Why flax and what exactly is it anyway?

Here at Simply Healthful we like to add flax to lots of our recipes, but why? What is the purpose and is it worth the extra effort? We think so! So to help you understand what flax is all about I have put together a little Flax 101 article. So here we go.

First off lets start with what is Flax?

Flax comes from a blue flowered plant. This plant provides us with a tiny seed that has been used nutritional for thousands of years. Flax comes in two variates, brown and golden, nutritionally they are equal. To fully extract the flax seeds nutrients it needs to be ground, sprouted or pressed into oil. Once one of these techniques have been done your flax needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Flax has many, many benefits but one down fall is that it can go rancid quickly. Refrigerating it will prolong it's life and nutrients.

Why is Flax known as a true health super food?

Flax is know as a super food because that tiny little seed is packed full of nutrition. Here are some of the rich nutrients in the flax seed...

Omega-3 - Omega-3's are a very important part of a health diet. Flax is nature's richest plant when in comes to Omega-3 fatty acids. This makes Flax a wonderful brain food.

Protein - The Flax seed contains a high quality of protein. Two Tbls of ground flax gives you 3 grams of protein.

Fiber - Flax is a great source of fiber. Two Tbls of ground flax gives you 4 grams of fiber.

Lignans - Lignans are plant estrogen's with powerful antioxidant properties which has been known to fight cancer. Flax contains 100 times more Lignans than most plant foods.

Vitamins and Minerals - Flax seeds contain vitamins B-1, B-2, C, E, and carotene. These seeds also contain iron, zinc, and trace amounts of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium.

What are some health-promoting properties of flax?

To answer this question I turned to Dr. Sears. This is what he has to say about the health-promoting properties of flax...

"Flax oil, flax seeds, and the omega-3 fatty acids they contain are good for your health. Here are some of the ways flax helps your body.

1. Flax promotes cardiovascular health. The ultra-high levels of omega-3 fatty acids lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Fish oils and algae are also good sources of essential fatty acids.

2. Flax promotes colon health. It has anti-cancer properties and, as a natural lubricant and a rich fiber source, it lowers the risk of constipation.

3. Flax supplements can boost immunity. One study showed that school children supplemented with less than a teaspoon of flax oil a day had fewer and less severe respiratory infections than children not supplemented with flax oil.

4. Flax provides fats that are precursors for brain building. This is especially important at the stage of life when a child's brain grows the fastest, in utero and during infancy. A prudent mom should consider supplementing her diet with a daily tablespoon of flax oil during her pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

5. Flax promotes healthy skin. I have used flax oil as a dietary supplement in my patients who seem to have dry skin or eczema, or whose skin is particularly sun-sensitive.

6. Flax may lessen the severity of diabetes by stabilizing blood-sugar levels.

7. Flax fat can be slimming. Fats high in essential fatty acids, such as flax, increase the body's metabolic rate, helping to burn the excess, unhealthy fats in the body. Eating the right kind of fat gives you a better fighting chance of your body storing the right amount of fats. "

So now that you have learned what flax is and why it is so good for you and your family lets discuss ways to use it and how you can add it to your family's diet.

One of the easiest whys to use flax is to ground the seeds into a mill using a coffee grinder or buying it already as a flax mill. Remember to store your flax in the refrigerate or freezer. I store mine in the freezer, which ever way is great. Your ground flax can be used so many ways.

You can add 2-4 Tbls to your morning cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, pancake batter or smoothies. It can be added to salads or pasta, cookies or baked goods. You can add it to your kiddos juice or even sprinkle it onto their ice cream. The possibilities are endless really.

Another great way to use ground flax is as an egg, butter or oil replacement.

1 egg = 1 tbsp Flax plus 3 tbsp water. Mix in a small bowl and let it sit for a couple minutes then add it to your recipe.

1 tbsp butter or oil = 3 tbsp Flax

Another way to add Flax to your diet is to buy Flax seed oil. When picking out your oil make sure to purchase flax oil stored in a dark container. Store your flax oil in the refrigerator also. Flax oil is not meant to be cooked with. Doing so can turn your healthy oil in to a harmful one.

Flax oil can be added to salad dressings, sprinkled on foods or you can just simply take a tbls a day on a spoon.

One more way it to sprout it. When sprouted, flax has a slightly spicy taste to it. It would be wonderful added to a salad or sandwich. To learn how to sprout flax go here.

Add don't forget to try one of our recipes containing flax...

Breakfast Flax Muffins
Almond Butter Balls
Nut Cereal
Carrot Cake Bliss
Simple Berry Salad

These are just a handful of recipes we have containing flax. Feel free to search our recipes to find some more.

Well I hope this was helpful to you in learning more about flax and why it should be a part of our daily diet. We would also love to hear what you know about flax. So let us know!