Letters from the SCD support group:
Flax seed

Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 22:27:08 -0400
From: Rachel Turet <rachel@longisland.com>
To: SCD-list@longisland.com
Subject: Re: FLAX SEED SHAKE

Please correct me if I am wrong. I find no reference to flaxseed in the
SCD. The closest reference I find is under the heading "not permitted":
"amaranth flour, quinoa flour or any newly introduced grain substitutes
such as cottonseed." Perhaps I've missed it as an allowable item, but if
not, I'd say it is generally a good idea to keep away from sharing recipes
that include questionable ingrediants. What a person chooses to include in
his or her diet is strictly their business, however, as has been pointed
out numerous times, this list is frequented by newbies who are struggling
to make the SCD a part of lives. To include questionable recipes on this
site is irresponsible.
Rachel

Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 09:06:57 -0700
From: David Hyde <dhyde@ccsf.cc.ca.us>
To: SCD-list@longisland.com
Subject: Re: FLAX SEED SHAKE

Flax seeds are not a "grain substitute". They are a source of water
soluable fiber (unlike the non-soluable kind in grains). They are highly
recommended for use in treating CD and they can also serve to firm up
stools. They don't really break down, even in a healthy personb, they
are more of an intestinal sponge, which has been shown to help remove
gunk and microorganisms from the lining of the intestines. If you have
serious inflamation I'd stay away from the whole seeds as they might
cause mechanical irritaion but the oil should be helpful. Eating them
ground should be fine and eating the oil (available in liquid or
capsules) is highly recommended. Yes do the SCD but do the other things,
vitamins, herbs, exercise that help too.

PS. For the record, flax seed is MUCH higher in Omega 3's than fish
liver oil (as much as 10 times as high). It isn't complimented with
vitamin A though the way fish liver oil is, among other trace minerals
and so may not be as effective (or may be more effective, who knows, I
take both).

david

Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 12:34:40 -0400
From: ruth <callahan@webspan.net>
To: SCD-list@longisland.com
Subject: Re: FLAX SEED SHAKE

HiRachel,
Flaxseed is a seed. The shake is prouably okay if your a few months into scd.
The problem i noticed with flax seed it it would taste like a "fish Shake".
We're allowed seeds after three or six months. Or one can use flaxseed oil
without problem. NO matter how healthy flax seed is for the body it makes me
want to gag when i eat them. Before scd I tried sprinkling ground organic flax
seeds on my fruit.
They have fishy flavor and smell <yuck>

Eating a lot of fresh salmon and other fish is a much tastier and scd friendly
way for everyone in different stages of the diet to get Omega 3.
Ruth

Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 12:27:39 +0000
From: Richard Spencer <spencer@wwhitman.com>
To: SCD-list@longisland.com
Subject: Re: FLAX SEED SHAKE

I appologize if I have mislead, confused or frightened anyone by the receipe
for flaxseed shakes I posted this morning. By no means would I want to
suggest a food which would unknowingly contaminate the diet.

I would be very interested however in having flaxseed confirmed as either
"allowable" or "forbidden," before it is completely discounted.

For those individuals, such as myself, who are not new to the diet and have
become routine with the commitment and adherence it requires, I would like to
think this forum would allow the discussion and sharing of ideas which would
incorporate experimentation with the diet's potential within the parameters of
Ms. Gotschall's research. I know I would be quite grateful to anyone who
could introduce a new "allowable" food to the diet which would extend our
eating options. Having heard Ms. Gotschall lecture, I can't believe she would
not be open to the responsible evolution of her diet, nor would she approve of
a blind adherence to anything.

I sincerely hope that critical thinking and the creative process are not
considered irresponsible.

