Not that long ago, the word ‘hemp’ conjured images of beige bags, dodgy jumpers and spliffs. These days, hemp is getting trendy, especially since the recent popularity of CBD products. I have never knowingly bought a hemp product (which is 100% true as, although I frequently bought acid, speed and coke in my younger days, dope gave me a headache and sent me to sleep so I pretty much avoided it where I could) so, when Good Hemp asked me if I wanted to try some of their products, I thought I’d make a rare foray into trendiness and said yes.
What is hemp?
Hemp is a strain of the cannabis satvia family – hence the connection between hemp and dope – but, unlike it’s cousin, marijuana, it doesn’t contain the snappily titled psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (more commonly known as THC) which is the bit that gets you stoned.
Hemp was one of the first plants to be spun into usable fiber 10,000 years ago and can be refined into a variety of commercial items, including paper, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food and animal feed. Different parts of the plant have different uses and Good Hemp uses the seeds, as you’ll see in the products below.
Benefits of hemp seeds
Hemp seeds are bursting with nutrition, including:
- Protein – hemp seeds are a complete source of protein, meaning they contain all 20 amino acids, including the nine essential ones, and in 30g of hemp seeds (around 3 tbsp) you’ll get a massive 9.46g of protein.
- Unsaturated fats – hemp seeds are a good source of essential fatty acids, omega 3, 6 and 9, they’re low in saturated fats and contain no trans fats. All these good fats are great for healthy hearts, boosted brain power and skin and hair that glows with health.
- Fibre – 3 tbsps of hemp seeds contain around 1.2g of fibre which helps to keep you feeling full which in turn helps with weight management. Fibre also keeps your digestion in good working order and helps stabilise blood sugar levels.
- Minerals and vitamins – hemp seeds contain a lot of minerals and vitamins for such a small seed, including:
- vitamin E
- magnesium
- phosphorous
- potassium
- niacin
- riboflavin
- thiamine
- vitamin B-6
- folate
Now you know what’s so good about hemp seeds, take a look at what Good Health has to offer.
Good Hemp Seed Milk
If you avoid nuts and/or soya for whatever reason, give hemp seed milk a go. You can use it wherever you’d use dairy or plant milk – cereal, porridge, smoothies, tea, coffee or – as in my case – hot chocolate.
Good Health’s hemp seed milk is naturally white, a natural source of good fats, contains omegas 3 and 6, contains no nuts, dairy or soya and has no added sugars or preservatives.
Hemp Seed Hearts
These seeds may be tiny, but they’re mighty. They contain the perfect ratio of omega 3 ALA & SDA and omega 5 GLA (there’s more information on these here), all 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential ones the body can’t produce, and the high fibre content promotes health digestion.
Sprinkle them in smoothies, stir-fries and salads, or bake them in flapjacks, cookies and cakes.
Hemp Oil
Hemp oil can be used any time you’d usually use olive oil with the added bonus of hemp oil containing 40% less saturated fat than olive oil and zero trans fats. Hemp oil is also high in omega 3, 6 and 9.
Full Spectrum 500mg CBD Oil Drops
CBD oil is everywhere at the moment. I’ve heard it’s good for everything from helping you sleep to curing cancer, while being added to everything from drinks to tampons.
Although I have no need for tampons (thank you, menopause), I have had trouble sleeping for a few months now (also thank you, menopause) so I’m curious to see if this works because I’ve tried everything from bananas to whale noises but I still spend most of the night awake, although I am now fluent in whale, which I’m hoping will come in handy one day.
You can add CBD oil to drinks or food or you can just add a few drops under your tongue and allow it to absorb there for thirty seconds.
For more information on all these products and more, visit the Good Hemp website.