Why you need: Flaxseed

Unless you’ve  been living under a rock, you’ll know that the world has been obsessed with seeds lately. Chocolate chips have been replaced with pumpkin seeds in our morning muffins and chia seeds are fastly becoming just as popular as fruit when it comes to what to put in our smoothies. One particular seed that I’ve been using a lot of lately is the Flaxseed. Flaxseed also known as linseed is a great source of soluble fibre that has a multitude of health benefits. Here are just a few for you to ponder on:

• Lowering unhealthy cholesterol in the blood.
• Prevention against cancer; prostate,colon and breast.
• Decreases the risk of hot flushes in post-menopausal women.
• Helps balance blood sugar levels
•  Acts as a hunger suppressant.
•  High in omega-3 fatty acids which can lower undesirable fats in the blood which in turn reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease.
• Very beneficial to the eyes, joints and brain health.
• Brilliant source of omega-3 for vegetarians like myself 🙂

Now that we’ve established that you definitely need these chaps in your life, we should probably address the question of how? Well, no worries because flaxseeds are easily incorporated in your daily diet! When ground up, its very tasty sprinkled in yoghurt, porridge, cereals, smoothies, stews, casseroles and baked goods.

I use flaxseeds every day in my porridge or my granola. I’ve also tried it sprinkled in my salads and even in chunky veg & bean soup. All was delicious!

If I haven’t convinced you, here are some nifty links to a few sites where you’ll find some very tempting recipes using (yes, you’ve guessed it!) our new friend flaxseed!

http://www.healthyflax.com/flax-recipes/

http://www.pinterest.com/omegafieldss/recipes-with-flaxseed/

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/flaxseeds/

Nowadays, flaxseeds are much more easily attainable. You can buy them on their own or mixed with other ingredients relatively cheaply from most supermarkets and health food shops.

At the risk of sounding just like your Mammy, EAT THEM! They’re good for ya!

Have you tried flaxseeds yet? If so, how do you incorporate them in your meals?