Flaxseeds (or Linseeds)

We look at the health benefits and uses of flaxseeds this week!

Welcome to The From Scratch Body! I’m Liv - and I believe that anyone can cook. Since being diagnosed with endometriosis, I have been on a journey to find out what food makes me feel great. By cooking from scratch I have not only started feeling much better, but also fallen in love with cooking completely! Join me for my weekly food topic and recipe here on my podcast, and check out my website for the transcripts and more. Find me on Instagram, and on YouTube.

Episode Transcript

Liv (00:04):
You are listening to the From Scratch Body. I'm Liv, and
I believe that when we make ourown food from base ingredients,
our bodies will thank us. Iwanna help you with the skills,
the knowledge, and mostimportantly, the confidence you
need to make food at home inyour own kitchen on your terms
to fit your body. So every weekI share a health topic or a

(00:28):
recipe or both which will takeyou on a journey to effortless
cooking step by step and you canalways find the topics and
recipes in writing on my websitethe from scratch body dot com
Welcome back to the From ScratchBody. This week, I'm back
looking at an ingredient which Ihaven't done for a few weeks

(00:51):
now.
I'm looking at flaxseed. I'm abig, big fan of flaxseed and all
this uses, or linseed as you mayknow it as. Incredibly useful as
a binding substance in yourcooking and baking, as well as
brilliant for your body. Solet's have a look at flaxseed
today. You may know them asflaxseed, or you may know them

(01:12):
as linseed.
They're exactly the same, anddifferent people call them
different things. I see flaxused most often, so that's what
I use. But you do you. And, yes,linen is made from the flax
plant, from the stem, that is.Flax seeds are small seeds from
the flax plant or linenusitaticium, and they vary

(01:34):
between golden and dark brownseeds with slightly, but not
massively varying nutritionalproperties.
It is recommended to grind flaxseeds as that makes them much
easier to to digest. There's nodanger in eating them whole,
but, you know, you you risk themcoming out similar to how they
looked when they went in, if youget me. Flaxseeds are great for

(01:55):
fiber. So it's brilliant foryour digestion, and it can be a
great help if you're feelingconstipated. And more
importantly, it supports yourincredibly important gut
bacteria.
They are also and this is great,they are high in omega 3, the
ALA type, the plant omega 3,which helps lower your
cholesterol and reducesinflammation in the body, and

(02:18):
it's also linked to reduce riskof heart disease and stroke. So
get your omega 3 in. This is agreat way to do it. Have you
heard of lignans? My dictionaryhad not when I wrote this
article out, and it put a redline under it, so I had to
double check.
But lignans are potentiallycancer fighting compounds, and

(02:39):
you get those in flax seeds tooin much higher quantities than
most other plants. Studies showthat flax seeds help lower blood
pressure when consumedregularly. So, yeah, a pretty
incredible seed. And the othergreat news is flax seeds are so
easy to incorporate into yourdiet. Honestly, my favorites are
sprinkling some on porridge orover a bowl of yogurt and nuts

(03:02):
in the morning.
I always add a bit in with mypancake batter because it helps
bind things too, which you cansee in my flax egg recipe, which
I've put on the website thisweek. So check out my website
for flax egg, which you canalways use as a substitute for
real eggs in baking, or you canuse one of them with some real

(03:25):
eggs. You can combine howeveryou want. I've never actually
used flax oil, but it'sapparently very versatile. And
it can be used in both cookingand in stuff like salad
dressings.
So maybe I should try that next.Do you use flaxseed regularly?
How do you use them in thekitchen? Message me on
Instagram, and you can email meas well at Liv at the from

(03:47):
scratch body. I will be herenext week.
Thank you for listening to thisweek's episode. There are tons
of recipes for you to try on mywebsite, my YouTube channel, and

(04:09):
also on social media channels.Just search for the from scratch
body, and you'll find me. Saveuseful topics and inspiration
for the future, and try to havefun and experiment when you cook
at home. And remember, cook fromscratch, and your body will
thank you.
I'll catch you next week.