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Linseed: Local Superfood

Flaxseeds look inconspicuous at about four to six millimeters long but are filled to the brim with important nutrients. They contain essential omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, which are necessary for good health. A local superfood that can easily keep up with the trendy chia seeds and is a must on the menu.

Linseed: local superfood

Why wait for products from afar when the good is so close. Flaxseeds are considered a local superfood – and with good reason. They are rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids, which play an important role in the formation of nerve and brain cells and contribute to better blood flow. Flaxseeds are generally considered to be the best plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids.

The small seeds also contain a lot of dietary fiber, which swells the intestines and thus ensures long-lasting satiety and good intestinal health. The mucilage contained in the flaxseed supports the irritated stomach and intestinal mucosa in healing. In addition, the plant-based food scores with a high content of bone-strengthening calcium and vitamin E.

Delicious flaxseeds for any time of the day

Flaxseed can be baked into bread or sprinkled into muesli. The small seeds also taste wonderful as a topping on bread with cream cheese spread or in soups and develop their health-promoting effects. However, it should not be more than two tablespoons of flaxseed per day, as this can have the opposite effect on digestive problems (e.g. constipation).

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Food

Tapioca Flour: These Local Produce Make it Unnecessary

Tapioca flour, tapioca pearls or tapioca starch: What is the use of the cassava root powder and are there regional alternatives to the binding agent from South America?

What is tapioca flour?

Tapioca is a by-product of making cassava flour. It is very fine and has a consistency like wheat flour or powdered sugar. It is pure starch and is also called tapioca flour, tapioca flakes or tapioca starch. The cassava plant originally comes from South America, especially from Brazil. It now grows in all areas with a tropical or subtropical climate.

Use of tapioca flour

Many Asian recipes, especially desserts, include tapioca pearls. If you soak them, they make, for example, a pudding similar to rice pudding or bubble tea.

In Brazil you can find tapioca flour in the form of crêpes on the daily menu. These are usually served as breakfast – from savory to sweet. The advantage of tapioca flour is that it does not require any fat for frying. The substance reacts with heat and automatically turns into a kind of pancake.

Tapioca flour is gluten-free and tasteless. So it’s no wonder that you find it mostly in gluten-free recipes.

It is also popular as a binding agent for sauces, soups and desserts. Tapioca is also used as a binding agent in the manufacture of tablets and gummy bears.

Regional alternatives to tapioca flour

If you pay attention to your ecological footprint, you should not use the cassava root and its flour, because: the long transport to Germany already makes tapioca flour a climate sinner. However, the cassava plant withstands periods of drought well, which keeps its water consumption within limits.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternatives to tapioca flour. Because even before the Brazilian root was widespread in our latitudes, grandmas and co. used corn starch or potato starch to thicken their sauces. These are good regional alternatives to tapioca and are also gluten-free.

You can use corn or potato starch to thicken sauces just like tapioca starch. You can also transfer the quantities 1:1. You shouldn’t notice any difference in taste, since both tapioca flour and corn and potato starch are tasteless.

However, Brazilian crêpes cannot easily be made from regional alternatives. This is because corn or potato starch does not melt in the same way that tapioca flour does.

If you do have to use tapioca flour, then make sure it is organic. Organic cultivation largely avoids the use of pesticides. You can get tapioca flour in organic quality in the organic market or in the health food store. Most Asian stores do not carry organic products.

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Food

Oat Bran: Use and Special Features of The Local Superfood

Oat bran is a true local superfood. Here you can find out how to use oat bran and what makes it so healthy.

What is oat bran?

We are all familiar with oatmeal, for example as a popular ingredient for muesli or porridge. Whole oat grains are industrially processed for the flakes, i.e. first heat-treated and then rolled.

Oat bran is a little different: it doesn’t come from the whole grain, but from the outer layers of the endosperm and from the germ. Oat bran looks more like coarsely ground flour and tastes nuttier than oatmeal.

Incidentally, oat bran should not be confused with husks: the latter is a by-product that occurs when oats are processed into straw, oat groats or oat flour.

Oat bran does not consist of the whole grain, but “only” the outer layers and the germ. But it is precisely in these parts that most of the vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber in an oat grain are found. So oat bran contains the best of oats in high concentration.

Oat bran: Good for digestion and cholesterol levels

There is about 15 grams of fiber for every 100 grams of oat bran. Thus, oat bran contains 50 percent more fiber than oatmeal. Fiber is essential for a healthy diet. On the one hand there is insoluble dietary fiber, i.e. indigestible fillers and fibers. These have a satiating effect, keep blood sugar low after a meal and ensure good digestion. Oat bran thus helps you to avoid food cravings.

On the other hand, oat bran contains the soluble fiber beta-glucan. Studies have found that this soluble fiber can have a positive effect on cholesterol levels by lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol. Beta-glucan combines with the cholesterol-containing bile in the body, causing your body to excrete more LDL cholesterol.

Oat bran as a supplier of micronutrients

Oat bran contains a particularly large number of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. So cover 100 grams of oat bran

73% of the daily requirement of thiamine (vitamin B1): Thiamine is important for psychological well-being.
12% of the daily requirement of riboflavin (vitamin B2): Riboflavin plays an important role in metabolic processes and energy production, as well as for skin, hair and nails.
12% of the daily requirement of folic acid: Folic acid is important for metabolic processes, especially for blood cell formation.
14% of the daily requirement of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5): Vitamin B5 drives away fatigue and ensures mental performance.
55% of the daily requirement of magnesium: Magnesium strengthens the bones, prevents headaches and calms the nerves.
28% of the daily iron requirement: Iron is a vital trace element that is essential for transporting oxygen in the blood and for generating energy.
19% of the daily zinc requirement: Zinc plays an important role in many metabolic reactions, e.g. related to growth or the immune system.
265% of the daily requirement of manganese: Manganese is a component of important enzymes in the body and is also involved in insulin production, for example.
61% of the daily requirement of selenium: selenium increases the immune system and has an antioxidant effect.

Use of oat bran

Oat bran is a valuable addition in the diet for anyone who

want to have a positive effect on cholesterol levels
who wish to maintain cardiovascular health
want to stimulate intestinal activity
watch your blood sugar
want to stay full for a long time after a meal
basically want to do something good for their body with vitamins, minerals and co.
Oat bran is very easy to integrate into the daily menu. You can use them as an ingredient, for example

in porridges and mueslis
in bread and other pastries (both sweet and savory)
in smoothies and yoghurt/quark
for patties or vegetable pancakes
If you add a proportion of oat bran to your muesli or bread, these foods are particularly high in protein, vitamins and minerals. They also keep you full for longer because they are richer in fiber.

Important: Always make sure you drink enough water. Oat bran and wheat bran increase their volume many times over in the stomach. This also increases the volume of the stool and stimulates intestinal activity. But if you don’t drink enough liquid, you will achieve the opposite: the oat bran cannot swell completely and an intestinal obstruction can occur.

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