Wherever flax seed becomes a regular food item among the people, there will be better health. (Mahatma Gandhi)
FLAX- A USER’S GUIDE
TO A WONDER GRAIN OF HEALTH
|
|
|
|
Preparation: As soon as flax seed is broken or ground, the oil it contains (approximately 40% of the weight) is exposed to air and light, and begins deteriorating. Therefore, whole seeds should be purchased and ground at home in a food processor or coffee grinder. It is best to grind a supply for only 4-5 days, and to keep the seeds in a tight container in the freezer. If eaten whole, flax seed will pass unaffected though the digestive tract.
Dosage: Use from 1 tablespoon of ground seed to maintain health, up to 6 tablespoons a day for therapeutic uses. (For some therapeutic usage, it is advisable to increase omega-3 intake through the use of certain fish oils, but that is a different story.)
How to Use – How Not to Use:
1. Sprinkle on salads, grain and bean dishes, and mix with oatmeal, yogurt or applesauce.
2. Use in soups (the oil in flax seed is not damaged much at the boiling point of water.)
3. Do not use flax oil or seed in frying – the hot temperature changes the oils into toxins.
4. Baking: Do not use flax oil to oil the pan, nor the seeds to sprinkle on top, because the surface temperature is too high. Mixed into the dough, however, the seed is protected from air, light and heat. The inside of baked bread is actually steamed at an acceptable temperature.
5. Since flax seed absorbs 5 times its weight in liquid, make sure to drink adequate liquid.
6. Start this change in your diet slowly, so your body can get used to the added fiber and lignans.
|
About flax seed: As the best plant source of omega-3 essential oils, flax seed is an important part of the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, rheumatism, diabetes, cancer, skin disease, osteoporosis and many other degenerative disorders. It is also useful for weight loss, treatment of depression, digestive problems, attention deficit disorders, and certain psychiatric conditions. Flax is also available as oil, but the best way to receive flax’s benefits is to buy whole flax seeds and grind them freshly as needed. Flax oil is highly reactive and spoils easily when exposed to light, air and heat, and so it must be consumed soon after pressing. Even high quality flax oil found in health food stores is often more than three months old, and the oil may have begun to deteriorate. However, if fresh oil is available, it is an excellent option.
Flax seeds are also the best source of lignans (flax contains 100 times the quantity as the next best source, wheat bran), molecules with anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer properties. (Lignan is not to be confused with lignin, a fiber). The seeds also contain easily digestible protein, vitamins and minerals. The fiber and mucilage content make flax seeds and excellent digestive tonic to use for both diarrhea and as a laxative for constipation
|
