If you’re into healthy eating at all, you may already be aware of Hemp super food products. You may also be noticing a greater variety of Hemp food at your health food stores and even in your supermarkets.
By Darlene Mea
With demand there is supply. More and more folks are realizing the super health benefits of eating hemp as a superfood. Why are so many people are now adding this new/old superfood to their daily diet? A big reason, is our body actually loves it and it’s protein packed and high in chlorophyll.
In case your wondering, Hemp is legal and available at your favorite healthy markets; Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts all carry a wide variety of hemp eatables from Hemp Seeds, to Hemp Burgers, Milk, Coffee, Cereals, Sweet Treats, and even Hemp Wine. Who knew the Hemp plant could produce so many amazing super foods with superb benefits for our body.
Hemp eatables from Hemp Seeds, to Hemp Burgers, Milk, Coffee, Cereals, Sweet Treats, and even Hemp Wine. Who knew the Hemp plant could produce so many amazing super foods with superb benefits for our body.
“Seeds,” hemp is a tiny, cream-colored flat disk comparable to the size of a sesame seed. Its texture is soft and creamy, not hard and crunchy. In my opinion, the taste is akin to that of a peanut or sunflower seed, yet somewhat richer and more complex. I can taste the hint of chlorophyll that dots some of the seeds; it reminds me ever so slightly of the taste I perceive when chewing a mouthful of chlorella tablets. Hemp, however, melts in your mouth. This property lends itself extremely well to blending the seeds to create smooth and creamy sauces, shakes, and soups.
Things You’ll Want To Know
Essential fatty acids are very susceptible to the effects of light, heat, and oxygen (as most plant foods are). This means that any hemp products (or any EFA rich food) should be stored in the refrigerator, in sealed, light-impermeable containers and not heated in any way. Some products recommend refrigeration only after opening. And that is most likely fine, however, shelf life is generally increased when these products are kept cooler. EFAs and proteins change drastically when they are heated and can transform the fats and proteins from being extremely healthful to extremely harmful. Any temperature over the enzyme threshold temperature of 115F will initiate these harmful changes. Here is the lowdown on the most popular forms of hemp available and how to use them:
Popular high-quality brands include: Manitoba Harvest, Living Harvest, Nutiva, Hemp-Seed, and Ruth’s. Because I’m a big believer in consuming the most whole form of a food in order to benefit from the synergistic nutritional effect it has to offer, and to minimize nutritional losses and modifications caused by processing, this form is my favorite and comes most highly recommended.
How To Use Hemp Seed
The best form currently available to us is the hemp seed nut, in its most whole state. Sprinkle them on your salads, eat a handful alone, or blend them into a creamy sauce, smoothie, or soup.
Keep in mind that blending causes rapid nutrient destruction and oxidation, so you won’t get as much from them by blending them as you would eating them whole. You can also make your own hemp milk by blending the seeds with three times as much water as seeds and then straining it (optional). Most people prefer to slightly sweeten their hemp milk by adding a few drops of Stevia or other good sweeteners. Without any sweetener, this milk makes a delicious base for a creamy dressing or soup.
One more bonus of consuming hemp seeds is that they are relatively economical, costing roughly the same price per pound as other popular organic seeds. But also keep in mind that they pack more bang for the buck and in smaller quantities. Adding hemp to your diet is an investment in our health that is well worth making.
Hemp Seeds Contain Complete Protein
They are a highly digestible balance of all 20 known amino acids (both essential and non-essential) and in higher quantities than most other plant sources of protein. Hemp seeds are 33-35% protein. A mere 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds contain approximately 11g of protein!
Hemp seeds have a near perfect ratio of omega-3 (alpha- linolenic) to omega-6 (linoleic) essential fatty acids (EFAs). The ideal ratio is considered to be 4:1 (omega-6: o m e g a — 3); hemp seeds have a ratio of 3.38:1. These fatty acids are required by our body via our food; we cannot synthesize them our-selves, thus the term, “essential.” Most Americans consume far more omega-6 and not nearly enough omega-3; this imbalanced ratio seems to go hand in hand with the common degenerative diseases of today. EFAs have a critical role in growth and development, inflammation response, mood regulation, immune strength, cardiovascular and neurological health, cellular respiration and more. Hemp also contains the fatty acids gamma-linolenic acid (omega-9), stearidonic acid, and oleic acid.
Hemp seeds and oil contain chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is nearly identical in molecular structure to our blood and is thus extremely beneficial to building the blood, nourishing, and detoxifying the body. While the quantity is not nearly as high as the chlorophyll content of other blatantly green foods, like wheat grass or leafy greens, the more we can increase our intake of chlorophyll the better. Chlorophyll’s presence in the hemp nut is another testament to its amazingly balanced nature.
If you haven’t tried Hemp Products, it may be time to taste. Making healthy eating choices is always better for our overall lifestyle and now we have hemp super foods that will get us high on health.
