"Wherever flax seed becomes a regular food item among the people, there will be better health."
Mahatma Gandhi
The food industry is adding flax to everything. Soon I will find my beloved Miss Vickie’s potato chips dressed to kill in flax seeds. There is good reason for the flax craze. Flaxseed is one-third oil, the remainder consisting of fiber, protein and mucilage. When extracted with care, flax oil is one of the greatest sources of essential fatty acids. The protein in flaxseeds is easily digested. The fiber in flax acts as a broom, sweeping the colon of toxic material, metabolic waste and dried mucus. Flax fiber is an excellent food for friendly bacteria in the intestine, which keeps disease-causing organisms in check. Twelve percent of flaxseeds is mucilage, which makes it a gentle, non-irritating, natural laxative. Flax mucilage is perfect for those who have a sensitive stomach, acting as a buffer for excess stomach acids, soothing ulcers or irritable bowel disorders. Flax expands to 20 times in volume and should be taken with a generous amount of water.
Flax seed are God’s gift for a toxic colon! It lubricates and absorbs toxins perfectly. Flax mucilage helps to prevent toxic build-up in the bowel during fasting or a healing diet. When juice fasting, take a teaspoon of ground flax, 2-3 times per day, with a generous supply of water.
Never eat cooked flax seed or its oil. Flax added to breads, bagels or biscuits is there for one reason, public relations. White flour is losing its cool, so add a pinch of flax and everybody’s happy. Repeating for emphasis, the oil in flax is sensitive to heat and therefore must only be consumed raw. It makes me sad to watch a mother buying loaves of flax bread, believing she is providing her children with a healthy source of omega 3.
Aside from being one of the best vegetable sources of omega 3 fatty acids, flax seed contains lignans, which have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-cancer properties. Flaxseeds have the richest source of lignans, 100 times more than the next best source, wheat bran. The majority of lignans is found in the seed, giving it an advantage over flax oil. Flaxseed also contains lecithin, which emulsifies fat and cholesterol. These little seeds improve digestion, help stabilize blood glucose levels, fight tumor formation and enhance cardiovascular health.
Do not eat flax seeds without grinding them up first. And never purchase pre-made, ground flax. Grind your own flax seeds fresh in a coffee grinder and eat immediately. It only takes a few seconds, and half a dry paper towel will clean the grinder for the next use. Ground flax is great on salads and you can even add it to cold cereal. Also, adding ground flax to oatmeal after it has been cooked is fine. Even though the porridge is hot, because you are eating it right away, the oil in the flax will stay intact. An added bonus is that flax seeds are cheap, even the organic variety.
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