Wednesday, February 26, 2020

What Do You Know About Flax?

I added something to my daily routine -- a small bowl of blueberries and flaxseed every morning. Both have amazing health benefits. Not only are they natural, they're giving me super-powers.

Do you know that linen is made from flax? And do you know that before the 20th Century, most clothing was made from linen, not cotton?

In ancient Egypt, Europe in the Middle Ages, and North America up to the 19th Century, linen was by far the most common clothing fabric. It remained dominant until farm-labor became cheap (due to slavery) and industrialization made cotton easier to grow. Linen is stronger, more absorbent and dries faster than cotton but much more expensive to produce.

I feel like I'm eating history going back to the Egyptians. Do you ever wear linen?


7 comments:

  1. I love a bit of flaxseed and did know about it being part of linen. What I was surprised about was that the flower is so blue and delicate. For such a robust material (when processed, obviously) I pictured it with something more substantial.

    I am glad that your new morning routine are giving you super powers. Nothing like an extra special boost to get you going in the morning. :)

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  2. I had no idea flax was what linen was made from! You learn something new all the time!

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  3. I bought some gorgeous Cobalt linen culottes in Florence on my Summer holiday and I was super pleased with them!!!

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  4. Linen! Also, seeds are little calorie bombs - they are good for you, but in small quantities.

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  5. Well, I certainly knew about linen being made from flax. Flanders still has a thriving cultivation. I'm not much of a linen fan, I must admit, as I hate the wrinkling. I've also heard about the beneficial effects of flax seeds, but have never had them. I do eat blueberries on a daily basis, though. xxx

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