READER COMMENT ON “Margarine or Butter?”

We appreciate comments from our readers, and Timothy Zimmer shared his thoughts on our column regarding the differences between margarine and butter:

“While I am a fan of butter over margarine, I thought I would share this site with you. https://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/butter.asp The snopes people do a lot of research on urban legends and have pretty much debunked the ‘one molecule away from plastic’ myth of margarine. I do like the newsletter though. Keep up the good work.”

Tim Zimmer

Thanks for this information, Tim. Snopes really is a good source to turn to—didn’t occur to me to check this out with them though, so we’re glad you did! Like you though, I’ll keep on “butterin’ my bread,” since there’s enough credible evidence to support this choice. Keep reading and thanks for your help.

This Little Seed (FLAX) Deserves Its Great Reputation!

1. Flax is very high in lignans, which have anti-tumor properties—lignans act as antioxidants that could mirror the results of Tamoxifen, the anti-cancer drug for breast cancer.
2. Flax is a natural food that has been consumed for thousands of years by many civilizations with noticeable health benefits and no artificial drug side effects.
3. Omega 3’s—flax is recognized as the richest source of essential fatty acids (EFAs) such as alphalinolenic acid (ALA and Omega-3 fatty acids).
4. Lignans—flax contains high levels of lignans, which are natural compounds that help prevent many types of cancer, such as breast, colon and prostate cancer.
5. Fiber—as a whole grain, flax contains high levels of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which has been recognized by the National Cancer Institute as an essential part of your diet for the prevention of many cancers.
6. Your body cannot make the essential fatty acids, Linoleic (Omega-6) or Linolenic (Omega-3), from other elements; instead, they must be consumed as part of your daily diet. Research has indicated that we consume too much Omega-6’s and not enough Omega-3’s, but flaxseed contains these essential fatty acids in perfect balance.
7. In proper balance, omega-3’s and omega-6’s work to form the membranes of every cell in your body, play a vital role in the active tissues of your brain, and control the way cholesterol works in your system. Use these recipes to get these wonderful benefits into your diet:

T.J’S FLAX BARS
A HEALTHY quick and easy snack even kids can make

1 C natural peanut butter
1 C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ C virgin coconut oil
1 cup ground flaxseed
3-4 C rice krispies

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together the peanut butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar. Microwave for about 3 minutes on HIGH. Stir in the ground flaxseed and vanilla, then pour the mixture over Rice Krispies and mix well. Coat a 9x13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, then spread the mixture into the pan and press down to form a dense sheet. Let the mixture sit for about 5 to 10 minutes, until firmly set, then cut into bars. Makes about 28 bars.
Each bar contains approximately 2/3 tbsp. flaxseed.

Recipe used with permission from Flax Your Way to Better Health by Jane Reinhardt-Martin RD,LD