| Personal Care Corner | |
Changing the SAD Diet
by Carrie A. Corson, from the July 2002 newsletter
I find it interesting, if a little disheartening, that the acronym for the Standard American Diet is SAD. I would guess that I'm probably not the first person to notice this. What I want to know is did the powers-that-be who labeled our diet in the first place come up with the title or the acronym first? Well, however they did it, it does not speak well for the way we eat. Reflecting on this, I asked myself what it is about our diet that is SAD? My brain was immediately bombarded with commercial clips for fast food restaurants, super-size menus, ice cream, "the power of cheese," and potato chips. All things that nutritionists say should be eaten in moderation at best, but on which millions of dollars in advertising is spent so that we will think about those things when we think about food. There are a variety of reasons why these are not our best food choices; one is that they are all high in saturated fat. Also known as "bad fat" because too much of it can lead to numerous health concerns including heart disease, high cholesterol and cancer. More and more studies indicate that eating good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) can help raise levels of good cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as boost our immune systems.
Flax oil is one of our best sources of these good fats. It contains the polyunsaturated fats omega-3 and omega-6 which are found in every cell of our body. They are referred to as "essential fatty acids," because they are essential to health and longevity, but cannot be manufactured by our bodies–they must be obtained through diet. But it is believed that about 80% of the population are deficient in omega-3s. These fats are very important in cell structure and if they are not in sufficient supply in our bodies, they can be replaced by saturated fats. This tends to make cells more rigid, making it more difficult for cells to release what they don't need and absorb what they do need for proper function. It seems that healthy fats equal healthy cells equal healthier people.
Flax oil provides the body with a 3:1 ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s. (This is a good ratio because omega-6s are found in more of the foods we eat such as nuts and nut butters, so typically we are not as deficient in these.) Flax is the most concentrated vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids found in nature (twice the density found in salmon, which is another common source of omega-3s). Flax oil contains important nutrients such as phytosterol and phospholipids which form cell membranes, promote nerve insulation and improve immunity.
If you shudder at the thought of taking any oil as a supplement, think differently about flax. This oil can be a tasty addition to many recipes. Flax oil should have a slightly nutty flavor (depending on its lignan content) and should not be overly bitter. It can be used in place of olive oil for bread dipping or salad oil, or mixed in with your favorite sandwich spread or nut butter. It is okay to warm flax oil so it can also be added to soup or to stir-fried or steamed vegetables just before eating. It is not appropriate for frying, but can be used in some baking. Flax meal or ground flax can also be a tasty addition to cereals, salads, yogurt or smoothies. It has a pleasant nutty flavor and is lignan-rich.
Lignans are soluble and insoluble fibers, which are important toxin repositories (these remove toxins from our bloodstream). The lignans in flax are the richest source found in nature at 100 times the density of other sources such as wheat, oats and barley.
It should be noted that eating whole flaxseeds would not give you much in the way of omega-3 or lignan benefit. The seeds are small and very slippery and tend to pass through the digestive tract pretty much intact. If you prefer to buy whole seeds instead of the commercial flax meals, the seeds should be cracked (most folks use a coffee grinder) prior to consumption.
As you might have guessed, we carry a wide variety of high-quality flax oil products here at the Co-op. Both Spectrum Essentials and Barlean's are well represented with a variety of flax oils, flax oil capsules, and flax meal. All of these products are cold pressed which, in these two brands, means that they are processed without the oil ever reaching high temperatures. This is not the case with all oils that maintain that they are cold pressed. Manufacturers can claim to have cold pressed oil if they add no external heat. But some pressing processes can be such that the oil reaches temperatures in excess of 200 degrees. So wherever you choose to buy flax oil, it is important to find out how the oil is pressed. If you choose to buy flax oil in its liquid form, it must be refrigerated since exposure to heat, light, and oxygen will quickly break it down. The same is true of flax meal.
More information on the benefits of flax and some outstanding recipes can be found at the following Web sites: www.spectrumnaturals.com, www.barleans.com and www.flaxcouncil.ca.
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