Flaxseed

#1

Hey guys.

Doing well on keto thus far. I’ve managed to lose just over 3 stone so i’m back to my end of school days rugby playing weight.

I have a question about flaxseed (also known as linseed).

The packet i have (from The Netherlands) shows it has 13g of carbs per 100g but it has 35g of fiber per 100g. When i add it to my app it doesn’t give me a keto approved smiley face.

Are these seeds actually good for keto because numerous sources i read say they are because they are a zero net carb food. Is this correct?

I know in Europe that usually we don’t have net carbs because fiber is already taken into account but it is causing me confusion as i like to have breakfast consisting of skyr yoghurt, chia seeds, coconut and flaxseed but i’m concerned i could knock myself out of ketosis easily and that i am reducing other good sources of green veg (spinach and kale) because of the flaxseed.

Any help or advice will be appreciated :blush:

(bulkbiker) #2

From the UK I get this for flaxseed

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#3

Assuming you’re a dude, try to stay away from flaxseed, to much stuff points to it lowering testosterone. I don’t think it’d be an issue in harmless amounts but given your breakfasts example thinking you may be a vegetarian or something? If so don’t overdo it.

#4

I’m a guy yeah. 37 years old.

Not a vegetarian though.

Current food list is as follows:-

Skyr yoghurt
Chia seeds
Coconut
Cocao (99%) nibs
Flaxseed (?)

Eggs
Goat cheese
Blue cheese
Brie
Mozzarella
Parmesan cheese

Ribflap steak
Salmon
Sardines
Chicken with skin
Bacon bits

Spinach
Kale
Cabbage
Broccoli
Avocado

Coconut oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Butter

Walnuts
Pecan nuts

I don’t eat anything else or at least not consistently enough to worth mentioning.

(Joey) #5

Pardon my US Imperial Math (ok, we inherited it from the UK), but is it the case that the “13g” is already net of fiber such that the disclosure of 35g of fiber means the gross carbs are really 48g? If so, that’s a heck of a lot of carbs per 100g :wink: … and if not, someone who can do real EU metric math please set me straight on how that works.

The notion that our bodies are “immune” to carbs when they packed in fiber is a bit of an exaggeration - or at least an average approximation. It’s my understanding (weak though it might be!) that to the extent such seed fibers get pulverized/chewed sufficiently, it then becomes easier for their carb content to be digested and metabolized, not just excreted.

In any event, if you’re trying to get healthy fat from the flax and avoid the extraneous carbs, I’d suggest taking a close look at hemp seeds. We use them regularly in salads and they’re rich in what you want and little of what you don’t on a keto regime.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #6

A lot of folks make the mistake of thinking you need to eat fiber on a ketogenic diet. You don’t. After an adjustment period of 2-3 months your bowels will be just as happy without fiber as they were when you were eating high carb and actually needed fiber to help get all that dross through your system.

I think it was Jason Fung who famously said: “Carbs are the poison and fiber is the antidote. If you don’t eat the poison you don’t need the antidote.”

As @SomeGuy notes, that’s a lot of carbs/dross for the sake of some fiber.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

Those seeds are indeed 13 g net carbs per 100 g of product. If you were counting total carbohydrate grams you would add the 35 g of fibre to the 13 g of net carbohydrate to get 48 g of total carbohydrate per 100 g. How many grams of flax seeds are you planning on eating at one time?

#8

I usually have 150g skyr, 20g chia seeds, 5g cocao nibs, 10g flaxseed and 10g of either pecan nuts or walnuts for breakfast.

#9

I’m originally from the UK so luckily i know both imperial and metric measurements.

I’ll have a look at hemp seeds and see what i can find. Thanks for the suggestion.

#10

I can cut the flaxseed out, it won’t be an issue. I just recently started eating them but i can easily stop. I just have a 2kg bag of them to get rid of. I can use them in bread for my fiance as she can’t do the keto diet due to a past kidney issue.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #11

Be advised that U.S. statutory measures differ from the Imperial measures somewhat. In certain recipes, it could make a real difference.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #12

I’m not sure this is correct. I have heard some doctors say that a ketogenic diet is actually beneficial to the kidneys.

#13

Well 100g is roughly 3.5oz.

As for the kidney thing yeah i have read about it but she’s Dutch and trust me, you don’t argue with Dutch women if you know what’s good for you :wink:

(Jack Bennett) #14

I recommend avoiding flaxseed entirely. It doesn’t taste very good (my subjective opinion, granted) and it’s not very good for you. It doesn’t offer anything that you can’t get from healthier foods.

http://www.gnolls.org/1154/flaxseed-oil-for-the-greatest-shine-you-ever-tasted/

#15

Thank you, i will take a look.

(Todd Allen) #16

I tried flaxseed to lower my T but it didn’t help at all…
T_quest

#17

NICE! Don’t run into a lot of people in the 2K club outside of some of my other forums. :wink: This isn’t normal even for me but was about 3wks ago. I should be back around 1500-2k by now. Your wife hate you as much as mine does? Ahahahahaha.

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(Todd Allen) #19

I’m not sure if your test results make me relieved or terrified. I was starting to feel like a mutant although my T was “normal” when I was fat and sick before keto and then transitioning to a whole foods red meat based diet. I have read though the reference range of normal used to be significantly higher.

My wife’s not quite hating me yet as I’ve been trying hard not to overly push my luck. And she somewhat reluctantly but with increasing enthusiasm has been adopting my dietary weirdness. Recently I was annoyed some of my dumbbells had gone missing until I found out she had taken them to her office to get in micro workouts throughout her work day. And I was proud to hear her tell me about her most recent checkup a few weeks ago. When her doc came in gravely concerned about her spiking cholesterol and handed her a prescription she gave it right back saying she was ok with her HDL being triple her triglycerides and was pleased to be joining the LMHR club.

#20

Haha, ya, it used to be higher. Even in the years I’ve been using it I think my doc’s lab range used to go up to be like 380-1450 then it dropped to 1300, 1200, 1100 and before I ditched him it went to 883! My current doc is fine with me being in the 1200-1500 range but she knows damn well I crank myself up a couple times a year. I’ve read a lot that says a couple generations back the old men were dying with more test than we have when on TRT, which is believable. Most of it I think is the false nonsense of it giving you heart attacks and stuff. My doc wants me donating blood a couple times a year and I’m good.

#21

You sir are an absolute legend. I decided to buy some hemp seeds after your recommendation and they are delicious! Thanks for the great suggestion :slight_smile: