Organic Chia Oil - 16 fl. oz. Foods Alive

Foods Alive - Organic Chia Oil - 16 oz. (472 mL)

Foods Alive Organic Chia Oil contains more than 60% omega-3 fatty acid, one of nature's richest plant sources. Chia is a Mayan word meaning 'strength.' Mayan, Aztec and Incan cultures have used chia seeds as a staple food for thousands of years to increase endurance and strength. Recent studies have health experts turning their attention to this extraordinarily nutritious oil. Chia oil can also be used as a massage oil or body oil to nourish and replenish skin. Foods Alive Organic Chia Oil is Artisan-Crafted in small batches and at a very low temperature of 108-degrees (Cold-Pressed), to help preserve the taste and the benefits of the oil.

• Extraordinarily Nutritious Oil
• Can be Used as Massage Oil to Nourish and Replenish Skin 
• Artisan Cold-Pressed
• 9,000 mg of Omega-3 Per Serving
• 3,000 mg of Omega-6 Per Serving
• USDA Organic Certified
• Raw
• Vegan
• Gluten Free
• Non-GMO Ingredients
• Kosher

• FAQs

  What is flaxseed? What health benefits does it provide?
  Flax is an ancient crop. Native to Eurasia, its first recorded use comes from Babylon about 3000 B.C. There, it was cultivated for food and used to make a fabric for clothing. (Linen comes from flax). Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician often called the father of medicine, wrote of using flaxseed for the relief of abdominal pain. Charlemagne, considered one of the greatest of all medieval kings, considered flax so healthy that he passed laws requiring its consumption. Nutrition researchers have identified several substances in flaxseed that appear to have health benefits: lignans, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids.

  Are Foods Alive products considered Raw Food?
  This depends on your definition of Raw, but the short answer is yes. They also like to use the term Living Food since all of their flax crackers are soaked (which starts the seeds life process) and then dehydrated at a very low temperature to preserve the living enzymes in the flaxseed. You can take one of their crackers, break it up and put it in some dirt, water it, and watch it grow!

  What is the best way to consume Flaxseed?
  Foods Alive's flax crackers make it easy for everyone to make flaxseed a daily part of your diet! Eat them right from the bag, top them with your favorite spread, use them like croutons on your salad and so much more! Their flax oil super dressings are a delicious alternative to all of the soybean oil salad dressings on the market and an easy way to add Essential Omega-3's to your diet.

  What is the difference between Gold and Brown flaxseed?
  Nutritionally, not much. Foods Alive's reason for using golden flaxseed is taste. Golden flaxseed has a fresher and nuttier flavor, while brown flaxseed can often have a bitter flavor.

  How much flaxseed or flax oil should I eat?
  Flaxseed: Each serving of their flax crackers provides 35-40% of the recommended daily fiber intake. So three (3) servings of flax cracker will provide your body with the necessary fiber it needs. (As you add fiber to your diet, it is very important to drink plenty of fluids, since fiber draws water into the intestines.)
  Flax Oil: 1 - 2 tablespoons per day of pure flax oil and/or hemp oil, or 2 - 4 tablespoons of super dressing will provide you will a good amount of EFA's.

  Can I eat too much flaxseed?
  As with anything, you have to have balance. Flaxseed contains a good balance of both soluble and insoluble fiber. If you are constipated, flax helps to break down and move things along. If you are loose (diarrhea), flax helps to bulk up and ease things along. Although excessive intakes of dietary fiber or EFA's may interfere with the absorption of some medications, moderate intakes do not appear to pose a problem for healthy adults.

  How long will flaxseed, flax meal and flax oil last?
  Foods Alive's whole flaxseed and flax crackers can last at least one year at room temperature and even longer when kept cold in the refrigerator or freezer.

  Flax meal should be made fresh whenever possible to help ensure quality and flavor. Once ground, flax meal can be kept in the refrigerator or freezer to prolong shelf life, but generally should be used within the week.

  Flax oil will last around 8 months from the time of pressing and may be kept longer if frozen. Only buy flax oil with a Pressed On date shown on the bottle. Some companies add preservatives to make their flax oil last longer or to make it shelf-stable, but Foods Alive prefers not to consume preservatives.

  The easiest way to tell if your flax products are no longer good is to simply smell them. Because flax seed contains oils that are similar to fish oil, they will start to smell a bit fishy when they are reaching the end of their life cycle.

