Omega-3 Green Smoothie

I made this for mid-morning brekkie this AM and it was surprisingly drinkable. I have been wanting to add flax seeds  (aka linseeds) to my diet for a while now and decided the best way to get my daily dose would be in a yummy green smoothie, getting in all the goodness in one go.

If you are using whole flax seeds, it’s best to soak them overnight in a some water (with approx. 2.5cm covering the top). This softens the seed for ease of digestion and produces a gel-like substance which is lubricating for the intestines. Alternatively if you have a coffee grinder you can grind the flax seeds. You can buy flax meal at the health store but this isn’t advisable as the seeds lose some of their essential oil content.

Did you know that flax seeds provide the highest vegetal source of omega 3s (i.e. alpha linolenic acid (ALA)?  A whopping 53% of its oil is composed of ALA; and additionally it has a good omega 3:6 ratio. As Patrick Pitchford points out in his ever-resourceful Healing With Wholefoods, “The advantage of using vegetable oils is that no animal must die to produce it for humans. There are also fewer contaminants in vegetable oils as are often found in fish oil.” After flax, the next best vegetal sources of omega-3 are chia seeds (30% ALA) and hemp seeds (20%).

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Ok here’s the recipe:

– x2 tbs soaked/ground flax seed (suggested daily dose is 3tbs)

– handful of blueberries

– sprinkle of goji berries

– x1 tsp of organic spirulina (a source of Omega 3, 6 & 9)

– x1 heaped tsp cereal grass & kelp mix – I buy The Green Mix from Dischem or health store (more omega-3!)

– sprinkle of cinnamon

– x1 tsp of raw honey (unfiltered & unheated)

– a little water

Blend all the ingredients together and enjoy! It’s surprisingly filling with the flax seeds.

(I would usually have added a banana instead of the honey for sweetness but I had already eaten one today. You can really be creative with whatever fruit you have in your kitchen.)