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This month’s giveaway is one pound of organic whole golden flax seed from Tropical Traditions. If you have not used flax seed before you are in for a treat. This mighty little seed is a powerhouse of nutrition and a great help in allergy free baking. I would like to introduce you to some of its benefits and give a chance to win your own bag of flax seed.
Flax Seed is a blue flowering plant that is grown on the prairie for its oil rich seeds. This natural oil (also known as ALA or alpha linoleic acid) is highly recommended for the general well being and whole body nutrition and is considered to be the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids found in plant form. Flax Seed Oil contains omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fiber, protein, and zinc.
Flax seed is also very high in fiber both soluble and insoluble. Fiber is very helpful for a number of health issues and this is one way to get fiber into the diet.
The nutrition of flax is most easily useable by the body if the flax is ground into meal. If it is left whole it may pass through the body undigested and then will not give any of its benefits up. This is because the seeds are so hard.
The oil in flax seed is highly unsaturated and can easily go rancid. So the best way to store flax seeds is as seeds. When you want to use it grind it in your coffee grinder, food processor, or blender to get flax seed meal complete with its oils. If you buy the meal that should be kept in the freezer and if you buy the oil it should be kept in the fridge.
There are two colors of flax seed – golden and brown. They are similar in nutrient content and the only real difference seems to be color. If one is easier to find than another or cheaper to purchase then that is probably the best seed to go with..
Baking with flax
Flax meal when mixed with liquid will get gelatinous. Because of this property it can be used as an egg substitute in baking for those intolerant of eggs. We have also found it helpful in gluten free baking.
I do buy regularly from Tropical Traditions. (To see my affiliate page go here.) I buy their flaked coconut as well as their finely shredded coconut. I have also bought their whole millet and corn and then ground those myself (millet in the coffee grinder and corn in the grain grinder.) This is my first time to use their flaxseed and it has good flavor and quality to it. I am not surprised as everything I have gotten from them has been that way. A few other things I really like about this company are the quality and commitment to health and their free shipping offers which happen periodically. With free shipping their prices are very reasonable.
Golden Flax Seed Product Page: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_whole_flaxseed.htm
Tropical Traditions Home Page: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com
Virgin Coconut Oil page: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm
Thanks for linking up to Wildcarfting Wednesday. 🙂
Fantastic giveaway! I use flax in my baking frequently and I’ve heard it’s a great egg substitute as you mentioned. I’ve typically used chia seeds for my egg substitute though. Thanks for sharing this giveaway on Wellness Wednesdays. I’ll be pinning and sharing on fb 🙂
I’d love to give flax seeds a try.
My daughter just made some fantastic flax seed crackers. They are a great addition to the list of baking ingredients.