browneyedgirl36 Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Hi everyone... I've been hearing all kinds of good stuff about flax seed, how it's really good for you. My dad's doctor even "prescribed" it for him -- I'm not sure why -- but he went and bought some and was going to try it. He hasn't yet, though. I decided to buy some today at Trader Joes. The kind I bought is milled (ground up to a gritty powder-like consistency), and apparently it has blueberries ground up in it, too (I know blueberries are also supposed to be really good for you). My question: Does anyone eat flaxseed? If so, what do you do with it? Do you just mix it in to stuff? Do you sprinkle it on top of things? I have no idea what to do with it. I was thinking of mixing it into my fruit smoothie that I make (non-fat vanilla yogurt, frozen mixed berries -- blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cherries -- and protein powder). I think I'd leave out the protein powder, because this flaxseed stuff has 90 calories for two tablespoons! Or, I might put it in yogurt (along with the museli stuff I bought today or some fruit). Maybe mix it in to my oatmeal? Just wondering what others have tried. I am TRYING to eat better after several weeks of snacking on CRAP and feeling awful, so I've got my salad fixins, my flourless whole grain bread, my egg substitute, etc., and I'm taking a multivitamin and a calcium supplement (recommended by my doc as I am pushing 40 and need more calcium). Any thoughts on or experiences with flaxseed would be most helpful. THANKS!
BellaDonna Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 I've been hearing all kinds of good stuff about flax seed, how it's really good for you. My dad's doctor even "prescribed" it for him -- I'm not sure why Probably to help increase his HDL (good) cholesterol and help lower LDL cholesterol. It's a source of Omega 3 (good) fat. It has the same benefits as fish oil but without the mercury and potential after-taste. I usually take fish oil, but I took flax for some time instead, when I was pregnant. Some people also cook with flaxseed oil or used the seeds in cooking. I have never tried that, but it is another way to get it into your diet. I find the supplements capsules easier to fit into my lifestyle. I just took them when I took my daily vitamin. Recipe ideas: link removed
itsallgrand Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 I eat it as food, so it is not an every day thing. To get all the health benefits it'd probably require eating more of it than I do and more often. But I figure, hey, every thing that goes in my mouth that is good for me is better than stuffing brownies in there. Most I eat in hot cereal form. My favorite cereal has flax in it: Red River Cereal. Not sure how easy it is to get elsewhere or if it is a local thing but it's basically a three grain hot cereal. Other than that, I've used it in baking and some cooking. I've tried experimenting with it in other things but wasn't a big fan of it. In baking though it is easy to hide and can add an interesting sort of flavour. You can substitute some of the flour for flax. Or, alternatively, there are so many products out there now that you can buy that already have flax in it. Bread is one that I've actually liked some of them. So long as you check to make sure they don't fill it up with sugars and oils along with flax, you know how so many are so sneaky. Mmm, breads.
Crazyaboutdogs Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Sometimes I will throw in ground flax seed into something I am cooking. If I make hamburgers (with extra lean ground beef), I will throw it in there. I have been eating more blueberries these days because of the health benefits (and I like blueberries).
browneyedgirl36 Posted March 22, 2009 Author Posted March 22, 2009 Sometimes I will throw in ground flax seed into something I am cooking. If I make hamburgers (with extra lean ground beef), I will throw it in there. I have been eating more blueberries these days because of the health benefits (and I like blueberries). Me too. I love blueberries, and I've been making smoothies with them, with nonfat vanilla yogurt, protein powder, and some other berries, all whirled up in the blender. I've always been a big olive oil fan (I eat at least a couple teasppoons of it almost every day), and I've been trying to eat almonds, dried cranberries, blueberries, stuff like that as high-energy snacks.
Crazyaboutdogs Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Me too. I love blueberries, and I've been making smoothies with them, with nonfat vanilla yogurt, protein powder, and some other berries, all whirled up in the blender. I've always been a big olive oil fan (I eat at least a couple teasppoons of it almost every day), and I've been trying to eat almonds, dried cranberries, blueberries, stuff like that as high-energy snacks. I have been making a mixture of almonds and raisins and eating that as a morning snack at work. I use either olive oil or canola oil and buy the reduced calorie Becel Margarine. Fresh blueberries can be quite expensive but I still splurge and buy them because I like making a fruit salad with grapes, strawberries and blueberries which I have every day as part of my lunch. Even Passover food has gone somewhat "heart healthy"....I now buy whole wheat matzahs and matzah meal as well as a whole wheat matzah ball mix..years ago you would never have seen that. You can now also buy whole wheat challah (Jewish egg bread).
