As any High Times reader will gladly tell you, hemp gets a bad rap. While smoking cannabis is still mostly illegal, the plant itself can be used for more than a high. Hemp seed oil, which is legal, is actually a beauty superstar. Your preconceived notions about hemp might go up in smoke when you read more.
If you've shied away from hemp because you think it's a form of marijuana, you'll feel relieved to know hemp contains very low levels of THC. Aside from its fibers to make clothes and paper, hemp also has highly nutritious seeds. They're easily digested, contain all the essential amino acids (they're a complete protein), and are an excellent source of the essential fatty acids that lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. These nutritious nuggets also offer vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, and copper.
Now that you know why you should eat hemp, here are seven foods you can enjoy to reap all the health benefits.
Keep reading for five other ways to enjoy healthy hemp.
On days when I don't have time to eat a full breakfast, I try to make a gluten-free protein shake to fuel myself before heading out for the day. With endless smoothie recipe ideas, I often mix protein powder with either almond or rice milk and then get creative with the fruits and other ingredients that I decide to add in. For g-free individuals like me, finding gluten-free protein powder options isn't always the easiest task, so here I've rounded up a few you may want to include in your morning shake!
Yes, there are ways to add green goodness to your wedding without compromising even a little bit of beauty and sophistication. A crop of sites are dedicated to eco-conscious weddings, supplying sources for everything from the invitations to the flowers. We're focused on your stylish self, of course, and we hunted down gorgeously green options, from conflict-free diamond rings to a romantic hemp and bamboo dress to a recycled veil. Click our slideshow to see just how you can get hitched and help save the world — yes, help save the world — at the the same time.
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This little piggy went to the market. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy put on her tiny treehugger booties and followed mommy to the co-op. These easygoing hemp Simple Infant Weebit Booties ($24) are a paragon present for an earth mama's infant. They're leather free and topped off with a felt pig. There will be no need to cry wee wee wee all the way home.
If you're trying to watch your saturated fat and cholesterol intake, then you may be into milk alternatives. Soy milk and rice milk have been around for a while, and when I went to pick some up, I saw a new kind on the shelf. Living Harvest Hempmilk. I was curious to try it since hemp seeds seem to be the latest health buzz because the seeds are high in protein and contain a well-balanced ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. These are the healthy fats our bodies need to sustain heart health, mental acuity, strong immune system, and glowing skin. This Hempmilk is soy free, cholesterol free, vegan, gluten free, and contains no cane sugar.
OK, so this Hempmilk sounds healthy, but to see how it compares to other dairy alternatives and what I think about the taste, read more
Earth-Friendly Future Fashion The message was in the material at EarthPledge's FutureFashion show at Gotham Hall Thursday. Hemp, natural silk, organic cotton and vegetable-tanned leather are a few of the elements used by high-profile designers like Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez, Derek Lam, Michael Kors and Threeasfour.
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Danny Seo of Simply Green captured this photo of hemp iPod covers at a magazine industry trade show recently. Like most of us, the magazine industry is already prepping for the holiday season and thinking about what items will make it big this year. Could it be that hemp iPod covers will trump designer iPhone cases, or are they a little too green for your liking? Personally, I love the textures and colors and think these would be great, durable cases. What do you think?
Source: Apartment Therapy
Air pollution affects our health, but most of us think about the air outside being polluted - not the air in our homes. There are many silent culprits polluting our air from odorless radon to stinky off-gassing PVCs (polyvinyl chloride). It seems that PVCs are in just about everything from household items like vinyl flooring, vinyl shower curtains, and children’s toys to beauty products like perfumes, nail polish, and lotions. Plus PVC is very difficult to recycle and never breaks down.
Since many "plastic" shower curtains are made from PVC which off-gasses plasticizers that are potential hormone disruptors. Plus, they are easier to throw away than to clean once they become covered with mildew. These plastic/PVC shower curtains never breakdown and they are difficult to recycle. On so many levels, plastic shower curtains are just plain bad news.
A simple way to improve the quality of air in your house is to replace vinyl shower curtains with cloth ones made of organic cotton or hemp. Of course you should use a nylon liner in stead of a plastic one. You can easily wash both a cloth shower curtain and the nylon liner, so they will be around in your bathroom for a long time, rather than clogging up landfills. Plus hemp is naturally mildew resistant and sturdy, there's a reason sailors made ropes out of the fiber. Some hemp curtains are so thick, they don't even require a liner!
The only downside that I can see is that hemp curtains only come in "natural" and "white" - not so fashionable. Since the green revolution has begun, I think we will start seeing fun colors in these shower curtains.
And you, what kind of shower curtain do you have? Let me know in the comments section below.
I write almost weekly about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Well, after a bit more research I found another non-fish source for my beloved healthy fat: hemp seeds.
I have been seeing hemp products around for the last decade and thought they were simply part of the "legalize marijuana campaign," but I was mistaken. Hemp, used for the manufacturing of rope in Elizabethan England, is part of the cannibas family of plants, but contains only a trace amount of the THC (the "active ingredient" if you will of "pot" that makes you high). So while it is related to "pot" it has a different make up and is considered by some to be a super food.
What hemp does contain is a balanced ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which are both important for healthy circulation, cell growth and the immune system. While western diets are generally high in omega-6s they lack sources of omega-3s, so hemp seeds provide another source of this essential fatty acid. Hemp seeds also contain small amounts of magnesium and zinc that can boost energy levels and regulate hormone balance. Hemp seeds also have a high protein content.
You can eat just the seeds - it is said that you can snack on toasted hemp seeds at the cinema in China. However, it is most commonly found as oil that has a sweet taste reminiscent of pine nuts. Folks generally use it as they would flax seed oil - spread on toast, in salad dressing, or added to smoothies. People who eat hemp oil regularly claim it has an amazing impact on their skin by making it feel naturally moisturized from the inside out.
Hemp seed oil has really taken off in the UK, and I suspect it will become easier to find state side soon since even our most reputable alternative therapies doctor, Andrew Weil, is a fan of the oil.