Sincerely,
Richard Spencer

Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 03:31:23 -0400
From: Rachel Turet <rachel@longisland.com>
To: SCD-list@longisland.com
Subject: Re: FLAX SEED SHAKE

Dear Richard,
I spoke to Elaine & she is not a firm beleiver in all these new alternative
therapies we've been hearing about. It is not a matter of being
closeminded, she simply feels that a lot more documantation (naturally not
by the manufacturers) would be needed to prove success.
As for flaxseed, she says it is much too harsh for our digestive systems.
For those that insist, she recommends a maximum of a tspn of flaxseed oil a
day supplemented by addititional vitimin e to compensate for what she calls
the "doublebond" affect of this product. For additional information, I'd
suggest you call her directly.
Rachel

Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 19:44:39 -0600
From: "Brad Lait" <laitb@cadvision.com>
To: <SCD-list@longisland.com>
Subject: Re: FLAX SEED

Ground flaxseed should have a pleasant nutty taste. If it smells like fish
then its probably rancid. Flax should be consumed immediately after
grinding as it is quite perishable, and if you have to store ground flax
seed, it should be in the refridgerator.

Ground flax has mucilage which is nice and gentle on the colon; however
some find it gives them D. Perhaps its an individual thing. As an aside,
My husband Brad kept his CD largely under control for 10 years, pre-SCD,
with just a couple of tablespoons of bran (NOT allowed on SCD!) per day.
Theory was that it swept the colon of excess bacteria. Udo Erasmus told me
that Flaxseed was gentler on the colon due to the mucilage.
Regards, Alison

Date: Thu, 2 Jul 1998 11:21:59 -0400
From: "Bill Moisuik" <bmoisuik@ica.net>
To: <SCD-list@longisland.com>
Subject: Re: FLAX SEED

I have heard that flax seed tastes fishy to some people and nutty to
others, it is an individual thing. I have been taking the flax seed oil,
luckily I'm one of those people who finds that it tastes nutty.

Liz Lutz

Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 11:34:54 +0000
From: Richard Spencer <spencer@wwhitman.com>
To: SCD-list@longisland.com
Subject: Re: FLAX SEED

I agree with Brad, that Flaxseed should have a pleasant nutty taste. I've
never had a problem with flaxseed itself going rancid, but one of the problems
with flaxseed oil is that it has an extremely short shelf life and goes rancid
very quickly... which creates the "fishy" smell and flavor.

In the first part of this century, flaxseed oil was actually a major staple
for cooking oil. It was grown and milled locally and purchased by local
consumers on an "as needed" basis for each day's cooking.

With the industrialization of processing cooking oil in huge quantites for a
national market, flaxseed was abandon and corn became the "new" cooking oil of
choice. Corn oil can withstand the extreme temperatures of modern processing,
can be processed in huge batches and has an indefinite shelf life. Flaxseed
became unviable economically and was therefore abandon as a staple crop and
has slipped into realitve obscurity.

Just some trivia for those who might be interested.

Rich

Date: Fri, 03 Jul 1998 09:17:36 -0400
From: ruth <callahan@webspan.net>
To: SCD-list@longisland.com
Subject: Re: FLAX SEED SHAKE

RybarAssoc@aol.com wrote:

> Flax seed easily becomes rancid and may be the reason for the bad taste and odor.
> I prefer EPA and GLA capsules for essential fatty acids and anti-inflammatory effects.

Sounds like my flax seeds were rancid. They tasted and smelled fishy, they were
sealed in a foil vacuumed package with a far off expiration date. They also cost
me a fortune.
At approximately $11.00 for a pound I should have returned them for a refund .

Ruth

Date: Sat, 04 Jul 1998 19:24:21 PDT
From: "Christy Ann O'Donnel" <lucky7girl@hotmail.com>
To: SCD-list@longisland.com
Subject: Re: FLAX SEED SHAKE

ruth <callahan@webspan.net> wrote:
>Sounds like my flax seeds were rancid.
>At approximately $11.00 for a pound I should have returned
>them for a refund .

Yes, they were probably rancid. They ought to taste kinda like
bran and nuts mixed together. I've been using them to make a
replacement for bran muffins that's reasonably good. :)

I get mine in the bulk section of Fred Meyer for 89cents/lb! They
go on sale fairly often for 69cents/lb. Or the health food store
sells them packaged in 1 lb bags for $1.69. I recommend keeping
the stuff in the freezer until you use it to make sure it doesn't
go rancid.

