How to use Flaxseed for your blood-sugar levels Flaxseed | Cold-pressed Flax oil | Milled Flax Seed | Handmade Flaxjacks

How to use Flaxseed for your blood-sugar levels

Doctors appreciate the benefits of Flaxseed

Amongst its other health benefits, Flaxseed (aka Linseed) has gained attention from doctors for its potential benefits in managing blood-sugar levels. They are rich in two beneficial types of fibre, healthy omega-3 fats and antioxidants which can all help make a big difference to your health. Doctors are now starting to  appreciate the benefits of flax and a high fibre diet.

Sharing our experience of using Flax for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels

Today we’ll be looking at using flaxseed as part of your armoury in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.  At Flax Farm we have had our fair share, 20 years of friends and family members who have had high blood-sugar and weight issues so we’ve been able to see how subtle changes in diet can make a big difference.  In addition, after all those years doing farmers’ markets, we’ve lots of customers who want us to share their tips for success. Flax Farm Farmers Markets for Linseed

Need to reduce sugars and refined carbs

The modern diet with its bad fats and refined carbs can play havoc with our blood sugar levels and health. You probably know that a high blood sugar level shows your body is becoming resistant to its own insulin so it stops metabolising sugars and carbohydrates correctly which results in blood sugar levels remaining high.  Then, the sugars and carbs turn into fat, especially around the body’s organs (visceral fat) which is particularly noticeable around the middle, giving you a bigger waist size.

Flax, a food to help you control blood sugar levels naturally

However, if you make some small changes to your diet you really can start to improve your health naturally. Once you start it is easy to make other improvements and further improve the results you see in your blood tests results at the doctors. Using more flax in your diet can also be an aid to improving waist size and controlling weight.  The real reward is improved energy levels and feeling better, then you have even more incentive to keep enjoying a healthier diet and lifestyle.

There are several things going on in flax that can help.

  • Flax makes healthy eating easier and more satisfying
  • Firstly it is a virtually carb-free food with almost zero sugar.
  • Flax contains approximately 30% fibre which adds nothing to your blood sugar level.
  • Of the 30g fibre per 100g 10g is soluble fibre which actively slows down the rate you absorb sugars and carbs from the rest of your meal, keeping your blood sugar levels where they should and you feeling fuller for longer. Less temptation to snack and makes it easier to control weight
  • Soluble fibre content in flaxseeds slows down the absorption of glucose which helps prevent spikes in blood sugar
  • Improves an ordinary diet and great for low-carb and carb-free diets.
  • Flax contains omega-3, the important good fat we don’t get enough of. Omega-3 is important for all the systems in the body to work more the way they should including boosting the metabolism to burn off calories as freely.
  • Omega-3 can help support the body’s correct response to insulin, leptin and ghrelin, which is also an aid to weight control and smaller waist size. .
  • Check out our recipes, almost all are designed to be suitable for a diabetic diet.  Recipes
  • We have lots of suggestions here and on the website for how to use flax for your health

How to use flax to control blood-sugar levels

Organic reduced fat ground gold organic linseed/flaxseed
Organic reduced fat ground gold organic linseed/flaxseed

What sort of flax should you use?

How to incorporate flax into a diabetes-friendly diet

How to make healthier, lower glycaemic index(GI) meals by using Flax

How to use flax to help control weight

Other benefits of using flax in your diet

What sort of flax should you use?

Flaxseed (linseed) comes in several different forms.  They are all healthy but it makes a difference which you use.  Flax Farm make a range of Flax products that are sugar-free, no added and low carb/low GI.

Flax Farm Cold-Pressed Flaxseed (Linseed) Oil: a great source of important of omega-3 to help the whole body work better. Healthy alternative to butter, cream and great in salad dressing, smoothies and porridge

Flax Farm Ground Flaxseed: ground flax, virtually carb-free. Use to replace around a third of other ingredients in a bowl of breakfast cereal, baking, desserts and fruit for healthier lower carb meals. Also good for thickening soups and casseroles. You can use ground flax to make low carb breads, crackers, breakfasts and desserts.

Flax Farm whole Flaxseeds:  for best nutritional benefits flaxseed should be ground. Whole flaxseeds are great to add to muesli, salads and baking.

Flax Farm Flax (Linseed) Porridge and Muesli are super healthy breakfasts ready to go – all with no added sugar. Up to 33% lower carbs than ordinary porridge, 50% more protein, 69% more fibre  which will make it much easier to keep your blood sugar where it should be after breakfast and feeling fuller for longer.

Flaxjacks are delicious cakes made with a high proportion of Flax Farm ground flaxseed.  They call contain less sugar, less butter but  higher in fibre, protein and good fats. The range includes no-added sugar and lower-sugar Flaxjacks so they will help you look after your health.

Flax Crackers are a game-changer. Brilliant ground linseed snack . You just mix Flax Farm ground flaxseeds with water, add salt, pepper, crushed garlic, dried herbs and spices  to taste and bake. Full of seeds, spices and herbs, they are incredibly crisp and tasty but  virtually carb-free, makes them the perfect snacks. Flax Cracker Recipe

Flax Crackers, low carb, keto, gluten-free

A ready to Go Diet: Budwig Diet

If you just need an easy to follow, holistic diet try the Budwig Diet. It has stood the test of time for over 70 years. It addressees all the body’s systems. The food is delicious, I followed the diet years ago with a friend for a couple of months and I still make the breakfasts and desserts because I enjoy them and feel so good on them.   https://budwig-diet.co.uk/

Budwig Muesli can be made in advance for travelling
Budwig Muesli is a healthy, delicious breakfast and dessert as part of the Budwig Diet.

 

Top tips

Using Flax Farm Flaxseed to make your diet more healthier for a diabetic diet. Check out our Low Carb-Keto-Paleo page for the healthiest selections

To get the benefit of the fibre in Flaxseed always consume as ground linseed or one of the Flax Farm ground Flaxseed products.

Replace at least a third of breakfast cereal or flour in baking with Flax Farm ground flax.

Have Flax Farm Flax Porridge or Muesli for breakfast rather than ordinary breakfast cereals,

Use Ground Flax to thicken soups and stews instead of potato or flour

Have a Flaxjack or maybe just a half instead of cakes or biscuits.

Use ground flax every day a tablespoon in every meal will help

Have Flax Crackers instead of crisps or snacks

Try to make every meal a bit healthier, a bit lower in carbs and a bit higher in fibre.

It is important to stick with your good diet choices every day.

How long does it take for flaxseed to lower blood sugar?

This depends on many factors, including age, how long your blood-sugar levels have been too high,  how committed you are to improving your diet and not cheating.  While the exact timeline for flaxseed’s impact on blood sugar levels may vary from person to person, as you would expect.

  • Important to stick to it and use flaxseed daily
  • Studies have shown that incorporating flaxseeds into the diet can help control blood sugar over time.  Consistency incorporating flaxseeds into the diet is key.
  • If you are really careful with your diet, change over to a low carb, good fats, high fibre diet, you could start to see and feel some positive results in the first week.
  • “Intermittent fasting” i.e only eat during a shorter time window, such as breakfast at about 10 a.m. and your evening meal at 6pm, can also help.

 

 

 

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