Chia, flax and flexing your inner thigh muscles.

It's currently dark and gloomy outside my humble abode, and I can only assume that it means fall is officially here to stay. Fingers crossed for an "Indian" summer, but for today at least, it seems we're stuck with cold winds that threaten rain. I may have mentioned this before,  but I have an incredible love/hate relationship with this particular time of year. Warm sweaters and tall leather boots are calling my name, but summertime—I seem to have not gotten enough of you and your sweet berries and sunshine temperatures. Thus my hope for an "Indian" summer.

So I apologize if I'm acting a bit two-faced today. I'm thinking to myself, "clouds...I hate you, you're making me cold." And then I'm loving my long pants and three-quarter length sleeves. I'm also loving all things pumpkin again. (Dear God: Thank you for making pumpkins. Love, Tara) I try to hold out until October, which is the month I usually whip out my collection of pumpkin decor (still in boxes), but the little can of pumpkin jumped out at me on my last trip to the grocery store. So I brought it home and made a smoothie.

And it was DIVINE. Though admittedly, I forgot to add my usual small spoonfuls of Chia and flax. Remembered the good stuff, like pumpkin pie spices and cinnamon, but not the healthy stuff. *SIGH* That's what happens when you get super excited about something. But anyways—Chia and flax.

I'm sure you are all vastly familiar with the benefits of flaxseed, so I won't bore you. But when it comes to Chia seeds, perhaps you have much to learn (as I did). So let's start with omega-3 fatty acids. According to Wikipedia, a single Chia seed is roughly 30% oil. That oil is almost entirely comprised of omega-3 fatty acids. As for the rest of the Chia seed, think antioxidants and protein and fiber, oh my! And yes, you're right in thinking they might be connected to the following:



I'm not sure if my Chia seeds will grow into an animal, but I'm positive they taste delicious in a smoothie. On top of oatmeal, too. Particularly when said oatmeal contains bananas, pumpkin, flax and almonds. (Told you I'm loving all things pumpkin right now.)

But that's enough about Chia and flax, let's talk about flexing. The following question was recently submitted to Daily Dose: How the heck do you strengthen your inner thighs?! 

Try the following.

1) If you work out at a gym, find the hip add/abduction machine. You'll want to set it up so that you're
    pushing your legs together (hip adduction).
2) Find a body bar and lie down on your side, resting the end of the body bar on your bottom foot. Lift
    and lower your bottom foot to contract your inner thigh muscles. Repeat on the other side.
3) Attach your ankle to a low cable machine, or tie an exercise band around it and slam the other end
    in a door jam (or wrap it around a post). Step away from the machine or door (or post), and pull
    your ankle toward your outside leg to contract your inner thigh muscles. Repeat on the other side.
4) Act like a sumo and squat, toes pointed out. Of course, pretty much any squat contracts the inner
    thigh, but this one hits it specifically.

Question: What's your relationship with this time of year? Do you have a pumpkin dish I should know about? And finally, do you eat Chia seeds?

Oh, PS—I found my Chia seeds at Whole Foods last weekend. They can be hard to find, so I'd suggest starting at your local natural foods store. Or just Froogle them and place an order. That's always easy. And just in case you're wondering, since the day is still a bit gloomy, I decided it was time to eat the last peach in my produce drawer. So glad I did. It was juicy perfection that made such a day feel like summer again.