CallingAllAngels Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 It's great for the heart and can be mixed into almost anything from cereal to smoothies.
dragon lady Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 My doctor recently told me to buy flaxseed oil to put in salads, smoothies etc. I also bought some algae capsules that contain the omega-3. It's what the fish eat that gives them all the 0-3. He thinks there is good evidence to suggest that it will help with depression, memory, my skin and a bunch of other things. I've been taking it/using it for a week now and I haven't noticed any particular differences. I've heard that after taking it for a month your skin should look amazing.
shikashika Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Flax seeds are great, but make sure they are ground up or they will just go straight though you. flax seed oil is alos a good choice to use as a salad dressing
COtuner Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 I eat a lot of flaxseed (both freshly ground and whole for fiber) and also shelled hempseed, which is actually better than flaxseed. It has good fats, and is also good for your hair I've noticed. I eat so healthy that I like to mix it up now and then. I toss hemp or flax into everything - yogurt, veggies (after they are cooked), oatmeal, fruit, mix it into stuff
browneyedgirl36 Posted March 22, 2009 Author Posted March 22, 2009 Flax seeds are great, but make sure they are ground up or they will just go straight though you. flax seed oil is alos a good choice to use as a salad dressing Yeah, I bought the ground up ones; they're ground to a kind of gritty powder -- almost like dirt! I read somewhere that if you eat the whole ones, unless you chew them for ages, they will go right through you because the body can't digest them whole. I'm looking forward to trying some tomorrow with my breakfast.
dragon lady Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Yeah, I bought the ground up ones; they're ground to a kind of gritty powder -- almost like dirt! I read somewhere that if you eat the whole ones, unless you chew them for ages, they will go right through you because the body can't digest them whole. I'm looking forward to trying some tomorrow with my breakfast. Make sure you keep them in the fridge! Otherwise they will go rancid.
browneyedgirl36 Posted March 22, 2009 Author Posted March 22, 2009 Make sure you keep them in the fridge! Otherwise they will go rancid. Ah, thank you for reminding me. I read on the pack that I need to "refrigerate after opening," but sometimes I forget to refrigerate stuff, or it's something I wouldn't think needed to be refrigerated -- like Trader Joe's maple syrup. Who refrigerates syrup?? I definitely don't want them going rancid.
purpleduckie Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 i'm surprised at the amount of doctors that prescribe flax seeds considering a lot of the time, they don't digest very well. i think if you do take them, take ground flaxseed. i eat ground flaxseed with brown rice + salt as a snack. lol i'm weird.
dragon lady Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Ah, thank you for reminding me. I read on the pack that I need to "refrigerate after opening," but sometimes I forget to refrigerate stuff, or it's something I wouldn't think needed to be refrigerated -- like Trader Joe's maple syrup. Who refrigerates syrup?? I definitely don't want them going rancid. This is a mistake lots of people make. It's fine not to refrigerate the whole seeds, but once you grind them they undergo some form of oxidation and spoil very quickly.
MetallicAguy Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 I eat a lot of flax, I usually eat flax bread or mix some in my oatmeal for breakfast. It is very anti-inflammatory, high in ALA and lignans; it's good stuff.
browneyedgirl36 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Posted March 23, 2009 I am looking forward to eating my flax seed after reading the responses. I really want to keep my cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar in check, and I've read that flax seed helps with all of these. The ones I bought are already ground up, mixed with ground blueberries. I opened the pack, just to smell it, and it actually smells good -- kind of nutty. I will be testing it out in my smoothie tomorrow morning. Or perhaps on a nice bowl of oatmeal. I did remember to put the pack in the fridge so it won't spoil.
COtuner Posted March 23, 2009 Posted March 23, 2009 This is a mistake lots of people make. It's fine not to refrigerate the whole seeds, but once you grind them they undergo some form of oxidation and spoil very quickly. Yeah, you should eat them within like 3 weeks of grinding them and keep them sealed in the fridge. It's why I grind my own so I can buy the seeds in bulk and only grind what I will eat.
COtuner Posted March 23, 2009 Posted March 23, 2009 Try the shelled hempseed too if you get a chance. It tastes like pine nuts, quite yummy. link removed
grymoire Posted March 23, 2009 Posted March 23, 2009 I guess flaxseed are good for women but not for men. From what I have read it may increase Estrogen.
COtuner Posted March 23, 2009 Posted March 23, 2009 I guess flaxseed are good for women but not for men. From what I have read it may increase Estrogen. In large amounts... estrogen requires fat. In small amounts like ground seeds on top of food, I don't think I would worry about that too much. Soy does some weird things to guys I know, though.
MetallicAguy Posted March 23, 2009 Posted March 23, 2009 From what I've read, a lot of the things said regarding soy and flax as bad for men because they are phytoestrogens is a bunch of crap. If anything, eating a diet full of fat is going to lead to higher estrogen levels (link removed).
grymoire Posted March 23, 2009 Posted March 23, 2009 In large amounts... estrogen requires fat. In small amounts like ground seeds on top of food, I don't think I would worry about that too much. Soy does some weird things to guys I know, though. Thx COtuner. I tried these flax krisps link removed and totally loved it. But then I got alarmed about the estrogen thing and stopped eating it.
dragon lady Posted March 23, 2009 Posted March 23, 2009 From what I've read, a lot of the things said regarding soy and flax as bad for men because they are phytoestrogens is a bunch of crap. If anything, eating a diet full of fat is going to lead to higher estrogen levels (link removed). True. I believe it was a meat company that originally came out with that idea. Of course they forgot to mention that the hormones they pump into their meat to make the cows super fertile is not exactly ideal. Not only has it contributed to early puberty in females, but it also alters hormones in males.
grymoire Posted March 23, 2009 Posted March 23, 2009 wow.. i am confused now... so shud i continue eating those flax bars or no?
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