Hemp is so versatile and yummy – it has a lovely nutty flavour, and you can sprinkle hemp seeds over your cereal, toss them through a salad, or make a hemp seed base for a dessert.

Roll home made power or bliss balls in them, throw them into a mix to make breakfast bars, think shredded coconut, dried fruit and nuts with some coconut oil for binding. Plus hemp seeds make a delicious milk, simply make the milk as you would raw almond milk but substitute the almonds with the hemp.

Here are the Top 5 reasons why you should eat Hemp Seeds:

1. Hemp has Superfood status. Hemp seeds contain all 20 amino acids which are essential building blocks for protein in your body, and amino acids build a protein that is more readily absorbed and recognised by the body than meat protein or the whey protein you will find in most protein shakes these days.
2. Hemp is super high in Essential Fatty Acids, of which our body cannot produce and are essential for healthy heart, brain and digestive function.
3. Hemp is detoxifying for the body, it helps draw toxins out of the body and aids the liver in burning fat.
4. Hemp is high in minerals, vitamins, fibre.
5. Hemp is anti-inflammatory and acts as an intestinal cleanser.

Just to note, although they are from the Cannabis plant family you won’t get high from them. The THC (active component of Cannabis) is so low its practically non-existent. Due to its amazing health benefits, Hemp is now legal to buy in most other countries as a food for human consumption. However, at the time of writing this Australia is still dragging the chain and its only legal to sell and buy as “Pet Food”. You will find Hemp at your local health food store, most likely in the “Pet Food” aisle. 

Marinated Mushrooms with Broccoli, Basil & Hemp Seeds:

Ingredients:

* 1 medium sized head of broccoli – cut into small florets
* Handful of basil, torn
* 2 cups of swiss brown mushrooms (or mushrooms of your choice) finely sliced
* 1/2 cup hemp seeds
* 3 tablespoons tamari
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (reserving 3 tablespoons for the mushroom marinade)
* Pinch himalayan sea salt
* Cracked black pepper
* Juice of half a lemon

Method:

Combine tamari, 3 tablespoons olive oil and mushrooms in a bowl and stir to coat and combine. Allow to sit and marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Put broccoli florets into a bowl and pour just off the boil water over them and let stand for one minute. Drain and rinse with fresh cold water. (This gives the broccoli a cooked texture without destroying the enzymes and nutrients). In a salad bowl combine the marinated mushrooms, broccoli, torn basil, hemp seeds, salt & pepper, lemon and olive oil, toss to combine and serve. Enjoy.