Eat to Heal by Kristine M. Napier

Author:Kristine M. Napier [M. NAPIER M.P.H., R.D., L.D., KRISTINE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780446568555
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2009-10-30T16:00:00+00:00

CORN

Although it’s really a grain, I’ve included it under vegetables, since many people use it that way.

FLAXSEED

Flaxseed is actually the seed that grows on flax, the same plant from which linen is made. Although it’s not officially a grain, it’s used like one. Flaxseed is a virtual powerhouse of lignans; this grainlike food has 100 times as many precursor lignans as any other plant food. Lignans are powerful antioxidants that help fight cancer, especially breast cancer; there’s also some early evidence that lignans may help heal kidneys damaged by lupus-induced kidney disease and that they might help fight off infections and calm the symptoms of menopause. Flaxseed is also high in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, the same type of fat found in salmon and other fatty fish (see sidebar on page 111, on omega-3 fatty acids). Flaxseed is a fabulous source of dietary fiber, too.

You’ll find three different types of flaxseed: whole, cracked, or milled. Only the latter two offer health benefits. That’s because the body can’t crack open the whole flaxseed to harvest the goodness, so it passes through the body unabsorbed. If you buy whole flaxseed, use a coffee grinder to crack into it.

Like most people, you can’t find a recipe for using flaxseed—that reflects how little it’s been used in this country (or anywhere, for that matter). Check out the recipes on pages 241 and 243. In general, mix up to or ½ cup of flaxseed per 2 cups of flour into quick breads and yeast breads. Also try it in chocolate cake. If you’re not a baker, and you like a gentle nutty taste, sprinkle a tablespoon or two on your salad as part of your protein at a meal. I especially like the combined flavors of basil, balsamic vinegar and flaxseed in the salad recipe on page 241. You don’t even have to go to that much trouble, though, as flaxseed adds a new dimension to just romaine lettuce and a bottled dressing.

Trying to work more fiber into your diet? Instead of a fiber supplement, try stirring milled or cracked flaxseed into your morning orange juice—about 2 tablespoons per cup is a good amount (flaxseed settles, so you’ll have to mix well a couple of times).

Don’t be tempted to use flaxseed oil instead of the seed. Capitalizing on flaxseed’s health benefits, some manufacturers are bottling up flaxseed oil (along with smart profits), touting it as a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Some even offer “high-lignan oil,” which contains some of the seed residue. But there are plenty of good reasons to pass up the oil and opt for the seed itself. Prime among them: most of the lignans are in the meal, or the nonoil portion of the seed. So although flaxseed retailers promise high lignan oil, they might not be able to deliver on that promise. You might just be getting a very expensive load of extra calories (after all, flaxseed oil is a pure fat, which makes it high in calories).

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