12 Steps to Whole Foods

Sprouting and Dehydrating
The Virtues of Flax Seed
Flax, a seed cultivated since ancient times but gaining new popularity the more it is studied, is one of the most
perfect foods available in nature. I can’t think of a food that, by itself, provides as many benefits. When you
soak flax a few hours so that it germinates, it is absolutely unparalleled, nutritionally. The American Cancer
Institute has acknowledged 27 different compounds in flax that are anti-carcinogenic!
Flax is comprised of 35% essential fatty acids (EFAs), the ones your body cannot manufacture on its own and
must be provided by diet. More than half of those EFAs are Omega-3s, critical for heart health and hard to find
in other foods. No other food has higher Omega-3s than flax does.
The flax seed also is high in protein, vitamins, and phytonutrients, and it contains a massive dose of fiber—
both soluble and insoluble. In a flax cracker with ¼ C of seeds, you get 10 grams of fiber!
Little-known but critically important compounds that
are garnering more interest from researchers are
lignans, which are important in immune function and
help neutralize estrogens and metabolize
phytoestrogens. Flax has 75-800 times more lignans
than any other plant foods. It has also been linked to
preventing depression, and it’s the first food I
recommend when someone tells me they’ve been
battling a mood disorder.
All these benefits together yield immune support,
healthy digestion and cholesterol levels, a positive
mood, and even glossy hair and dewy skin. I
recommend you buy whole flax, not preground seeds.
Flax oxidizes quickly when ground. When you grind
them in your high-powered blender (or an inexpensive coffee grinder), you should use them right away or store
them in the fridge for only a short period of time before using them. I buy them in bulk in our
GreenSmoothieGirl.com group buys and freeze gallon bags of flax for use in granola and crackers made in my
dehydrator. I share my family’s favorite recipes with you in this chapter.
A small amount (1-2 Tbsp.) of flax daily is plenty. Don’t overdo it, as it is powerful medicine and estrogenic in
too-large quantities.
Dehydrated Snacks
Using the dehydrator is a great way to preserve live food, to add crunch to living food if you like chips and
crackers, and to find new and interesting ways to eat treats that are exploding with life and nutrition. My
favorite lunch is a green smoothie and dehydrated live-food crackers with guacamole or eggplant dip. Eating a
lunch like this will give you massive energy throughout the afternoon until dinnertime.
To preserve all the enzymes in the food, dehydrate under 115° To be safe, I set my dehydrator at 105°, which
takes a bit longer. Dehydrating preserves food rather well, but if the snack is not completely dry and you keep
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw 12 Steps to Whole Foods 205