  Does flax oil need to be shipped refrigerated? Does the shipping time affect the oils?
  Very high heat (over 300 degrees) or prolonged heat over a very long time can degrade the Omega-3 oils. However, the relatively short shipment times and variable seasonal temperatures encountered during shipment have been found to be irrelevant when tested. Even shipments arriving during the summer heat waves can be guaranteed as being potent and unharmed.

  Does flaxseed need to be ground up?
  Not necessarily, the flaxseed in Foods Alive's Flax Crackers is soaked in water and then dehydrated. Soaking breaks down the hard outer shell and starts the life process. Dehydrating then makes the seed crunchy so you can easily chew them with your teeth. This chewing process also brings your own digestive enzymes in to the equation making the flax even more digestible. However, if you are eating flaxseed that has not been soaked, it is best to grind them.

  Can flaxseed help me to lose weight?
  Yes it can help, but just like everything else you need to follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly.

  What are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?
  Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids. They are essential to human health but they cannot be manufactured by the body. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. Extensive research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent risk factors associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. These essential fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be particularly important for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function. In fact, infants who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems. Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include extreme tiredness (fatigue), poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression, and poor circulation.

  Which is better? Flax Oil or Fish Oil?
  This is a highly debated topic. Fish Oil contains EPA and DHA Omega-3; while Flax Oil contains ALA Omega-3. While the body can convert ALA into EPA and DHA Omega-3, the conversion amount varies from person to person. Foods Alive prefers organic Flax oil for a number of reasons; it is a renewable plant source that is organically farmed, minimally processed, and easily replanted; while fish oils can be ecologically damaging, highly processed (to remove heavy metals and other possible contaminates) and fish levels are irreplaceably depleted.

  Can I cook with their Artisan Cold-Pressed Oils?
  Cooking with flax or hemp oil is not recommended and really defeats the purpose of Foods Alive taking such great care in pressing the oil at a low temperature. The Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids are very delicate and high heat will destroy them. But, you can use it after cooking on a number of dishes. Pour yourself a bowl of soup and add some of their gold flax oil to make it a creamy delight. This is great for any soups that call for milk. You can use their super dressings on salads, as a dipping sauce, on pasta or rice dishes, sandwiches, wraps and more.

  Will I test positive for a drug screen if I eat their hemp foods?
  To assure consumers that eating Food Alive's hemp foods does not cause a confirmed positive drug test for marijuana, they have partnered with the TestPledge program. Foods Alive is committed to keeping THC levels in hemp nut and hemp oil below levels at which failing a workplace drug test is extremely unlikely, even when eating high amounts of these products on a daily basis.

  Are the plastic bottles BPA free and packaged without the use of Hexane?
  Yes, they use BPA free bottles, and they do not use Hexane gas when bottling the oils and dressings.

  What is oil pulling?
  Oil pulling or oil swishing, in alternative medicine, is a traditional Indian folk remedy that involves swishing oil in the mouth for claimed oral and systemic health benefits. It is mentioned in the Ayurvedic text, Charaka Samhita, where it is called Kavala Gandoosha / Kavala Graha. It is also used to reduce enamel wear from stomach acid from vomiting. This is usually done with Black Sesame Oil.

  Where are their Goji Berries grown?
  Foods Alive's Goji Berries are produced on Organic farmland in the Ningxia region of China. Ningxia is where the berries have long been commercially cultivated for its superior quality, and to this day, still the most fertile and best area for Gold Standard Goji Berries.
  
  Why does Foods Alive package their oils and dressings in black plastic bottles instead of glass?
  So far, the best way that they've found to preserve the quality of their Artisan, Cold-Pressed Oils & Dressings are in black, opaque, light inhibiting bottles. This keeps light out which is the number one cause of quickly ruining these precious oil.

  About Foods Alive
  
  Foods Alive is a family owned and operated business that cares more about the quality of food and the effects of producing it on the planet than profiting for one's self. They sprouted to life in 2002 when the first seeds were sown by Ellen and Michael Moor, their son Matt and his wife Tammy.

                                                                             

  
  How It All Began
  Ellen and Michael first encountered flax crackers while enjoying a raw food buffet at Creative Health Institute in Hodunk, Michigan. Michael fell in love with the raw cracker and this inspired Ellen to recreate it in her own kitchen. She began making flax crackers for her family, and they loved them also! As Ellen continued making flax crackers, she let her creativity shine with new combinations of flavors. These raw crackers became such a hit with the family that they all agreed they must be shared with the world!

