Nutrition--Hempmilk: Doesn't Taste Like Crap, Pudding, or Glue

[Madspirit]

News: Reefer Madness: May 11, 2007

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/News/?oid=oid:474314


Hempmilk: Doesn't Taste Like Crap, Pudding, or Glue

If you are at all familiar with the Chronicle’s Reefer Madness columns, then I guess you’ve probably figured out that I am a total hemp nut. Yes, it’s true; I’m crazy for the stuff. I’ve got hemp clothing that wears better than any cotton competitor; I’ve got hemp lotion, which is great and non-greasy – an important quality when you live in hot-as-the-sun-itself Texas; I use hemp oil in my cooking, and sprinkle hemp nut – quite liberally – on almost everything I eat.

Given my affection for all things hemp, you can imagine how pleased I was to get an e-mail from the Canadian company Manitoba Harvest, announcing their newest hemp product, Hemp Bliss, the “world’s first certified organic hempmilk.” Yes, hempmilk; milk made from hemp seeds. Now, I know it may sound a little, well, um, hokey – hippie-dippy, even; like, peace-out, Moonbeam, and stick a flower in your hair. And, I’ll grant you, the words “hemp” and “milk,” together, don’t exactly trigger a grand epicurean salivation. For sure, it’s a word combo problem that other products have faced – take soymilk, for example, or ricemilk. But don’t let the name hang you up, because the truth is this: hempmilk tastes great. Seriously.

Where soymilks and ricemilks have failed, hempmilk succeeds. It’s thicker and richer than its milk substitute stepsiblings, and it doesn’t taste like it is actually trying, and failing, to approximate cow milk. Soymilk, for example, is just too thin – like some odd bean broth concoction; and ricemilk tastes like a strung out rice pudding intended for the Gerber infant food set. Neither gets me running for the fridge, and neither is getting anywhere near my cereal. And while I like plain old milk, I don’t drink it that much, mostly because it makes me feel like I’ve just downed a bottle of white school glue, which isn’t anything I like to do. Anymore.

To boot, Manitoba Harvest’s hempmilk is full of the stuff nutritionist types say are really good for us (if you actually care about such things) – including the Omega family of essential fatty acids (that’s Omega 3, 6, and 9); and the so-called “superfat,” Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), which, research suggests, actually helps to metabolize the other, crappy fats contained in a lot of processed foods.

In short, it’s good stuff. Check it out.


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If the apocalypse comes, beep me.
Buffy
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[Madspirit]

1. I LOVE Hemp clothing...just btw...n/t

[DemBones DemBones]

2. With soy milk, you have to find the right brand,

which may vary from person to person, but my family likes the Silk brand.

We get the Vanilla to use on cereal and in cooking, the Chocolate for drinking hot or cold, and Mr. Bones especially likes the Very Vanilla because it's rich like egg nog. All this with no cholesterol and low fat.

Other brands we tried were awful, to our tastes. YMMV

Other good soy products include Tofutti "cream cheese" and Tofutti "ice cream," which are quite delicious.

Some people say "Oh, I could never eat soy ice cream" but I'll bet if I served them "Better Pecan" or "Chocolate Cookie Crunch" Tofutti in a dish, they'd scarf it up and ask for seconds, never guessing it was the dreaded soy ice cream. I actually like it better than ice cream now.

So if you want to lower your cholesterol . . .


I'd be willing to try hempmilk, though. You never know what's good unless you try it.

[Rob H.]

14. Same goes for rice milk

I've found that Rice Dream Enriched Original is really good. I can't always handle soymilk, for some reason.

[Fenris]

3. I use it in recipes in place of milk.

Since I don't care for milk, I typically use milk substitutes. My fiancee is allergic to soy and I frankly don't care for the taste of soy milk, so hemp milk works great. I use rice milk for cereal, but I find it's too thin to cook with. Hemp milk is much thicker.

[dogday]

20. I don't like milk either... Since I have found out just what

is in it, I can't drink it... Hemp milk sounds like just the thing....

