Flaxseed and flaxseed oil (Linum usitatissimum)
Flaxseed is an oil-rich seed that has a nutty flavour. The
seed contains vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein and essential fats that have
many health and disease-fighting benefits. Flaxseed can be ground but also
cold-pressed to produce flax oil. Flax oil contains high levels of the omega-3
fatty acid called alpha-linoleic acid---almost eight grams per tablespoon.
Omega-3 is a good heart-healthy fat that has the reverse
effects of saturated fats, which are known to contribute to obesity,
cardiovascular diseases, stroke and other degenerative diseases. Taken in
supplement form, flaxseed oil can also be beneficial for weight loss because
essential fats naturally satiate your appetite, help increase your metabolism,
and curb cravings.
Flax oil aids in suppressing Appetite. The website Barleans
says the essential oil found in flaxseed actually helps the stomach to retain
food longer. When you take flaxseed oil with each meal, the food you've
consumed is released more gradually into your small intestine, which slows
digestion and helps regulate insulin levels. The result is a gradual steady
drop in your blood sugar levels rather than a prolonged plateau, providing you
with more energy and a sense of fullness after each meal.
Flax oil has shown to help curbs Cravings. The fatty acids
in flaxseed are essential nutrients meaning your body is actually unable to
convert other sources of foods into the essential fatty acids naturally found
in flaxseed oil. Your body actually seeks out these essential nutrients in the
foods you eat. When it can't find them, it detects a nutritional deficiency.
The result is you continue to crave unhealthy fats and sweets.
They say Flax oil can boost Metabolism. The essential fatty
acids found in flaxseed oil help increase your body's metabolic rate allowing
you to burn excess fats your body doesn't need, including even unhealthy ones.
According to the website, Ask Dr. Sears, your body burns this unwanted fat
through thermogenesis, "...a process in which specialized fat cells
throughout the body (called brown fat) click into high gear and burn more fat
when activated by essential fatty acids, especially gamma-linoleic acid
(GLA)."
So how do we use Flaxseed Oil? The recommended dosage of flaxseed oil for
weight loss or maintenance is one to two tsps. Per day divided between each meal.
Taking flaxseed oil with each meal increases the nutritional value of other
foods you're eating, especially foods rich in sulphated amino acids such as
yogurt, cabbage, and animal, fish and soy proteins that help the absorption of
essential fatty acids into your cell membranes. Make sure to refrigerate your
flaxseed oil en use within 6 weeks of opening.
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