Beautify Yourself with Hemp Seeds (one of the most nutritious complete foods)

It is tiny, well not too tiny. You can see it without straining your eyes!

How in the world can this seed be one of the most complete foods on the planet earth?

It almost seems impossible, but the hemp seed is more than just a little seed.

The hemp seed is a power house and if you are a vegan, you should give them a try.

You should try these seeds regardless if you are vegan or not.

When I use the term vegan in this post, I am referring to anyone who eats a plant-based diet.

I never heard of hemp seeds until I ventured into the world of raw food. Well, not exactly. The first time I learned that hemp seeds existed is when I purchased a purse made of hemp.

I had no idea that hemp could be consumed for food. I also did not know about how good hemp seeds are for the body.

Today, I include hemp seeds in my diet. I have to admit, I do not eat hemp seeds every day, though I probably should.

What are Hemp Seeds?

Hemp seeds are like tiny nuts. They are small, but not too small that you cannot see them; 1,000 hemp seeds weigh as little as 0.5 ounces.

Hemp grows in all parts of the word. It probably first showed up between Afghanistan and the Fertile Crescent (present-day Iraq).

Hemp seeds have a unique taste. It is not a bad taste, but one you will never forget. Once you taste hemp seeds you will want to eat more.

Little hemp seeds pack a powerful punch because they are one of the most nutritionally complete foods on the planet earth.

They contain all nine essential amino acids in a nice ratio.  They contain the essential amino acids omega 3 and omega 6 and are very high in minerals.

Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body;  you get them from what you eat.

Hemp Protein (Edestin)

Shelled hemp seeds consist of 36.6% protein, making them one of the highest protein foods on Earth.

Edestin is a hemp-seed protein, which gives the hemp seeds its high protein content.

The raw protein includes the following sulfur amino acids: methonine, cysteine, and cystine. These amino acids help build strong hair, skin, nails, muscle and connective tissue.

Hemp protein does not have trypsin inhibitors, which interfere with protein digestion.

Hemp Seed Oils

Hemp seeds contain the exact ratio of essential fatty acids (1 omega 3: 3 omega 6). Hemp seeds have a stable source of omega 3, 6 and 9.

Hemp seeds have the highest natural source of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a type of super omega 6 fatty acid that has strong anti-inflammatory properties. GLA also helps support hormonal balance.

Hemp seeds that are not sprouted, have small green leaves that are not developed. It is one of the few seeds to have chlorophyll even when not sprouted. Maybe this explains why the oil has a green color.

Minerals in Hemp Seeds*

• Phosphorous
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Sulfur
• Calcium
• Iron
• Manganese
• Zinc
• Sodium
• Silicon
• Copper
• Platinum
• Boron
• Thorium
• Strontium
• Barium
• Nickel
• Geranium
• Tin
• Tungsten
• Titanium
• Zirconium
• Iodine
• Chromium
• Silver
• Lithium

*List obtained from Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe. Mr. Wolfe obtained this list from Drugs Masquerading as Food by Suzar.

Hemp Varieties Considered Marijuana

There is about 2-3% of the hemp varieties that fall into the marijuana category. Those varieties are high in THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), which creates a high.

No need to worry about hemp seeds and hemp oil giving you a high.  Hemp seeds have trace amounts of THC present .

You would have to eat 5 pounds of hemp seeds (if you weigh 150 pounds) to get a high.  Can you imagine how long it would take to eat 5 pounds of hemp seeds?

Tweet from Manitoba Harvest 3/31/2011:  Hemp Foods contain 0.0001% THC *even if you ate 5 lbs of Hemp Seeds you will NOT ‘get  high.’

How I Eat Hemp Seeds

I have to admit, I do not eat hemp seeds every day, but since doing research for this article, I will include them more in my diet.

I have used hemp seeds and hemp seed oil the following ways:

• Hemp seeds sprinkled on salads
• Hemp seed oil* drizzled over a salad and the base of salad dressings
• Hemp seeds, protein and oil added to smoothies
• Hemp seed oil in a homemade hair conditioning treatment

*The hemp seed oil has a very strong taste. Do not over do it when using the oil.

All hemp seeds and hemp protein get imported from Canada. You can buy hemp seeds online or in health food stores.

My favorite brand is Nutiva. Manitoba Harvest is another brand I use.

What are you waiting for?  Go get yourself some hemp seeds and add a pop of flavor to your salads and smoothies and a splash of beauty.

Have you ever eaten hemp seeds?  If yes, what are your thoughts about hemp seeds?

Reference: Eating for Beauty