Monday, June 2, 2008

Flax Seeds - It really does work!

I've never watched it before but 2 weeks ago I watched an episode of Nip Tuck when a beauty obsessive woman (I think they all are in this series) said that she had a new beauty secret, Flax seeds and that she cancelled her last appointment at the beauty salon because her skin has never looked better.

Being a beauty obsessive myself, I did some research and started taking flax seeds almost 2 weeks ago. I bought a packet of whole seeds which I asked them to mill for for me. I take 2 tablespoons of the milled flax seeds a day, either in yogurt, juice or sprinkled over my cereal. NOTE: Remember you should drink plenty of water after consuming flax seeds.
I can really notice the difference in my skin. I have less blemishes and my last break out (which usually happens once a month) was definitely a lot less.

I have also used flax seeds as a facial mask. Which is a natural way to cleanse the skin by normalizing oily, dry or blemished skin. My skin was soft and smooth.

Flax Seed Facial Mask
Ingredients
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) ground roasted flax
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) honey
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) wheat bran
¼ cup (50-60ml) hot water

Directions
Moisten face with luke warm water. Gently massage the mix on your face with a circular motion. Leave the mask on for 5-10 minutes. Ground flax works to lubricate the skin and relieve dryness. Rinse your face with water.
Besides the obvious "beauty benefits" of flax, nourishing the skin, hair, and nails, there is a lot more to these little brown seeds.

Flax, dubbed the "forgotten oil" has been rediscovered as true health food. Those who are nutritionally in the know continue to rank flax high on the list of "must have" foods. Besides being the best source of omega 3's, flax is a good source of omega 6, or linoleic acid (LA).

Flax seeds contain a high quality protein. Flax seeds are rich in soluble fiber. The combination of the oil and the fiber makes flax seeds an ideal laxative. Flax seeds contain vitamins B-1, B-2, C, E, and carotene. These seeds also contain iron, zinc, and trace amounts of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and vitamin E and carotene, two nutrients which aid the metabolism of the oil. Flax seeds contain over a hundred times more of a phytonutrient, known as lignin, than any of its closest competitors, such as wheat bran, buckwheat, rye, millet, oats, and soybeans. Lignins have received a lot of attention lately because of possible anti-cancer properties, especially in relation to breast and colon cancer. Lignins seem to flush excess estrogen out of the body, thereby reducing the incidence of estrogen-linked cancers, such as breast cancer. Besides anti-tumor properties, lignins also seem to have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties.

1 comment:

Lesleigh said...

Hi my friend, I am enjoying your new blog, very helpful, I'm going to try some of these tips.
You are so amazing, keep up the good work.
Love ya lots,Les