Protein / Essential Fatty Acids
Hemp seeds are packed with wholesome nutrition! They’re a fantastic source of vegan protein, with all of the essential fatty acids that our bodies require, but cannot produce on their own. These essential fatty acids, otherwise known as polyunsaturated fatty acids or amino acids, are what they call “good fats”. They are your Omega-3’s your Omega-6’s and so on. Hemp seeds, in particular the seed variety known as “Finola”, are jam-packed with essential fatty acids. They contain Omega-3 and 6 oils in the “perfect ratio” for human consumption so that our bodies can make the best use of them, in the most efficient way possible.
Omega oils are linked to health benefits such as improved heart and circulatory health, lower cholesterol, help with psychiatric disorders, anxiety, depression, and much more besides! Some studies have even linked higher Omega-3 intake with a reduced risk of bowel cancer (source 1, source 2). Hemp seeds also contain a fatty acid from the Omega-6 family known as Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA), a powerful anti-inflammatory that is great for anyone that suffers from muscle or joint paint, such as arthritis. We could talk about the essential fatty acids and their benefits for your health and wellbeing all day but there’s so much more ground to cover, so let’s move on!
Vitamins
Did you know that hemp seeds are packed with a long list of vitamins? In particular, Vitamins E, D and B. Vitamin E protects cells from oxidative stress, which means that it is great for your skin and hair, combating outside influences to keep your skin and hair healthy. Vitamin D contributes to the normal absorption of calcium and phosphorus, normal blood calcium levels, the normal function of the immune system, maintenance of normal bones, muscle function, and normal teeth. These days we’ve all been recommended to take more vitamin D (thanks to a certain virus that shall remain nameless) and ingesting hemp is a great place to start. Hemp contains good levels of all B vitamins except B-12, these are linked to the healthy growth and function of organs, breaking down of fats, maintaining healthy skin, brain and nervous system health, red blood cell production, healthy skin, hair, nails and more!
Minerals
So now that you know about the vitamins and essential fatty acids, let’s take a look at the list of minerals that appear in hemp seeds. You can expect to find Zinc, iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and calcium among others. Zinc regulates our metabolism, boosts our immune systems and reduces inflammation. Iron is a crucial mineral for our circulatory system and contributes to healthy oxygen production within our bodies. Magnesium is great for fighting off stress, it helps to reduce anxiety and contributes to brain health. Calcium is important for maintaining healthy bones and teeth.
Fibre
Hemp seeds are a great source of dietary fibre, to keep your digestive system in tip-top shape and keep you regular. If you’re lacking fibre in your diet, then consider hemp seeds as a solution to your woes. Now that we have done a quick run-down of some of the health benefits of eating hemp seeds and hemp seed oil, let’s dive into our 5 top ways to get more of this fantastic superfood into your diet! Hemp is a great way to start your day. With many great hemp breakfast bowls of cereal out there, you might be surprised at how much choice is on offer. Start your day with a bowl of hemp muesli, available with freeze-dried fruits such as Goji berries, cranberries, apples, raisins apricots and delicious crunchy nuts. Pour on a little hemp milk and you’re all set for the day ahead!
If you want something warm to start your morning off right, why not whip up a batch of hemp pancakes? Try this vegan pancake mix for a delicious morning treat, with added nutritional benefits!
Are you one of those people that is always in a rush in the morning? Looking for something quick and easy to grab on the go? Try some wholemeal hemp rye bread, perhaps with a little bit of hemp seed butter, and/or hemp peanut butter spread on top of it.
The hemp seed oil has been used for thousands of years for its health and wellbeing benefits. You can ingest as much as a few tablespoons each day to give yourself the very best benefits from this age-old remedy. Hemp seed oil is a great alternative to olive oil in your kitchen, it is best enjoyed un-heated to ensure that all of the nutrients stay intact. Heat this oil for an extended period of time will cause it to lose some of its, goodness and will convert the good unsaturated fats into bad saturated fats. We suggest Hempiness hemp seed oil, made from the very best seed variety, and grown organically within the EU.
Of course, if you’re not into eating/drinking the raw oil, you will find a handy alternative in the form of hemp seed oil capsules. Hempiness’s hemp seed oil capsules come in a vegan non-gelatin based capsule so that you can enjoy your daily dose of hempseed oil guilt-free.
Shelled Hemp Seeds – sprinkle them on everything!
menting!Get yourself a big bag of Hempiness organic shelled hemp seeds and start sprinkling! Shelled hemp seeds are the raw hemp seed that has been “hulled” meaning that the shell has been removed. These tasty hemp hearts have a delicious creamy texture and go with practically everything!
Throw them on a curry just as you serve it, and chuck a load onto your ice cream for dessert. Put them in a smoothie, on your breakfast cereal, in yoghurt with fruit, on a salad, bake them into cookies, top cakes with them, or just eat them on their own. The ways to use these little wonders are almost endless, so just start experi
Hemp Protein Powder
Hemp protein powder is a great source of vegan protein. Happiness organic protein powder contains 54% protein and all of the other benefits of hemp seed to do along with it. It’s made by milling the hemp seeds down to fine green powder. This makes it great for adding to smoothies, or even for adding to your baking recipes to make protein-enriched vegan treats. Throw some hemp protein powder into a blender with your choice of fruits, milk, yoghurt or vegan alternatives, and add some ice. Blend it all up and enjoy your protein-rich nutrition-packed smoothie!
One of my personal favourite is a banana and blueberry yoghurt smoothie with added hemp protein powder. Blend 2 bananas, a handful of blueberries, 2 tablespoons of yoghurt and a few ice cubes along with 3 tablespoons of hemp protein powder. Pour into a glass and top with a few shelled hemp seeds and you’ve got a delicious hempy treat!
Hemp Flour – bake more with hemp!
Did you know that you can get flour made from hemp seeds? Well, now you do! If you’re into baking at home, then you really need to try this. Substitute 20-50% of your usual flour with hemp flour to add a little more happiness to your baked goods. From cakes to bread, biscuits to pastries, scones and more! Let your imagination run wild, and show us what you come up with! Happiness hemp flour is grown organically in the EU, and in our opinion is one of the best out there! With all of these ways to eat hemp seeds, you will be experiencing the benefits in no time! We hope we have given you some food for thought. Do us a favour and let a friend know about the wonderful benefits of hemp today! It really helps the movement if you can share this information with your friends and family. You see, the more people that use hemp, the better it is for our planet. Hemp plants absorb more CO2 than any other crop or forest, they improve soil quality, they require no chemicals such as pesticides and therefore lead to less pollution than other crops, and they require less land and water to grow than most other crops. Every new hemp plant grown is another step towards a brighter tomorrow for us, and for our planet! Thanks for reading, please share if you can.
Disclaimer: This article is originally published on https://blog.thehempshop.co.uk/5-easy-ways-to-add-more-hemp-to-your-diet/
