What are flex seeds? Also known as garden seeds, flex seeds were actually popular in the 90s and early 2000s. Now that it’s trending again, many people are wondering what are the benefits of flex seeds. Here’s what you need to know before planting flex seeds in your garden this year!.
Here are some benefits of flex seeds that will help you to improve your health.
Increase Energy
That feeling you get when you’re just barely able to keep your eyes open, even though it’s time for bed. Yeah, that. It’s hard to feel energized and motivated if you’re tired all of the time—and with a busy schedule and long hours, we all can relate. Using a unique blend of vitamins and minerals known as B-vitamins (including Vitamin B12), which help with cell energy production and efficiency, flex seeds can give you an extra boost to help take on your day head on.
Lose Weight
Flex seeds, more commonly known as linseeds or flaxseeds, have been known to help people lose weight for thousands of years. With a little help from science, we now know that these tiny golden seeds can indeed aid with weight loss. Here’s how: As part of your morning routine, take 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and mix it into a glass of water or non-dairy milk. This will thicken in about 15 minutes and you’ll be able to add fruit juice for extra sweetness. Make sure to drink only one serving a day because flaxseeds have been known to hinder thyroid function when consumed in excess amounts.
Stabilize Blood Sugar
When you consume fiber from food sources like seeds, whole grains, and beans, your body absorbs it slowly into your bloodstream. This process keeps blood sugar levels steady and avoids that mid-afternoon crash. While not everyone needs to increase their fiber intake for weight loss, it can help people suffering from certain health issues stabilize their blood sugar. So if you’re having trouble sleeping or getting hungry between meals, add more fiber to your diet by snacking on some nuts or adding beans to your next meal. It might just solve a lot of your digestion problems!
Improve Concentration and Focus
Studies have found that women with ADD and ADHD tend to have low zinc levels. Zinc is a mineral that plays an important role in brain functioning, as it’s needed for creating several different neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) involved in concentration, focus, and attention. To help boost your body’s levels of zinc, eat more foods that contain it. Asparagus, beef liver (yum!), cheese, salmon, peanuts and walnuts contain zinc—and research has shown they may be especially beneficial for women with ADD or ADHD. If you prefer to take your zinc supplements orally instead of eating them in foods like nuts and yogurt, get a chelated form of zinc; research suggests that these forms are more easily absorbed by your body than other types.
Burn Fat in Muscles Instead of Liver
When it comes to burning fat, many people think that doing cardio is necessary. While that may be true for weight loss, it’s not for muscle gain. Many people don’t realize that excess body fat actually goes to your liver before being converted into usable energy. If you have too much body fat, your liver becomes overloaded and starts converting extra calories into stored fat instead of energy for your muscles. Using flex seeds will keep blood sugar levels balanced and help prevent an overload in blood sugar, meaning energy can go straight to your muscles instead of being stored as excess body fat.
Improve Sleep Quality
A study in Behavioral Sleep Medicine found that intake of one tablespoonful of flaxseed oil before bed can improve sleep quality and duration by 90 minutes. Flaxseed oil is rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a fatty acid that your body converts into another substance called arachidonic acid, which triggers liposomal production in order to produce a hormone-like substance known as melatonin. Melatonin helps to regulate other hormones that support healthy sleep patterns. In short, flaxseed oil helps you relax, fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply. It’s like a natural sleeping pill!
Lower Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Studies show that consuming psyllium seeds can help lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, as well as triglycerides. In fact, one 12-week study involving 30 women with metabolic syndrome found that consuming 10 grams per day of psyllium lowered triglycerides by an average 24 percent and total cholesterol by 8 percent. The scientists noted significant improvements in lipid levels [that] were associated with decreases in body weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and insulin levels.
Prevent Disease, Including Heart
Disease
Studies show that people who eat a high-fiber diet have a lower risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Fibers can help lower your cholesterol, manage blood sugar levels, and improve insulin sensitivity. It’s also helpful to consume an assortment of different types of fiber to get different health benefits. Soluble fibers—the kind found in oatmeal, beans, and certain fruits—have been shown to decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by slowing down food digestion. So adding these foods into your diet may help you cut back on saturated fats like butter or fatty meats that contribute to inflammation in your body. The end result is less plaque buildup in your arteries and less risk for heart disease.
