Health Benefits of Hemp

I am a huge fan of hemp products and since they are gaining in popularity I thought I would dispel some myths, state some facts and share my personal experiences. I first got turned on to hemp products over a year ago when I was searching for another vegan alternative to soy protein powder. I wanted a product that was organic and free of harsh chemicals like the hexane that is used when processing soy. And if the products were produced in a way that was good for the environment, that would be fantastic! Enter hemp!

Myths

For many people when they hear the word “hemp” they automatically conjure up images of magical brownies or think that hemp is something that needs to be stashed somewhere inconspicuous. Hemp, or industrial hemp, is from the same plant as cannabis sativa however, hemp manufacturers eliminate all but traces of the psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). I guess that can be taken as good or bad news depending on your preferences. Because of this image problem, Canada has really taken the lead in this market capturing a good part of the US market share.

So what’s so great about hemp?

There are lots of things that are great about hemp including the nutritional content, the low environmental impact, its versatility and taste. I have tried just about all of the different hemp products available including the hemp butter, hemp oil, hemp seed, the high fiber hemp powder, the regular hemp protein powder, the high protein hemp powder, hemp beverage and several varieties of the shakes. So in terms of nutrition, hemp has many things going for it: it is vegan, gluten free, soy free, high in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids which are essential to health and need to be consumed through diet, and is a good source of highly digestible protein. The fats are in a 4:1 ratio which is thought to be ideal for health. Hemp also has two other omega fats, stearodonic acid (SDA) and gamma linolenic acid (GLA) that are absent from many other foods. In addition, most manufacturers certify that their products are organic which means no harsh chemicals or genetically modified organisms. The one thing you have to keep in mind is that hemp oil and butter should not be used for cooking and when baking with the powder the oven temperature should not exceed 350⁰F. High temperatures degrade hemps properties.

Looks good on paper, what about taste?

Personally I love the taste which is earthy and somewhat nutty and don’t mind the green color one bit. For me and for many people, hemp is easier to digest then soy or animal proteins like whey or casein. Hemp is high in fiber too so it digests slowly making it a good food for keeping blood sugar in check. Manitoba Harvest http://www.manitobaharvest.com/ is one brand of hemp products that I use and I was recently given the opportunity to sample their chocolate and vanilla hemp protein powders http://manitobaharvest.com/category/16/Hemp-Protein-Powder.html#trail as well as their hemp hearts http://manitobaharvest.com/category/13/Hemp-Hearts.html#trail (aka hemp seeds). I make smoothies every afternoon and hemp powder is one of the main ingredients. Both the vanilla and chocolate shakes have authentic tastes and they don’t contain any type of artificial ingredients. They contain real sugar which you may think is a bad thing, but it keeps the product wholesome while keeping the calories per serving in check. Each serving has over a quarter of the recommended intake level of fiber and contains as much protein as an egg. Personally, I like my smoothies thick so I add frozen fruit and ice. To make smoothies even thicker, the hemp hearts can be added to a small amount of water and blended into a paste before the powder and fruit, etc are added. You may also want to add some type of alternative “milk” or even peanut butter depending on your calorie needs and goals. Mixed with the High Pro 70 it makes a great exercise recovery drink because the sugar in the flavored powder can help with the uptake of the carbohydrates and protein into the muscles. And the hemp hearts (seeds) are so versatile. I use them in my muffins, on salads, on my dinner, in shakes, on hot cereal, etc. Each serving has a whopping 10 grams of protein and a good dose of those omega fats I was discussing.

I use the high fiber hemp powder for baking. I must have created about a dozen original muffin recipes at this point. I substitute it for about ¼ of the flour. My creations have all been super yummy and nutritious and I have become hooked on creating new recipes just about every week. My plan is to write a cookbook one day and as I was typing this I was thinking that a whole cookbook could be written just using hemp products for each of the different categories of recipes. So you will have to stay tuned for my recipes when/if I find someone to back my venture!

Bottom Line

While some researchers argue that the plant form of the omega fats found in hemp are not converted efficiently in the human body and that it should not be overlooked that the oil, nuts, and butter are nutrient dense (i.e. high in calories), hemp still stands head and shoulders above the many processed foods that crowd our plates. It is an antioxidant powerhouse, allergen free, contains highly digestible protein, is high in fiber, is produced using sustainable agriculture, does not contain harsh chemicals or is organic and is extremely versatile. Have fun exploring hemp and post a comment on which product is your favorite.

Does Your Diet Have Enough Vitamin D?

Fall is officially here and the days are getting shorter. For most people, the change in seasons leads to a different workout routine due to less sunlight, and a dietary shift to more “comfort” type foods. As you are shifting into fall you should probably take stock of your diet and in particular of your vitamin D intake.

