Flax: the Wonder Seed

At RE:Group, we had the option of yogurt and muesli every morning with a variety of other ingredients we could throw in. There was a little bowl of tiny seeds that I avoided because I wasn't sure what they were. A colleague sat next to me one morning and she had the seeds in her yogurt. I asked what they were and she told me flax. I had never you can eat flax seeds. I went back and stirred some in my yogurt only to find they don't really have any flavor.

That observation is key though. Flax is HIGH in fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids – both of which are cholesterol busters. The flavor is a bit nutty but you never put much in anything so you hardly notice they are there – except that they get stuck in your teeth. I figured that if our retreat center had them then Germans must eat them. I did research for recipes and headed to the grocery store to see if I could find flax, which is spelled similarly to lentils in German!

I started out simple: Rice Krispie Treats. The recipe is just like a normal batch except I stirred in ½ C flax seeds. You can also used ground flax seeds which are actually healthier because you are more likely to digest the flax if it is ground. The seeds are so small and slippery that they might make it all the way through your system without being broken down.
Many of the recipes I looked at suggested throwing in a tablespoon of flax in recipes like spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, salads, etc. They don't change the flavor but add in fiber.

I am not becoming a health food nut – just looking for simple ways to lower my cholestoral.