[laheina]

4. Are whole foods or

any of the other large, chain health food stores carrying it?

editted for spelling

[LaurenG]

5. Do you have "Wild Oats" stores where you live?

That's where we buy ours. It's in the cartons with the unrefrigerated soy,rice and almond milks here.

[Shallah Kali]

6. I will look too! Hemp milk sounds really nutritious

I have food allergies and would like to have a little variety in my life even if I do like silk soy milk.

[hlthe2b]

7. Ummm mmmm... "doesn't taste like crap..."

good enough for me! :rofl:

[eppur_se_muova]

8. Mmmmmmm...hempy. nt

[KittyWampus]

9. Rice & Soy Milks failed? I like both, depending on brand. And Almond milk

but I'd be happy to try hemp milk.

[ThomCat]

22. My thought too. I love soymilk. I sometimes enjoy ricemilk.

I like almond milk too. I didn't think any of them failed.

I'd try hemp milk too. :)

[Iceburg]

10. I am a recent convert to shelled hemp nut ...love the stuff

We can get it locally (in Canada) from a organic mill. I use it on everyday for me and my bi-pedal companions and my 4-legged ones too. In fact, my pets will choose hemp-nut home-made cookies over any commercial pet treat and will even choose the hempnut cookies over home-made liver snacks.

Will try the hemp milk ... thanks for the tip.

Some hemp links:

The Canadiam Hemp Trade Alliance
http://www.hemptrade.ca/en/public/about-food.ihtml

Hemp Facts
http://www.naihc.org/hemp_information/hemp_facts.html

HEMP SEED: THE MOST NUTRITIONALLY COMPLETE FOOD SOURCE IN THE WORLD
http://www.ratical.org/renewables/hempseed1.html

Hemp: Nature's Forgotten Nutraceutical
http://www.manitobaharvest.com/nutrition/index.asp?itemID=73

Industrial Hemp - Economic Viability and Political Concerns
http://www.globalhemp.com/Archives/Government_Research/hawaiian_ind_hemp_report.shtml

The Hemp Report
http://www.hempreport.com/issues/14/hempfoods14.html

Hempology 101 Textbook
http://www.hempology.com/x/textbook/ch4.html#seeds

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS - Health Canada
See discussion on hemp oil
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/pubs/natur/efa_age_e.html

Hemp: Alive Magazine
http://www.alive.com/1149a3a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=842

Canadian Scientists involved in Essential Fatty Acid Research in Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/pubs/efa_age_c_e.pdf
Roman Przybylski
UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Email: [e-mail]
Tel: [phone]
Research areas include the nutritional aspects of hempseed and hempseed oil on composition and
utilization by humans; processing effects on conjugated linoleic acid in food systems; and
chemistry of lipid and flavor components; development of antioxidants for edible oils and foods
systems; effect of endogenous edible oil components on stability, performance, nutritional value.

[Madspirit]

11. I haven't tried it yet

I can't wait! I wonder if my co-op or Whole Foods will sell it.
Lee

[davsand]

12. So, will eating and using all these hemp products make you test positive for use?

Seriously, will you guys all test positive for MJ use if you pee in a cup or have a lock of hair tested? Do you have to state before a drug test that you cook with hemp products?


Just wondering...


Laura

[Iceburg]

15. Apparently not , unless ...

See Evaluating Interference of THC in Hemp Food Products With Employee Drug Testing:Study Summary
http://www.naihc.org/hemp_information/content/THC_emp_drug_testing.html

The findings suggest that a conflict between hemp food consumption and workplace drug testing is most unlikely if THC levels in hemp oil and hulled seeds are maintained below 5 and 2 parts per million (ppm) respectively, and if drug testing programs follow federal guidelines requiring that any urine sample screening positive be confirmed by GC/MS.

