by Gina Burn Naturopath
Flax seeds give you smooth moves and balance hormones
Flax seeds with their amazing Omega 3 anti-inflammatory fats, high fibre content and phytochemical compound called lignans- have long been used for healthy bowel health.
When you have a good bowel motion at least once daily, you are clearing out a bunch of environmental toxic waste, and excess estrogen that might be hanging out in your system wreaking hormonal havoc. Symptoms may look like PMS, fibroids, endometriosis, heavy periods, cyclic breast pain and lumps.
Flax can satisfy your appetite – and help you lose weight
Flax seeds may help you to keep your appetite in check when you’re trying to stay slim. Research suggests that taking flaxseed 2 hours before a meal increases your sense of fullness, making you less likely to overeat!
Flax promotes healthy heart and skin
Flax seeds may reduce the risk of diabetes and high cholesterol, due to their Omega 3 fats and fibre rich properties.
Glowing Skin- Our skin is our biggest detox organ. When we’re not eliminating well, especially those extra hormones, this manifests in our skin. Keeping our bowels moving daily takes the burden off the skin to do that extra detox, and also helps eliminate those excess hormones that contribute to acne. So clear skin can be a collateral benefit of daily flax use.
How to use flax seeds
Add 1-2 Tbsp. to a daily smoothie, toss ground flaxseeds onto a green salad, or add into your favourite yogurt.
To be absorbed, flax do have to be ground into a meal or powder. I suggest buying 100% organic whole flax seeds and grinding them yourself. You can grind a week’s worth at a time and store them in the fridge. Put 1 cup of whole flax seeds into a blender and pulse until fully ground. Store in a clean dry glass container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge. Once ground, they quickly go rancid if not kept cool. If you buy already ground flax seeds, keep those refrigerated.
Power flax smoothie – blend well
- 1 ripe fresh or frozen banana
- ½ cup frozen organic berries
- 1 cup unsweetened almond or other nut milk
- 1 Tbsp. almond butter and or 1 tbs raw Cacao powder
- 1 level Tbsp. freshly ground flax seeds
Are the phytoestrogens safe?
A lot of women ask whether flax seeds are safe because they are rich in “phytoestrogens” – estrogen-like compounds produced by plants.
Phytoestrogens are found in most plants and are especially abundant in green leafy vegetables (this includes your kale) and legumes and beans (such as hummus). Because phytoestrogens competitively block more toxic forms of estrogens from binding to our cells, they are actually highly protective against cancer. There is evidence to show that most of us, benefit from eating these phytoestrogens from plants.