  So in the middle of 2002, Ellen, Michael, Matt and Tammy launched Foods Alive and introduced the first Certified Organic Raw Golden Flax Crackers in 4 awesome flavors: Original, Maple & Cinnamon, Italian Zest and Mexican Harvest. By using only the finest certified organic, vegan, kosher and gluten free ingredients, they created a simple healthy raw whole food that everyone could enjoy. They started offering their flax crackers to retailers, and it did not take long for their delicious and healthy living food snacks to start flying off the shelves of health food stores around the country!

  Today, Foods Alive offers their unique Raw Golden Flax Crackers in several wonderful flavors, produces a variety of raw Flax and Hemp based Gourmet Oils and Super Dressings and an extensive line of organic raw Super Foods (chia seeds, maca powder, goji berries, etc...) to provide health conscious consumers with a more diverse nutritional experience.

  A Little More in Detail
  Foods Alive sprouted to life in 2002. The seeds were sown by Ellen and Michael Moor, their son Matt and his wife Tammy. How they found the path to healthier foods takes different routes, but have equally great endings.

  In 2002, Ellen and Michael visited the Creative Health Institute in Hodunk, Michigan. They were in search of answers to complex health questions, but what they found were simple answers and an amazing place. The Wheatgrass Place, as its referred to by those who stay, is a natural health learning center that provides a natural program of body purification, nutrition and rejuvenation through the use of fresh organic raw fruits, vegetables, juices, nuts and seeds. Every Sunday, the Wheatgrass Place has a free buffet full of wonderful raw food creations, and Michael and Ellen enjoyed some wonderful flaxseed crackers on their visit. Michael started asking for these Flax Crackers at local health food stores, but no one had ever heard of such a thing. So Ellen started making some flax crackers at home for her family and came up with several great flavors that everyone thought were amazing!

  Around this same time, Matt and Tammy had a beautiful little girl. They thought they were doing a great job of providing a healthy diet for their child, but she was always spitting up, and not just a little, she would ruin her outfit and the outfit of whoever was holding her. They began researching on the internet to figure out why, and after much searching and self-educating, realized that she was lactose intolerant and their diet was not as healthy as they thought. They began removing milk, butter and other highly processed artificial foods from their diet, and their daughter's symptoms stopped! This began their journey away from the SAD (Standard American Diet) and into the wonderful world of organic natural foods.

  Ellen, Michael, Matt and Tammy all agreed that the flax crackers Ellen was making were just too good to keep to themselves. So they started Foods Alive, a small family business that cares deeply about what is in the food they and their families are eating. In 2002, Foods Alive introduced the first in its line of dehydrated Certified Organic Golden Flax Crackers with 4 flavors: Original, Maple & Cinnamon, Italian Zest, and Mexican Harvest. Using the finest certified organic, vegan, kosher and gluten free ingredients, they created a simple, healthy whole food that everyone could enjoy. They began sampling their flax crackers out to health food stores, and it did not take long for the phone to start ringing with orders! In 2004, they expanded their line with Onion Garlic and Carob Mint, in late 2005 they introduced Hemp and BBQ and in 2007 they added Mustard. With a full array of flavors to choose from, customers from as far as Alaska and Hawaii were calling for their delicious and healthy living food snacks!

  Everyone at Foods Alive felt that the golden flaxseed they were using in their flax crackers had a superior taste to the brown flaxseed that was already on the market, and shortly after trying a delicious flax oil dressing that Tammy was making, Michael said, "This is amazing! I can't even tell its flax oil! They should start making this for everyone!" So, in early 2006, Foods Alive began cold-pressing its own golden flax oil in small batches. They started experimenting with different combinations of spices and herbs blended into the golden flax oil to create the first Organic Gourmet Golden Flax Oil Dressings: Mikes Special (with garlic and paprika) and Sweet Mustard (with Agave and Mustard) to go along with their rich and buttery tasting High Lignan (100% Pure Golden Flax oil). Soon, their golden flax oil dressings were spreading across the country and changing the flax oil market from a boring supplement into a delicious dining experience. Finally there was a healthy salad dressing on the shelf, and everyone could enjoy getting their daily dose of flax oil!