I am a big fan of the humble flax seed (also known as linseed), a bit of a dowdy cousin to the uber cool chia seeds – not a day goes by without me seeing an image of a chia pudding on social media. Whilst I wouldn’t want to knock the nutritional benefits of chia, personally am having a bit of a flax moment.
I recommend flax for a variety of reasons:
- Fibre: if constipation is your thing for sure I would recommend flax as it is super high in fibre
- Omega 3 fats: each tablespoon of flax contains 1.6gm of omega 3 fats
- Lignans: flax are turbo charged with lignans which can act as both antioxidants and help to regulate hormone levels. So perfect for all hormone related conditions, including menopausal symptoms.
Trying to get the required 2 tablespoons into your diet each day can be a bit of a chew (literally). You can add to smoothies, yoghurt, cereal, sprinkle into soups and stews.
I eat mine in what I am calling a raw flax porridge….or it could be a flax smoothie bowl as anything in a bowl seems to be very trendy these days. Whatever. In essence I blend milk (my preference is almond), the flax seeds and a portion of fruit and some flavouring and spices. The variants are endless.
This one that I ate this morning is made from a few blackberries inspired by my article 'eat more purple':
Recipe for one
2 tablespoons of ground or milled flax seeds (not the whole seeds)
80ml almond milk
Small handful blackberries
Cinnamon
Vanilla
Blend the blackberries with the milk and spices to make a blackberries smoothie. Put this liquid into a bowl and then mix 2 tablespoons flax into this mixture. Ideally leave overnight to thicken (or about 30 minutes if you have forgotten to make it the night before)
Throw some other berries over the top if you have them
Enjoy!
It is important that you use milled or ground seeds as the whole seeds will not absorb the liquid well and the digestive system can’t break them down so easily which means they tend to pass through us whole.