Tell Me About Flax Seed

[GB]

My MIL brought over a bag of flax seeds and a new coffee grinder. I was wondering what the benefits (and downside if any) there are and how you use them. She grinds them up and mixes them in with her orange juice. What other ways can you use them? Would they be good toasted? What are your experiences with it?

 

[middie]

i never tried them. all i can tell you is the bakery where i work has a new bread. it's 100% grain and wheat bread with flax seeds. all i know is that it's supposed to be a great source of fiber and have a healthy omega something or other. forgive me i forgot. it's been a loooooong day

 

[luvs]

as middie said, they are said to be loaded w/ fiber. i read that years ago in Home Remedies.
i just read that you shouldn't eat more than two tbsp. at a time on a website.... they said it will make you bloated, and we all know that's just another way of saying you'll be tootin up a storm.

 

[SierraCook]

I put ground flax seed in smoothies that I make for breakfast. It is also great sprinkled on a piece of bread spread with peanut butter. They can be added to muffins or quick breads. I have heard that the body processes them better ground than whole.

 

[Hungry]

Flax Seeds

I don't know about eating them, but my daughter made me a pad filled with Flax seeds, to rest the heel the heal of my "mouse" hand on while on the computer
I was using a ice chest "GEL" pack, unfrozen. I like the flax seeds better.

Charlie

 

[Zereh]

Flax has oodles of omega-3s! Which are kind of like a building blocks needed in your cells. It's one of those substances that the body can not produce so it's imperative that you include it in your diet. Very low omega-3 counts have been associated with depression, dementia, aggression, ADHD and several other unpleasant sounding illnesses. 2 T has about 2400 mg of Omega-3 and 4g of fiber. Which means those 2 tablespoons of flax is also equal to about 1.5 cup of cooked oatmail fiber-wise, so it's good for your inner workings. =P It helps raise good cholesterol (HDL) and lowers the bad kind (LDL). It's also an antioxidant.

Flax definitely has a "taste" to it, so experiment with it before you go wild. =) You only need 2 T a day so I'd start out small. I put it into smoothies, my oatmeal, yogurt and granola, muffin mixes, etc. I sprinkle it on tons of stuff now just to make sure the SO gets his fair share since he thinks it's crazy to add stuff like that to his food. =P LOL I'm mean like that though, what can I say.

Z

 

[GB]

Thanks everyone! This is very helpful info indeed. Do you ever toast the seeds or just use them as is?

 

[Chopstix]

GB, I just use them as is, after grinding them. Mix 2T to your rice. It has a nutty taste. It's an excellent source of good HDL cholesterol. It's highly recommended as a substitute for healthy fish oils for people who don't eat fish.

Freeze the whole flax seeds and grind up a small batch for next few days' use.

 

[Raine]

http://www.healthcastle.com/flax.shtml

http://www.goldenflax.com/