Fitness for One and All Home Page
iHerb Natural Foods Reviews
Reviews of and direct links to
products on
iHerb.
When checking out, use referral code HOP815 to receive up to $10.00 off your first order.
Many of these items can also be ordered from
Vitacost.
Create an account at Vitacost and get $5.00 off of your first order of $30 or
more.
Some items are cheaper at one store and some at the other.
It is recommended to
compare prices before ordering.
Jarrow Formulas, Omega Nutrition, Flax Oil, Hi-Lignan
High quality and good tasting
Flax seeds and flax seed oil are the best plant based sources of healthy omega 3 fatty acids. They are not near as good sources as fish. Omega 3s in fish is found in two forms: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). But what is found in plant foods like walnuts is Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA). ALA is converted into EPA and DHA in the body, but it is not a very efficient conversion. You would have to consume a lot of ALA containing foods to attain the equivalent of a serving of fish's worth of Omega 3s. I discuss this at length in my God-given Foods Eating Plan book. But even if you consume fish and/ or fish oil supplements, there could still be some benefit from consuming flax seed products. Along with a high ALA content, flax seed oil is also high in other essentials fatty acids, namely Omega 6s and 9s.
Quality and taste are important considerations when purchasing flax seed oil. Since flax seed oil is heat-liable, be sure the label says it is "cold-pressed." It is also good for it to be unrefined for maximum nutrient content and organic to avoid pesticide residues. I have found Jarrow Formulas Flax Oil to fit all of these parameters. A benefit I have derived from Jarrow's Flax Oil is it keeps my fingertips from cracking in the winter. This used to be a significant problem, but no longer as long as I use the flax oil regularly. I use a teaspoon on my dinner salad on most days
Flax oil should be kept in the refrigerator and used up within a couple of months of being opened as it can turn rancid. Also, flax seed oil is very unstable and should not be heated, so do not use it for sautéing or other cooking purposes. The best way to use it is as a dressing on salad or sprinkled on vegetables.
Now Foods, Certified Organic, Flax Seed Oil
A good product
I usually order Jarrow's Flax Oil. It tastes great and is reasonably priced. But when iHerb was out of stock of the Jarrow product I ordered this Now product. It is not as good tasting as the Jarrow Flax Oil and is a bit more expensive, but it still a good product.
Spectrum Naturals, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
Best tasting olive oil
Olive oil is very healthy due to its high monounsaturated fat content, and there are many proven benefits to olive oil consumption. And as a Christian, I like the fact that it is a Biblical oil, being mentioned hundreds of time in the Bible. And the best form of olive oil is extra virgin, first cold-pressed, which this Spectrum product is. It is also organic, which is another plus. But most of all, this is the best tasting olive oil I have ever used. As I write this I have been using a different brand because of it being on sale, but I have been regretting buying it, as I've been stuck using a a poorer tasting olive oil for weeks. So from now on, I am only getting this Spectrum's olive oil, whatever the price. The only downside to extra virgin olive oil is it has a low smoke point, so it cannot be used for sautéing. But it tastes great on salad or sprinkled on veggies.
Spectrum Naturals, Peanut Oil, Unrefined*
Smells and tastes like peanuts
"The difference between refined and unrefined oils can be seen in peanut oil. Unrefined peanut oil is a dark gold color and has a strong peanut odor and taste. But refined peanut oil is pale yellow and bland tasting, with no peanut odor. Refined peanut oil simply bears little resemblance to actual peanuts." The preceding is taken from my book God-given Foods Eating Plan. When I wrote that I had this product in mind. It truly does smell and taste like actual peanuts. As such, it retains many of the naturally occurring nutrients in peanuts. I also like that it is high-oleic, which means it is mostly monounsaturated fats, the healthiest type of fats, as I discuss at length in my book. And it is rated as being "For Medium High Heat." That means it can be used for sautéing, which I do a lot of, making sautéed veggies for lunch on most days, and this oil really improves their taste.
Spectrum Naturals, Organic, High Heat, Sunflower Oil, Refined*
Good for sautéing
Refined oils are not near as healthy as unrefined ones, as all of the naturally occurring nutrients in the original food are lost. But the value of refined oils is they have a high smoke point, so they can used for high heat cooking, like sautéing. And this Spectrums' product is probably the best you can get in a refined oil, as it is organic and high oleic, meaning it is mostly monounsaturated fat, the healthiest type of fat. But for all other uses, I prefer unrefined oils.
Spectrum Naturals, First Cold Pressed, Olive Spray Oil*
Does not contain alcohol
I am allergic to alcohol, which most commercial oil sprays contain, so I cannot
use them. But this is the only olive oil spray I could find that does not
contain alcohol. Even
Spectrum's organic olive oil spray contains alcohol. So I used this
non-organic version for some time, and it works very well. However, it was
getting rather pricy with having to purchase it regularly. I heard of reusable
olive oil spray, so I found one on Amazon (Misto Brushed Aluminum Olive Oil Sprayer
Alphabetical
List of Pages
Text
Search
Contact Information
Information
About FOA and Its Director