Christy Ann

Date: Sun, 5 Jul 1998 17:55:03 -0700
From: rosset@juno.com (Lucy Rosset)
To: SCD-list@longisland.com
Subject: Re: FLAX SEED SHAKE

>Date: Sat, 04 Jul 1998 19:24:21 PDT
>From: "Christy Ann O'Donnel" <lucky7girl@hotmail.com>
>To: SCD-list@longisland.com
>Subject: Re: FLAX SEED SHAKE
>
>ruth <callahan@webspan.net> wrote:
>>Sounds like my flax seeds were rancid.
>>At approximately $11.00 for a pound I should have returned
>>them for a refund .
>
>Yes, they were probably rancid. They ought to taste kinda like
>bran and nuts mixed together. I've been using them to make a
>replacement for bran muffins that's reasonably good. :)
>
>I get mine in the bulk section of Fred Meyer for 89cents/lb! They
>go on sale fairly often for 69cents/lb. Or the health food store
>sells them packaged in 1 lb bags for $1.69. I recommend keeping
>the stuff in the freezer until you use it to make sure it doesn't
>go rancid.
>
>Christy Ann

Dear Christy Ann,
Did you miss last week's post about flax seeds not being allowed? Rachel
took the time to ask Elaine about them, and the answer was a definite NOT
allowed. She said one tsp of the oil per day is OK.
Lucy

Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 06:14:07 -0400
From: ruth <callahan@webspan.net>
To: SCD-list@longisland.com
Subject: Re: Bran muffins / Flax seeds

> Christy Ann,
> Could you share your recipe for flax seed bran muffins? They sound pretty
> good to me.
>
> Thanks,
> Tina

Tina ,

We are NOT allowed to eat Bran on SCD!
Rachel the list mother verified with Elaine Gottshall that Flax Seeds
are NOT allowed on scd. A little flax oil is okay but NOT the seeds.

Ruth

Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 16:15:25 -0400
From: Midas Gold <midasgold@pipeline.com>
To: SCD-list@longisland.com
Subject: Flaxseed, Revisited

OK, I know we had a long thread before on flax seed. Seeds are
allowed to be cautiously added to the diet after a while, but someone
said that Elaine said that whole flax seed is too rough on our guts.
She did say that the oil should be OK, though. I understand that a
common way to prepare flaxseed is to soak the seeds: the soluble fiber
in flaxseed, when combined with liquid, forms this mucousy-looking,
mucilaginous goo, then the seeds can be discarded and the goo used as
a dietary fiber supplement. I hear that strict vegans use flaxseed
goo in place of eggs in baked goods!

Well, my DH brought home a new product from the health-food store.
It's from Arrowhead Mills (anyone who has hung around health-food
stores as much as we do would be familiar with Arrowhead Mills). This
item is called "Nutri-Flax" Certified Organic Flax Seed Powder.

Anyway, here's what the label says:

"Ingredients: Certified organic, partially defatted, gluten-free Flax
Seed Powder.

"Directions: Mix one level tablespoon in a glass of water and drink
immediately. Take two tablespoons of powder per day. Nutri-Flax is
safe for everyday use. Nutri-Flax is a gluten free product with a
delightful nutty taste and is a suitable replacement for bran or wheat
germ.

"DO NOT SWALLOW IN DRY FORM! Always mix with liquid. When dietary
fiber intake is increased, fluid intake should be increased to 8 to 10
glasses daily. Eight 10 oz. glasses of water equals 80 oz. per day.

"The flax seed powder in Nutri-Flax is certified 100% organic, grown
without the use of chemicals or pesticides. Nutri-Flax is free of
artificial fillers, sugars, flavors, colors, additives or
preservatives. Flax is known for its Omega-3 content, 540 mg of
Omega-3 per serving. Nutri-Flax is high in dietary fiber and contains
1 g of soluble fiber per serving (see nutritional panel for more
information) including the family of water soluble fiber found in oat
bran. The friendly bulk regulating properties of Nutri-Flax result
from its exceptionally high dietary fiber content (3 g/serving) and
its water absorbing mucilage (1.5 g/serving). Nutri-Flax contains 27
mg/serving of lignans."

...So, what think ye-all?

--
Deanna
CD

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