Linseed-Flax: Natural Remedy for Hormone Balance and Menopause
“I feel better now than I did 20 years ago”
Using Linseed/Flax for Balancing Hormones and Relieving Symptoms of the Menopause:
We can have a more comfortable menopause
I was lucky. I discovered linseed and it was brilliant, I don’t think I have ever felt better. 🙂
However I know many women aren’t so lucky, I want to encourage more women to try linseed and diet to help them feel great again.  The menopause usually comes at a stage in life when there has been lots going on which is physically and emotionally draining. Our eating habits have developed from convenience and fitting in with the needs of families, then after many years of not looking after ourselves as well as we should – often at a time of various upheaval women’s hormones start to go awry and lots of other health issues seem to crop up at the same time.
Lots of women have an awful time of aches and pains, digestion problems, weight gain, sleep problems, emotional ups and downs, hot sweats and so on. But it doesn’t have to be like this and the menopause can be a really good time to take control of your all over health and wellbeing and come out f it feeling better than you went into it. A bit of linseed and a bit of “me time” can go a long way to improving your menopause.
Using Linseed/Flax seed to Relieve the Symptoms of the Menopause
Ground linseed is a healthy low GI foodIn some cultures the menopause goes completely unnoticed to the point they don’t even have words for it. Diet is definitely a major key to improving ones health at this time.
Omega-3: Essential Fatty Acid Balance
Studies show that people who have higher levels of omega-3 and so a better balance of fatty acids in their in their diet have an easier time of the menopause. This is one of the areas Linseed really helps with with wellbeing.
Lignans: Hormone Balance
The other main area linseed helps is that it is Nature’s richest rich source of lignans, a natural phyto-oestrogen that replicates human oestrogen, this buffers and balances women’s hormones going through the perimenopause and the menopause.
“As Effective as HRT”
Several studies including one in Toronto have shown that the lignans in Ground Linseed (called Ground Flax in Canada) controls the symptoms of the menopause such as hot flushes as effectively as HRT. Lignans and omega-3 in this natural food both help with improving women’s health.
Using linseed/flaxseed as part of a healthy diet can mean going through the menopause with little more symptoms than cessation of monthly periods and that should be a very good thing. smiley
Linseed/Flax as part of a Healthier Diet to Help You through the Menopause
If you start to get unwanted symptoms when you go into the menopause your body will need all the help it can get for a while; a good diet plays a big part in that. You will need an alkalising diet that is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids but low GI, low in sugars, starch and unnecessary fat; this is why Flax Farm linseed (flax) is such a useful food for you.organic linseed flax omega-3 oil for menopause
Cold-pressed linseed oil – also known as Flaxseed oil – is natures richest natural source of omega-3.
Increased levels of omega-3 in the diet is shown in studies to be linked to fewer symptoms in the menopause. Omega-3 also helps keep the skin smooth, healthy and helps to keep wrinkles at bay. Omega-3 is also good food for the mood and wellbeing and is brain-food which aids concentration.
Linseed oil also helps with keeping hair and nails strong and healthy. Being anti-inflammatory linseed oil also is helpful in reducing the arthritic symptoms of wear and tear and bad backs.
Freshly Ground Linseed Meal: Natural Hormone Balance
Lignans are phyto-oestrogens that replicates our own hormones just like HRT but it’s natural and healthy. In studies ground linseed (flaxseed) meal can work as well as HRT in controlling symptoms of the menopause. Lignans have een shown to be very powerful antioxidants, being 8oo times more antioxidant than vitamin E they are very beneficial in long-term protection of the colon and other tissues from disease.
By replicating hormones lignans also help to keep the calcium in the bones which helps protect against osteoporosis and by maintaining a hormone like activity protects maintains protection for the heart too.
Linseed meal is also brilliant for the digestion which at this time can either weary if prone to constipation or go the other way and become oversensitive resulting in IBS, wheat-intolerance, bloating etc. It is very rich in the right sort of fibre, with a good balance of both soluble and insoluble fibre; this both sooths the gut and produces the beneficial bacteria which provides beneficial extra soft bulk and protects against the troublesome bacteria and yeasts that cause bloating by, this in turn normalises the transit. Improving the texture of the content of the gut, cleanses and de-toxes and enables the gut to absorb nutrients better.
