In honor of Earth Day, we are paying homage to one of our favorite (and one of the greenest!) legal substances… HEMP! In Sarma’s latest book, Living Raw Food, she explains the benefits of this THC-free superfood for the Earth and your body.

Hooray for Hemp
Hemp has been thrown under the bus for years because of its association with marijuana. While it’s true that hemp comes from the plant of the notorious genus Cannabis, it contains a negligible amount of THC, the substance that gives marijuana smokers their high. It has been harvested by farmers around the world for the last 12,000 years and can be cultivated for more uses than you could dream up during a bong-rip brainstorm session. Popular Mechanics once wrote that over 25,000 environmentally friendly products could be derived from hemp! Industrial and garment applications include textiles, clothes, rope, paper, and much more. Even the U.S. Declaration of Independence was printed on hemp paper!

As a sustainable crop, hemp uses far fewer resources than cotton, soy, and corn. Rather than depleting the soil of nutrients, hemp actually puts good nutrients and minerals back into the soil. This means it can be grown for years and never suck the soil dry of all its goodness. Cotton, soy, and corn are generally sustained by fertilizers, herbicides, chemical sprays, and genetic modification in order for them to yield such high volumes. This adds a lot of toxicity to the environment.

Unfortunately, the most hemp-phobic country in the world may be the United States, where it has been illegal to grow hemp since 1938, in part based on the claim that plants with higher THC content could easily be sneaked into hemp crops. However, the fact that it competes with wood products and synthetic fibers (which are patentable and therefore more profitable) is also a likely factor. But the more demand there is for hemp-based products, the more companies will lobby the government to let our farmers grow hemp, so keep buying hemp!

The good news is that the word is spreading on this very versatile and all-around fantastic plant, and the fringe is becoming more mainstream. For example, Mercedes- Benz has begun using the ever-durable hemp fiber for the interior panels on some of its cars. At home, I have a shower curtain made from hemp and I love it. But my favorite hemp product is my One Lucky Duck hemp hoodie sweatshirt!!

Hemp Seeds: A Superfruit?
Many people are surprised to find out that hemp seeds are not seeds at all—they’re fruit! And what a superfruit: hemp seeds (or hemp nuts as some call them) are among the most nutritious foods you can eat. Not only do they contain a high percentage of biologically available protein, but also an ideal amount of fantastic fats. Our Western/American diets are chronically and notoriously low in prized omega-3 fatty acids, which are responsible for healthy cell structure, brain function, liver function, and more. Lots of foods contain them, but hemp seeds have a better ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. This is an important ratio that is usually way out of whack in our diets, and that has been known to contribute to all sorts of undesirable conditions.

Yes, omega-6 fats are in drastic overabundance in the typical corn, soy, and other vegetable oil heavy Standard American Diet (SAD, and, yes, it is sad!). Meat, particularly from grain-fed livestock, also contains very high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids. Too much omega-6 can raise blood pressure and increase the likelihood of the development of nasty and dangerous blood clots (which can cause heart attacks and strokes). It is also reported to be a factor leading to the development of cancer, asthma, and arthritis.

And if that’s not bad enough, too much omega-6 also slows metabolism and can cause water retention and depression. (And what is more depressing than a slow metabolism and bloating?)

Aside from an abundance of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, hemp seeds are full of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin A, and potassium. But it’s the fact that hemp seeds contain all ten essential amino acids (those protein building blocks that your body has to get from food since your body cannot produce them) that make the hemp seed such a star of the raw-vegan diet. And the good news is, they taste great, too. Their nutty flavor makes them a great topping for salads (as in the S&M Salad, page 92 in Living Raw Food). We use them at the restaurant in crackers and pizza crusts, too (refer to Raw Food/Real World for these recipes).

Excerpted from Living Raw Food, Harper Collins, 2009

After all this talk about hemp, you may be wondering where you can get your hands on some hemp goodies. Shameless self-promotion time: Right here at Oneluckyduck.com! Our Shelled Hempseed, Hemp Protein and super yummy, crunchy Buckwheat and Hempseed Granola (perfect in the morning with hemp milk or almond milk) are all good-for-the-planet ways to get the many nutritional benefits of hemp in your diet.  And hey, why not look fantastic while helping the Earth? Do it in style with our Woman’s Hemp Tanks, Hemp Hoodies and for our canine friends Billy Wolf Hemp Bandanas!