One of impressionist painter Jean Renoir's favorite techniques was to dilute oil paint with linseed oil and turpentine so that it ran down the canvas. He called it "juice."

These days linseed — what we call flaxseed — is having a renaissance moment as a food and oil that leads to better health.

The benefits of flaxseed (always use the ground variety, not whole) include delivering a substantial amount of vitamin B1/thiamine as well as some B2, B3, B5, B6, folate (B9) and choline.

In addition, every tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains almost 2 grams of fiber and 1.6 grams of omega-3 ALA fatty acid (which can ease symptoms of diabetic neuropathy).

One of flaxseed's great assets is that it contains up to 800 times more lignans, a form of polyphenol, than other plant foods.

The lignans and other nutrients in flaxseed are associated with a reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease, the slowing of prostate tumor growth, tamping down your stress response, and quelling inflammation.

What about flaxseed oil? The oil is a great source of ALA, but it becomes rancid easily (store in the fridge no more than six to eight weeks). And it does not contain the lignans, fiber, or protein of the ground seeds.

So how do you get this power-packed seed into your diet? Grind the seeds in a coffee grinder as needed; aim for eating 2-3 tablespoons a day. They add flavor and texture to salads, soups, and cereals, as well as steamed veggies, broiled fish, and smoothies.