How to Eat Flaxseed

Along with onions and garlic, ancient Roman soldiers ate flaxseed in order to have good health. Flaxseed is loaded with calcium, soluble fiber, niacin, magnesium; you name it, flax seed has significant amounts. It also has two other very important substances, lignans and omega-3 fatty acids. All of these things add up to making flaxseed one of the best things you can add to your diet. Lucky for us, adding flaxseed to our diets is very easy to do.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Brown, yellow, and ground flaxseed

   The two basic kinds of flaxseed are golden yellow and brown. They are just about the same in vitamins and minerals except the Linola type of the yellow flax, which rates far lower in omega-3 and so shouldn't be chosen if your store has it. Most stores will have the brown type of flaxseed anyways.

2. Yellow flaxseed

   When buying flaxseed you have several options. Flaxseed is available in whole, milled, ground, and oil form. The oil form is very easy to use. All you need to do is add a dollop of the oil to whatever dish you're making. It also makes a nice dressing for salad. There are a few problems with it though. The oil is extremely vulnerable to turning rancid if not refrigerated and it doesn't contain any lignans or fiber-two of the main reasons for ingesting the flaxseed. Instead of eating the flaxseed oil you may just want to use it on your skin. It is really good for external skin problems and arthritis. Burns and scalds can also benefit from its use.

3. Ground flaxseed

   The ground form of flaxseed is next to useless. Quickly after getting ground, the flaxseed starts losing its nutritional value. Also, ground flaxseed goes bad very quickly after being opened. This means the flaxseed has to be stored in the refrigerator and even then only lasts for about a week. If your choice is either using ground flaxseed or nothing use the ground stuff but if there is a choice you should pick one of the other versions.

4. Milled flaxseed is available in some stores. It is less likely to go rancid and will last up to four months at room temperature without going bad.

5. Whole, brown flaxseed

   Of all the varieties, whole flaxseed is the best to get. It doesn't biodegrade very fast and so will last in your cupboard for quite a while without going bad. To use whole flaxseed you will need to grind it first. A cleaned coffee grinder works well as does a food processor. Even a mortar and pestle will work. It simply needs to be well ground before use. Only grind a small amount at a time. It will quickly go bad after being ground so keep it in the refrigerator or use it right away. Whole flaxseed is not digestible and will pass right through your system without giving you any health benefits, so only use it once it is ground to a meal.

6. You can even sprout flaxseeds and add them to your salads and sandwiches. They have a slightly spicy flavor.

7. You can add ground flaxseed to a huge variety of items. Only add a little to start with though to avoid upsetting your digestive system with too much fiber. A couple of teaspoons per dish initially is a good amount to start with. If you feel bloated from that amount add less the next time. You can work your way up to adding more flaxseed to your diet but do so gradually.

8. Baked Items with Flaxseed in them

   Add ground flaxseed to soup, casseroles, and baked goods. Pancakes with flaxseed are great, as are breads and rolls.

9. Mix the flaxssed into just about everything

   Mix it with yogurt, oatmeal, or even salsa. You can even put a little in a glass of water or orange juice to have something similar to those fiber supplements.

10. Even mix flaxseed into cookies

    The flaxseed will give your recipes a sort of nutty or wheat-like flavor. Any recipes that call for bran can be easily modified to use flaxseed instead. Instead of all the bran asked for in the recipe, replace some or all with ground flaxseed. Flaxseed has so many health benefits and you can add it to almost anything, so try a little flaxseed tomorrow.

Tips & Warnings

• Flaxseed is as beneficial to your pets as it is to you. Grind some whole flaxseed and add it to their wet food to give them some extra vitamins. Start slowly and add a little at a time to prevent giving your pets gas.

• If you have serious health problems consult your doctor before adding a lot of flaxseed to your diet. Flaxseed in large amounts make some oral medications not work as well.

• Don't eat large amounts of raw flaxseed. It contains a chemical called hydrogen cyanide or cyanogenic glucosides which can be deadly if eaten in large enough amounts. This is the same thing that is in apple pips and cherry pits so isn't something to really worry about if you don't eat huge amounts it raw.