Linum usitatissimum (meaning "most useful") has truly blue flowers. Flaxseed is used throughout the world in more ways than you can imagine. The oil from flaxseed is used in paints, linoleum and varnishes, the fiber is a valuable source for weaving linen for clothing. But the most valuable properties are found in the flaxseed's nutritional value as it contains fiber and lignans, essential fatty acids and amino acids, abundance of vitamins and minerals. Today, flaxseed is best known for its therapeutic oil, which has earned a reputation for treating a range of conditions.

We came across this amazing recipe for a healthy summer dessert from our friends at Shape Magazine, and after we tried it out, we knew we had to share it with the JSN Nation! If you are looking for something a little different this weekend, whip up a Nectarine and Raspberry Sundae - you won't be disappointed, we promise!

Nectarine & Raspberry Sundae

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Nutrition Score per serving:

• 240 calories
• 1 g fat (3% of calories)
• 0 g saturated fat
• 54 g carbs
• 6 g protein
• 6 g fiber
• 154 mg calcium
• 1 mg iron
• 74 mg sodium
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Worry: Your Health

The reality: Everyone worries about illness now and then, and as you move into middle age, you’re more likely to have unfamiliar aches and pains.
 
You’re most vulnerable if: You’ve observed important people in your life becoming ill or overreacting to illness. If you have had a troubled health history, you may be more likely to overthink your health.
 
What to do: Get a thorough checkup to determine if you’re in good health, and bring any legitimate symptoms to your doctor’s attention. Then focus on the positive things you can do for yourself, like improving your diet and other habits.
 
It has gone too far when: Your doctor repeatedly assures you that you don’t have the illness you fear and you continue to fret anyway, or you suffer from disease-of-the-month syndrome (you’re convinced you have whatever disease is in the news). In these cases, your fears may be unhealthy, says Taylor. If reasonable measures don’t help and your health worries are taking over your life, seek professional advice. For instance, cognitive-behavioral therapy, which seeks to identify and change distorted patterns of thinking, can help people change their faulty thought processes and their responses to bodily sensations.

Source: Real Simple Magazine

Tackle a Dreary, Do-I-Have-to-Get-Out-of-Bed Day With a Burst of Color
The Morton Salt Girl got it right in her yellow raincoat. “There are days we need a shot of adrenaline before we even get out of bed, and colors can help with that,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of More Alive With Color. “By surrounding yourself with bright colors—something as simple as an orange bathrobe or a yellow umbrella—you can give yourself that needed energy boost to face the day.” In general, saturated, warm colors (the red, orange, and yellow of ROY G BIV) are considered most energizing, while cool tones (like green, blue, indigo, and violet) are calming.


Rise and Seek Sunshine
“You want to use light and stimulation to wake you up for the daytime, then use dark and quiet at night,” says Joyce Walsleben, Ph.D., an associate professor of medicine at the New York University Sleep Disorders Center. “If you can go outside within 15 minutes of waking for 20 minutes and face east, even on a cloudy day, you’ll get enough light to energize yourself for the day.”