Flaxseed, My Hero

Don’t let the tiny flaxseed mislead you. Great things come in small packages. Flaxseed is loaded with both soluble and insoluble fibre, is one of the richest sources of a
plant compound called lignans, and is an excellent source of that heart healthy fat
omega-3.
We all know that fibre is good for us, but did you know that there are 2 types of fibre?
Insoluble which helps keep you regular and soluble which helps lower total cholesterol.
Flaxseed is a great source of both types of fibre. Heart healthy omega-3 fats are making the news everyday. Studies have shown that people who consume more omega-3 fatty acids are less likely to have a heart attack and if they do, they are less likely to die from one, and yes you guessed it, flaxseed is an excellent source of omega-3 fat.
To round out it’s nutritional profile flaxseeds are the richest source of plant lignans, a type of phytoestrogen, which has been shown to fight against hormone related cancers.
Quite the pedigree! And all contained in tiny reddish brown or golden seed.
Flax comes in several forms: oil, pills, whole and ground. Which is the best buy for
your nutritional Looney? The ground seeds. The fibre, lignans and omega-3’s are
readily absorbed from this form. The only way that all of these wonderful things are absorbed to their greatest capacity is in the ground form. If you eat them whole they are really just a laxative. Hello, Good-bye. Grind up the whole seeds to the consistency of coarse sand. Either buy them whole and grind your own in a coffee bean mill or buy them already ground. Store the whole seeds in a cool dark place for up to 1 year and store the ground seeds in the fridge for up to 3 months. Eat 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed everyday. Start off with 1 teaspoon/5 mL And work your way up to 2 tablespoons/30 mL.

For more information on flax go to www.flaxcouncil.com You can add the ground seeds to peanut butter sandwiches, into a smoothie, sprinkled over pasta or try this muffin recipe. Each muffin is equal to 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed.


Cranberry Orange Muffins
makes: 12

This hearty muffin combines the goodness of whole grains, two forms of fibre - soluble and insoluble, plus omega-3 heart healthy fat from the walnuts. Add the power of flaxseed and this is a winner to eat for breakfast or as a snack. A great muffin to make in the fall when cranberry season is in full swing. For more information on the goodness of cranberries go to Recipes on the Main Menu Bar and click on Seasonal.

Wet Ingredients
1 omega-3 egg
1 cup/250 mL buttermilk
1 ¼ cups/ 300 mL dark brown sugar
2/3 cup/150 mL oat bran

Dry Ingredients
1 cup/250 mL whole wheat flour
½ cup/125 mL wheat bran
¾ cup/175 mL ground flaxseed
¼ cup/50 mL walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 tsp/10 mL baking powder
1 tsp/5 mL baking soda
1 tsp/5 mL cinnamon
2/3 cup/150 mL dried cranberries
1 cup/250 mL fresh or frozen whole cranberries
zest of 1 orange



Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
Line a muffin tin with paper cup liners.
In a medium bowl mix together the egg, buttermilk, brown sugar and oat bran. Let sit for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl mix together the whole wheat flour, wheat bran, ground flax seed, walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, and the cinnamon with a wire whisk.
Add the dried cranberries, whole cranberries and the zest from the orange.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Eat the zested orange while the muffins are baking. It counts as 1 fruit serving. Every little bit helps.

Each muffin contains- 230 Calories, 6.17 g protein, 6.5 g fat, 6.7 g fibre, 188 mg sodium, and 41 g carbohydrate.

Where do I find dried cranberries?
Well if you have a bulk section in your store they are usually with all the other dried fruits. If not, most other grocery stores carry them in the produce department for some unknown reason.