I discovered that hemp is actually highly beneficial to our humanity as well as being environmentally friendly. It takes little pesticides in growing plus it can be used to make clothing, ropes, building material and be used as a fuel; but the one thing that really caught my attention was the use of its seeds to make milk!
My concern, which any normal person would probably have, is that this 'milk' must contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the chemical found in marijuana. After trawling the net, I discovered that raw hemp contains only 0.3% of THC in comparison to the 25% plus in marijuana!! Yet, rest assured, that THC is found only in the hemp leaves, not in the seeds, making hemp milk entirely legal and drug free! Yippee!
The seeds of the hemp plant contain higher levels of omega 3 than walnuts and are rich in omega 6. One glass of hemp milk provides us with nearly 50% of our recommended daily allowance of calcium; a number of vitamins & minerals including vitamins A, E, B12, D, magnesium, iron, zinc and contains all 10 essential amino acids!
It's protein rich & contains phosphorous, a mineral essential in the production of ATP helping us store energy; phosphorous is also used by the body in protein synthesis, for growth and repair of muscle tissue - excellent after a workout!
So, we have a product which is soy, gluten, nut, sugar, cholesterol AND dairy free; as well as being ridiculously packed full of goodness - but where the hell do we get our hands on it?
All leading supermarkets and health stores sell hemp milk, and it will be found mainly on the 'free from' aisles. However if you fancy yourself as the next Jamie Oliver I've included a wonderful vegan-friendly (RAW) creamy hemp milk recipe for you....
Ingredients:
6 cups of purified water
1 cup shelled hemp seeds - found online or in health stores
Agave nectar
Directions:
Pour the water and hemp seeds into a blender. (Use more water to achieve a skimmed milk consistency) Blend on high for 2-3 minutes, or until you reach your desired consistency.
Place a straining cloth over a large bowl and strain the milk to rid the mixture of any seed particles - then treat yourself by using the leftover pulp as an organic facial scrub!
You can then sweeten the milk to taste by adding raw Agave Nectar.
As this homemade milk is a raw product it will only stay fresh for around 3 days and will need to be kept in a tightly sealed glass container, stored in the refrigerator. Plus, don't forget to give it a shake before drinking - with the lid on of course. This really does only take 2 minutes to make, so get blending and enjoy!
If you're too lazy to make it yourself, then visit www.goodwebsite.co.uk whose products are stocked in all major supermarkets.
By @DeannaKayla