Vitamin D is crucial to health and disease prevention, not only for keeping our bones strong but also for the regulation of immune function and for decreasing the risk for chronic diseases like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some types of cancers. While our bodies theoretically can manufacturer all of the vitamin D that we need if we are in direct sunlight for about 30 minutes a day, there are a host of factors that make this more difficulty than you think. We need UVB light in a certain range and there is less of it in the fall and winter months. Skin pigmentation and winter clothing will also prevent us from receiving adequate exposure. So in practical terms, I thought it would be a good idea to list the amount of vitamin D in food that are high in this nutrient as well as the current recommended levels so you can assess your diet and see if you are meeting your needs. For vegetarians who don’t eat dairy products, obtaining vitamin D through foods can be tricky so I have included some good sources of this nutrient that are “veggie friendly”.

First, how much do you need? In 2010, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences established revised Dietary References Intake (DRI) recommendations based on new research. The following RDA’s (Recommended Dietary Allowances) were established:

· Children 1-13 years: 600 IU

· Teens 14-18 years: 600 IU

· Adults 19-70 years: 600 IU

· Adults above 70 years: 800 IU

· Pregnant and lactating women: 600 IU

So where’s the D?

· 1 cup nonfat milk: 115 IU

· 1 cup Silk light, plain soymilk: 119 IU

· Salmon, Chinook, baked, 4oz: 411 IU

· Sardines 3.25oz: 250 IU

· White mushrooms, 1 cup: 164 IU

· Whole egg (the D is in the yolk): 40 IU

· Vitamin D fortified OJ 1 cup: 137 IU

So as you can see, for vegetarians unless you drink a lot of soymilk and eat a lot of mushrooms you may not be meeting your needs through foods. You can do it but it takes some label reading and a bit of sleuthing. The alternative is to supplement with either a D2 or D3 supplement (D2 is vegetarian and D3 usually comes from sheep lanolin. Research shows that both are equally well absorbed). But before you go supplementing, you should probably talk to your MD and see if they can test your vitamin D levels. It is an easy test to do and can provide you with information on your current levels.

Start reading those food labels and keep a running tally for a day or two and post a comment on what you find out.

The born again cook and the vegan black bean brownie experiment

Now that I have been a doctor for almost a month and finished with school, I am starting to remember and rediscover some of the fun things I used to do. One of my goals now that I don’t have to work like a crazy person all of the time doing rewrites and research while working, is to cook my dinners on the stove – yes the stove – instead of just microwaving everything. The other is to rekindle my creative cooking spirit by experimenting with recipes. When I lived in Fort Collins, CO I cooked from scratch and regularly made all sorts of vegan and vegetarian delights from soups and ratatouille to muffins and quick breads.

To start on my goal, I did my first cooking experiment last Saturday. I literally had this recipe saved to my computer desktop for almost a year and finally had the time to make it. I must say I was a bit intimated by the sound of it: vegan black bean brownies. I found the recipe online from The Happy Herbivore and adapted it to create my own version. In my version the brownies are higher in protein and lower in sugar and could be used in place of an energy bar for a pre- or post-workout snack or anytime you want something healthy.

Since I am easing myself back into cooking I still took some shortcuts. I would have had to stand on a ladder to get my food processor down off of the kitchen shelf so I opted to put everything in my Vita-Mix. Second, I didn’t want to deal with the “do this first, do this next”, so I mixed all of the ingredients together at once and it worked out just fine. Then the last short cut I took involved using a different baking pan than the traditional 8 x 8 pan. I mean who wants to mess with cutting up a pan of brownies into somewhat equal squares? I used a muffin tin – I know – who would have thought? I even used muffin papers and it made things very easy and the bottoms didn’t even stick to the paper.

Ingredients
• 2 scoops soy protein powder (optional)
• 2 medium bananas
• 15 oz organic canned black beans
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa for baking
• 1/4 cup granular Splenda
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon, ground
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup oat bran (or regular oats)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 8x8" pan and set aside (or use muffin tins and paper). Drain and rinse the beans to remove excess salt. Combine all ingredients, except oats, in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, scrapping sides as needed. Stir in the oats and pour batter into the pan. Bake approx 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing. If you find these brownies are too soft or too fudgy, add another 1/4 cup oats or flour.

Note: I was trying to fill the whole muffin tray (i.e 12 muffins) but there wasn’t quite enough batter so I made 11. They turned out pretty small so next time I think I will aim for 9.

Nutrition Facts – based on 9 servings using the soy protein powder. The number in parentheses is without the protein powder and you will see the only difference is in the calories and protein, both of which are slightly lower.

Serving: 1 brownie
Calories: 124 (100)
Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 22 g (21 g)
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 9 g (4 g)

And the taste? They turned out really good with a nice chocolate flavor and consistency. I couldn’t even tell that there were beans in them. Next time I think I will omit the cinnamon as it was a bit overpowering. This was fun! Stay tuned for more easy, healthy recipes and go get baking!