Flax Seed for Good Health

These little seeds are a super food power house! If you want to do something to benefit your overall health, just adding this to your diet daily is a simple way to start. This is my favorite seed. Flax seeds should be eaten ground. They are not broken down during digestion so you lose it's benefits by passing them through as fiber only. I buy mine in bulk and grind them in the coffee grinder once a week and store it in a baggie in the fridge. You can also buy flax meal ground already..I like to get more bang for my buck and the most nutrients by grinding myself.

So what are the big health benefits??

Although flax seed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its healthy reputation primarily to three ingredients:

• Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flax seed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
• Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flax seed contains 75-800 times more lignans than other plant foods.
• Fiber. Flax seed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.

Flax seeds have been linked to fighting cancer, diabetes, heart disease, inflammation, depression, constipation, and help build the immune system. Wow! That's a lot for a little seed.

My seeds from the bulk food store

All ground up in my baggie

Tips for Flax Seed Use

1. Use real flax seeds as opposed to flax seed oil..the full benefit is only in the seeds. 
2. Flax seed must be ground in order to release their health benefits or else they will pass through your system whole as fiber only. I use a coffee grinder or food processor or buy the meal if you don't want to do yourself.
3. Keep the meal in an air tight container in the fridge. It keeps the flax seed oil from going off and making the mill rancid. Always make sure the meal doesn't smell bad before using it.

The meal has so many uses..sprinkle it on cereal and on your oatmeal. Add it to yogurt. Use it in breads, muffins, and granola. Spread it on bread with some peanut butter and banana. Yum! Sprinkle over a salad to give it some texture. Add it to a smoothie! Be creative! Just 2 Tbsp a day will give you 140% of omega-3 fatty acids for your daily requirement and cost you about 5 cents!!!

There are lots of great recipes with flax seeds out there!!




Brandy Kisner
Health &Wellness Coordinator