How I Rediscovered Flax:
In May of 2010 I developed three vegan cookie recipes for Smarter Cookies. I knew applesauce is a go-to substitute for eggs in vegan baking, but it didn’t work with any of my recipes. Researching for alternatives lead me to Flax Seed. After some experimentation, I learned how to replace two eggs in a recipe with 3 tablespoons (41 gm) of freshly ground golden flax blended with 4 ½ ounces (184 gm) of water for about a minute. I empty it into a ceramic bowl (plastic doesn’t work), cover it with cling wrap and set it in the fridge for at least an hour. Viol ‘a, it comes out with an egg-like viscosity and is an excellent binder. And the flavor works with Smarter Cookies.
Flax - So Healthy It Is Almost Unbelievable:
As I was researching for today’s blog, I was stoked to discover how great a decision using flax in Smarter Cookies was.
Below is a summary of my information source, a WHFoods article on Flax that drew on results from dozens of clinical trials. A link to the full WHFoods Article is at the base of the blog.
Orgins:
Flax originated in Mesopotamia. It was highly valued by the Romans, both as healthy part of the daily diet but also as a source of clothing fiber.
Health Benefits for all:
Flax is rich in Omega 3 fats. The balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 plays an important roll in everyone’s health. Both Omega oils are essential fatty acids, necessary and acquired only through the diet. The western diet tends to be too high in Omega 6 fats. This causes and exacerbates inflammatory diseases including cancer, arthritis, asthma and high blood pressure. The higher the ratio of Omega 3’s is to Omega 6’s, the better the body is able to avoid and fight inflammatory diseases. Flax and flax oil are proven in clinical trials to decrease inflammation. They were important discoveries for me in my search to lower my cholesterol. I brought my overall number down significantly with oat bran and grape seed oil, but while my LDLs dropped and my HDL ratio improved significantly, my Triglycerides remained high. Flax is very effective in lowering Triglycerides.
Men’s Health Benefits: Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and Prostate Cancer:
Flax is a rich source of Omega-3 fat, alpha linoleic acid, and fiber. Including it in Smarter Cookies meant adding another ingredient that has been proven in clinical trials to help lower cholesterol. Study subjects that consumed 20 gm of ground flax daily for 60 days saw a 17.2 % drop in total cholesterol, a 3.9% drop in LDLs, a 36.3% drop in Triglycerides and 33.5% drop in the ratio of total cholesterol to HDLs. The higher HDL’s are compared to total cholesterol, the lower the incidence of heart and artery disease in the subject.
A 12-week study of men with elevated cholesterol and blood pressure showed that men who consumed 8 gm of flax seed oil a day saw significant drops in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in addition to drops in cholesterol.
Prostate cancer patients who were given 30 grams of flaxseed daily for a month before surgery showed much better outcomes (less or no tumor growth) than the control group with no flax seed.
Women’s Health Benefits:
An ounce of ground flax seed a day helps protect post-menopausal women from breast cancer by regulating estrogen without increasing the threat of bone mass loss. For pre-menopausal women, it brings irregular cycles under control, helps with headaches, mood swings, weight gain, lowered sex drive, fibroid tumors and heavy bleeding. All of these symptoms are associated with estrogen dominance; flax extends out the progesterone part of the cycle. A study where postmenopausal women took 40 grams of crushed flax every day for six weeks showed a 50% lower incidence of hot flashes and diminished the intensity of the hot flashes by 57%. Because of flax’s cholesterol regulating qualities it also protects post-menopausal women against cardiovascular disease.
The lignans in flax seed fiber help decrease insulin resistance by softening the cell membranes. It this also lowers breast cancer risk.
Type 2 Diabetic’s Health Benefits:
The fiber in flax seed, good for preventing atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, also helps stabilize blood sugar in diabetics. The lignans soften cell walls, rendering these walls more permeable for insulin.
How I Use Flax:
All Smarter Cookie Vegans have flax as a binder. The Cookies have about 2 grams of flax seed each, which is about 10% of the suggested dosage associated with men’s health studies and about 5-7% of the requirement for the results shown in the women’s studies summarized above.
Although pre-ground flax is available in vacuum packs and refrigerated sections of health food stores, I always buy whole golden flax from the bulk bins. It's less expensive and much more stable. It does not require refrigeration and holds up much better over time.
My favorite way to consume sufficient flax every day is by making a smoothie in the morning with about a 8 oz of Kefir, as much unsweetened Almond Breeze, 30 gm of hemp protein (Trader Joes), 20-30 gm freshly ground flax (I use a Magic Bullet with the four tooth blade – it grinds perfectly), about 10 gm cocoa powder. I generally add a handful of dried cherries for their anti-inflammatory effect and blend for about a minute. Depending on the fruit included, I might add a tablespoon of agave nectar in to cut the sour edge of the Kefir. I get my probiotics, about 30 gm fiber between the flax, hemp, cocoa and cherries, the smoothie is extremely low Glycemic Index and it fills me up for most of the day. Some people like the flavor of flax oil, but I don't, so the gel caps work well for me. I take 4 gel caps of flax oil with the smoothie for a full dose of anti-inflammatory, cholesterol lowering Omega 3 balancing flax goodness. You can bake with flax seed, sprinkle fresh ground flax over salads, cereals or yogurt. The possibilities are only limited by imagination.
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World’s Healthiest Foods Flax Article: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81
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