Linseed flax and the Fat Flush Plan

Linseed (Flax) key ingredient in The Fat Flush Plan

Linseed when you want to eat right to control Weight

About 15 years ago I discovered Fat Flush Plan by Anne Louise Gittleman a nutritionist from America. The Plan uses linseed as the key ingredient in a weight loss diet.  At the time, I weighed rather more than I should and being interested in linseed I thought I’d give it a try.  I am glad I did.  It kick-started my weight loss, encouraged me to create more enjoyable ways of using linseed to control weight and I believe helped me keep my weight stable ever since. The diet uses both ground linseed and cold-pressed linseed oil.  It might be somewhat “faddy” but it is low calorie and low carb, very much a short term diet, not a lifestyle eating plan, it is also and claims to be a “detox” regime. However, for me it was a great way to start losing weight and I discovered the importance and practical benefits of linseed for controlling weight. Ever since I have found it easier to manage my weight.

Another benefit of the Fat Flush Plan was it taught me to take a different approach to food. For me the Fat Flush Plan offered poor food choices, not enough real, wholefood fresh, ingredients and recipes were very American to my taste buds and not particularly nice. So I started working on much healthier, more satisfying and nutritionally beneficial recipes which I share on  Flax Farm recipe pages that give you quick easy recipes for healthy food that makes maintaining a correct weight easier.

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Benefits of the Fat Flush Plan

Linseed, High Fibre = Low Carb and Lower Calories

Ground Linseed (flax) is a low calorie and low carb food, Approximately one-third of linseed is fibre, which means a third of linseed is not digested and provides no calories. The “carbs” in linseed relate almost entirely to its fibre, therefore linseed is virtually carb-free. It is great for making ultra-low/carb-free breads, crackers and snacks.

Linseed being high fibre, especially high in soluble fibre helps make foods slow-release, they are absorbed slower and more sustaining,  so keep you feeling fuller for longer – fewer hunger pangs and cravings to contend with.

Linseed fibre is digestion-friendly and helps keep you regular which is a great benefit on a restricted diet.

Sometimes women’s hormones can get out of kilter resulting in food cravings that can make sticking to a sensible diet difficult. Flax Farm Ground Linseed is also a great source of lignans that can help support the balance of women’s hormones.

Linseed, Essential Omega-3

Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid. Often when we try to control weight we limit calories and restrict fats, this often exacerbates the existing deficit of omega-3 in our fatty acid balance. High fat, low carb diets are also often short of omega-3. This means other more “fattening” fats are more common in our food.  The modern diet is rich in saturated (butter, cream, animal fat, coconut oil, peanut butter) monounsaturated (olive oil, rapeseed) omega-6 (cooking oils, vegetable oils, poultry, turkey and pork, especially the lean muscle). The result of this is our omega-3 is too low to be properly in balance and our metabolism of fat and calories can become choked and sluggish with too many of these fats. When we don’t have enough omega-3 it can mean our metabolism can’t work the way it should and that can make it hard to burn off fat and calories. Linseed oil provides that essential Omega-3 which supports our weight loss and weight control hormones such as insulin, ghrelin and leptin, which manage your blood sugar levels, energy expenditure, hunger and fullness, to work correctly.  This is why cold-pressed linseed (flaxseed) oil is included in the Fat Flush Plan.

Flax Farm Recipes for Tastier, Healthier, Wholefood Improvement to the Fat Flush Plan.

Quite simply I use linseed as part of my daily diet. I replace up to 4 tablespoons of carby food, such as oats, bread, fruit with ground linseed.  This just means a using less flour in baking, a smaller helping of oats to make porridge or a small banana, instead of a large one in a dessert and replacing it with ground linseed..  I love the way linseed keeps me feeling fuller and it’s great for the digestion.

A smoothie with Flax Farm cold-pressed linseed oil and ground linseed can be particularly satisfying, fill you up so much you don’t need to snack and absolutely delicious, Being delicious it makes losing weight a happier condition.

Try our cold-pressed linseed oil and ground linseed in your daily diet.  I now use some linseed oil in salad dressings, baking and desserts to ensure I get that support from a healthy balance of omega-3. I find a lot of things actually taste nicer and lighter with Flax Farm cold-pressed linseed oil. Two of my favourites are pesto and salsa verde type sauces which taste far less oily with linseed oil and the Budwig cream which is made with fat-free yoghurt as an alternative to ordinary cream, I use it as a base for lovely trifle-like puddings which everyone loves.