Basic Pursuits

Flax seeds have been for centuries thought to be a super food. Perhaps it's because they are so rich in Omega3 fatty acids.

Researchers at the Society for Integrative Oncology recently found a potential new use for the virtuous little seeds. Two tablespoons per day cut the incidence of hot flashes in half in menopausal women. The researchers noted that the sample size in their experiment was small and more work needs to be done.

The women sprinkled the ground flax seeds on cereal or yogurt or fruit juice or whatever. The only complaints were bloating (read gas) and mild diarrhea. Not a bad trade to get some relief from hot flashes. As with all real food, the women get the benefit of all the nutrients in the seeds as well as whatever is relieving the hot flashes.

You can't beat real food.

Flax seeds also work well in hot cereals like oat meal. I add them to rice too. When you do that, you need to give the rice and liquid a nice stir to mix everything uniformly.

Hail flax!