Get your hands on some flax seeds immediately.

Flax seeds might seem a little boring, but their uses really are endless. They’re rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, making them the wunderkind of the health food world, helpful for digestion, and even linked to lower cholesterol levels.

Most people tend to recommend ground flax seeds over whole, as they’re easier for your body to digest. As long as you have a coffee grinder, you can grind flax seeds. Otherwise you can also buy flax seed meal, which is pre-ground.

Looking to get more flax seeds into your diet? Here are 21 different ways to use them, from muffin recipes to flax seed tortillas.

1. Add a tablespoon to your oatmeal or other favorite hot cereal.

2. Add into a salad dressing.

3. Use as a replacement for egg, by mixing 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds and 3 tablespoons of warm water. Let sit for 15 minutes to congeal, then use as an egg replacement in baking recipes.

4. Mix ground flax seeds into yogurt with a little honey.

5. Make a batch (or two) of gluten-free muffins.

6. Add ground flax seeds to smoothies.

7. Combine with chickpeas and oatmeal to make vegetarian burger patties.

8. Make crackers.

9. Plan a brunch and serve flaxseed pancakes.

10. Whip together a batch of no-bake energy bites.

11. Toast flax seeds and add them to a salad.

12. Bake a flax seed pumpkin bread.

13. Make zucchini muffins.

14. Make a pesto with flax seed oil.

15. Bake a batch of oatmeal raisin flax cookies.

16. Skip tortillas and use flax seed tortilla wraps for your next burrito.

17. Round up seeds and make a pumpkin, sunflower and flax seed butter.

18. Make cinnamon rolls.

19. Bake a crumble.

20. Make jam.

21. Make a tea.

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Image: Veganbaking.net

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Flax is cultivated to produce both flax seeds and a fibrous stalk that can be broken down, spun into yarn and woven into a cloth we know as linen. Linen is an ancient textile that has embedded itself into our culture, as even the term ‘linens’ implies a type of woven bed, bath and kitchen textile, because these items were traditionally made out of flax fiber.

Today, a revamped and eco-friendly linen has become a relatively costly textile that has been showcased on runways by the likes of Celine, Lanvin, Stella McCartney and even Uniqlo collections. But why has the fashion world frenzied over this relatively humble fiber? The Fiber Watch series investigates the story behind this natural fabric to find out why and learn how sustainable it is.

The first evidence of woven linen dates back to at least 8,000 BC, as researchers have found fragments of the flax plant and various fabrics woven from it in early Swiss lakeside dwellings. Long before its fashion debut, linen was the mummification cloth of choice for the ancient Egyptians, and has since become a staple household and garment textile that has been used by both Western and Eastern civilizations.

Linen is a naturally eco-friendly and toxin-free material that is cool to the touch, softens through wash and wear, and proves to be extremely durable. This bast fiber, which belongs to the same group as hemp, jute and ramie, is made from the long fibers inside the stalk of the plant. It requires no pesticides for cultivation in its native Central Europe, and the basic production of linen fabric doesn’t require chemicals.

The longest flax fibers are often up to 3 feet long, making flax superior to cotton in length and durability. However, linen is often shunned in fashion circles because of how easily it wrinkles and loses shape. Lucky for today’s designers, modern day fabric manufacturers have developed a whole new range of linen fabrics that are woven into jerseys, blended with Spandex or left raw for a vintage look, offering up linen that is less wrinkly, less transparent and much more versatile than several types of cotton and wool blends. Researchers are also finding ways to apply linen fibers as substitutes for carbon fibers in skis, tennis rackets and even violins.

Currently, about two-thirds of the roots of the flax plant are based in a narrow belt of farmland that weaves its way from northern France to the Netherlands. Around 200,000 acres of flax fields are scattered among the sugar-beet and feed corn crops that inhabit this region. Summertime flax fields are seas of small blue flowers that turn into rattling seed heads (full of flax seed) when ready to harvest in the fall. After harvest, the flax plants are left to lay in the field for a process called “retting” whereby alternate days of sun and rain cause the outer fibers to decay, making the long inner fibers accessible. These are then processed in either China (where 80% of linen is manufactured) or through a local farmers’ cooperative in Normandy, which produces the bulk of raw linen yarn sent to high-end Italian weavers.

So what’s the draw towards this fiber for high fashion? Other than the qualities of modern linen as described above, fine linen is a rather specialty material. Flax is a high-maintenance plant, making its production limited. The French and Dutch regions where the plant is cultivated are specifically ideal for flax, and the processing of the fiber has been refined into a passion for the farmers and fibre artisans of the region. Not only does the exclusivity of the fiber make it attractive, but the increasing importance of transparency and ethical production practices make it a responsible choice.

The supply chain of linen is clearly evident when obtained from France and the Netherlands, especially if it has stayed within a 100-mile radius from seed to finished fabric. The pride that the area’s linen farmers and fiber workers display is evident in each gorgeous creation that struts its way down the runway.

Main Photo Credit: Denis Collette…!!! Others: Blueberry Buckle, nickdoherty, Celine

Related on EcoSalon:

Why Hemp Makes Sustainable, Durable, Fabulous Fashion: Fiber Watch

Fiber Watch: The Bast is Yet to Come

The post Linen Fabric from Flax is Sustainable and Special: Fiber Watch appeared first on EcoSalon.

A colorful and gluten free rendition of an American classic.

Full disclosure: standard American pancakes have never been my thing. Except for a backcountry version made with M&M’s, they have never been one of my breakfast standards. On the too sweet, too fluffy and too thick side, classic pancakes are optimal if you’re looking for a sugar high with an immediate crash. Not quite my style.

However, once in awhile you come across a version of a recipe that changes your perspective. A good friend named Lisa, who has an ongoing oatmeal vs. pancake breakfast debate in her household, came up with this one. As she says, when someone says “bowl of oatmeal or stack of pancakes?” oatmeal is regularly the winner, so she found a way to combine the two. The result is convincing even for those of us that aren’t usually wooed by the traditional breakfast.

This version ups the ante, bringing in flaxseeds, blueberries and a dash of cardamom; they’re even good as an afternoon snack if you manage to set a few aside.

Oatmeal and Flaxseed Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 cup coconut milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 cup blueberries
• Coconut oil for frying

Strawberry and Nectarine Medley

Ingredients:

• 3-4 large organic strawberries, sliced
• 1 organic nectarine, sliced and cubed
• zest of one lime
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (place a vanilla bean in a jar of sugar and store in your pantry for easy use)
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut

Directions

Prepare Strawberry and Nectarine Medley by combining all ingredients in a bowl and setting aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs together with coconut milk and olive oil.

In a separate bowl. mix together dry ingredients. Add to egg and coconut milk mixture. Stir in blueberries.

Drop about a quarter of a cup into a hot frying pan, greased with coconut oil. Flip the pancakes when the top is bubbly and the edges are slightly dry.

Top with fruit and a dash of powdered sugar if you’re really looking to impress.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series.

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You two lovebirds really are disgusting, it’s enough to make me hurl (these throw pillows at you).

If you and your lover are snuggle bunnies, you might be compelled to buy these throw pillows, created by the mother-daughter artisan duo kstudio in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And we wouldn’t blame you. They’re hand-embroidered on an exterior of natural flax, organic cotton and recycled wool. The inside, which is what counts, is stuffed with fiber fill. Moreover, you can customize your pillows to look like you.

Very lovely, very tender. Eh, you deserve each other.

Price: $150 via uncommongoods.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

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