The analyses showed that daily THC doses of 0.45 mg did not cause exceedance of the 50 parts per billion (ppb) cutoff used by federal programs to evaluate the outcome of immunoassay screening tests. Confirmation of these samples by GC/MS consistently found THCCOOH levels less than 5 ppb, with the exception of one sample confirmed at 5.2 ppb. This is significantly below the 15 ppb cutoff for confirmation under federal programs. THC doses as low as 0.2 mg/day caused several exceedances of the more stringent 20 ppb screening cutoff used by few employers and law enforcement agencies. Yet all of these samples were confirmed at less than 5 ppb. One of three volunteers consuming up to 0.6 mg/day of THC screened positive at the 50 ppb level but was confirmed at less than 5 ppb.
...

The expansion of products from hemp seeds into their largest potential North American market, the "natural foods" sector in the U.S., now faces a significant obstacle. Flowers of industrial hemp plants contain minute quantities of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Industrial hemp varieties grown in Canada and the EU are bred to contain less than 0.3% THC in the upper portion of the flowering plant. In comparison, marijuana plants may contain 2-20% THC.

Depending on the hemp variety and the degree of seed cleaning, various amounts of THC residues can be found on the outer shells of whole seeds and in the products made from hemp seeds. The presence of THC in hemp foods has raised concern over their potential interference with employee drug-testing programs in the U.S. Studies conducted in 1995—1997 showed that eating hemp foods may in fact cause positive urine tests for marijuana. However, these studies involved the consumption of products from seeds with considerably higher THC levels–often more than 100 micrograms per gram (µg/g) or parts per million (ppm)–than are now commonly found in commercial hemp seeds in North America. Thus, these studies do not allow a realistic assessment of the potential impact of such foods on the outcome of employee drug tests. However, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Office of National Drug Control Policy cite the potential interference with drug-testing programs as one of their main objections to the importation and sale of hemp foods in the U.S.

Thorough cleaning of hemp seeds typically keeps THC levels in oil and hulled seeds produced in Canada to less than 5 and 2 ppm, respectively. Regulations in Canada, the main supplier of hemp seeds to the U.S., limit THC levels in hemp seed products to 10 parts per million (ppm). In the U.S., there is currently no such standard for the concentration of THC in food items.

-------------------
So it would appear, that the regulated Canadian varieties used in hemp nuts, and hemp oil would not cause one to exceed the threshold of 15ppb.

[Madspirit]

16. I'll test positive

...because I love my weed... : >
Lee

[davsand]

19. I Expected somebody was gonna say that.

Funny how THAT goes...

:smoke:


Laura

[leftchick]

13. here is a search for your area

http://www.manitobaharvest.com/company/storesus.asp

I cant wait to try it!

[Iceburg]

17. The hemp nuts/seeds are very tasty ... light, non-bitter subtle nutty flavour

Add them to your cereal, salads, and baked goods (cook at low heat <350 d)

[in_cog_ni_to]

18. You can order it online! Here's a link...both the Hemp Milk and Hemp Seeds!

http://www.manitobaharvest.com/cartshop/productlist.asp

[dogday]

21. More than happy to send this to the greatest

Hemp is a great resource!!!!!

[glitch]

23. Sounds tasty, although I don't mind soy milk. Next I hope they make hemp cheese.

If their milk is good their cheese should be too. I haven't found a good soy cheese yet.

[TalkingDog]

27. Soy cheese has casein (milk protien) so I can't even eat that.

x(

I like different "milks" for different uses, so we keep soy, almond and rice. I love hemp seeds, so I'd probably love the milk too.

[glitch]

30. Me neither. Same with almond cheese and a few others that looked attractive

until I read the ingredients.

[Shallah Kali]

31. there is a soy cheeze that is CF. haven't tired it. can't bear to spend $4+ for something I might

dislike. Amy's frozen dinners makes a soy cheeze that is somewhat cheese like. I get the rice noodle Baked Ziti bowl w/soy cheeze for an emergency cheese-like-food fix.

[Greyhound]

24. A truly miraculous plant that founded our nation and could save it

if only we can break through the corporate backed propaganda that so permeates our brains.
:kick: & R

[rainy]

25. I eat hemp seeds all the time. Not pot seeds. They are raw and nutty tasting

They have lots of essential amino acids too.

