Flax Facts

Just so you all know I have enjoyed my Quinoa Crunch. I did get a vanilla flavored Greek Yogurt and used yummy fresh raspberries. This was my delicious breakfast yesterday after I returned home from my spin class.

Now for some of you nay sayers here is a little food for thought. First, try something new :-) Second, it may seem like a lot of calories but think of the calories that you should be getting from your whole grains and it's right in line and very healthy option instead of a "white" carbohydrate.

Now, Cammy and Chelsea made some very interesting comments about how to eat Flax. I had heard some of those before so I decided to look up some details for you. Next time I will grind my flax to put in my crunch!!! Thanks for the heads up!

FLAX is a great way to get omega-3 fatty acids without having to eat salmon every day or take another vitamin. I've added some information that I found during my search. I hope these tidbits help you on your path to healthy eating.

Don't let the tiny, unimposing size of the flax seed fool you. Packed inside every teeny seed is a mountain of nutritional benefit. For instance, flax seeds are excellent sources of calcium and fiber. They also contain lignans, plant compounds scientifically found to stave off cancer. What's more, they contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Unfortunately, there's a catch--if prepared improperly, flax seeds offer virtually no nutritional advantage to your system.

Mix ground flax seeds in yogurt, or sprinkle into the batter or dough for various baked goods, such as muffins, bread and more.

Eating flax seeds whole offers no nutritional benefit. Whole flax seeds are very difficult to digest and will pass through your system whole. Flax seeds in whole form can aggravate digestive problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis.

While it's possible to purchase flax seed oil, it's prone to becoming rancid and usually doesn't last long, even in the refrigerator. That's why it's a bit more nutritionally advantageous to draw out the flax seed oil from the whole seeds yourself.

I don't recommend buying a bunch of pre-ground flax seed because it will go bad faster than the whole seeds. So here is how you can grind your own seeds.

Grinding Flax Seeds

1Take 2 to 3 tbsp. (one serving) of flax seed and place in a food grinder

2 Grind the flax seeds until they are fully broken up into small shards

3 Eat immediately alone or mix with the food of your choice

4To prepare more than one serving of flax seeds, repeat Steps 1 and 2 above, then store the ground flax seeds in an air-tight, opaque food storage container.

5 Place the container in the refrigerator, or in an area where it won't be exposed to any amount of heat above room temperature.