Linseed meal is very hydrating – literally slow release hydration, meaning the water you drink is absorbed continuously which keeps the cells constantly hydrated – which apart from healping your skin looking good keeps you feeling good, less hungry and enables your body to perform the functions it needs without stress.
PMT: PreMenstual Tension
PMT or Premenstrual Tension is often joked about but is far from funny when you are going through it; is an collection of unpleasant physical and mental symptoms that occur monthly before the period. People who are short of omega-3 in their diet can get worse symptoms than peopl ewho have adequate omega-3 so it could be worth try linseed oil to see if it helps you. Ground linseed contains lignans whichare mild plant oestrogens and can buffer the effects of unbalanced hormones during the monthly cycle. Bad PMT is often a sign that you will have a rough time of it going through the menopause but the good news is if you find something that helps with PMT it is quite likely to help you experience fewer symptoms during the menopause.
Simple Guide to Using Flax Farm Linseed/Flax to Control Symptoms of the Menopause/Perimenopause and PMT
- Use 1-2 teaspoons of Flax Farm cold-pressed linseed oil daily in food – try using it with salads, on baked or mashed potatoes, over steamed veg, or grilled lean meat or fish, in smoothies, over porridge or muesli.
- Use 1 ounce/25g / two heaped dessertspoons of Flax Farm ground linseed meal twice per day sprinkled over breakfast cereals, porridge, in desserts, stirred into yoghurt or fresh fruit or compotes, or use in baking. Try to ensure you have the ground linseed meal every day. When symptoms subside you may want to have just one helping per day.
The magic of the lignans starts to work after about 8 hours, the effect takes a few days to build up in the body but if you forget to take it the effect disappears within a day – so don’t forget – but if you do miss taking you linseed meal one day simply stir a helping into juice or milk, leave it to soften, then drink – it is particularly nice in apple juice – and in just few hours you can be feeling lovely again.
Flaxjacks: a Healthy Treat That’s Rich in Flax
For a treat that’s healthy, try some of our Flaxjacks in your lunchbox – they are quick and easy to take with you to work – and a convenient way to enjoy the benefits of Flax Farm’s ground flax/linseed meal.
There are great recipes for sweet and savoury uses for Flax Farm linseed meal and cold pressed linseed oil at: http://www.flaxfarm.co.uk/recipes
Other Tips for improving your Menopause
Drink plenty of water a large glass at a time – not sips.
Drink less tea and coffee; drink more water instead or herbal infusions
Limit meat intake to just a small portion of lean meat – chicken breast, venison or fish – no more than once per day
Replace animal protein, meat, cheese. etc with soya or quinoa as complete protein or combine whole grains with peas and beans.
Keep other fats and oils and oily fatty foods to an abso,ute minimum – apart from the Flax Farm cold-pressed linseed oil. Use fat–free cooking techniques. Avoid all processed foods, cakes, pastries.
Cut out sugar, sweets and starchy foods, white bread, pasta, rice etc as completely as possible.
Keep acid alkali balance towards the alkali. This means reduce meat and cheese, less bread and cereal, increase vegetables– lots of leafy or root veg, some but not too much fruit (which should be whole not juice or shop-bought smoothies) include apple cider vinegar – but don’t cut out protein as we need to keep our muscle mass and strength up.
Enjoy low fat and non-meat sources of protein such as tofu or quorn.
Eat lots of leafy vegetables and root vegetables.
Consider excluding all cereals – wheat, oats, barely, spelt, rye form your diet – more of us are wheat intolerant and gluten-intolerant than we realise – it’s amazing how much difference that can make.
Keep weight in the ideal band. (Flax Farm linseed can help you lose weight and maintain lean muscle)
As we get older muscle to fat ratio reduces so do exercises to increase your muscle mass, work on your big muscle areas with weights and resistance exercises. Include 30 mins of daily of good cardio exercise ( vigorous swimming, running, walking, cycling – strolling, yoga and Pilates doesn’t count) .
Take a good GLA (Gamma linolenic acid) supplement such as borage oil or starflower oil – the richest source GLA (such as of Floresse), or blackcurrant seed oil or evening primrose oil (EPO. This is an essential fatty acid that as we age we don’t make as freely as we did when we were younger so it is a good idea to take GLA (as EPO or whatever you fancy) as well as having plenty of omega-3 from linseed oil.