FLAXSEED AND WEIGHT LOSS

Can flax help you manage your weight?
The answer is yes!

HOW?

Flax is very high in fiber: only one ounce of flaxseed contains 32% of the recommended daily amount.

Fiber helps to keep weight down in several ways: first, high-fiber foods have what’s called low energy density, which means fewer calories relative to the total weight of the food. Essentially, you can pile your plate with plenty of high-fiber foods without worrying about calorie overload.
More filling. Fiber is absorbed by our bodies more slowly than other food compounds, which means that we feel full longer when we eat it. Flax in particular is more filling than other foods, since it swells to form a gel-like substance in the intestine, thereby delaying the passage of food from the stomach.
Flax also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, which makes the energy we get from eating last longer and so prevents the early-onset “munchies” that we all know so well!

Flaxseed contains high levels of the “good” kind of fat—polyunsaturated fats.

A full 42% of flaxseed is oil, and 70% of that is the healthy polyunsaturated fat. Lots of diets recommend that we lower our fat intake, which is helpful only up to a point. Saturated fats, like the kind found in greasy French fries and pizza, are certainly bad for us and should be avoided. Polyunsaturated fats, however, are an essential part of our diet, and should not be cut out.

Low-fat diets often give people the feeling of never being “full,” since fats in large part are what give us a “full” feeling. This, of course, just makes us eat more, and has been the downfall of many a determined dieter. Consuming the proper amount of polyunsaturated fat, as found in flaxseed, can help to give us that “full” feeling without the harm of saturated fats, and thereby help us to maintain a healthy diet.
Our bodies need Omega-3 and Omega-6 from flaxseed. When it runs out of Omega-3 it CRAVES FAT, which our bodies store as energy. We continue to crave the fats until obese. If we eat Omega-3 the cravings go away.

Flaxseed keeps your “spirits” up during your weight loss program.

People who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids or do not maintain a healthy balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in their diet may be at an increased risk for depression. The omega-3 fatty acids are important components of nerve cell membranes. They help nerve cells communicate with each other, which is an essential step in maintaining good mental health.

If weight management is important to you, I would recommend dividing your daily flax intake into three portions, and taking a little bit with each meal. You’ll feel “full” more quickly with less food, and you’ll take longer to get hungry afterwards.

Also we recommend eating other foods that are high in fiber, like legumes, fruits, vegetables, (being careful, of course, to avoid too many carbohydrates). Flax can be helpfully added to all sorts of these nutritious foods.

Finally, remember to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, to get plenty of sleep and exercise.

*** www.FlaxClub.com ***