ADDING FLAX SEED TO YOUR DIETS

Flax seed is another of the natural food additives that make us healthier and our bodies and minds run smoother.  Extensive research has brought flax back to the table.  It contains OMEGA-3, LIGANS, FIBRE, and many more disease fighters that cannot be ignored.    We like to add it to our baked goods but there are many more ways of adding this wonderful seed into our daily diets.

Ways to add Raw Crushed Flax to Your Diet

• Sprinkle a few tablespoons on your hot or cold cereal
• Sprinkle a teaspoon or two on your plate of:   cottage cheese, or hot soup or stew, or spaghetti, macaroni, lasagna, or quiche.
• Add a teaspoon or two to shakes or yogurt
• Mix with juice and swallow it down
• Bake flax muffins or cookies with 1-2 Tbsp. of flax in each one.

Tips for Using Flax:  For the full benefit of flax, it must be crushed!  I use a blender but you can use a coffee mill as well, but NOT a grain mill as the oil will gum up the mill,  I have found that if you are milling a lot of grain you can mix up to 1 cup of flax in with it and it will go through just fine.  If you don't crush it , flax will go straight through you.  It is a natural laxative!

Crushed flax does not keep!  It oxidizes quickly, so crush it just before you use it, if you can.  If it must be crushed ahead of time, store it in a closed container in the freezer.  Flax can replace cooking oil, margarine, lard or shortening in your recipes.  If you are experimenting with this practice, you won't know how much flax a recipe can handle.  Start by exchanging smaller amounts of flax and increase it the next time if you wish.  Too much flax in a recipe can make it heavy.

Raw crushed flax has more nutritional value than after it is cooked or baked.  Flax seed products brown more quickly when baking, so watch them and adjust the temperature or baking time.  If a recipe calls for "Flax Crushed" be sure to measure the flax seeds before crushing.  If it calls for "Crushed Flax" measure it after it is crushed.  1 1/2 cups of flax seed yields 2 cups of crushed flax. 

There is more than one kind of flax seed:  Golden Flax and regular Brown Flax. They are both as nutritious.  We use the brown flax because it is more available.