[OnionPatch]

26. I'd try it if I could find it!

I'm a hempophile, too. :smoke:

[knitter4democracy]

28. Why isn't this a legal plant?

First of all, there is good evidence to say that hemp was the first fiber used to make yarn (it was a three-ply yarn found in a cave in France long before flax had come over from Turkey). It makes great yarn, better woven fabric, and darn good rope. Why can't we grow it here? The two plants are very different, so I just don't get it.

[Iceburg]

29. Some states are very interested in growing it ... (Links +)

Here's a 1996 report from the State of Hawaii.. it provides some good backrground, albeit somewhat out of date since many countries have re-introduced the plant since that report was written.

House of Representatives
State of Hawaii
State Capitol Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Industrial Hemp - Economic Viability and Political Concerns
http://www.globalhemp.com/Archives/Government_Research/hawaiian_ind_hemp_report.shtml

See more hemp links in http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=880372&mesg_id=882143">this post of mine in this thread.

[knitter4democracy]

34. It would make a lot of sense to grow it here.

It grows well in Michigan, and it would really help the small family farms who are hurting right now (well, not the blueberry farmers, but we love them anyway :) ). It really makes good cloth.

[Shallah Kali]

32. the US gov treats industrial hemp like the drug variety. there is a bill up to let farmers grow it

can't find the link just now sorry. um maybe it was Vote hemp http://votehemp.com/ I have come across conspiracy (or fact? don't know) theories that the non-drug hemp was banned as well as the drug kind to benefit bigwigs who own tons of timber land who didn't want competition for selling their timber for paper. don't know if this is true. In the end it leaves farmers and others unable to grow a perfectly good plant which you can make everything from food to cloth to plastic out of that takes less out of the earth than plants like cotton.

[knitter4democracy]

35. Yup. No pesticides. I wonder how we can get that vote going.

That bill needs to get more attention. I have a pair of hemp jeans that I got on sale once, and I can't believe how amazing that fiber is. I have a friend who knits with it a lot, and it just gets better and better with washing. I prefer a wool/hemp blend, and it really holds up nicely.

[Iceburg]

36. An acre of Hemp produces as much pulp as 4 acres of trees

http://illinoisnorml.norml.net/content/category/5/35/58/

"An acre of Hemp produces as much pulp as 4 acres of trees (which can take 20 years to once again grow trees on the same land). We would not only save our forests from destruction but it would also save our farmers from destruction, create jobs and produce healthy, more durable and environmentally-friendly products all without outsourcing.

Hemp is a soil-building plant that is excellent in crop rotation and can be grown and harvested in 90 days. Hemp grows well, without herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides. Its strong roots control erosion and promotes weed eradication. In our current climate of deforestation and global warming, such sustainability gives Hemp a distinct advantage over products currently in many markets. Hemp is a hardworking, environmentally-sound renewable resource. People have become so wrapped up in ?the drug war" aspect of marijuana that many are forgetting Hemp?s uses as an industrial material and a healthy food source. Hemp is a great source for paper, fiber and, yes, even oil. By using clean- burning methanol fuel from Hemp, we could replace 50% of domestic oil, without tapping Alaska, offshore drilling or risking oil spills. During photosynthesis, the growth cycle of the plant removes 4 times as much C0 from the air as it puts in, so it helps clean the environment. "

-------
( Friday, 11 May 2007 )
ILLINOIS: Medical Cannabis Bill Fails State Senate
SPRINGFIELD: Illinois lawmakers rejected a proposal Thursday that would have legalized medical cannabis (marijuana), snuffing the first attempt in nearly 30 years to allow a drug some say is their only relief from the painful symptoms of debilitating diseases. The measure failed 22-29 in the state Senate with an overwhelming number of suburban legislators voting against it.

Read more... http://www.illinoisnorml.org/content/view/507/1/

[camero]

33. Drank the milk

Now I got the munchies. :dunce: