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DO you digest whole flax, hemp or chia seeds or does it go right through you??
 
I know gross question buit then it would make it a free calorie food?
 
I heard that your body does  not digest them whole???

i believe we are unable to digest whole flax seeds, or at least very little of any that you ingest. you need to grind them up in order to be able to digest them and get the beneficial fats out of them. i use a coffee grinder and grind up a tbsp to throw into my shakes.

from what i’ve heard, chia seeds are digestible, as are hemp seeds. these are a preferred source of good fatty acids because of convenience, although flax is easier to find.

if a food has flax on the label, check to see if they are whole seeds cause you might as well not even bother.

i actaully like the texture and taste of whoel flax seed.. i like adding it to protein puddings and yogurts.. if its pretty puch considered a free a calorie then i am all abotu ti.. i know its pointless for nutirtional value but makes food taste great.. just my opinion..
 
i dont get it.. why is hekp and chia seeds digestable and not flax

a) the husk/shell on chia and hemp seeds are able to be broken down by our stomach acids. flax is much tougher and most of it withstands the acids and isn’t broken down unless it is ground or chewed up

b) what do you mean by “free calorie”? flax seeds have a ton of nutritional value as long as you grind them up to get to the stuff inside the seed, and they are far from calorie free as they have a bunch of fat in them…

If you recall my recent comment… i don’t eat flax seed for nutritional value…
 
I like the taste and texture in my puddings and yogurts… i don’t want the extra calories so eating the whole flax seed is a win win situation… it just makes my meal taste better.. I want it to be an empty calorie… if i was looking for nutritional value i would use milled flax seed which i do on occasion 
 
 
thanks for the info though..

Pauline nordine actually uses whole flax seed in her wheat bran porridge…
 
She said the whole meal is considered free calories even the wheat bran
 
She has 1 cup wheat bran 2 tbsp flax seed, water and stevia.. She says it equals no calories cause the fiber content form wheat bran and flax seeds don’t digest…
 
What are your thought about this??/
 

i think it’s stupid, to be completely honest. this is like people who eat lettuce or celery and think that they don’t have any nutritional value and are “free calories”. there is no such thing as a “free calorie”. all of those foods we are talking about HAVE nutritional value. they have fiber. they have vitamins and minerals and nutrients. they HAVE calories. do you see where i’m going with this? yes, you can add them to foods to get the taste, or you can add them to foods to get the nutritional value (WHICH THEY DO HAVE). 

as for your recent comment, you said that “you know its pointless for nutritional value”, but they aren’t pointless, far from it. not all of it is digested, but the seeds that you are able to chew (the ones that give that flavor you love) are releasing their nutrients, and some are broken down by the acid, just not all of them. so don’t think that you aren’t getting the calories and nutrients from eating whole seeds, you are getting some, but it is not the same as eating milled/ground flax seed, or eating chia/hemp seeds.

Oh boy! I hit a nerve..
 
 
I am not saying whole flax seeds are calorie free but there is nothing wrong about trying to lower your calories in a particular meal.. If calories was not an issue i would definitely opt for milled flax seed…However…. if i can reduce calories by eating whole flax seed and actually really like the taste then I will do that for sure.
 
I don’t think you are seeing my point.
 
If i wanted to lower the calorie content of a particular meal and i could have either sweet potatoes or steamed cabbage of course i will opt for the steamed cabbage.
 
If your goal is fat loss then it would make perfect sense to try to lower the calorie content of a meal..
 
I don’t like greek yogurt by it self.. instead of adding chia seeds, sun flower seeds ect.. I AM CHOOSING a lower calorie option..  whats wrong with that??

i see what exactly you’re trying to say, i’m just saying that it’s wrong. you aren’t “lowering your calories” by “adding flax seed to your meal”. you aren’t LOWERING the calorie content of a meal by ADDING sweet potatoes or cabbage. yes, there is such a thing as “lower calorie options”, whichis part of what you are talking about, but there is no such thing as a “free calorie”, which is an idea that you are trying to mix into this conversation.

and no, i’m not upset by what you are saying. i just don’t want people getting confused about these concepts and thinking that they can add anything to their meal to get “free calories”. the idea of getting “free calories” completely contradicts the idea of lowering the calorie content by choosing a food with fewer calories. 

okokok .. i never meant to say calorie free… i meant to say the seeds that are not digested (witch are many) are not absorbed and digested.. thast all i am saying i agree.. there is no such thing as calorie free other then water..
 
 
Its just a good option to lower calories is need be